We came to Edinburgh via cruise ship (well, we docked in South Queensferry and had to bus into the city). Because of the nature of a cruise, we only had one day to explore this beautiful city. But we were able to see so many things and definitely hit lots of the highlights of Edinburgh as well as a few off the beaten path things. This post will give you our travel guide for Edinburgh, Scotland.

Edinburgh Castle

This is where you should start out your day! Get there early because the lines are long. If you only do one thing in Edinburgh, this should be the thing you do. See our full post here.

The Royal Mile

Walking the Royal Mile is also a very classic Edinburgh thing to do. Make sure to listen to Rick Steves Audio Europe App and the track for The Royal Mile. He makes the walk a lot more informative and enjoyable. See our full post about the Royal Mile here.

The Museum of Childhood

This is a small, free museum on the Royal Mile that we hit on our way back up from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is a cute little museum that features all kinds of toys from history. It was fun to see their displays and how toys have changed yet still stayed the same in so many ways. This is definitely worth a stop if you have an extra 30 minutes and need something to do.

The Potter Trail Tour

This was probably Ben’s favorite part of the whole day in Edinburgh. This is a great free tour that hits the highlights of J.K. Rowling’s stint in Edinburgh and shows where she (may have) got some inspiration for the famous book series. See Ben’s full review of the tour here.