Edinburgh is a fantastic city to visit with children. There is so much to do in Edinburgh and the centre is easily walkable. Locals are warm and welcoming and there are some great places to eat. That’s without the excitement of the many festivals held in the city throughout the year. This blog is my review of my top 10 things to do in Edinburgh with older kids.
I have now visited Edinburgh 3 times with my boys and these are some of our top things to do:
1. Edinburgh Castle
If you do one thing with kids, it should be Edinburgh Castle. Located at the end of the Royal Mile, the Castle dominates the city centre.
My boys really enjoyed the audio-guides (included free with your entry). As a bonus, these gave us a route to follow so we didn’t miss any of the key sites.
If you are there at the right time, grab a spot to watch the firing of the One O’clock Gun (unsurprisingly at 1pm each day). The firing of the gun dates back to 1861. Ships in the nearby Forth of Firth would set their maritime clocks by it. Now, it alerts office workers across the city that its time for lunch! Speaking of lunch, my non-vegetarian son and I very much enjoyed the posh rendition of haggis, neeps and tatties at the Tea Rooms at the Castle. As an alternative, they do an afternoon tea (which you book as an experience with Castle entry included).
If guns are your kids’ thing (or they just want something to climb on / play with), don’t miss Mons Meg and the Half Moon Battery.
Other highlights for kids include the prisons, the medieval splendour of the Great Hall and the Honours of Scotland (the oldest Crown Jewels in Britain). The Castle also boasts various museums but these might be a bit of a struggle with kids. We managed no more than a quick romp through the National War Museum.
The practical bits
You can buy tickets online in advance from here. Family tickets range from £30-£38.50 for 1 adult and 2 children and from £44-£56 for 2 adults and 2 children. Whilst not the cheapest, you can spend a full day here and there are spots for picnics if you don’t want to use the cafes on site. This is one not to miss if you are in Edinburgh with kids!
2. The Chocolatarium
I possibly lied – maybes this is the one thing you must do with older kids in Edinburgh. The Chocolatarium is one you need to pre-book. Whilst you can just visit their shop, the workshop and tasting is the way forwards!
The workshop starts with a history of chocolate (complete with a mini hot-choc and a few tasters). After, you move through to the prep kitchen where you each make your own chocolate bar. Your guide shows and explains the process of tempering chocolate. The guide will give you melted chocolate in a piping bag to fill your chosen mould. Once filled, you can select your own toppings and flavours, with anything from freeze-dried raspberries to ginger and chilli flakes.
Finally, while your bar is cooling, you have a guided tasting with samples of different percentage chocolates from the main cocoa producing countries. After this, you can help yourself to your own tasters from their “pick’n’mix” chocolate bar. From seriously dark to ruby and blond, there is something here for everyone! Be warned, that the spicy ones really are hot!
The practical bits
The Chocolatarium generally hosts workshops starting every hour in the busiest months (summer and December) and 2 or 3 a day in the low season. These last around 1.5 hours. You definitely need to prebook.
The Chocolatarium is located just off the Royal Mile, a 10-15 minute walk from the Castle (and the afternoon session could combine well with a morning visit to the Castle).
3. The Real Mary King’s Close
Hidden beneath the Royal Mile, Mary King’s Close was once part of a warren of streets in 17th century Edinburgh.
Mary herself was widowed and inherited her late husband’s title as Burgess (making her one of the few women at the time to have voting rights). Mary was a merchant and owned 2 houses on the street. The street, then the second largest in Edinburgh and home to a market, was renamed after her by the city council after her death (in recognition of her achievements).
Visited on a guided tour, you will explore the ruins of this underground street and learn the stories of people who lived and worked here. Costumed actors recreate the street’s inhabitants and visitors, including the feared plague doctor in his beaky mask!
I wasn’t sure how much my boys enjoyed this at the time. However, this is now one of the experiences they remember quite vividly from our first trip to Edinburgh. I would therefore recommend it as one of the top things to do with kids in Edinburgh (and its a definite win for adults as well!)
The practical bits
Located on the Royal Mile, just past St Giles Cathedral, you need to prebook tickets for a one-hour guided tour – this can be done here. A standard non-flexible ticket for a guided tour currently costs £22.50 for adults and £16 for children.
Just as a random word to the wary, the lockers (they don’t like you to carry big bags around) swallow your coin. Therefore, you need to make sure everything is in before you close it. Otherwise, having to re-open and then close it again will cost another £1.
4. Visit a festival
Edinburgh really does have a festival for every season.
The fantastic science festival takes place over the schools’ 2-week easter break. As well as talks and exhibitions, children aged between about 6 and 12 will enjoy a day of hands-on activities at the City Arts Centre. Parents can buy a pass which gives access for a full day and allows the children to take part in as many drop on sessions as they want and to prebook onto 3 workshops. The workshops will vary each year. When we visited, my boys thoroughly enjoyed the blood bank, robotics and CSI-crime scene investigation! When you need a break, you will find a branch of Edinburgh café chain Mimi’s Bakehouse on the ground floor. I can definitely recommend the smashed avocado on toast (it’s huge!)
Later in the year, summer sees the prestigious Edinburgh Festival (featuring serious theatre, ballet, classical music etc) and the more well-known Fringe. Originally, Edinburgh’s Festival’s little brother, the Fringe is now a thriving mega-beast. 2024 saw nearly 4,000 shows across hundreds of venues. Pretty much every college, pub, hotel and church hall hosts an event! For more detail on the Fringe, and how to do it with kids, please take a look at my detailed post. I would definitely recommend experiencing the Fringe with kids when you are in Edinburgh.
5. Enjoy the street performers
For an eclectic and ad-hoc experience, take some time to stroll down the Royal Mile (Castle end) or through Princes’ Street Gardens and enjoy the many street performers. In our visits to Edinburgh, my kids have seen magic, juggling, football skills, comedy and some just plain weird individuals… Although skill level varies, they are generally all funny and engaging.
The street performers are licensed by the Council but are not paid. Don’t worry they’ll remind you if you forget! If you stand and watch (and enjoy) a show, please do consider making a donation at the end. I usually go for £5. If you don’t have cash, many performers can take card payments or have a QR code through to a website to pay.
6. The National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland is our absolute favourite museum in Scotland (and possibly in the UK!) and one of my top recommendations for things to do in Edinburgh with kids. My then-11 year old once described it as the best bits of London’s Natural History Museum, Science Museum, the V&A and the British Museum all rolled into one. Happily, in bite-sized chunks.
The building itself is stunning, with the exhibitions set around a galleried light-filled atrium. Don’t miss the millennium clock. At nearly 12 metres tall with lots of working parts and figures, the clock “performs” every hour on the hour.
Do grab a map from the helpdesks on the way in and spend some time deciding which areas you want to focus on. You won’t do it all in a day and shouldn’t try to!
My boys love the natural history and science galleries. Particularly interesting, is Dolly the first cloned sheep revolving in a glass case! In addition, the science gallery has lots of interactive exhibits and activities to please more restless children!
It is also worth checking out any current events or temporary exhibitions during your stay. When we visited in August 2024, my boys spent 3 happy, if slightly competitive, hours playing retro (and some modern) computer games in the Game On Exhibition.
The practical bits
Admission is free and there is no need to book, which is great news! However, there may however be a charge for temporary exhibitions or events and you may need to book for these. Check the “What’s On” section of their website.
The museum is located just 5 minutes off the Royal Mile and is easily walkable from all central attractions. Buses from Leith stop just outside the museum.
There are 2 cafes (on the ground floor and third floor). Both are fairly typical museum fare and not the cheapest. Whilst I have never been organised enough to bring a picnic, there is a space on the ground floor level to eat your own lunches. There is also a water refill station on the ground floor.
7. The Royal Yacht Britannia
By some bizarre juxtaposition, you access the Royal Yacht Britannia through a thoroughly modern and unremarkable shopping centre.
The visit starts with exhibits detailing the history of the Royal Yacht and photographs of the Royal Family over the years. This is probably a little dull for children.
However, the visit comes into its own when you actually get onboard the Yacht. I would definitely recommend the audio-guide (included with the admission price).
My boys loved peeking into the bedrooms used by our late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. It was also fascinating to see the different classes of rooms used by the various service personnel.
We had wanted to try the café onboard but the queues were long (and you can’t prebook). As such, we exited back into the modern shopping mall and lunched on a cheeky Nandos… Very royal!
The practical bits
The Royal Yacht Britannia is located at the Ocean Terminal shopping centre in Leith. As such, unless you are staying in Leith, you will need to catch a bus or tram from the centre.
Buses 10, 16, 34 and 35 all serve Ocean Terminal. Journey time would be around 30 minutes (depending on traffic in the centre). You can buy tickets on the bus from the driver using cash or card. Children go half-price.
Tickets should be booked in advance on their website. As at summer 2024, prices are £19.50 for an adult and £9.25 for a child over 5.
8. Edinburgh Zoo
A short ride out of the city centre, Edinburgh Zoo is a good break from city sightseeing for kids. Be warned it is built up a hill and can be steep in places. The role call of animals includes the usual big cats, penguins, otters, cute furry stuff and random reptiles. While you are there, look out for the fake giant dinosaur area at the top of the hill (we didn’t really understand this but younger kids seemed to love it!)
Sadly, the pair of giant pandas have now been returned to China. With them has gone the annual speculation – possibly engineered by the Zoo’s marketing team in a cynical bid to boost visitor numbers – as to whether Mrs Giant Panda was about to have a cute baby giant panda….
The highlight of the zoo for us (apart from the giant pandas who were still there) was the penguin enclosure. The penguins were getting ready to have chicks and it was fascinating to watch the daddy penguins collecting and stacking up stones for the mummy penguins’ nests. We definitely saw a few cheeky dads-to-be stealing stones from other nests…. There’s a great grassy area in front of the enclosure where you can sit and eat a picnic and enjoy their antics.
The practical bits
Bus services 12, 26 and 31 all serve the zoo from the city centre and stop directly opposite the entrance. Tickets can be bought onboard from the driver and you can pay by card.
Tickets for the zoo can be bought online here or you can pay on the day. If you book in advance, you do need to choose a timeslot to arrive which does make it a bit less flexible. However, you are guaranteed entry on a very busy day.
Tickets are around 10% cheaper online and are currently £26.50 for adults and £17 for children. Again, you can spend a full day at the zoo and there are plenty of spots to eat a picnic.
9. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Years ago, this attraction was just the rooftop camera obscura. Essentially, a dark room where the camera obscura uses daylight and reflections to reflect a live image of the city below on the table in the centre of the space. A guide will point out landmarks but don’t expect crystal clear images. It’s also weather sensitive so don’t go when its raining, super cloudy or dark (obviously!)
Nowadays, and with no hint of a suggestion that its a reflection on the needs of the tech generation, the camera obscura is boosted by the multiple floors of the World of Illusions. Definitely cheesy but still fun for kids and big kids, particularly if you are in Edinburgh on a wet day! Alongside the more obvious mirror mazes, kaleidoscope tunnel and spinning vortex (not for everyone!) , my boys loved the city videocams (which you can move and direct to follow individuals along the street below).
The practical bits
Located on the Royal Mile, just near the Castle, this attraction could easily combine with a visit to the Castle or the Chocolatarium. You definitely need to book in advance to guarantee entry and they do keep strictly to the timeslots (and won’t let you in even 5 minutes early).
Tickets for the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions can be purchased here.
10. Dynamic Earth
My final top thing to do in Edinburgh with kids,,,Dynamic Earth is a science museum which tells the story of planet Earth. It is a 90 minute interactive walkthrough, followed by the chance to catch a planetarium show or 2.
Highlights for my boys were touching a real ice-berg and experiencing the ground shaking of an earthquake. They also loved the tropical monsoon in the rainforest zone.
Whilst this was enjoyable, I would say this is really for kids up to around 11 / 12. I think teens might find it a bit basic.
The practical bits
Dynamic Earth is just beyond the end of the Royal Mile near Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. The latter is free access so worth sticking your head in on the way.
Tickets for the interactive tour and a planetarium show can be bought online here. Prices as at summer 2024 are £17.70 for adults and £10.90 for children (if you buy without gift aid, scroll down for these tickets). You can just attend a planetarium show – tickets for this are sold separately on the website.
