Cheap things to do in Edinburgh
Free museums, cheap eats, folk pubs and a castle ruin with no queue.
This is Edinburgh for people who'd rather spend on a second pint than a tasting menu. The three days cover Old Town cobbles, New Town galleries, a windy beach and a proper castle without a tourist-trap price tag in sight. If your idea of a good trip is a hog roll at noon and a folk session at night, this is built for you.
Day 1: Old Town, the Meadows, folk pubs
A day that moves from the National Museum's free floors through Victoria Street street food and out into the Meadows, ending with live fiddle music and cheap pints at Sandy Bell's.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
National Museum of Scotland
Free entry, world-class national museum packed with Scottish history and culture.
Map - 12:30 PM
Oink Victoria Street
Cheap hog roast rolls on Victoria Street, legendary Edinburgh street food, perfect budget lunch.
Map - 2:00 PM
The Meadows
Wide open Victorian park, free, flat walk that connects Old Town to Bruntsfield, great afternoon air.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:30 PM
Sandy Bell's
Classic Edinburgh folk pub, live traditional music most nights, cheap pints, no pretension.
Map
Day 2: Calton Hill and New Town galleries
Climb Calton Hill for the view, drop into the Fruitmarket for free contemporary art, eat well for little in Stockbridge and finish with a proper pint at the Queens Arms.
- 9:30 AM
Ante
A small New Town café for a proper flat white and breakfast before the climb up Calton Hill.
Map - 10:15 AM
Calton Hill
Free climb up Calton Hill for panoramic Edinburgh views, the classic thrifty morning activity.
Map - 12:30 PM
Leith Woks
Casual, cheap noodle spot in New Town, exactly the no-fuss lunch this itinerary calls for.
Map - 2:00 PM
Fruitmarket
Free contemporary art shows in an old fruit market behind Waverley, with a very good art bookshop.
Map - 7:30 PM
Nok's Kitchen on Stockbridge
Trusted Thai in Stockbridge with a loyal local following, great value and flavour for a cheap dinner.
Map - 9:00 PM
Day 3: Craigmillar, Portobello and Cuban lunch
A crowd-free castle ruin, a breezy beach walk and bold Cuban street food from Mamacita's cap the trip before a last supper at the Sheep Heid.
- 10:00 AM
Craigmillar Castle
A roofless 15th-century castle with stairs to the top and big views; in winter it shuts Thursday and Friday.
Map - 11:30 AM
Portobello Beach
Walk the long Portobello promenade by the sea, free and breezy, with cafés along the way.
Map - 12:30 PM
Mamacita's Miami Eats
Cuban sandwiches and rice plates a block from the Portobello prom, cheap and filling.
Map - 7:30 PM
The Sheep Heid Inn
Claims to be Scotland's oldest pub, in Duddingston below Arthur's Seat; eat, then try the old skittle alley.
Map
Where to stay
Kick Ass Grassmarket
A cheerful hostel at the foot of the Grassmarket with private rooms, ten minutes' walk from the museum.
Motel One Edinburgh-Princes
Fair-priced rooms on Princes Street by Waverley, a short walk to Calton Hill and the Old Town.
Make Edinburgh your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Edinburgh Castle: weeks ahead
- The Scotch Whisky Experience: a few days ahead
- Johnnie Walker Princes Street: a few days ahead
- The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: months ahead
- Muirfield: months ahead
- Rosslyn Chapel: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Eating and shopping on the Royal Mile itself, which charges a location premium for worse product.
- The 12 plus hour Loch Ness coach day, mostly motorway for a photo stop.
- Harry Potter merch shops and generic ghost tours, use Mary King's Close for underground Edinburgh.
- Royal Mile tartan shops selling mass produced imports at heritage prices. Look for a mill label or buy in a specialist kiltmaker.
The full Edinburgh travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around