Organization of our tour of Edinburgh in 1 day
As we only had one day to spend at Edinburgh, it was impossible for us to visit everything. We had to make compromises.
So I took my Lonely Planet to list the must-see sights in Edinburgh. Then I took to the Internet, forums, travel blogs to see photos and comments. Thus, I was able to select the visits that attracted me the most, taking into account my tastes and my desires.
Then, it was necessary to check if all these visits were feasible in just one day. Then we had to organize them in such a way as to optimize the precious time that we lack all the time!
Here is how our day visit to Edinburgh.
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
First of all, I had chosen to visit the Cedinburgh castle when it opens in the morning (9:30 am). Indeed, we were able to limit the time we lose 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/
At around 11:30 am, we went back down towards the Royal Mile.
Along the way, we stopped at Real Mary King's Close to book our visit 1h30 hours later. Be careful, given the influx of tourists in August, it is impossible to take an entry and immediately visit the site. It is mandatory to register for the next visit in French and to return at the time indicated to start the visit.
Highlights of Edinburgh in 1 day - Restaurant at Noon
We decided to go eat while we waited ...
We leave direction Victoria street to admire its beautiful colored facades then direction OINK extension which is on the same street.
This fast food restaurant specializing in pork is perfect for y eat quickly and inexpensively good big pork sandwich. Not very healthy but super good!
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 p.m .: Visit in French of the Real Mary King's Close.
15:00 p.m .: Direction and visit of the St Gilles Cathedral.
15 p.m .: We decide to walk along the Royal Mile until Parliament of Scotland (30 minutes walk). Quick tour of Parlement.
16:15 p.m .: Direction on Holyrood castle or Holyrood palace which is at the end of the street Royal Mile. No time to visit because I absolutely wanted to go have a beer in a pub…
And yes, sometimes you have to make choices!
And there 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 recited to us by a guide tired of his day!
17:00 p.m .: We take the bus to go up Royal Mile and we go down to the level of Cathedral to walk to 30 Candlemaker Row.
We have a well-deserved beer at the Greyfriars Bobby Bar , which is a old pub very popular at Edinburgh. It is closely linked to a pretty legend that I invite 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 had read on the Internet that you could taste a very good Haggis (stuffed sheep's belly - great Scottish specialty) at a very small price (9 pounds) at Mum's. And as the address is well known to tourists and locals, I had of course booked in advance. http://www.monstermashcafe.co.uk/#home
This is how our busy day ended at Edinburgh. We liked it 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 in big cities like EdinburghWe wouldn't have a hard time finding a cheap hotel. But I quickly became disillusioned… Correct and well-rated hotels in less than 100 Euros au edinburgh center cannot be found in the summer.
So I did not find any cheap hotel in Edinburgh in August 2015 and so I looked towards the apartments.
There, I must say that the offer is more interesting. I booked 2 nights at Spacious West End Apartment which was 1 km walk from the historic center of edinburgh.
It was there most economical formula because there were 4 of us and the apartment had 2 bedrooms. 130 Euros per night for 4 people : it was a good plan 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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