Welcome to Edinburgh sweet friend, what a glorious city to touch down in!
But I know what you may be thinking, how do you see it all!? Where are the best places to eat? Do I really want to try haggis?!

The answers are: You literally cannot, there’s plenty to choose from and yes you absolutely do.

This trip itinerary is based off 3 days solely in Edinburgh (because I’m assuming you’ll be road tripping into the Highlands?!) BUT, if you aren’t planning on road tripping up north this time around, you can sub out one of these days to head on a Haggis or Rabbies one day tour to the Highlands, because you cannot leave Scotland without seeing a highland coo!

ACCOMODATION RECCOMENDATIONS:

High budget: The Witchery, Balmoral Hotel, The Kimpton
Medium - High budget: The Scotsman, House of Gods, Eden Locke
Low - Medium budget: Yotel, Princes Street Suites
Airbnb Areas: Stockbridge, Leith, Old Town, New Town, Haymarket

DAY ONE: New Town and Old Town

Breakfast at Greenwoods is a must, not far off Princes St this delightful cafe has a lovely selection of breakfast options (including cocktails, go nuts, you’re on holiday)

After your well fed, it’s time to explore the divide between New Town and Old Town! Take a walk down Princes St and check out the Scott Monument (viewing area at the top, but I can recommend a way better view, stay tuned) walk through the Princes St gardens with a coffee in hand and stop at Ross Fountain for that ICONIC shot with the Edinburgh Castle behind it.
Really take your time through here, it’s nice to familiarise yourself with the city
If you’re already a bit peckish, before heading into Old Town make your way to Room and Rumours cafe for another coffee or tea and grab one of their freshly baked donuts, absolutely to die for and taste as delicious as they look.
Make your way into Old Town by starting on Cockburn St, the famous cafe the Milkman is here (don’t worry, you can come back tomorrow if you’re caffeined out!) and wind up onto the Royal Mile. Stop in the wee unique shops along Cockburn St ( but don’t buy a kilt on the Royal Mile, if you’re after a unique piece of Scotland check out Atelier Escapades, thats where you’ll get one of a kind pieces!)
Along the Royal Mile you’ll spot St Giles Cathedral, a stunning viewpoint of Scotts Monument in Advocats Close and the Writers Museum (which has free entry!)
It’s time to head to Edinburgh Castle, it has an amazing view of the city and in my opinion, is worth the odd £20 to go inside and check it out. It’s an incredibly maintained castle with so much history to soak up! Bonus points if you hang around til 1pm when they fire off the daily cannon (seriously)
But the best view of the city and castle? Weirdly enough it’s at a gimmicky spot called Camera Obscura. There’s some fun elements inside this strangely placed experience, but the real magic is at the top! The view of Edinburgh Castle and surrounds is absolutely spectacular and also worth the £20 just for that.
Time for LUNCH! Best to get off the actual Royal Mile and either head back to Cockburn St to Laila for an instagrammers DREAM (the food is actually very good!) or grab a bite at Scran.
Our last stop for the day is down to Victoria St and the Grassmarket, loaded with history and beautifully coloured buildings (that’ll certainly remind you of Diagon Alley) I love this wee spot even if it is a bit touristy! On your 3rd day in Edinburgh we’ll walk a bit beyond the Grassmarket to some of my other favorite spots, but for now hang around and enjoy the ambience. You can grab a fresh juice at Hula, a pint at the Last Drop or a milkshake at Marys (a plain malt milkshake is chefs kiss) and head up the Vennel Viewpoint which boasts another fabulous view of the castle and worth the stairs for the gram!
If you’ve got any energy left and are a fan of literature, check out Armchair Books - an absolutely stunning wee bookstore that’ll inspire you to curl up in a nook and read for the rest of the afternoon.
What’s for dinner you may ask? You’ve got a couple of options:
- The Chophouse
- El Cartel
- Paradise Palms

DAY TWO: Stockbridge and Dean Village
Today we’re heading into Stockbridge, which back in the day was home to artists, poets and bohemes (not far off nowadays to be honest!) We’ll be spending the day around one of the loveliest spots in Edinburgh (I may be biased because I live here 😂) weekends are great to visit because theres a farmers market on Sundays but it’s definitely a lot busier! If you want Stockbridge and Dean Village to yourself, try to head here on a weekday.

We’re kicking off with breakfast at either the Pantry or Cowan and Sons. The Pantry serves a great brunch and was established by Australians (the ultimate avo on toast enthusiasts) or Cowan and Sons who do a great small menu and a 10/10 coffee.

Spend the morning wandering around Stockbridge’s main street, grab yourself some second hand gems at the charity stores, a book from Rare Birds Bookstore (who only stock books by female authors), and head to Independent Zebra to support smaller Scottish makers.
On your way back down main street you can grab an early lunch at Cafe Gallo (a primavera sandwich on ciabatta is delightful, their nutella iced lattes are also amazing) or you can come back after visiting the Colonies, a series of matching streets with beautiful quaint homes. And then you’re off to the IG famous, Circus Lane! The light for a photo is best here before 11 or after 3-4ish (in Summer)
Once you’ve got a bangin’ snap down Circus Lane, head to Fortitude for coffee or hot chocolate and grab yourself a cinnamon bun, alternatively head next door to Grams for a smoothie! Either way, you’ll want to be well fed and full of beans for our next stop!
Next you’re going to head down toward Dean Village along the water, spot the brass man sculpture (by Anthony Bromley) just by the bridge and enjoy the afternoon weather (even if its raining!) and make your way to St Bernards Well. This used to be a spot where people drank water in hopes to cure their ailments, as it was said to have magical healing properties. Turns out the water has arsenic so they closed that bad boy up real quick. Regardless, it’s a gorg monument and worth a quick stop. If you’ve got time, head to the back of the monument and you’ll spot some benches to watch the water going by - super relaxing!
Continuing up from here about a 10 minute walk will land you in the old Milling town of Dean Village. You’ll recognise this spot as it’s photographed a LOT in Edinburgh, but with good reason. Make sure you walk around the whole area to get a variety of viewpoints and snaps! Walk across the wee bridge across the water and around the clocktower area - just ensure you’re respectful to residents as its a private residential area!

Another big day deserves a delightful dinner (and cocktail) and you’re spoilt for choice in Stockbridge!
Dinner recommendations:
- Scran and Scallie (fancier pub food)
- The Raeburn (chill pub food)
- Smith and Gertrude (wine and charcuterie bar)
- Pepenero (yummy homestyle Italian)
- During Summer check out the Neighbourgood Market in Inverleith Park
Bar recommendations:
- St Vincents at the end of Circus Lane
- St Bernards Speakeasy (make sure you head upstairs!)
- Last Word Saloon (where Billy and I met, cute right?!)

DAY THREE: Leith + Arthurs Seat

It’s your last day in Edinburgh! Time to cram like you’ve never crammed before and we’re starting the day with more walking (because you’ve probably not walked nearly enough already, right?! 😂)

We’re starting your day down in Leith and having breakfast at TOAST, the poached eggs are lovely and they make a great coffee too or alternatively check out the Hideout Cafe.
Wander around the waterfront here, check out the market on a Saturday and honestly just peep around the Walk of Leith for some unique street art, one of a kind shops and other fabulous cafes and restaurants. If you want to head back here tonight, the Lioness of Leith is a great spot for an evening drink and dinner at Gulp ramen always goes down a treat!
From Leith we’re doing a mighty walk up to Calton Hill (or you can grab a bus or Uber, just note at the time of writing this there’s a buttload of roadworks and its tricky getting around by car!) You’ll enjoy Leith a lot more if you remain on foot. On your way through to Calton Hill you can stop at St James centre for another coffee or bite to eat, and make it up the short steps to the top of Calton Hill. Here you’ll see a spectacular view of Princes St, the Balmoral Hotel and Arthurs seat (which is where we’re headed this afternoon!)
The next stop is Holyrood Palace, one of the Queens palaces that’s open seasonally to visitors. I really enjoyed heading inside and taking the audio tour, and can recommend it if you’re into history and royalty! The Abbey here is also worth a visit and is really cool to see next to the perfectly maintained palace.
Hopefully you’ve grabbed a bottle of water along the way, because we’re about to watch the sunset over Arthurs Seat! This magnificent and windy hill (that’s probably a mild choice of word) has another incredible view over the entire city and you’ll feel like a badass making it to the top. Make sure you map out the route you want to take ahead of time, as you can take a shorter (but steeper) trail that will get you up there much quicker! Ensure you’ve got good walking shoes for this adventure and then take your time when you’re up top - you deserve to take a seat and soak up the last 3 days of magic you’ve encountered in this spectacular city!
Your last stop on your 3 day adventure is definitely going to include whisky - how could it NOT?! The Whiski Rooms has one of the best selections of whisky you can try in the city (bar the Scotch Whisky Experience which has, well, a SHIT load on display) and Billy assures me The Whiski Rooms has one of the best tastings he’s ever been to. There’s a lot to learn when drinking a wee dram, so it pays to find out exactly how to drink this wonderful drip (ensure you book yourself a table here ahead of time)
For dinner? Well i’m sure you’ve not gone to every single place i’ve recommended so far, but if you’re after a couple more options you can check out: Fazenda, Hawksmoor, or Dishoom.

PHEW, that was a wild ride wasn’t it?!
I hope you feel prepped and ready for an epic 3 days in Edinburgh, feel free to pop any questions or recommendations down below, we love hearing from you guys!

Stay safe and enjoy your magical journey around this one of a kind city!

Like what you’ve read? Still feel overwhelmed on where to start? Why not grab a copy of our 7 day Spellbinding Scotland guide here?

3 Day Edinburgh Itinerary