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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Edinburgh
Dùn Èideann
Give Edinburgh 3 nights: Old Town and Castle one day, Arthur's Seat and Leith the next, a day trip on the third. Book August beds by March.
Edinburgh is Scotland's capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, built on volcanic crags with a medieval Old Town and a Georgian New Town facing each other across Princes Street Gardens. Most of the centre is walkable, the Castle and Royal Mile anchor the sightseeing, and August doubles the population for the festivals. Three nights covers the city; add nights for the Highlands or Fife.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Dùn Èideann
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Aug (festival crowds and peak prices), late Dec (Hogmanay prices)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £55–85 excl. bed · Mid £90–150 excl. bed · High £180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main (fish and chips, pie) | £12–18 |
| Pint of beer | £5–7 |
| 3 km taxi1.9 mi taxi | £8–12 |
| Lothian bus single | £2 (check) |
| Castle or palace entry | £15–22 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EDI · Edinburgh Airport
- Tram or Airlink 100 bus to the centre, 20–40 min
Typical fares
- EDI → city centre, Airlink 100
- £6 single, £8.50 open return, 20–30 min (check)
- EDI → city centre, tram
- £7.90 single, 40 min (check)
- Taxi Waverley → Leith
- £15–20
Get around
The centre is walkable: Castle to Holyrood is about 1.6 km down the Royal Mile. Lothian Buses and the tram cover the rest; contactless tap or buy a day ticket. Taxis and the tram run late, but last buses thin out after midnight.The centre is walkable: Castle to Holyrood is about 1 mi down the Royal Mile. Lothian Buses and the tram cover the rest; contactless tap or buy a day ticket. Taxis and the tram run late, but last buses thin out after midnight.
See and do
Known for
- Edinburgh Castle
- Royal Mile and Old Town
- Arthur's Seat
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Hogmanay
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges | ScotRail from Waverley to Dalmeny, about 20 min, then a 10-min walk downhill | About 45 min |
| North Berwick | ScotRail from Waverley, about 35 min | About 1 h |
| Dunbar | ScotRail from Waverley, about 25 min | About 50 min |
| Livingston | ScotRail from Waverley to Livingston North, about 25 min | About 50 min |
| Glasgow | ScotRail from Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street, about 50 min, every 15–30 min | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Old Town
- Royal Mile and Castle on the doorstep; noisiest and priciest, book early.
- New Town
- Georgian grid, Princes Street shops and Waverley station within a 10-min walk; quieter nights.
- Leith
- Former port with the Royal Yacht Britannia; 20–25 min by tram or bus to the centre, cheaper beds.
- South (Southside and Newington)
- Student quarter near the Meadows and university; good-value rooms, 15–20 min walk to the Royal Mile.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Tatah |
| Cheers / goodbye | Cheerscheers |
| How much is it? | How much is that?how much is that |
| Can I pay by card? | Card OK?card oh-kay |
| Where is the toilet? | Where's the loo?wheres the loo |
| Excuse me | Sorrysor-ry |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- August and Hogmanay sell out months ahead: book beds and trains early.
- The Royal Mile has tartan-shop and 'free' tour touts; agree the price before you commit.
- Rain and wind arrive any month: bring a waterproof, not an umbrella.
- Arthur's Seat paths are steep and slippery when wet; wear grip shoes.
- Some Old Town pubs and clubs add late-night entry charges: ask first.
Edinburgh is a safe city by day and night in the centre. Watch pickpockets on the Royal Mile and at Waverley in August, keep to lit paths on Arthur's Seat, and treat late-night 'free entry' club touts with caution.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Edinburgh yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Edinburgh Castle
- Royal Mile and Old Town
- Arthur's Seat
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Hogmanay
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Forever Edinburgh — official city guide: edinburgh.org/
- Edinburgh Airport: www.edinburghairport.com
- Lothian Buses — Airlink: lothianbuses.co.uk/airport
- Edinburgh Trams: www.edinburghtrams.com/
- National Rail — Edinburgh Waverley: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/EDB/details.html
- VisitScotland: www.visitscotland.com/
- Wikivoyage: Edinburgh, revision 5339250 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339250
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
EdinburghDùn Èideann
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has a consulate in Edinburgh (check the address); most other countries: consulates in Edinburgh or embassies in London.
999 and 112 both work; 111 for NHS advice.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/edinburgh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.