Edinburgh attractions and things to do (merged)

If you reckon you will arrive in Edinburgh say mid-day, the Bus tours leave from just across the road from your Hotel. So I would go and get a ticket for that which will last for 24 hours so you can use it again later and the next morning.

This will take you on a circular tour along Princes Street, up by the Castle and down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament then back up again. You can get off and on again wherever you like.

Your hotel is on Princes Street and on the opposite side of the road are Princes Street Gardens and towering above them is Edinburgh Castle. The Royal Mile is the mile between the Castle and Holyrood Palace and this is where you will find all the Festival and Fringe performers strutting their stuff. You can quite happily spend ages just watching this. The tour guide on the bus will point out all the historic building on the Royal Mile as you pass them and you can then make up your mind which you might like to pop off and see. Camera Obscura is up by the Castle btw. Not far down from the Castle to Holyrood is George 1V Bridge down which you will find Grey Friar's Bobby about which Ann Marie has told you about, the Museum and the funky shops, lol.

As I suggested do the witchy type tours in the evenings but also remember there will be hundreds, literally hundreds of shows on for the Fringe in all sorts of venues, from small to large. I have no doubt there is a website you could send for a brochure from. Many comedians started their careers at the Edinburgh Fringe and loads of them still come back just for the atmosphere.

The Edinburgh Pass sounds very similar to the London Pass, but seems to be unrelated. I used London Passes last year and definitely got good value from it.

The added benefits (of the London Pass) were:

1. that you can jump the queue because you have already paid; most attractions have a "fast track" queue for those who already have tickets.

2. If somewhere is no good you don't have to stay for hours just because you've paid £50 to get in. Go somewhere else, use the pass again!

3. The flipside is that if somewhere is really good you know you can go back again and not have to pay again e.g. if you really like the Castle but can't do it justice in the time you "allowed", you can go back another time, so it gives you some flexibility.

We made sure we planned out what to do each day so that we didn't waste too much time travelling BUT we were also flexible and changed plans if we felt like it i.e. we were going to Kew Gardens (after Hampton Court) but ended up doing a tour of Wimbledon. This turned out to be my son's favourite attraction of the 3 days. :rolleyes:

noramc wrote:

Just a few more tips for your Edinburgh visit (I have loads of friends and family that visit all the time, so I'm practically a tour guide!) - If you're going to the Castle (which I really recommend, although it is pricey at 9.80 for adults/students), make sure you use your 10% discount that you get with the (24hr) tour bus ticket. (Doesn't have to be used the same day as you use the bus)

I was interested to read about the Edinburgh Pass when they launched it recently, as have been wondering why they don't have something like that already (there is a Scotland pass type thing, but I thought an Edinburgh specific thing may be more useful for visitors), but agree with my fellow Edinburgh posters above that, during the time of year that you're coming, there will be so many free and interesting events, you may feel pressured to get "full value" from the pass.

Bearing this in mind, though...

The castle will cost you about a tenner each
Camera obscura (again, recommended!) another £6ish
A ghost walk about £7ish
Return Airport bus tickets £5
plus £2 off your bus tour tickets
So, it doesn't seem like your too far off getting good value for money! I think that's a good idea you have about getting you all together for a quick chat about the trip and what you'd like to get up to.

I really hope you enjoy your trip to Edinburgh, it's such a wonderful place and you're visiting at a great time of year.

I think we've now worked out that it'll save money to buy the EP, and will be easier, i.e no cash/credit cards etc involved in paying. The only thing that puts me off is the fact that we might be distracted by the "free" entertainment of The Festival.

I've book-marked some cheap eating places from the top sticky, and we may go to the cinema one night (this is just a holiday tradition!) which one do you recomend? We're staying on Princes Street, if I buy the EP, we'll have sort of free bus passes, or we could walk.

I was thinking about a good chinese/cantonese resteraunt that does a cheap set meal??

Would the Royal Yacht be very boring for teenage girls, and is it worth the enterence fee? Don't think this comes under the EP. What's the zoo like, I do prefer to see animals in their own type of habitat? Hubbys not keen on the zoo anyway, he thinks we can go to one anywhere, and shouldn't waste time if there's better Edinburghish things to do!!

Thanks Twopints and normac for your pointers.

toozie

Just off Princes Street, down towards Leith Walk, is a new cinema complex.
Greenside I think its called and is beside the Playhouse Theatre. Underneath this is a restaurant food court and there is a chinese buffet style and I think its about £11 after 5.00.

One I can recommend is Jimmy Chung, website here, and its less than a fiver for lunch.

The Zoo is good, provided you take the trailer to the top and walk down, very steep hills but also very busy and smelly if its warm!

I agree with your hubby...you can go to a zoo anywhere! Sorry!