Thinking of planning a trip to Scotland’s capital city? Great choice! Edinburgh is a beautiful city! I felt like I’d just been transported back in time. Filled with generally kind and hilarious people plus tons of options of what to do, you are likely to have a great time regardless! These are 9 of the best things to do in Edinburgh.
Take a potion making class at The Cauldron
You may or may not know that Edinburgh was part of the inspiration for the Harry Potter books! If you are a Harry Potter fan, check out this post to see all the many Potter themed activities you can do in Scotland.
One of the coolest things you can do is take a drink making class at The Cauldron. The staff prepares one drink for you, while you get to choose and brew the other two yourself in a cauldron! You get to wear Hogwarts robes throughout the experience and get a wand to wave to alert the staff if you need help. The entire bar is Harry Potter themed, from the drinks, to the decoration, to the staff. If you are a Potter Head, this class is a MUST!
While the staff are very much in character, which may not be appealing for everyone, the brewing is super fun! You get to mix vials of liquids, mash up fruits, light your mixture on fire, and see tons of mist produced out of the cauldron. This was such a different and stand alone experience compared to everything else I did in Edinburgh. Regardless of if you are a Harry Potter fan, I would say this is one of the best things to do in Edinburgh! If you want to do it, book it far out so you definitely get a spot.
Stroll through Victoria Street
JK Rowling was inspired by a street in Edinburgh when coming up with the idea of Diagon Alley. That street is called Victoria Street! It’s a sloped, windy road filled with colorful narrow buildings. It’s a great place to take some time and go shopping.
There are multiple Harry Potter themed shops where you can buy merchandise or souvenirs. There’s also a JellyCat store, if you’re a stuffed animal fan. Across the street is the Red Door Gallery, which I highly recommend visiting! It’s a small store that sells art made by local artists. They have posters, mugs, cards and postcards, tote bags, and more. I had a fantastic time at the Red Door Gallery. It’s nice to know you are supporting someone local, and everything they have is enjoyable to peruse through. This is also an amazing spot to buy a souvenir.
The street in its entirety is a fun place to spend a few hours, and you can get immersed in the Harry Potter world as well.
Sign up for a Ghost Tour!
This was one activity I wasn’t sure if I was on board for, but ended up having a fantastic time! I booked a Haunted Edinburgh tour, where we started our tour with a walk through Greyfriars Kirkyard. It’s said to be one of the most haunted graveyards in all of the UK. While there are 700 marked graves, there are over 8,000 bodies buried here.
There was recent poltergeist activity in the past 20 years when a homeless man went into a mausoleum to escape the rain and walked onto and fell through a false floor. He fell onto and disturbed remains of a government leader who ran the first concentration camp in the world. Many people have felt tightness in their chest or had strange scratch marks appear on their body after standing too close to the mausoleum.
The Vaults
After exploring the graveyard, we walked to The Vaults. The Vaults are the equivalent to the catacombs in Paris. Edinburgh was built in a valley and when they wanted to add extra storage space, they started building inwards between the bridges and the valley. These extra spaces were made of limestone with no natural light, which quickly became wet, dark rooms where gangs, cults, witches, and homeless people ended up living. These spaces were closed off for a century before being discovered again.
College students in the 70s rediscovered The Vaults when they broke down a wall of a room that felt strange and almost haunted to them. They found an empty room that led to tens and hundreds of interconnected other rooms throughout the street and city.
To enter, you first start in a small museum filled with torture devices found in The Vaults, then you enter and hear creepy stories that happened in each of the rooms or in other spots of The Vaults. For me, it was exhilarating to walk around through rooms that would be impossibly dark without the candles lit. I tried to imagine what life was like if you lived in there! The ghost stories told by the guides were interesting yet not too much that I was scared. If you have an interest in paranormal activity and history, I would say this is one of the best things to do in Edinburgh that you should check out!
Walk the Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is the name of the road that leads up to Edinburgh Castle. It’s filled with colorful buildings, adorable souvenir shopping, and street performers. This is one of the most entertaining streets to meander through, especially as you slowly make your way to the castle. The Royal Mile is a great place to pick up a Highland Cow plushie, a nice plaid scarf, or an Edinburgh magnet to add to your collection. You can find any souvenir possible here while you listen to a local play the bagpipes.
My favorite stretch of road was Cockburn Street. There are the most adorable little shops there! You can start at Pie in the Sky, which has tons of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and pop culture related items. Next to it are Eden and Mysa that sell adorable, one of a kind paper goods, ceramics, jewelry, and more! These three little shops are one of the best things to do in Edinburgh in my opinion – I recommend them to everyone I can!
Climb up Edinburgh Castle
One of my favorite things to do whenever I visit a new city is to explore its castle! Edinburgh was no exception. You need to book this ticket in advance, not the day of, for sure. There is little to no wait once you have your ticket, and you can walk right in.
You climb up from the entrance to the first level which has castle walls you can look over the city at. When you go up more, the castle becomes a small town with bundles of medieval buildings you can enter and explore. You can walk through interesting rooms, like the kitchens and the jails, and also to see the crown jewels. There’s a small museum about the military history of Scotland that was very well done. There was much more to see and learn here than I realized.
Have afternoon tea at Ivy on the Square
One thing I was dying to do while in the UK was to have afternoon tea! I did lots of research on where to go. I always look for a decent price with good quality food. Ivy on the Square is 32.95 pounds per person and includes all the food pictured below with unlimited tea. I had never done afternoon tea before, but I enjoyed it immensely. With the price being on the lower side, yet being a more luxurious feeling experience I would highly recommend it!
Each person receives three sandwiches, two scones, three desserts, and a green juice – in addition to the unlimited tea. When the tray comes out, it spritzes out a light mist. The decorations feel high end with a distinct style. This is a unique food experience that I highly recommend you try.
Best things to do in Edinburgh (that I didn’t do but I wish I did)
Climb Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s seat is located in Holyrood Park, not far from the Royal Mile. It’s an ancient extinct volcano that is the possible location of Camelot, the castle where King Arthur might have ruled. Nowadays, it’s a large hill that’s a decent hike. If you climb to the top on a clear day, you can get a great view of Edinburgh. When I was in Edinburgh, it was quite cloudy. The friend I was with was also not a fan of hiking, so I didn’t end up doing this. If you have the time and it seems like something up your alley, check it out for me!
Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens
The Royal Botanical Gardens might be a great free activity you can do while in Scotland! Unfortunately while I was in Edinburgh, they were under construction. These gardens have 3 million species of plants that you can enjoy entirely for free. If you are looking for a peaceful free activity to do, when the gardens are open again, check out the Royal Botanical Gardens! Reviews say it takes about 45 minutes to see everything, but you can definitely get lost along the winding paths and take all the time you need.
Go to a Whiskey Distillery
Scotland is most famous for it’s highland cows, the Loch Ness monster, kilts, and also it’s love for alcohol. Edinburgh has tons of whiskey distilleries and whiskey tours you can go on to taste local kinds. It is believed that whiskey was first invented in Scotland. The name whiskey comes from Gaelic, uisge beatha, meaning ‘water of life.’ Whiskey is not my personal favorite alcohol, so I opted out of this! Though if this is right up your alley, don’t miss out on this experience.
If you haven’t already booked your plane ticket, I’m hoping you will soon! Edinburgh, and Scotland in general, are so filled with natural beauty in the landscape and feel like being transported to the past. I’ve visited many countries, and none else have felt this magical and special. Let me know when you go if you feel the same way!
