12 essentials: what to see and do in Edinburgh in 2 or 3 days

I tell you that Edinburgh It is a beautiful city, and if you are also fortunate enough to visit it in good weather, as was my case, it becomes a charming place to walk and enjoy.

When planning a sightseeing trip through scotland, you should know that it is a city where to know its most interesting corners and enjoy its attractions you must dedicate for your visit at least two days complete, and better three days.

Yes, Edinburgh It has the advantage that it is a medium-sized city and very manageable for tourist visits.

Therefore, below I propose what to see and do in Edinburgh at least in two days complete.

The best things to see and do in Edinburgh in two or three days

This proposal also works for you weekend getaway and, depending on your interests and the time you want to dedicate to your visit, you can adapt it to suit you to three days or more days.

For this getaway, you may initially be interested in booking the transfer between airport and Edinburgh city center, and Find a hotel to stay in the Scottish capital.

On the other hand, to start your visit it may be a good idea to sign up for a tour of Edinburgh with guide in Spanish, in which, lasting three hours, you will have a first glimpse of the Scottish city and then continue the visit on your own.

It may also be useful for you to buy the Royal Edinburgh Ticket which includes, among other advantages, unlimited transportation for 48 hours in the city ​​tourist buses, and skip-the-line tickets to Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse.

Stroll along the Royal Mile, axis of the medieval city 

To start your first day of visiting Edinburgh, you should know that the main tourist attraction of the Scottish capital is the Royal Mile.

This street extends along the hill that connects the Palace of Holyroodhouse, historic headquarters of the kings of scotland, as well as the Edinburgh castle. which is located at the top of the hill where the medieval city is located

Visit medieval houses on the Royal Mile

On your walk through the Royal Mile you must visit the St Giles Cathedral, and you can also see some of the old houses from centuries ago that are open to the public, such as Gladstones Land o John Knox House.

How to visit and what to see in Gladstones Land

In particular, the Gladstones Land It was originally built in 1550, and you will find it in the upper area of ​​the Royal Mile, in the section between St. Gilles Cathedral and the building of the Hub.

In 1617 it was purchased by a prosperous Edinburgh merchant, Thomas Gladstones, who reformed and expanded it.

Subsequently, the Gladstones Land house, a six-story building, was owned by various people from the Edinburgh bourgeoisie.

In fact, it was in this area of ​​the Royal Mile where the city's upper classes resided.

In 1934, Gladstones Land became part of the National Trust for Scotland, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving Scotland's natural and cultural heritage.

During the visit of the Gladstones Land house in Edinburgh You will be able to see two floors whose rooms and rooms have been set up for the same.

The furniture and careful decoration of the period allow us to imagine the harsh conditions under which people lived in Edinburgh during past centuries.

But the highlights of the visit are the painted ceilings of the rooms, with renaissance style paintings which have been preserved as they were originally painted in 1620.

Here schedules and ticket prices to visit the Gladstones Land house, which you can do on your own or by signing up for guided tours in advance (land@nts.org.uk).

Visit St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

It is the most important temple in Scotland.

In the Edinburgh St Giles Cathedral great events in the history of Scotland have occurred, such as when the preacher john knox founded the Scottish Presbyterian Church.

During the visit of this Gothic cathedral from the 12th century you have to appreciate the beauty of various corners, such as its stained glass windows and, above all, the spectacular Chapel of the Order of the Thistle.

Visit Edinburgh Castle

It then climbs to the large fortified complex that is known as the Edinburgh castle, which you will find at the top of the hill of the old medieval city of edinburgh.

It is a large complex with numerous historical buildings, among which is the old Royal Palace where the Scottish Crown Jewels, which you can see during your visit.

Others highlights of edinburgh castle are Argyle Tower, chapel of Saint Margaret, or the great Mons Meg cannon.

Furthermore, from the viewpoints you will have the best Panoramic views of Scottish capital.

In advance of your trip, and to avoid the long lines that form at the ticket offices, especially in high season, you have the option of signing up for a Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle with guide in Spanish, with a duration of two hours, and which already includes the tickets.

Eating at Grassmarket in Edinburgh

Grassmarket It is an elongated square that you find at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, which historically was a medieval market.

Currently it is an area of ​​restaurants and pubs with great atmosphere; an ideal place for lunch or dinner (very early, of course).

A Grassmarket You will arrive by going down the street that starts from the Gothic building of The hub, In the Royal Mile. current administrative headquarters of Edinburgh International Festival.

Edinburgh International Festival in August

Si vas a travel to Edinburgh in August, your visit will be incomplete if you do not attend some of the numerous cultural shows that take place in the city.

These shows are part of the Edinburgh International Festival programming, which includes, for example, classical music, theater or dance concerts.

Fringe Alternative Festival on Royal Mile

The aforementioned Royal Mile In August it becomes a zone of theatrical and musical shows, as a platform for the promotion of Alternative Fringe Festival, so you can enjoy its great atmosphere at all times.

In this article you have More information about the Fringe Festival.

Military Tattoo military bands parade in Edinburgh

A very special suggestion is that you attend the big Military Tattoo show, which is celebrated in August in parallel to the aforementioned cultural festivals.

It is a large military parade that brings together more than a dozen military bands of bagpipes and drums from various countries of the world, which parade in the large esplanade located in front of the main entrance of the Edinburgh castle.

El Edinburgh Military Tattoo It is based on the tradition of the British armies with their drum and bagpipe bands that participated in battles alongside the rest of the troops.

Although the first grand parade of military bands in edinburgh It was held in 1949 on Princes Street, and in 1950 it took place on the current stage next to the castle.

On that large esplanade an impressive structure of temporary stands is set up that currently allows each parade of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo Almost 9.000 people attend, exceeding 200.000 attendees each year.

The great spectacle of Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo currently celebrated during the month of August, from Monday to Friday, when dusk arrives, at 21 p.m., and on Saturdays, two sessions, at 19,30:22,30 p.m. and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

If you are interested in attending this spectacular parade of military bands, you must buy tickets well in advance, as they sell out long in advance. And don't worry about the possibility of rain, because so far no performance has been suspended for this reason.

Of course, you have to buy tickets with great anticipation so that what happened to me does not happen to you, since I was not far-sighted and could not see this show that I have written down for an upcoming trip to Edinburgh in the month of August.

Visit Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh

To start your second day of stay in Edinburgh, I suggest that you start by visiting the Holyroodhouse Palace, in the lowest area of ​​the Royal Mile.

In addition to touring the royal rooms, you can walk through its gardens and be surprised by the remains of Holyrood Abbey.

In advance of your trip you can buy tickets to visit Holyroodhouse Palace, which already includes the audio guide in spanish.

Climb Calton Hill

From there you must go towards the calton hill hill, which you find east of Princess Street, a large park with neoclassical monuments.

This hill has become a pleasant place for a walk, during which you can see its various neoclassical monuments, apart from enjoying the views of the city.

In fact, this panoramic view It is one of the iconic images of the city of Edinburgh, so you should not miss it.

When you decide climb Calton Hill to walk, you will do it from the Regent Street, in the southwest part of it, where you can see a map with the location of the different trails and monuments on the hill.

It is really quick to get to the top of Calton Hill, and as you walk along the paths that surround it, you will find the aforementioned monuments.

That is the case of the one known as National Monuments, which in the image and likeness of Parthenon of Athens, it began to be built in 1826 in memory of those who fell in the war with Napoleon, but due to lack of funds, in the end only the columns that you can see today were built.

Another highlight is the Nelson Monument to celebrate his victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. Completed in 1815, it is a 32 meter high rounded tower located at the highest point of Calton Hill.

Climbing its 143 steps, you will reach a viewpoint from which you will have the best views of Princes Street.

In addition to those mentioned, we can also see the Dugald Stewart Monument, dedicated to the aforementioned Scottish philosopher, and which was built in 1831 with a design based on an Athenian monument dedicated to Lysicrates.

And, finally, at the top of the hill there are other buildings dedicated to astronomical observatories, which make up the so-called Calton Hill Observatory, whose main building emulates the architecture of a Greek temple.

In any case, for what it's really worth climb Calton Hill it is for spectacular views what will you have from Edinburgh.

To the north you have the Firth of Forth and Port of Leith; to the west, the best views of the new city; To the southwest you can see the medieval city and Edinburgh castle; and to the southeast, Holyrood Park, with the Holyroodhouse Palace spotlight.

Stroll through the shopping area and gardens of Princes Street 

For get to know Edinburgh Not only must you visit the old medieval city, but also the area called new city, and whose main axis is the avenue of Princes street, which shows you the most modern image of the Scottish capital.

In addition to walking through this shopping street neighborhood, you can also visit the beautiful princes street gardens, and enjoy the excellent views of Edinburgh Castle.

In this park you can also go up to the Scott monument, one of the icons of the Scottish capital.

Restaurants and pubs in Port Leith in Edinburgh

To finish the day, if you have a car it will be easy for you to go to Dine fish at restaurants in nearby Port Leith, in the port area of ​​Edinburgh.

Individual It is a small city on the shores of the estuary where a large part of what we could properly consider the port of Edinburgh is located, and where there is a restaurant and pub area where the typical is dine fish dishes.

And even a century later, Individual It was a battlefield during the invasion of Scotland by the troops of Oliver cromwell.

Individual Historically it was a town completely separate from Edinburgh, and due to its port nature, the most important protagonists of the city have passed through there. history of scotland, like one's own Mary I, Queen of Scots in 1561.

But the urban development of Edinburgh has meant that, today, this city and Leith are completely linked by residential areas, so that if you go to the Port of Leith for dinner, you will do it on streets with traffic lights and not on a highway.

Area Port of Leith restaurants and pubs It is located just at the end of the mouth of the small Water of Leith river, which arrives at the port after crossing Edinburgh.

This area is also known by the name of the street that borders the river, The Shore, which you will find on the banks of the estuary, and at the mouth of the river, you will see a large white boat that houses one of the fish restaurants.

In summary, in these two or three days of tourism in Edinburgh you have enough time to enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and if you go in August, its great cultural environment.