All itineraries
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

5 days in Edinburgh

A dramatic castle, medieval closes and Highland gateways. Here's how to spend 5 days in Edinburgh: a realistic day-by-day plan you can copy and tweak. The best time for this 5 days Edinburgh trip is May, June and July. Budget roughly $150/person/day before flights.

Built live from Wikipedia and maps · Wikipedia · OpenStreetMap · Open-Meteo
Length
5 days
Best time
May, June, July
~Cost/day
$150
Currency
USD
Make this trip yours
Change the days, budget and pace. Save it, map it, share it, free.
Customise this plan

Your 5 days Edinburgh itinerary, day by day

1

Day 1

09:00
Royal Scottish Academy~$5
The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country's national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art.
12:30
Statue of David Livingstone, Edinburgh
The statue of David Livingstone in East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, is an 1876 work by Amelia Robertson Hill.
16:00
Central market & street-food lunch~$12
Grab lunch where locals do.
2

Day 2

09:00
Royal Scottish Academy Building~$15
The Royal Scottish Academy building, the home of the Royal Scottish Academy, is an art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated at the junction of The Mound and Princes Street
12:30
New Club~$5
The New Club is a private social club in the New Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1787, it is Scotland's oldest club. The club occupied premises on St Andrew Square fro
16:00
The Dome, Edinburgh~$5
The Dome is a building on George Street in New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It currently functions as a bar, restaurant and nightclub, although it was first built as the headquarte
3

Day 3

09:00
Romanes & Paterson~$5
Romanes and Paterson is a traditional 19th century shop on Princes Street in Edinburgh. It is owned by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edinburgh
12:30
Scottish National Gallery~$15
The National is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by
16:00
Royal Society of Edinburgh~$5
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis
4

Day 4

09:00
Jenners~$5
Jenners was a department store in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on Princes Street. It was Scotland's oldest independent department store until the retail business was acquired b
12:30
Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh)~$5
The Assembly Rooms are meeting halls in central Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally solely a meeting place for social gatherings, it is now also used as an arts venue and for public ev
16:00
Scott Monument~$5
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second-largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in H
5

Day 5

09:00
The George Hotel (Edinburgh)~$5
InterContinental Edinburgh The George is a historic hotel located at 19–21 George Street in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
12:30
Edinburgh: New Town Church
Edinburgh: The New Town Church of Scotland serves Edinburgh's New Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, formed on 1 February 2024 by the union of St An
16:00
The Mound~$5
The Mound is an artificial slope and road in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New and Old Towns. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth

A starting point, not a script. Reshuffle it in the planner →

What 5 days in Edinburgh costs

What this trip costs

$1,305
Flights$45034%
Stay$27021%
Activities$13510%
Food$22517%
Local transport$907%
Shopping$605%
Buffer$756%
$261/day

Estimates for planning, so check live prices before you book.

Have more or less time in Edinburgh?

2 days in Edinburgh 3 days in Edinburgh 4 days in Edinburgh 1 week in Edinburgh Full Edinburgh guide

5 days in Edinburgh: FAQ

Is 5 days enough for Edinburgh?+

5 days is a comfortable amount of time to explore Edinburgh, with room for day trips and a slower pace. The plan above balances the must-sees with time to wander.

What should I do on day 1 in Edinburgh?+

Start with Royal Scottish Academy, Statue of David Livingstone, Edinburgh and Central market & street-food lunch. The full first day is mapped out above.

How much does 5 days in Edinburgh cost?+

Budget around $150 per person per day for a mid-range trip (stay, food and activities), before flights, so roughly $750 per person for 5 days. The cost breakdown above splits it by category.

When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?+

The best months to visit Edinburgh are May, June, July and August, when the weather suits sightseeing best.

Itineraries for other cities

4 days in LisbonPortugal
4 days in BarcelonaSpain
4 days in ParisFrance
4 days in RomeItaly
3 days in AmsterdamNetherlands
3 days in PragueCzechia