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Three days is enough for the main sights of Edinburgh if each day gets one area. Day 1 is the castle and the Royal Mile. Day 2 is Holyrood and Arthur’s Seat, and Day 3 is Leith or the galleries. Book the castle ahead, and check which days Holyrood is open, because in autumn it is not open every day.
We have travelled all over Europe, and Edinburgh is a city where I would pack for rain in any month. I would also put hill-ready shoes ahead of everything else in the bag. Our carry-on-only packing list covers the over-packing, and packing cubes keep a wet jacket away from the dry clothes.
3 days in Edinburgh
Every price, hour and rule here comes from the operator’s own page, read on October 2, 2026. Each day pairs one booked ticket with free walking. Day 3 has a swap if you would rather leave the city.
| Day | Plan | Ticket to book | Adult cost | Getting around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral, Greyfriars | Castle, online | Castle £23.50 online; St Giles’ free | Walking |
| 2 | Palace of Holyroodhouse, Arthur’s Seat, National Museum of Scotland, Calton Hill or Dean Village | Palace, online | Palace £22.00 in advance; museum free | Walking, one bus |
| 3 | Royal Yacht Britannia or Scottish National Gallery | Britannia, date and time slot | Gallery free; Britannia price on its page | Tram or bus to Leith |
| Swap | St Andrews | Train to Leuchars, then bus | Train from £7.30 | 1h 0m to Leuchars |
The Old Town is steep and cobbled, and a day of it takes more out of your legs than the map suggests. Pick shoes you have already walked in.
Edinburgh Castle tickets
Book Edinburgh Castle before you book anything else. The castle’s ticket page lists adult tickets at £23.50 online and £26.00 walk-up, and child tickets (ages 7 to 15) at £11.50 online. It says tickets often sell out far in advance, especially over the summer.
The castle’s opening-times page lists 9:30am to 5pm from October 1 to December 23, with last entry at 4pm. From April 1 to September 30 it closes at 6pm. It is closed on December 25 and 26. The page suggests at least two hours inside.
The One O’Clock Gun fires at 1pm every day except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day, per the castle. The castle also names the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, and Mons Meg among its sights. I would head for the Honours as soon as the doors open, then work through the batteries until the gun.
Royal Mile
After the castle, walk the Royal Mile downhill toward Holyrood. It is a long, cobbled street of closes, shops and pubs. Stop at St Giles’ Cathedral, halfway along. Its visit page says entry is free for all, with a £2 photo permit for photography.
From April to October, St Giles’ opens 9:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, 9:00 to 17:00 on Saturday and 13:00 to 17:00 on Sunday. From November to March it closes at 17:00 Monday to Saturday. It is a working church and says access may be restricted without notice. A short service runs 12:00 to 12:10 Monday to Saturday, so I would not plan a visit for noon.
Greyfriars Kirkyard sits a few minutes off the Royal Mile near George IV Bridge. It is an old graveyard with the castle rising behind it. Walk through, read a few stones and keep moving. The afternoon is for slowing down, not for ticking boxes.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Palace days matter more than palace hours. The Royal Collection Trust’s 2026 opening list shows Thursday to Monday only, 9:30 to 18:00, from September 17 to October 31. From November 1 to December 31 it is Thursday to Monday, 9:30 to 16:30. The palace is closed December 25 and 26, 2026. In summer the same list shows daily opening, so check the dates for the year you travel.
The palace page lists adult admission at £22.00 in advance and £26.00 on the day. Last admission on the October schedule is 16:30. Put the palace first thing on Day 2 so the hill walk can follow. If your Day 2 lands on a Tuesday or Wednesday, swap it with Day 3.
Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s Seat is the extinct volcano that rises right behind the palace. Historic Environment Scotland gives its height as 251 metres and promises 360-degree views over Edinburgh and the Lothians. It sits inside Holyrood Park, and the park’s own page points walkers to its maps page for current path closures.
I would pick a dry morning. Wet rock near the top is slick, and the wind on the summit is stronger than it is in the streets below. Wear shoes with grip, and carry a layer and a bottle of water.
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland is free and open daily 10:00 to 17:00, per its own site. Some special exhibitions charge. It is closed on December 25 and opens at 12:00 on December 26 and January 1. It is the right midday stop after the hill, and a good wet-weather fallback.
Finish Day 2 with one view, not two. Calton Hill sits at the east end of Princes Street and gives you the skyline in a short climb. It is the easier choice after a morning on Arthur’s Seat.
Dean Village is the quieter alternative. It is a former mill hamlet of tall stone buildings beside the Water of Leith, reached on foot from the west end of the New Town. Choose it on a day when your legs are still fresh.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Day 3 is the easy day, and it starts with a choice. The Royal Yacht Britannia is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith, and its own page says it is about 20 minutes from the city, with trams and local buses stopping outside. Its Standard Ticket picks a date and a time, and the audio guide is included. The price is set on the yacht’s ticket page.
Britannia’s hours run 9:30 to 18:00 from April to October, with last entry at 16:00. From November to December it opens at 10:00, last entry at 15:00, and closes at 17:00. It is closed on December 25 and January 1.
The Scottish National Gallery is the dry alternative. It lists free admission, with charges for some exhibitions, and opening daily from 10am to 5pm. That makes it one of the free half days in the plan.
Edinburgh to St Andrews
St Andrews is the swap day if you want to leave the city. LNER’s route page shows a train from Edinburgh Waverley to Leuchars in 1h 0m, with standard tickets from £7.30. From Leuchars you take a bus into St Andrews. Leave early and plan a slow day of old streets and the seafront.
A Highlands day by train is a much longer outing. I would give the Highlands its own trip instead of squeezing it into three days here.
Edinburgh travel tips
These are the rules and fares that move, each read on October 2, 2026.
Edinburgh Airport to city centre
Lothian Buses lists the Airlink 100 at £6.00 for an adult single and £8.50 for an adult return. Trams run between the airport and the city centre too, and the tram operator’s own fare finder gives that price.
Lothian Buses fares
Lothian Buses lists an adult single at £2.40 and a DAY ticket at £6.00, which also covers Edinburgh Trams except to the airport. On a contactless card or phone you tap on and do not tap off. Use the same card or device all day and the fare caps at £5.70 for the City DAY ticket.
Edinburgh ETA
GOV.UK says people from the USA usually need an ETA rather than a visa. The ETA costs £20 and covers a stay of up to 6 months. Apply only through the official government route, because GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more.
Edinburgh visitor levy
The City of Edinburgh Council sets the visitor levy at 5% of the accommodation-only part of the bill, net of VAT. It applies to bookings made on or after October 1, 2025 for stays on or after July 24, 2026. It is charged for up to 5 consecutive nights per booking, and the accommodation provider collects it. The council’s scheme document is Version 2.1, September 2026.
Edinburgh weather
The Met Office 1991 to 2020 averages for its Edinburgh station show a July high near 19°C (67°F) and a January high near 7°C (45°F). Days with 1 mm of rain or more average about 128 a year. April is the driest month and July the wettest. Pack layers and a waterproof, not an umbrella that will flip on a windy hill.
Edinburgh festivals
The Fringe Society lists the 2026 Fringe as August 7 to 31. Check its site for the 2027 dates. Edinburgh Festival City lists Hogmanay as December 29, 2026 to January 1, 2027. Book rooms and the castle early for both. Expect the Royal Mile to be at its busiest then.
Edinburgh questions
Is 3 days in Edinburgh enough?
Yes, for the main sights. Three days covers the castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, Arthur’s Seat and one half day at Leith or a gallery. It leaves little room for a day trip unless you swap one day.
How much is Edinburgh Castle?
Adult tickets are £23.50 online and £26.00 walk-up, per the castle’s ticket page on October 2, 2026. The castle says tickets often sell out far in advance, so book online.
Is the National Museum of Scotland free?
Yes. The museum lists free entry, with charges for some special exhibitions. It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and closed on December 25.
Do you need an ETA for Edinburgh?
Yes, if you are from the USA you usually do, per GOV.UK. The ETA costs £20 and allows a stay of up to 6 months.
Is Arthur’s Seat hard?
It is a hill walk, not a technical climb. Historic Environment Scotland gives the summit at 251 metres. Wear shoes with grip and pick a dry day.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 18, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Edinburgh Castle on its rock seen from… — Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) St Giles' Cathedral crown spire on the… — Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh… — Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) View across Edinburgh from the summit of… — Gareth James , CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (5) Edinburgh skyline from Calton Hill with the… — Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (6) Stone buildings beside the Water of Leith… — Gary Campbell-Hall from Edinburgh, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.