Organization of our tour of Edinburgh in 1 day
Since we only had one day to spend in Edinburgh , it was impossible for us to visit everything. We had to make compromises.
So I grabbed my Lonely Planet guidebook to make a list of the must-see sights in Edinburgh . Then I went online, checking forums and travel blogs to see photos and read reviews. This allowed me to narrow down my choices to the places that appealed to me most, based on my tastes and preferences.
Next, we had to check if all these visits could be done in a single day . Then we had to organize them in a way that optimized the precious time we're always short of!
Here is how our day of sightseeing in Edinburgh unfolded.
How to visit Edinburgh in 1 day?
Edinburgh in 1 day - My must-sees
- Cedinburgh castle
- Royal Mile
- Victoria street
- OINK extension
- Real Mary King's Close
- St Gilles Cathedral
- Parlement
- Holyrood palace
- Greyfriars Bobby Bar
- Mum's
Edinburgh in 1 day - Map of my walking route
Click on "More options" in the map to follow the GPS
1-Day Highlights of Edinburgh - Morning Itinerary
Firstly, I chose to visit Edinburgh Castle when it opened in the morning (9:30 am). This allowed us to limit the time wasted in endless queues, especially in the middle of the day.
In addition, I had reserved the entrance tickets in advance on the Internet which allows you to enter directly without going to the ticket offices. Here is the site where I was able to book online:
https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/
Around 11:30, we headed back down towards the Royal Mile.
On the way, we stopped at the Royal Mary King's Close to book our tour for 1.5 hours later. Please note that due to the large number of tourists in August, it's impossible to buy a ticket and visit the site immediately. You must register for the next tour in French and return at the scheduled time to begin.
Highlights of Edinburgh in 1 day - Restaurant at Noon
We decided to go eat while we waited ...
We head back towards Victoria Street to admire its beautiful colorful facades, then towards OINK which is located on the same street.
This fast-food restaurant specializing in pork is perfect for a quick and cheap meal of a good, hearty pork sandwich. Not exactly diet food, but super tasty!
There we were efficient because we did not waste time looking for a restaurant, we ate very quickly and we filled our stomachs well.
Highlights of Edinburgh in 1 Day - Afternoon Itinerary
13:45 pm: Tour in French of the Real Mary King's Close.
15:00 PM: Heading to and visiting St. Giles' Cathedral.
15:30pm: We decide to walk along the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament (30-minute walk). Quick visit to the Parliament.
16:15 PM: Off to Holyrood Palace , located at the end of the Royal Mile . No time for a tour, though, as I absolutely wanted to grab a beer at a pub…
And yes, sometimes you have to make choices!
And here I am a little ashamed to admit that I preferred to discover the lively and folkloric atmosphere of a Scottish pub rather than stories of castles and queens that a guide tired of his day would have recited to us!
17:00 PM: We take the bus up the Royal Mile and get off at the Cathedral to walk to 30 Candlemaker Row.
We enjoyed a well-deserved beer at Greyfriars Bobby Bar , a very popular old pub in Edinburgh. It's closely linked to a charming legend that I encourage you to discover: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby
Highlights of Edinburgh in 1 day - Restaurant in the evening
19h00: We are winnowed and decide to take a taxi to go and satisfy ourselves.
I'd read online that you could get a really good haggis (stuffed sheep's stomach – a great Scottish specialty) for a very low price (9 pounds) at Mum's . And since the place is well-known to tourists and locals alike, I'd of course booked in advance. http://www.monstermashcafe.co.uk/#home
And so ended our very busy day in Edinburgh . We enjoyed it very much but had only one regret: the rain!
Unfortunately, we will see over the days spent in Scotland that she will accompany us everywhere, everywhere ...
Cheap hotel in Edinburgh?
I thought that in big cities like Edinburgh , we wouldn't have any trouble finding a cheap hotel. But I was quickly disillusioned… Decent, well-rated hotels for under 100 Euros in the center of Edinburgh are impossible to find during the summer season.
So I couldn't find any cheap hotels in Edinburgh in August 2015, so I looked at apartments.
I must say, this offer is more attractive. I booked two nights at the Spacious West End Apartment , which was a 1km walk from Edinburgh's historic centre.
It was the most economical option because there were four of us and the apartment had two bedrooms. 130 Euros a night for four people : it was a good deal for our small budget …
In addition, we were completely satisfied because the apartment was magnificent, clean and very well equipped (dishwasher, coffee machine, linens, cleaning products, etc.).
Its location in a very nice residential area, was ideal for reaching the main sights of Edinburgh.
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