Edinburgh Castle Ticket
Valid: 1 day
Visit Edinburgh Castle with this ticket. Learn about the battles and sieges fought at the castle, and about the royals who lived and died within its…
Edinburgh Castle
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Edinburgh Castle: Tours & Tickets
Edinburgh Castle: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
Duration: 1.5 hours
Likely to sell out
Skip the lines for a 1.5-hour tour of Edinburgh Castle and hear stories of one of the world’s most heroic and bloody national histories. Enjoy…
Edinburgh Castle: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
Duration: 1.5 hours
Likely to sell out
This engaging castle tour enables you to skip the line into Scotland's most iconic fortification. The 90-minute tour will cover the 3,000-year…
Edinburgh: Royal Attractions with Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
Valid: 48 hours
See all Edinburgh’s attractions from the comfort of a hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus and get free entry to 3 royal attractions with a 48-hour Royal…
Historic Scotland 5 and 14-Day Attractions Explorer Pass
Valid: 5 - 14 days
Bestseller
Explore over 70 Historic Scotland paid visitor attractions with a 5-day or 14-day Explorer Pass. Enjoy free access to sites such as Edinburgh Castle,…
Edinburgh: Old Town Historical Walking Tour
Duration: 90 minutes
We think the best way to explore Edinburgh is to follow your feet. Where the buses can’t take you, and the guide books don’t show you is where our…
Edinburgh Private Tour: The Castle to the Arthur's Seat
Duration: 2 hours
Book a local Edinburgher for a personalised tour. Ditch the travel guides, decide where to go, what to see and what to do together with your private,…
Edinburgh: 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour
Duration: 3 hours
This 3-hour walking tour of Edinburgh, led by Stuart or Richard Usher of Scotland's historic House of Usher, focuses on the historical, cultural, and…
Full-Day Edinburgh Military Tattoo & Scottish Highlands Tour
Duration: 9 hours
Take a stunning tour around the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, visit a whiskey distillery and experience the world renowned Edinburgh Military…
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Find the Best View of Edinburgh Castle
If you're looking for picturesque, you'll love Edinburgh. The cityscape of the Scottish capital is a feast for the eyes, topped by the imposing Edinburgh Castle at its highest point. To get the best view of this beautiful city, head to these five points.
Calton Hill
One of the oldest public parks in Scotland, Calton Hill is a local favorite. It's also an easy climb – in just five minutes, you'll be able enjoy the spectacular views.
Princes Street Gardens
This lovely, perfectly-maintained public garden offers a breathtaking view of the castle from below. Just head to the Ross Fountain to the West and look up, you'll be amazed.
Arthur's Seat
A dormant volcano sitting 251m above sea level, Arthur's Seat offers a magnificent aerial view of the city and castle. Be sure to check out the historic fort there, too.
Blackford Hill
It may not be as famous as Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat, but Blackford Hill has views that are just as gorgeous. It's also home to the Royal Observatory, a favorite of astronomy lovers.
Dorothy's Eye View
This view of the castle inspired George Gibson to paint the Emerald City from Wizard of Oz. Head to the corner of Bread Street and Spittal Street and behold: Emerald City!
Our insider tips
Sunset over Edinburgh Castle
For a view that you'll remember for the rest of your life, watch the sun set over Edinburgh Castle. The best spots for this are Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill, both located to the East of the city center. The deep-red sun, the colors in the sky, and the black silhouette of the castle come together in an absolutely magnificent panorama.
Fireworks
If you're lucky enough to be in Edinburgh when there are fireworks going off over Edinburgh Castle, for example on Hogmanay or at the end of the Edinburgh Festival, then make sure to head to one of these viewpoints to admire the show and snap some amazing photographs. Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill are likely to be the most popular spots to watch the fireworks, so if you're looking for a less crowded experience, Blackford Hill and Arthur's Seat are better bets.
Good to know
- When should I visit?Opening hours from 9:30AM - 6PM year-round, except for December 25th and 26th.
- Is it expensive?Free to look at from the outside, £17 for adult entry.
- Will I need a guide?Only if you want one.
- How to get thereHop-on-hop-off buses stop at the Castle. You can make your own way by taking bus 24 to Waverly Bridge and walking.
- Additional information
- It never hurts to carry an umbrella when in Scotland!
- Since you'll be climbing hills, good walking shoes are a must.
What people are saying about Edinburgh Castle
Extremely informative and very interesting. Well worth the money
This tour was so interesting and given with such enthusiasm by the guide. I would recommend this to anybody visiting the castle the only problem was trying to retain the information given. My advise would be to do the tour early in the day to give you sufficient time to look around after it is complete. We did it at 13:30 and had to be away by 16:00 which meant we couldn't enjoy the museum etc. So will have to go back another time.
Excellent tour brings some life and excitement to the experience
The guide (Australian David) was terrific, engaging and brought the tour to life. Lots of great information and amusing antidotes. Well worth the cost.
The visit to the castle is not to be missed!
The castle of Edinburgh is really beautiful and interesting to visit, the entrance ticket we bought brought us directly inside the walls without waiting at the ticket offices. Even if the guide in the ticket price was not included, every 20 minutes a free guide starts from the inner courtyard and gathers groups of people who wish to hear the history of the castle. All very well organized, don't miss it!
On time, informative, very easy to access
Buying the tickets was easy, the details given were very explicit. The tour was informative and allowed us to do exactly as we had planned.
The experience was fun, informative, professional, thorough, and frien
Marcia B was a joy to have as a tour guide. She made the whole experience, from the central meeting point to the top of the castle grounds, a fun and educational couple of hours. She was knowledgeable about her subject matter but kept it light and interesting. If we had walked around on our own, we would have missed many important points and would have missed all the historical data.
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