You don't need a visa to Great Britain/Scotland, but you do need a mandatory electronic travel authorisation, ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). The ETA costs £10, is valid for 2 years and can be applied for via the UK ETA app or via the web here. 

Allow for normal travel expenses (you hardly need cash). City transport in Edinburgh is operated by Lothian Buses. There are several ways to solve transport. The easiest are these two options:

1. buy a paper ticket from the driver, but you must have the exact amount in cash or pay contactless by card. The paper ticket will not track your daily limit!.
2. using a contactless card = the easiest way is to have a card/cards in your mobile, you need a payment card for each member. When entering the bus, tell the driver the stop where you will be getting off, then swipe your contactless card (you do not swipe the card when exiting). When riding the tram, you tap the card both when boarding and when exiting. The daily limit for 2026 is £5.70 and £26.50 /week!

Attention - do not combine card payment methods! When paying on a given day/week, use either a physical payment card or a card stored in your mobile phone to keep track of your daily limit! 

Children (5-15) have discounted fares, or buy a family ticket - more info here

Buy your ticket for Edinburgh Castle in advance.

This former mill district on the Water of Leith feels like something out of a fairy tale and is ideal for a quiet breath of the city's atmosphere. The most beautiful section runs along the river. I recommend walking the route around Dean Bridge towards the modern art gallery, which has an outdoor sculpture area. It is an easy walk for smaller children. With older children and photo hunters, head to the other side towards Stockbridge (St Bernard’s Well) (1-2km), if you have more time you can walk along the river to the sea (Dean Village → Stockbridge → Canonmills → Leith, Firth of Forth (4-5 km 2 hours of leisurely walk), you can return by public transport.

After breakfast, walk to the city center. The first stop is Grassmarket Square, which lies beneath the mighty walls of Edinburgh Castle. It is a place where history blends with the vibrant present. In the Middle Ages, it was a noisy market full of cattle and merchants, but also a grim stage for public executions, which gave it a dark reputation. It was here that the incredible story of a woman who survived her own hanging and went back to life took place. Today, however, Grassmarket has a completely different feel: colorful houses, bustling pubs, and views of the castle create one of the liveliest and most photogenic parts of Edinburgh.

This place made an incredible impression on us. It was quiet here in the morning, and the souvenir shop was magical.

From Grassmarket, you climb to Edinburgh Castle (it's a lot of stairs and uphill all the way). We bought the tickets online before flying to Edinburgh (reservation 2 days in advance, but it was March, fewer tourists). Tickets can be purchased here https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/. Children under 7 are free, 7-15 years have discounted admission, but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. A tour with an audio guide is great if you know the language. You can listen to interesting facts about the place at each station, and after purchasing it, it remains in the application on your mobile phone, so you can still listen to interesting facts from the castle after returning home. The castle is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We spent 2 hours at the castle.

Edinburgh Castle is like a living fairy tale on a rock for families with children – it rises high above the city and hides many interesting things. Children are usually fascinated by the huge Mons Meg cannon, the mysterious castle corridors, and the stories about the kings and queens who once lived here. Our son was fascinated by the robotic lawnmower 😉, which managed to mow the grass on the steep slope around the castle. A great experience is also the signal shot fired at exactly one o'clock in the afternoon, which has been observed here for more than 150 years. There are also coronation jewels that resemble real royal treasures, and beautiful views of the entire city, where children can try to find famous places from above. It is an ideal place where history turns into adventure.

After finishing the castle tour, turn down onto Victoria Street, which will take you back to the Grassmarket. It is a beautiful street with colorful houses, restaurants, and refreshments.

On the way from the castle to Princess Street, you will pass an old cemetery and the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, where you can soak up some of the real "Edinburgh" atmosphere and see the castle from a different perspective. This church and its adjacent cemetery are a bit of a hidden gem right under the bustle of the city. You will find yourself in a calm, almost mysterious space. The church stands on a site where Christians allegedly gathered more than a thousand years ago, and the cemetery around it is full of old tombstones, overgrown nooks and crannies, and powerful stories. The famous Scottish preacher Thomas Chalmers is also buried here, and walking among the tombstones makes one feel as if time has stopped for a moment. The cemetery is part of Princess Street Gardens - a park where you can relax.

Take a break in the park before heading out for the afternoon program.

Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens is one of the most photogenic spots in the city – and yet it has quite an unexpected origin. The fountain was made in France and bought to Edinburgh in the 19th century by local gunsmith Daniel Ross, after whom it is named. It is decorated with figures symbolizing science, art or industry and stands exactly on the site where the Nor Loch lake once was – a natural defense of the old town. Today, the park is a peaceful green oasis right under the castle, ideal for relaxing, picnicking or just a short stop with one of the nicest views of Edinburgh Castle.

Because I like to discover cities with locals, you'll try a train journey and see the sea.

At Haymarket Railway Station, buy a ticket to South Queensferry from the machine and get off at "Dalmeny" station. 

After a performance in Dalmeny (a typical English village), a walk through the "bush" awaits you, passing by the railway pillars along the way (or you can take a taxi if you don't feel like walking). After 10 minutes, you'll reach South Queensferry, where the most beautiful views of the iconic bridges across the Firth of Forth await you (especially the Forth Bridge https://www.theforthbridges.org/). You can stroll through the historic seaside town with its colorful houses and harbor, and have coffee or fish & chips right by the water. The whole place feels like a little trip to the seaside. 

We were here in March, so there were no tourists, but also no puffins (they only come to nest in the spring). If you are here between April and July, you can get the most out of your visit to the Forth Bridge, as you can take a cruise on the Firth of Forth - and with a little luck, you will see seals and puffins. It departs from Hawes Pier in South Queensferry or Port Edgar Marina. The cruise lasts 1.5 hours, sails under all three bridges and around the island of Inchcolm.

Something extra about the history of the bridge:

When you look at the bridges across the Firth of Forth, they seem almost like technical miracles, but the oldest of them - the Forth Bridge - has a story that is as dramatic as its silhouette.

Late 19th century, Scotland, the age of steam and railways. After the disaster of another bridge over the River Tay, engineers decided that this time there must be no room for error. The construction of the new railway bridge was therefore to be a symbol of absolute certainty. The result was a huge steel structure, with its red arms resembling three gigantic consoles growing out of the water. At that time, it was an almost insane project - thousands of workers, extreme wind, cold water and work at heights where every detail mattered.

The bridge took almost ten years to build and became a legend even before it was completed. It is said that the workers of the time took it as "work that never sleeps" - construction was continuous, day and night, under the light of lamps and in the mist from the sea. When it finally opened in 1890, it became a symbol of modern Scotland: strength, precision and courage.

Trains still run on it today, and the bridge is so reliable that it has survived more than a hundred years of storms, wind and time. And when you look at it from the coast of South Queensferry, it doesn't just feel like a building - more like a reminder of what people can do when they say "it just has to hold".

It's a narrow stone staircase (alley) in the historic center of Edinburgh. The alley leads from Grassmarket, where you were on the morning of the 2nd day, up between the houses. We came from the accommodation from above from Edinburgh College of Art around Flodden Wall. At the top is one of the nicest views of Edinburgh Castle. The stairs beautifully "frame" the castle and therefore it is a very photogenic place. You go down to Grassmarket, cross it and head towards the museum.

Entry to the museum is free and you do not need to book admission in advance. More information about the museum.

The museum is one of the most interesting places in Edinburgh, where you can walk from prehistory to modern technology in one visit. You will see real dinosaur skeletons, the famous Dolly the sheep, and fascinating interactive exhibits that entertain adults as well. The building is also beautiful from an architectural point of view and offers a view of the city from the roof. You can spend a whole day here in bad weather. There is also a cafe and refreshments available.

Stroll through the historical artery of Edinburgh. The street is roughly 1.8 km long and connects Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill with the Palace of Holyroodhouse down by the park. Along the way, you'll walk along a cobblestone street full of narrow lanes, historic houses, churches, museums, street performers, and souvenir shops. A local Edinburgh resident pointed out the site of the last public execution in Edinburgh, which took place in 1864, and the condemned was George Bryce. This place is at the corner of Lawnmarket × George IV Bridge. Look for a small brass plaque on the wall, and directly below it are 3 brass plates in the pavement where the gallows stood. The place is inconspicuous, you usually walk past it without noticing.

You can be in the center all day. You won't go wrong if you walk down any lane towards Calton Hill. The city is magical and you can walk through it criss-cross. 

Something for fun:

If you want to invent a game for the children, they can devote themselves to "hunting" and find the iconic modern roof... From the views above the city, we were struck by a roof in the shape of excrement...we didn't realize that this was actually supposed to represent this. Actually, we found this famous W Edinburgh hotel, awarded as the best Scottish hotel of 2025, by chance on the way to Calton Hill. So why not see it up close?!

If you don't go all the way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, you can go down from the Royal Mile to the picturesque, winding Cockburn Street full of colorful houses and shops. It will lead you to the train station and the iconic Scott Monument – a tall Gothic tower dedicated to the writer Walter Scott.

Continue to the elegant St Andrew Square, where the historic Bank of Scotland building stands. From there, enter the modern St James Quarter shopping center, walk through it – and when you come out, you will have the distinctive W Edinburgh behind you.

Finally, climb Calton Hill, from where you will have one of the most beautiful views of the entire city.

We climbed Calton Hill in the late afternoon, and the sunset with views of all sides of Edinburgh was magical. 

Calton Hill is one of the oldest publicly accessible walking and viewing areas in Britain, which has been deliberately modified since the 18th century to serve the city's inhabitants for walks, relaxation and social gatherings. Today, it is one of the best panoramic points in Edinburgh – a short, easy climb rewards you with views of the entire historic and modern Edinburgh, the harbor and the sea in the distance. At the top stand neoclassical monuments inspired by antiquity (National Monument and Nelson Monument https://www.edinburghoutdoors.org.uk/monuments/monuments-calton-hill), thanks to which it earned the nickname "Athens of the North". 

You can reach the ZOO by public transport, and it's towards the airport. The ZOO has lockers available, so you can store your packed luggage there. For ticket booking and more info. You will spend a calm and relaxing last day here.