PlanoPlanoEdinburgh is a city of dramatic contrasts — a medieval Old Town of closes and wynds sits beside the Georgian symmetry of the New Town, all crowned by volcanic hills. Things to do in Edinburgh span whisky distilleries, literary pub crawls, and wild hill walks without ever leaving the city limits.
Read the full Edinburgh travel guide →3 days
June, July, August
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Calton Hill
The hill at the east end of Princes Street holds the unfinished National Monument (nicknamed Edinburgh's Disgrace), the Nelson Monument, and sweeping views from Fife to the Pentlands.
National Gallery of Scotland
The free gallery on The Mound holds Scotland's finest art collection including works by Raeburn, Ramsay, Titian, and the largest group of Canova's Three Graces plaster models.
Surgeons' Hall Museums
Edinburgh's medical history museum in the Royal College of Surgeons displays pathology specimens, surgical instruments, and a section on Burke and Hare.
Stockbridge Sunday market
The weekly farmers' market along the Water of Leith in Stockbridge sells Scottish venison pies, artisan cheese, and locally roasted coffee from 10:00 to 17:00.
Arthur's Seat via Salisbury Crags
The 251-metre extinct volcano in Holyrood Park offers a 2-hour circular hike with routes ranging from gentle paths to scrambles along the cliff face of Salisbury Crags.
Stockbridge and Dean Village
The Water of Leith walkway connects these two former milling villages tucked below street level, with independent delis, bookshops, and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
Leith neighbourhood
Edinburgh's historic port district has reinvented itself with Michelin-starred restaurants, craft breweries, and the Royal Yacht Britannia moored at Ocean Terminal.
North Berwick and the Scottish Seabird Centre day trip
The coastal town 40 minutes east by train has sandy beaches, a ruined castle, and live camera feeds of 150,000 gannets nesting on the volcanic Bass Rock.
Victoria Street shops
The curving, colour-fronted street in the Old Town (said to have inspired Diagon Alley) holds independent shops selling whisky, tartan, and vintage fashion.
Sandy Bell's folk bar
A tiny pub on Forrest Road that has hosted live Scottish and Irish folk sessions every afternoon and evening since the 1960s, with no cover charge.
The best months to enjoy things to do in Edinburgh are June, July, August, September. Plan around these months for the best weather and fewer crowds.
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