One day in Edinburgh: an Old Town order of play

The plan in one line

Castle first thing, St Giles’ next, a lunch break, one underground or museum stop, then downhill to Holyrood. Book the Castle and your second ticketed stop before you leave home. The rest can wait until you are there.

The Royal Mile runs downhill from the Castle to Holyrood, so start at the top and let gravity help. This is our suggested order, not an official route.

Morning: Edinburgh Castle

Book ahead. The Castle says tickets often sell out far in advance and that booking online guarantees entry [1]. Standard tickets are for a set date and time, while a flexi ticket lets you pick any slot within seven days [2]. Doors open at 9.30am daily [1], so aim for the first slot.

Inside, the main sights are St Margaret’s Chapel, the Great Hall, the Royal Palace, the Honours of Scotland, Mons Meg and the Scottish National War Memorial [2]. The One o’Clock Gun fires every day except Sundays and Christmas Day [2], so on a Sunday you will not hear it.

The trap is the weather. The Castle can close at short notice when weather warnings are in force, and it tells visitors to check before travelling [1]. Look at its closures page on the morning.

Late morning: St Giles’ Cathedral

St Giles’ sits a few minutes down the Royal Mile. General admission applies to visitors aged 16 or over who do not live in Scotland, and it includes guided tours and the Thistle Chapel [3]. Tickets are timed and bought online, and you can change your time online if the plan slips [4].

There is also a 25-minute audio tour you start by scanning a QR code on your phone [4]. Personal photography of the building is allowed, but not during services [4].

Check the day. On Sundays the cathedral opens at 1pm [3], and there are services in the morning [4]. That makes Sunday a poor day to go first.

Early afternoon: pick one

The Real Mary King’s Close is a guided visit to preserved streets below the Royal Mile. Its Signature Guided Tour lasts one hour. The venue calls itself a popular, often sold-out attraction and recommends booking in advance [5]. Changes are possible up to four hours before the tour, depending on the ticket type [5].

The Museum of Edinburgh is the calmer choice. The council’s culture trust describes it as a free museum on the Royal Mile, open Wednesday to Sunday [6]. On a Monday or Tuesday, choose Mary King’s Close instead.

If you only have time for one, take the tour if you like a guide and the museum if you like to wander.

Late afternoon: Holyrood

The Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile and is the official residence of the monarchy in Scotland. It is open to the public all year, and the royal.uk page points to the Royal Collection Trust for visiting details [7]. We could not load the Royal Collection Trust pages when writing this, so check its site for booking and opening times before you plan around the Palace.

Beside it is Holyrood Park, which Historic Environment Scotland says is free to visit and open 24 hours a day, all year [8]. Arthur’s Seat rises inside it. The park warns of sheer drops and slippery surfaces and asks for sturdy shoes with good grip [8]. Climbing areas are closed for safety, and the northern section of the Radical Road is shut because of rockfall risk [8].

What to drop

Nobody gets through all of this in one day. If you must cut something, drop the Palace interior or the Arthur’s Seat climb, not the Castle. In winter, daylight is short, so if the hill is your priority, swap it into the early afternoon and leave the museum for another visit.

Before you go

• Book the Castle and either St Giles’ or Mary King’s Close.
• Check the Castle’s closures page on the day.
• Check the Royal Collection Trust page for the Palace.
• Wear shoes with grip, whether or not you climb.

For more places along the route, see our Old Town & Royal Mile and Holyrood guides.

Places in this article

Photos from our guides; each links to the page that lists the place.