Edinburgh on a Budget | Including a 2-day Breakdown
Edinburgh is a city rich in history, so it’s a great place to explore for a few days. In general, Scotland is a mid-range destination budget-wise. The average daily cost to visit Edinburgh is £116 1, and accommodations and food are generally the most expensive parts of your trip. Read on for how to do Edinburgh on a budget, including a budget break down of my trip in 2022.
Full disclaimer: I don’t include my tips or donations in any of the costs below because it varies by person. Free walking tours are by donation/tip and are highly encouraged. Costs are from a 2022 trip.
Read more: Edinburgh Itinerary | The Best 15+ Things to Do
Edinburgh on a Budget
Edinburgh is a wonderful city to explore. There is so much history, amazing architecture, and beautiful landscapes. It’s set in the southeast end of the country but there are still awesome day trips to consider. Spending 3-4 days in the city would be ideal to explore neighbourhoods and not exhaust yourself!
Your cheapest option for accommodations is a hostel. If you stay around the Royal Mile, you’ll be in the thick of things and close to the train station and bus station. However, it does get busy and noisy! A great budget option is the Edinburgh Backpackers Hostel, which is the epitome of what a hostel is.
An average lunch or dinner at a restaurant will cost about £15-30. Museums and public gardens are free. Public transit is reasonable but you can definitely see a lot of the city by walking. There are a ton of travel companies offering day trips or multi-day trips to see more of Scotland if you’re interested in heading outside of the city.
Some additional costs for Edinburgh activities (that I didn’t get to do) include:
- Dean Village: It’s a village that is free to walk around and you can walk there for free as well.
- Circus Lane: FREE
- Edinburgh Castle: £18-21
- Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: £30-95
- Princess Street Gardens: FREE
- National Museum of Scotland: FREE
- Palace of Holyroodhouse: £18.50
- The Scottish Whisky Experience: £19-100+
- Royal Botanic Gardens: FREE
- Edinburgh Gin Distillery: £25-100+
- Real Mary King’s Close: £19.50
- Greyfriar’s Kirkyard: FREE (donations accepted)
Edinburgh on a Budget Breakdown
Unfortunately, I was only able to visit Edinburgh with 2 days in the city. I definitely wish I had more time but I always knew I would be back to Scotland. It’s such a beautiful and friendly country. I wasn’t able to get tickets last minute to the Edinburgh Castle or the Real Mary King’s Close, so I recommend booking those in advance if you want to go.
Day one in Edinburgh:
Arthur’s Seat: FREE
Walk along the Royal Mile: FREE
Dinner on the Royal Mile: £40
Edinburgh Pub Crawl: £18 for ticket + approx. £25 drinks
Edinburgh Backpackers Hostel: £25
Day one total: £108
Day two in Edinburgh:
Pride Parade: FREE
Calton Hill: FREE
Victoria Street and Victoria Terrace: FREE
Harry Potter Walking tour: FREE (by donation)
Dinner on the Royal Mile: £15
Store luggage after checking out: £5
Bus back to Glasgow: £20
Day two total: £40+ walking tour tip
