Edinburgh in 2 days, on foot

This 2-day self-guided walking plan for Edinburgh covers 26 narrated sights in an easy day-by-day order. Each day is split into a morning and an afternoon loop, and every stop has a two to three minute audio story in the Gingerguide app.

You set the pace: this is a suggested order, not a schedule. Walk it in 2 days, or stretch it out. Reorder freely; Edinburgh rewards a detour.

The Edinburgh route at a glance

Day 1

Day 1 covers 13 stops over about 5.4 km as the crow flies, from National Museum of Scotland to Edinburgh New Town. ≈ 5.4 km between stops, straight line

Morning

1. National Museum of Scotland: A world-class museum housing collections spanning Scottish history, science, technology, art, and the natural world. 0.1 km to the next stop
2. Greyfriars Bobby & Greyfriars Kirkyard: The famous statue of a loyal Skye Terrier and one of Edinburgh's most atmospheric and historically significant graveyards. 0.1 km to the next stop
3. The Elephant House: The café famously known as the "birthplace of Harry Potter," where J.K. Rowling wrote early chapters of the series. 0.2 km to the next stop
4. Victoria Street: A colourful, curving medieval street said to have inspired J.K. Rowling's Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series. 0.2 km to the next stop
5. Grassmarket: A historic marketplace beneath Edinburgh Castle, once the site of public executions and now a vibrant hub of pubs and restaurants. 0.3 km to the next stop
6. Camera Obscura & World of Illusions: Edinburgh's oldest purpose-built attraction, featuring a Victorian camera obscura and five floors of interactive optical illusions. 0.2 km to the next stop
7. The Mound's Electric Blanket: The Mound, Edinburgh's artificial hill built from New Town rubble, was home to the UK's first underground road-heating system, nicknamed "the Electric Blanket," installed in 1959 to keep buses running in winter. 0.1 km to the next stop

Afternoon

1. Princes Street Gardens: A beautiful public park in the heart of Edinburgh, created in the valley of a former loch beneath the castle. 0.2 km to the next stop
2. Edinburgh Castle: An iconic fortress perched atop Castle Rock, dominating the Edinburgh skyline for over 900 years. 1.2 km to the next stop
3. Dean Village: A picturesque former milling village nestled in a gorge along the Water of Leith, just minutes from the city centre. 0.5 km to the next stop
4. Moray Feu: One of Edinburgh's most architecturally distinguished estates, a trio of Regency streets including the twelve-sided Moray Place, built in the 1820s under strict feudal conditions that have preserved it almost perfectly. 1 km to the next stop
5. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: One of the world's leading botanical gardens, with 70 acres of stunning landscapes and glasshouses dating back to 1670. 1.4 km to the next stop
6. Edinburgh New Town: A UNESCO World Heritage Georgian masterpiece of sweeping boulevards, classical squares and honey-stone terraces, one of the finest planned cities in the world.

Day 2

Day 2 covers 13 stops over about 14 km as the crow flies, from Scottish National Gallery to Rosslyn Chapel. ≈ 14 km between stops, straight line

Morning

1. Scottish National Gallery: Scotland's premier art gallery, housing masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Monet, and Van Gogh in a neoclassical temple on the Mound. 0.2 km to the next stop
2. Scott Monument: The largest monument to a writer in the world, a 61-metre Gothic spire honouring Sir Walter Scott. 0.3 km to the next stop
3. Balmoral Clock: The iconic clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel, kept deliberately three minutes fast for over a century to help passengers catch their trains at Waverley Station below. 0.2 km to the next stop
4. Royal Mile: The historic main thoroughfare of Edinburgh's Old Town, stretching from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. 0.2 km to the next stop
5. St Giles' Cathedral: Edinburgh's principal church with its iconic crown steeple, at the heart of the Royal Mile since the 14th century. 0.2 km to the next stop
6. Edinburgh Old Town: A UNESCO World Heritage medieval labyrinth of towering tenements, hidden closes, and centuries of Scottish history stretching from the Castle to Holyrood. 0 km to the next stop
7. Edinburgh Vaults: A mysterious network of underground chambers beneath the South Bridge, once home to tradesmen, the poor, and alleged criminals. 0.8 km to the next stop

Afternoon

1. Calton Hill: A hill in central Edinburgh crowned with monuments, offering one of the finest viewpoints in the city. 0.6 km to the next stop
2. Scottish Parliament Building: The striking and controversial home of the Scottish Parliament, designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles. 0.1 km to the next stop
3. Dynamic Earth: An interactive science centre exploring the story of planet Earth, housed in a striking tent-like structure at the foot of Arthur's Seat. 0.2 km to the next stop
4. Palace of Holyroodhouse: The official Scottish residence of the British monarch, steeped in the turbulent history of Mary, Queen of Scots. 1.1 km to the next stop
5. Arthur's Seat: An ancient volcano rising 251 metres above Edinburgh, offering panoramic views of the city and the Firth of Forth. 9.9 km to the next stop
6. Rosslyn Chapel: A breathtaking 15th-century chapel renowned for its extraordinary stone carvings, the legendary Apprentice Pillar, and its role in The Da Vinci Code.

Distances are straight-line between stops; streets add a little.

Where the route eats

Food and market stops on the Edinburgh tour, each with its own story in the app:

• Grassmarket: A historic marketplace beneath Edinburgh Castle, once the site of public executions and now a vibrant hub of pubs and restaurants.

Updated: September 4, 2026

Full Edinburgh guide and all stops → · Other itineraries: 3 days