Edinburgh Travel Guide

Hike to the top of Arthur's Seat, an 822-foot-high extinct volcano that overlooks the city. On your way down, swing by the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse, Our Dynamic Earth exhibit, and the buildings of the Scottish Parliament.
Hit the city during summer's Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which run nearly simultaneously for three weeks in August and feature thousands of world-class (and, let's be honest, not-so world-class) concerts, plays, and assorted artistic wackiness. Be warned—it's busy, so book hotels well ahead of time for the best rates.
Walk in the footsteps of kings and queens from Edinburgh Castle down the Royal Mile. To dodge the tourist crowds at the top of the Royal Mile, duck off into Lady Stair's Close for a pint at the warm and welcoming Jolly Judge pub.
If you're arriving by air, head into town on the airport bus, which is much cheaper than a taxi but will take about the same amount of time. About local transport: be warned that it can be almost impossible to get a cab home on Friday and Saturday nights, so plan (and dress!) accordingly.
Closing time for pubs in Scotland is much later than in England, so pace yourself! The best pubs and clubs are in the Grassmarket area and up towards the campus of Edinburgh University (the "Old Town"), and off George Street and down towards Stockbridge in the "New Town."
When the sun's out, ditch the crowds milling in Princes Street Gardens and wander through the New Town to the Royal Botanic Gardens, a great spot for a picnic and views of the city skyline.
Stroll through Dean Village and along the gurgling Water of Leith to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, which has a great sculpture garden in its grounds (a good excursion for those with kids).
Good day trips from Edinburgh include St. Andrews (home of golf and the third-oldest university in the UK), the castle and monuments in and around Stirling, and country homes like Traquair House and Abbotsford (home of Sir Walter Scott) in the Borders region.

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