Explore in and around Edinburgh with PlacePass

A trip to Edinburgh is always an unforgettable experience full of culture, exploration, and a lot of atmosphere. There is just so much to do in this beautiful, bustling city, and one trip there makes you see instantly why it’s a popular destination.

From the fascinating history of the city’s architecture, the excellent opportunities for shopping on the famous Princes Street, incredibly friendly and funny locals, and a rich cultural scene jumping out at you pretty much everywhere you look, Edinburgh is full of endless opportunities for exploration and enjoyment.

One of the most useful things I had for my trip was PlacePass. This comparison site for destinations and tourist activities lets you compare prices of different websites for the activitiy you want to do. This means you can explore the centre and around the city easily, and get a comprehensive guide on all the fun things to do in Edinburgh.

You end up with a much better price than you would have done if you just went with the first website you found, which is why I love price comparison sites like PlacePass.

When there is so much to do in a city you want to make sure your money is going as far as possible. Here are some of my top suggestions for what to get up to after a long weekend trip to Edinburgh.

Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Small-Group Day Trip from Edinburgh

With several different destinations on this awesome fully packed day trip, I would call this something of a ‘tapas style’ tour of the Highlands setting off from Edinburgh, all within a single day.

Visit the most famous body of water in Scotland known to all as Loch Ness and hear all about the legend of the famous monster (sightings can’t be guaranteed I’m afraid), take in the beauty of Glencoe and then on to the Highlands.

This is a jam-packed mini tour of the Highlands with a very friendly, knowledgeable guide and a luxury spacious bus for transport. Highly recommended for those with limited time who want to cover a lot of space.

Hop-on-hop-off tour of Edinburgh

There really isn’t a better way to get a taste of the city itself than the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour.

Edinburgh is actually a really easy city to get around on foot, but I would say the bus tour is almost an essential introduction to gather your bearings and decide exactly where you want to head back to after the tour has ended.

You can cover pretty much all of Edinburgh with a tour guide telling you interesting facts the whole time, and really get a feel for the majestic city you’re about to explore.

Definitely book in advance – you save a lot.

Entrance to Edinburgh castle:

This is a classic must-see attraction right in the centre of Edinburgh. Beat the queues and save some of your holiday money by booking in advance online before you arrive.

We walked past a long queue of tourists waiting at the ticket office when we got there, and just walked right in with our printed out tickets! It really just is worth booking in advance with places this popular, save yourself the headache.

Edinburgh Castle’s history is truly fascinating. Some parts of the castle have been around for 3,000 years, and it’s the centre of the world famous Hogmanay firework display to welcome in the new year.

There’s also fireworks going off every night during the Edinburgh Festival, but even if you’re around in the daytime the view you see from the buttress of the castle right up on the hill is simply incredible.

Glengoyne Distillery in Dumgoyne, Whisky tasting day trip from Edinburgh:

A trip to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without a taste of very good whisky. Take this day trip to the Glengoyne distillery to learn all about this world famous tipple.

The distillery tour with the brew masters was full of interesting information about whisky and its production, and plenty of opportunities to taste it too.

The distillery is just 40 minutes from Glasgow, but being picked up from Edinburgh means you can get out into other parts of Scotland whilst still coming back at the end of the day to carry on your explorations of this cultural Scottish city.

Night walking tour of Edinburgh:

To see a different side to this gorgeous and lively city altogether, take a night walking tour that takes you over different parts of the city with an enthusiastic guide.

You see all the different sections of the city come to life at night, and your night tour guide will tell you all about the history of the city while you explore it on foot.

Thank you for reading this blog post about what to do around Edinburgh

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about all the incredible activities you can find in Edinburgh.

Give PlacePass a go and see how much you can save on your holiday bookings by comparing before you book.

Watch my video review of my Highland trip: