Edinburgh Rail Trip from London with Castle entry and Hop-on Hop-off bus

See the best of the Scottish capital on this independent day trip from London to Edinburgh. Travel by train through England’s countryside and jump aboard your hop-on hop-off city tour in Edinburgh. Wander along the Royal Mile — a UNESCO World Heritage site — and marvel at the Scottish Crown Jewels inside Edinburgh Castle. Gaze up at the Scott Monument and visit the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center. With your rail travel, hop-on hop-off bus tour (if option selected) and entry to Edinburgh Castle all included, you’re free to explore Edinburgh at your leisure.

1. 1

   Edinburgh Castle

   1 hour

   Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear.

2. 2

   St Giles' Cathedral

   20 min

   St Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to Holyrood Palace

3. 3

   Princes Street Gardens

   15 min

   Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in two phases in the 1770s and 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, beginning in the 1760s.

4. 4

   Edinburgh Old Town

   30 min

   Visitors pack the Old Town, a bustling area of centuries-old buildings and narrow alleys. At its heart, perched on an extinct volcano, Edinburgh Castle is home to Scotland’s crown jewels. The Royal Mile, a steep street lined with traditional pubs, casual eateries, souvenir shops and small museums, runs from the castle to the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s Scottish residence.

5. 5

   Royal Mile

   40 min

   The Royal Mile is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W M Gilbert's Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century (1901), "...with its Castle and Palace and the royal mile between", and was further popularised as the title of a guidebook, published in 1920.

6. 6

   Princes Street

   45 min

   Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km) from Lothian Road in the west, to Leith Street in the east. The street has virtually no buildings on the south side, allowing panoramic views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, and the valley between. Most of the street is limited to trams, buses and taxis with only the east end open to all traffic.

7. 7

   Holyrood Park

   Pass by

   The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II.

8. 8

   Palace of Holyroodhouse

   Pass by

   The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II.

9. 9

   National Museum of Scotland

   Pass by

   The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Museum, with collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world cultures.

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Outbound: Train departs London Kings Cross: 07:02 / train arrives in Edinburgh: 11:02
• Return: Train departs Edinburgh: 17:13 / train arrives at London Kings Cross: 22:10

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.