12 Unmissable Things to do in Edinburgh: First Time Travel Guide

I never thought I could find a city greyer than Brussels, but here we are.

Gloomy, gloomy Edinburgh.

Edinburgh has quite a special place in my heart- it was the first time ever that I traveled out of the country without my family.

My first impression of Edinburgh was damn, it’s dark and grey here.

And I’m not just talking about the weather, even the buildings were grey! Having lived in Brussels for 3 years, I really didn’t think I could find a city grey-er than Brussels.

Nonetheless, with so many things to do in Edinburgh, you will hardly take notice of the dim skies.

So if this is your first time in Edinburgh, these are the 12 spots that you absolutely cannot miss.

city center

absorb the vibes of Edinburgh

These street art were one of the first things I saw entering the city of Edinburgh, and it definitely left an impression on me.

I was surprised at how vegan and environmental friendly the city seemed to be, and I loved it!

The people here all seemed like environmentally conscious animal lovers as well, which was reflected in the variety of delicious vegan food the city offers and a bunch of cute dogs on the streets.

Who doesn’t love a woke city?

Explore the Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is the backbone of the old town, with Edinburgh castle on one end and the Palace of Holyrood House on the other end. Take a slow walk through the Royal Mile and get a taste of old Edinburgh. There are many adorable shops and restaurants waiting for you to discover here!

Castle of Edinburgh

I went to Edinburgh with 2 friends but I actually visited the castle of Edinburgh alone. You could say it was my first truly “solo trip”.

You could spend an entire morning wandering around the castle of Edinburgh. There are many sights to see here such as The crown jewels of Scotland, Mons Meg, The Great Hall, and the Scottish National War Memorial.

My favorite was definitely St. Margaret’s Chapel; it is said to be the oldest building in Edinburgh. Being in the tiny chapel felt extremely peaceful, and there was a sense of calm that is hard to describe.

Escape the Grayness of Edinburgh at Victoria Street

One of first things we did in Edinburgh was to visit Victoria’s street. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll know why.

Not only is Victoria’s street the most colorful part of Edinburgh(literally), this street was also the inspiration behind the ever so famous Diagon Alley.

As a die hard Harry Potter fan, all the Harry Potter-related things to do in Edinburgh was probably the highlight of my trip. And it sure will be yours too if you’re also a fan of Harry Potter.

Find Tom Riddgrele at Greyfriars Kirkyard

Okay, more Harry Potter here, bear with me.

I absolutely love how much of Harry Potter you can find in every corner of Edinburgh. From Victoria’s Street to Tom Riddle’s grave.

Did you know that Voldemort’s actual name- Tom Riddle- was inspired by a real person in Greyfriar’s Kirkyard? Along with many other familiar names in Harry Potter as well, such as McGonagall, Moodie, and so much more!

I’m not sure it’s a very good idea to name your characters off of real people from a graveyard.. but it certainly seems like it’s worked well for JK Rowling.

Anyhow, It took us quite some time to find the actual Tom Riddle. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard is huge, and it seemed surreal to me that I was actually walking through and exploring a graveyard as a tourist attraction. In Taiwanese culture, we would never.

The cemetery here feels ever so peaceful and serene, and surprisingly none of those eerie feelings you’d expect walking around a graveyard. I spent a fascinating afternoon just walking around and getting lost in time, which seem to be non-existent here.

Touch Greyfriars Bobby for Good Luck

Out of all the things to do in Edinburgh, this was definitely one of my favorite spots. I took so many photos here and I did NOT want to leave.

The story of Greyfriars Bobby dates back to the 19th century. Bobby was a Skye Terrier whose master, John Gray, suddenly passed away and was buried at the Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby guarded by his masters grave day and night for 14 years until he passed away at the age of 16.

He was only 2 when his master passed away!! Poor baby omg. *sobs as I type this*

Definitely the best things to do in Edinburgh, you CANNOT miss this.

nature

Hike Arthur’s Hill

best food in Edinburgh

The Piemaker

I highly recommend anyone who goes to Edinburgh to check out The Piemaker, they make the best vegan pies and the pies come in a variety flavors. It was one of my favorite foods that we had in Edinburgh and we came back literally everyday to try out different pies.

The Elephant Cafe

The Elephant Cafe is where JK Rowling used to come to work on the Harry Potter series. It has since become a bit touristy, but nevertheless still a great cafe for some afternoon tea.

This cafe is temporarily closed due to a fire 😟 If you’re heading to Edinburgh in the near future, definitely look out to see if they have reopened. This place is definitely one of the top things to do in Edinburgh for any Harry Potter fans.

museums

Some of the best things to do in Edinburgh (or anywhere you go in the world) is undoubtedly to visit various sorts of museums. Museums are fun and educational, and especially great if you’re traveling with kids. Edinburgh is home to many very special museums that you definitely have to check out.

The National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is always the first to come to mind when you think about museums in Edinburgh. This museum has an extensive collections of various topics, from art to history to science. No matter what you’re interested in, this museum has something for everyone.

The National Museum of Scotland is also home to Dolly the Sheep, who was the first ever cloned animal and you’ve probably heard of her back in 9th grade biology. This technological advancement set of an ongoing debate on whether or not it is ethical to clone animals.

Museum of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood, otherwise known as the creepy doll museum (named by me) houses a large collection of numerous childhood toys from different timelines and places in the world. It is a very, very interesting museum (not gonna lie, kinda creepy too), and there is a very good chance that you’ll find your childhood Annabelle in here. There were also some very questionable ‘toys’ that didn’t seem very suitable for children to be playing with. But who am I to judge! 🙂

Definitely one of the more interesting things to do in Edinburgh!

Surgeon’s Hall Museum

This museum probably isn’t for the faint hearted, but in high school I was absolutely fascinated with anything related to surgeries and anatomy (not so much anymore, thanks med school burnouts), so I was ecstatic when I saw that Edinburgh was home to one of the world’s largest and oldest collections of pathological surgery preserves.

Little did I know that I would be dedicating years of my youth to studying pathology and anatomy.

Big mistake. (cries in anatomy)

But this museum really is quite interesting and hundred percent worth a visit if you’re also interested in anatomy and surgeries, or if you’re an aspiring medical student.

I won’t be including any photos for this one just because it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea.

These are all the places that I think everyone must visit for their first time in Edinburgh!

Let me know down in the comments below if there are any places that you think should be added to this list, and see you in the next post! ✨

Until next time,