Top 10 FREE Things to do in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city frozen in time. Its cobbled streets, stone buildings, and majestic castle make it one of the cutest cities in Western Europe and a personal favourite of mine.

The Royal Mile is packed with sights and exhibits, however, you do have to dive a little deeper to find some activities that are free of charge.

Here I have compiled a list of 10 FREE things to do when in Edinburgh so you can save those pounds for something a little more important, like a couple pints at the pub!

Click these to skip to the good stuff!

*Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate. I may receive a small commission from purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I 100% trust and believe in*

When to Visit Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a great city to explore at any time of year. However, the busiest travel periods are during summer (June-August) and Christmas.

If you are travelling during these times of year, make sure that you are pre-booking your flight and accommodation well in advance to get the best price.

Remember that it is very cold in Edinburgh during the winter, which might limit the outdoor activities available to you.

How to Get There

Plane

Before booking your flight, always check which airline is offering the best price. An easy way to do this is using WayAway.

Just put in where you’re going and when you want to go, and WayAway will give you the cheapest option, as well as a price chart to compare the best day to travel.

I also like to use Google Flights to track flight prices over a couple months; they send you an email when the flight is the absolute cheapest it’s going to get!

Train

If you’re already in the UK, try taking the train to Edinburgh.

TIP: Most of the time, it is cheaper to fly to London and then take the train to Edinburgh instead of directly flying to Edinburgh.

Where to Stay

$ Hostel $

Castle Rock Hostel
15 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2PW, United Kingdom.
This is one of my favourite hostels EVER. Located right next door to Edinburgh Castle, this hostel is basically a castle itself. With medieval furnishings and quirky room and bed names (I stayed in the Virgin room), this place is a maze to explore. It’s very social; there are events every night including pub crawls, whisky tasting and dancing. Check availability or see other options.

$$ Hotel $$

Eliza House
14-16 Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh, EH12 5EG, United Kingdom. 
Hotels in Edinburgh are notoriously expensive. If you are set on staying in a hotel, then Eliza House is a good, simple choice. Located just slightly west of the city centre, all of the best sights are still in walkable distance. The decor is a little dated but has charming, spacious rooms. Check availability or see other options.

How to Get Cheap Accommodation

• Peak time to travel to Edinburgh is in summer (June-August) and around Christmas. Accommodation is the most expensive during this time. To get the best deal, travel during the off season. Off season includes January to early May, and September to early December.
• Book in advance, especially during the peak seasons. 
• Booking via the official hostel website can sometimes (not always) get you a better deal than booking via third-party websites. However, third party websites do sometimes provide more flexibility for cancellation or changes.

Getting Around Edinburgh

There is really no need for public transport because the city is very walkable. However, it may be important to note that it is very hilly (the streets steeply rise towards Edinburgh Castle) and the streets are cobbled.

Clothing

BRING A RAIN JACKET! The weather is extremely unpredictable in Scotland. It rained a lot when I visited in summer 2023. I also recommend bringing long pants and sweaters, even in summer (FYI I am Australian so I CANNOT handle cold!)

1. Explore Deans Village

Located about a 20 minute stroll from Edinburgh Castle, this quaint neighbourhood is one of Edinburgh’s top tourist attractions.

This neighbourhood is like something out a fairytale, and one of best things to do in Deans Village is to simply wander.

Stroll the cobblestone streets as you wind past the picturesque houses. Follow the Water of Leith river that meanders through the hamlet. The Water of Leith Walkway is a 12 mile path that follows the river from its origin in Leith, through Edinburgh towards the village of Currie.

The section of the walkway that divides Deans Village makes for a very peaceful and relaxing walk; I suggest beginning at the bridge, heading down towards St Bernard’s Bridge.

*Tip: I recommend visiting Deans Village first thing in the morning to get the best pictures, the area gets packed with tourists quickly*

2. Visit the National Museum of Scotland

This museum is absolutely HUGE and has a slightly confusing configuration. Be sure the grab a map because this museum is spread across 9 levels!

On the right-hand side of the building is the Scottish history component, with exhibits from 8000BC to present. On the left-hand side is all the other exhibits, including animals, fashion, ceramics, Egypt and Asia.

I recommend focusing your energy on the Scottish history exhibit because I found it to be incredibly interesting. I found the other exhibits to be a little lackluster (I had just visited London’s British Museum the week before so that might explain it).

Edinburgh: The Ultimate 3 Day Itinerary for Scotland’s Capital

3. Visit the Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Gardens is found at the foot of The Mound, the artificial hill that is home to Edinburgh Castle.

The Gardens were created by draining Edinburgh’s biggest loch, Loch Nor, in 1820.

The loch served many purposes over the centuries, including military defence for Edinburgh Castle, a home for both waste water AND fresh water (what were they thinking), and witch ducking (if you floated you were a witch, if you sank you were innocent).

The Princes Street Gardens are a beautiful place to stroll or enjoy a picnic lunch, and they provide a great view of the Castle (see pictures above).

Edinburgh Travel Essentials

SIM cards: Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries which you can install BEFORE travelling, saving you the stress of running around to find a store or from being ripped off by local vendors. This is perfect for backpackers who are travelling to multiple destinations in a short period of time.

Insurance: You should NOT go overseas without getting travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you in case you get injured or your plans change or are cancelled. I always use Covermore, because the cover is comprehensive and they were easy to work with when I needed to make a claim.

Banking: When travelling and saving for travel I use Up Bank, an online Australian bank, that allows fee-free overseas transactions, unlimited savings ‘pools’ and easy transfers. If you join Up with my invite code we both get $13!

4. Visit the Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens are a 15 minute bus ride or 30 minute walk from Edinburgh Castle.

The Gardens are home to over 70 acres of land and 350 years of history.

5. Climb Arthur’s Seat

Arthur’s Seat is the remains of an ancient volcano, the highest peak of the rock formations that makes up Edinburgh’s landscape, including Calton Hill and Castle Rock.

The name was thought to be derived from the legends of King Arthur, but it is not officially confirmed.

The climb is short but challenging because it gets steep and slippery. If there is one thing I would suggest, it is to do this when it is not raining. I know that is a difficult feat in Edinburgh, city of rain, but if it is actively raining, postpone this activity.

The best and easiest path to the top of Arthur’s Seat begins near the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

From Holyroodhouse, turn right and right again until you are in from of the Holyrood Parking Lot.

From here, face the hill. There are two trails: one paved trail heading left, and another steep trail heading right. Choose the left one. When the trail forks again, take the left path.

The view of Edinburgh from the top is breathtaking (and I’ll admit freezing).

When you are ready, slowly and carefully make your way back down the hill (it can be slippery) and go get yourself a treat because you deserve it!

6. Spot Harry-Potter-themed gravestones at Greyfriar Kirkyard

The Kirkyard itself is open 24 hours while the church is open between 11am and 4pm, and both are free to visit.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, then you might be interested to know that JK Rowling visited this cemetery and used many of the tombstones as inspiration for characters. JK Rowling wrote a large portion of Harry Potter while living in Edinburgh, and this churchyard was often visited by her.

Some include: Thomas Riddle, William McGonagall, Cruikshanks (a.k.a Crookshanks the cat) and Scrymgeour (a.k.a Rufus Scrimgeour the Minister of Magic).

It’s told that this churchyard is super haunted, and it is included on many of Edinburgh’s ghost tours, including the £16 City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour.

7. Visit the National Gallery of Scotland

The National Gallery is definitely on the small side, especially if you have seen London’s National Gallery, but it is still interesting to see Scottish artworks.

From out the front, there is a nice view of the Scott Monument and East Princes Gardens.

8. Visit the Museum of Edinburgh

This museum is so underrated but definitely worth it. It’s a little bit of a hole in the wall, and I saw many tourists just walking by. However the building is a bright yellow, so you shouldn’t miss it.

The Museum provides a journey through Edinburgh’s history over the past few centuries, with particular focus on war artefacts and household items such as pottery, porcelain and furniture.

I really liked that this museum guides you through the exhibit in a way that makes sure you don’t miss out on any part of it. I don’t know if this is a universal experience, but I get so lost in regular museums and I don’t like realising at the end that I have missed a huge chunk of the exhibition because I turned left instead of right!

The museum also claims that some scenes from Outlander where filmed in the building.

9. Visit the National Portrait Gallery

I didn’t even know the National Portrait Gallery existed when I visited Edinburgh in June 2023. It is the sister gallery to the National Gallery of Scotland, and is located slightly north of St Andrew Square. It is only a 10 minute walk from the other gallery.

10. Visit the Writer’s Museum

The Writers Museum can be found just off the Royal Mile. I stumbled upon it randomly checked it out when I discovered it was free to enter.

If you are interested in literature, this free museum is a must see for you. It displays personal relics of famous Scottish writers, including Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns. The museum is also set in the cutest building, with a winding staircase to the second floor.

It is quite small, so you’ll only need around 30 minutes to fully explore this museum.

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Keep reading about Edinburgh…

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