Edinburgh Castle
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edinburgh hopon hopoff bus pass with 3 city tours
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Edinburgh: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Pass with 3 City Tours

Valid: 24 - 48 hours
548 Reviews
548

Tour Edinburgh on 3 different hop-on and hop-off bus routes with 24 or 48 hours unlimited travel. Take the City Sightseeing Tour and the Majestic…

Valid: 24 - 48 hours
548 Reviews
548
From US$ 21.33

Edinburgh Castle: Tours & Tickets

See all tours & things to do in Edinburgh Castle

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Edinburgh

See all 243 tickets & tours

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

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

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

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
Photo: Tai Kedzierski @flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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

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 there
    Hop-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

Overall rating
4.6 / 5
based on 11,312 reviews

Perfectly tailored to our expectations...

Our guide, Gordon, was personable, funny and interesting and knew an incredible amount about the history of Edinburgh and Scotland. He started by asking us exactly what we hoped to get out of the tour and adapted as required. We were full of questions and he always knew the answers as well as having many interesting or amusing anecdotes that made the tour more interesting than being told a stream of dates and facts. We had a tremendous time and couldn't have asked for a better guide. Thanks Gordon!

Edinburgh: Private Guided Walking Tour Reviewed by

3 Tours in 1! Best Decision for Edinburgh Tour Ever!

We have been to Edinburgh twice before and have mainly focused on the Royal Mile along with Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. This time we opted for the Hop on Hop Buses and bought the Grand Tour (3 tour bus companies for 1 price) so we could take 3 different routes. 2 had audio guides and 1 had a live tour guide. Fantastic decision as we saw parts of Edinburgh that were hidden to us before. Booked the tickets before the trip and it worked like a charm!

Edinburgh: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Pass with 3 City Tours Reviewed by

Good start to our short break in Edinburgh

We arrived in the city from London around 10.30 and booked this 1.30 tour as we couldn't get into our hotel room till 2pm. Having dumped our bags at the hotel we proceed to Mercat Cross just of the Royal Mile and enjoyed a 90 min tour informing us of a lot of the street history in a potted form. Good informative start to our mini 5 day break

Edinburgh: Old Town Historical Walking Tour Reviewed by

An excellent introduction into this interesting city.

Took a 24 hour ticket and did all 3 tours in a day. This is the best way to introduce yourself to the city pointing out the highlights. Should have taken the 48 hour ticket and made more use of the Hop on Hop off option. But hey -ho, because of this tour will be back in Edinburgh to take in the attractions and actually visit more of them.

Edinburgh: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Pass with 3 City Tours Reviewed by

Very original with a lot of insight walking tour

Thank you Richard for the walk and you insights in Edinburghs history, geography and gastronomic. We tried the food and the Last Drop today and it was very very good - especially the chocolate brownie at the end. One of the best I have had - and none of them was ever in a pub. Many thanks again.

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour Reviewed by
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