Things to Do and See in Edinburgh

There are many things you can do and see in Edinburgh, and I don't intend this to be an exhaustive list, rather this is a few pointers to resources and then a list of things that I personally really enjoy doing here in Edinburgh.

The Obvious Things

• The city center (Royal Mile + Princess Street + Calton Hill) are always nice, but you can't really not see them.
• There is loads of Harry Potter stuff in Edinburgh. I don't really recommend going to the Elephant House (Cafe) or the various Harry Potter shops, but you do you. Instead just look around the city (especially around Victoria Street)
• There are "free" guided tours around Edinburgh, although they usually ask for a donation at the end. These can be really nice, if you are into that sort of stuff
• Seeing the castle is free (from the outside), but pretty expensive if you want to see it from the inside, I'd skip it.

Recommendations

Here's a list of my recommendations, roughly sorted into semantic categories.

See some Nature!

There are many parks in the city and around it!

• Have a look around the Water of Leith Pathway, a beautiful walk along a river right in the city!
• Blackford Hill is a nice, quieter hill than Arthurs Seat. You can see the castle, Arthurs Seat, and more from there!
• Dr. Neils Garden next to Holyrood Park is a beautiful little garden located on Duddingston Loch.
• There is also the Pentland Hills Park, which is a great location for day hikes, accessible by bus both from Balerno and Penicuik (Flotterstone Inn Station).
• North Berwick is a ~35m train ride away and has beautiful beaches and seaside cafes!

Have some Food and Drink!

• Try some fantastic sour beers at the Wee Vault
• Have a fancy afternoon tea at the Prestonfield House (a very fancy hotel) or the Dome (these tend to be a bit more expensive)
• Have some fantastic Indian food at the Mother India's Cafe, or try some South-Indian food at Tanjore
• Have some amazing Pizza at Matto Pizza (multiple locations), Civerinos (multiple locations) or Pizza Posto

Visit a Museum!

Most museums are free in the UK, which is really nice. Just going in to look at a few things in a corner is a great way to pass an hour!

• National Museum of Scotlan is great!
• National Galeries: National, Portrait, Photography, Modern One, Modern Two
• All about Money: Museum on the Mound