Edinburgh has a real castle above the city, historic alleyways tucked off the Royal Mile, and a palace where you can walk through the rooms of Mary, Queen of Scots. There is plenty of history here, but some of our favorite things to do in Edinburgh were the less expected ones: exploring the streets beneath the city at The Real Mary King’s Close and watching the camera obscura project a view of Edinburgh onto a surface in a darkened room.

We spent two days in Edinburgh with our three boys and have been back since that trip. We love Edinburgh. The Real Mary King’s Close was a must-see for all of us, and we loved poking into shops along the Royal Mile.

This guide covers the places we visited, what we thought was worth our time, and how to fit them into your trip. There’s also a section on visiting Edinburgh with kids, including which activities worked best for our family.

Best Things to Do in Edinburgh

1. Explore Edinburgh Castle

The castle dominates Edinburgh’s skyline from the high point of Castle Rock. It has seen battles and military campaigns for hundreds of years, and visiting gives you a chance to explore the royal rooms, the Honours of Scotland—the Scottish Crown Jewels—and the castle’s military history.

I highly recommend a guided tour to help you understand the enormous amount of Scottish history within the fortress. There is much more here than a beautiful building, and understanding what happened within its walls makes the visit more interesting.

Plan on two to three hours. Make this one of your main stops for the day rather than trying to squeeze it between several other attractions.

Book ahead: Tickets can sell out, especially in summer. I was there this past July and there were only tickets available at 9 am on only one day of my visit. Once admission tickets are sold out online, there are no additional tickets available at the entrance. You can book admission here Tickets to Edinburgh Castle.

2. Walk the Royal Mile

The Royal Mile runs through Edinburgh’s Old Town from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Restaurants, museums, and shops line the route, but leave time to peek down the narrow closes branching off it, too.

It is a great place to shop for your Scottish treasures. My kids loved buying Campbell tartan scarves in honor of my Scottish great-grandmother, and we enjoyed poking into souvenir shops along the way.

You can walk it as a route between attractions, but it’s more fun when you aren’t rushing to your next ticketed stop. Give yourself time to wander, browse, and stop for something to eat.

3. The Real Mary King’s Close

If there was one must-see in Edinburgh for us and our kids, this would be it!

The tour starts at modern-day street level, and you descend into preserved streets and rooms beneath the Royal Mile. As you go, you learn about the people who lived here and what everyday life in Edinburgh was like hundreds of years ago.

What made this so interesting was hearing about actual residents rather than just looking at old buildings. Their stories gave us a much better sense of the city’s past, and this was one history tour that held everyone’s attention.

Plan on one hour and book ahead and Get your tickets as early as possible as they sell out often.

For families: Children must be at least five years old to take the tour; younger children, including babies, cannot enter the historic site.

4. Visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse

At the other end of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the King’s official residence in Scotland. It was also home to Mary, Queen of Scots, and you can visit the rooms associated with her life here.

During our visit, there were costumed actors in Mary, Queen of Scots’ rooms, and they were enchanting. They interacted with us as if we were modern-day visitors to the court. That was a highlight of our tour, although you shouldn’t assume the same performance will be part of every visit.

The audio headsets also helped keep our boys interested, even if part of the entertainment was racing each other to the next track!

Plan on one to two hours. You can combine the palace with a walk along the Royal Mile or some time exploring nearby Holyrood Park.

Check opening dates and book through the Royal Collection Trust before you go.

Get tickets for Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle discounted here. 

5. Walk in Holyrood Park and Hike Toward Arthur’s Seat

After visiting Holyroodhouse, we walked over to the beginning of the trail toward Arthur’s Seat. We didn’t have time to climb all the way to the top, but we did a little hiking and got a great view over the lower city.

This might have been the highlight of Edinburgh for my kids. They ran and ran and had stick sword fights along the way. After spending time inside museums and historic buildings, having room to move around made everyone happy.

You don’t have to reach the summit to enjoy this part of Edinburgh. We were glad we made time for a shorter walk, and it gave us a change of pace from sightseeing along the Royal Mile.

If reaching the top is your goal, leave time for a proper hike, wear shoes with good grip, and check the weather before setting out.

6. Explore Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

This attraction is dedicated to illusions and tricks of the eye, with a camera obscura on the top floor. The camera obscura was the most fascinating part for me, but the other floors offered plenty for my kids to do. During our visit, we explored a mirror maze, an optical vortex, and lots of hands-on entertainment.

The camera obscura projects a live view of Edinburgh onto a table-like surface in a darkened room. Our guide let the kids take turns “splatting” visitors near Edinburgh Castle using a notecard. They loved it!

This is a fun change of pace after castles and royal history, and you don’t need to be traveling with children to enjoy it.

Allow around two hours. Choose a daylight visit if you want to see the live camera obscura demonstration, and book through the official website.

Know before you go: There is no elevator, and reaching the top involves 98 steps. Strollers must be left in the admissions area.

7. Explore Grassmarket

Grassmarket is a lovely place to wander, browse shops, and grab something to eat. My favorite part was being able to see Edinburgh Castle above the area. It gives you a different perspective from standing up at the castle itself.

On my most recent visit, I took the hop-on, hop-off bus and spent about 45 minutes here. I walked around, did some shopping, and grabbed snacks. It was an easy stop without needing a ticket or a big sightseeing plan.

Allow around 45 minutes for a browse, or longer if you want to sit down for a meal.

8. Walk Through Dean Village

Dean Village might be the most beautiful part of Edinburgh. I just walked through it, but loved how quiet and charming it felt. Sometimes wandering around a beautiful place is all the sightseeing you need.

This is a stop I would choose when you want time to explore without another tour or ticketed attraction. Take a walk, enjoy the setting, and leave yourself time to stop when something catches your eye.

9. Step Inside St Giles’ Cathedral

St Giles’ reminded me of many of the churches I’ve visited in Scotland: not overly ornate, but beautiful and peaceful. I enjoyed stepping inside and taking a quiet break from exploring the city.

You don’t have to make this a long visit. If you’re walking the Royal Mile, leave a little time to go inside and appreciate the building rather than just passing its exterior.

10. Take in the Views from Calton Hill

Calton Hill is a great lookout over Edinburgh. If you want that perfect picture of the city, this is a place to make time for.

I visited using the hop-on, hop-off bus, which stopped nearby. You still need to walk up to the viewpoint, so allow time for the climb and to enjoy the view once you get there.

Visiting Edinburgh with Kids

Edinburgh was a great city to explore with our three boys. We spent two days here, choosing things they would enjoy, and found that we enjoyed them too.

Camera Obscura was a hit for hands-on fun, while The Real Mary King’s Close was our family’s must-see. The stories about people who actually lived there held everyone’s attention. Remember that children must be at least five to take that tour.

At Holyroodhouse, the audio headsets helped keep our boys interested. Afterward, we walked toward Arthur’s Seat. We didn’t reach the summit, but the boys loved having room to run around after time inside historic buildings.

My biggest tip is to mix the sightseeing with time outside. You don’t need to fill every hour with another tour. Walking the Royal Mile, browsing for Scottish treasures, and stopping for a sausage roll were part of the fun for us, too.

With younger children, spread the attractions over more days and check access before booking. Camera Obscura has lots of stairs and no elevator, so you’ll need to leave your stroller at the entrance.

 

How Many Days Do You Need in Edinburgh?

We spent two days in Edinburgh and saw the places we most wanted to visit. It was enough for a memorable first trip, although we didn’t have time to hike all the way to the top of Arthur’s Seat. We have since been back and spent another 3 days there and loved it just as much.

Two days is a good starting point if you want to visit the castle, walk the Royal Mile, and choose a few other attractions. Book your main tours first, then leave room between them for browsing shops and stopping for something to eat.

Three days would give you more breathing room, especially if you want a longer hike or prefer to explore without watching the clock.

If you only have one day, I would focus on Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and The Real Mary King’s Close. For a family that prefers hands-on entertainment to another history tour, swap Mary King’s Close for Camera Obscura.

You won’t see everything, but you can enjoy a full day without trying to squeeze in every attraction on this list.

How to pronounce Edinburgh

It seems the Edinburgh is a word no American can manage to say. You have probably heard it pronounced rhyming with Pittsburgh. You may have heard the popular Edinboro or Edinburrow. But the Scots pronounce it Edinbruh. However, try saying that without a Scottish accent and it feels overly precious. However, you pronounce it you can be assured that someone will correct you! Why can’t we all agree to disagree?

What to Eat in Edinburgh

There are tons of places to eat around Edinburgh, but your kids are likely to love some grab and go options as well. Here are a few places to take your kids to eat and a few snacks they will love.

Scones and Biscuits at Deacon’s House Café

Tucked down Brodie’s Close off the Royal Mile, Deacon’s House Café was a delicious stop for biscuits and scones near Edinburgh Castle.

The setting comes with a story, too. The café occupies what was once Deacon William Brodie’s workshop. Brodie was a cabinetmaker who led a secret life as a burglar and was eventually hanged for his part in a robbery. That is quite a bit of history to go with your scone!

I really enjoyed what I ate here, and it makes a good stop when you want to sit down for a break from exploring the Royal Mile.

Meze Meze

This is hardly a traditional Scottish restaurant, but it was close to downtown and it was delicious.

Meze is a grouping of small dishes in the Middle East and that is exactly what this restaurant serves. It is a great option for kids, as there are lots of choices, and some are very familiar (think pita bread and french fries.) The food was authentic and delicious!

Shortbread

Scotland is proud of this buttery, mildly sweet cookie and they should be! It is ubequitous in every store, every gift shop, and every restaurant. And after trying multiple brands, we determined that our favorite was…Walker’s shortbread.

Walker’s is available the world over so one would naturally assume that they are good at marketing and maybe not so good at baking. But those tasty cookies melt in your mouth the way other varieties just didn’t. And the great thing is you can get them at home too!

Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls might be the world most perfect portable food. Browned and seasoned sausage encased in a flaky pasty. Not only is it delcious it is quiet inexpensive. I don’t think we ever paid more than a pound for a sausage roll and they were easy to grab and go at any bakery we passed.

Irn Bru

Affectionately called Scotland’s other national drink, it is the bestselling soft drink in Scotland. You will be able to find this everywhere! It is a bright orange soda and has a very unusual flavor. I would describe it as a mix between orange soda and root beer, but that’s not completely accurate. It is a taste that is hard to describe. My little guy thought it was the best thing ever, the rest of us were not big fans.

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How Long Do You Need in Edinburgh with Kids?

Our family was in Edinburgh for 2 days and we saw everything we really wanted to see. If you spend much more time there, you can spread out the sightseeing, which can be good for small kids. But if you only have a day, head to Camera Obscura and Edinburgh Castle. Your kids will be happy and you will see plenty of the city.

Where to Go After Edinburgh

If you want to see more of Scotland—which I totally recommend—Edinburgh can be one stop on a longer trip. We combined our time in the city with castles, the Highlands, and the Isle of Skye. The scenery gave us a completely different experience from exploring Edinburgh’s streets.

You can follow our Scotland road trip itinerary to see how we put the trip together, or browse these things to do in Scotland for ideas.

But you don’t have to leave Edinburgh to make the trip worthwhile. Our two days gave us underground history, a royal palace, a castle, and plenty of time browsing along the Royal Mile. Choose the places that interest you most, and leave room for a scone along the way.

 

 

Last update on 2026-10-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API