For one day in Edinburgh, pair a morning at Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town with an afternoon at the National Museum of Scotland. Twin Lions Hotel is in west Edinburgh; the city centre is about 15 minutes away by car or 54 minutes on foot from the hotel.
- Start: Edinburgh city centre, from Twin Lions Hotel.
- Morning: Edinburgh Castle, at the top of the Royal Mile.
- Afternoon: The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street.
- Tickets: Castle tickets are date- and time-specific; museum admission is free, with charges for some special exhibitions.
Start from the hotel and reach the centre
The city centre is about 15 minutes by car from Twin Lions Hotel, or 54 minutes on foot. For a one-day itinerary, make the centre your first stop and plan the day around the castle and museum rather than treating the hotel as a city-centre address.
Balgreen station is about 14 minutes on foot from the hotel or 3 minutes by car. For more on local transport, the guide to getting around Edinburgh from Twin Lions covers the wider city journey.
MorningEdinburgh Castle and the Old Town
Edinburgh Castle sits in Castlehill, in the Old Town at the top of the Royal Mile. Start here, then walk down into the Old Town to continue along the Mile.
The castle opens daily from 1 April to 30 September, 9:30am–6pm, and from 1 October to 31 March, 9:30am–5pm; last entry is one hour before closing. It closes on 25 and 26 December. On 24 December it opens 9:30am–4pm, and on 1 January it opens from 11am. Hours can change, so check the official site before you go.
Online tickets are listed at £23.50 for adults aged 16–64, £19 for people aged 65 and over, and £11.50 for children aged 7–15. In-person prices are £26, £21 and £13 respectively. Tickets are for a specific date and time, and the castle operator advises booking online in advance because tickets can sell out.
Edinburgh Waverley is the closest railway station, about 0.4 miles from the castle; Haymarket is about 1 mile away. The nearest tram stop is Princes Street, 0.4 miles away, while the Mound and George IV Bridge are good Lothian Buses stops. There is no public parking at the castle; Castle Terrace NCP is the nearest car park.
For a closer look at the visit logistics, the Edinburgh Castle visitor guide covers tickets, opening hours and the route from the hotel.
Lunch and a Royal Mile walk
After the castle, continue down the Royal Mile and leave time for lunch before crossing to Chambers Street for the afternoon. The castle’s position at the top of the Mile makes this a natural way to connect the morning visit with a walk through the Old Town.
AfternoonNational Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is a practical next stop after the Old Town. Admission is free, though some special exhibitions charge an entrance fee.
The museum opens daily from 10am to 5pm. It closes on 25 December and opens 12pm–5pm on 26 December and 1 January. Check the official site before you go for current opening details. If you are planning the afternoon around a particular exhibition, check its separate admission information too.
The National Museum of Scotland visit guide has more on hours, tickets and getting there.
FAQs
Can you visit Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Scotland in one day?
Yes. This itinerary puts the castle and Old Town in the morning, then the museum on Chambers Street in the afternoon, with a lunch break between them.
Do you need to book Edinburgh Castle tickets in advance?
Castle tickets are for a specific date and time, and the operator advises booking online in advance because tickets can sell out.
Is the National Museum of Scotland free?
General admission is free. Some special exhibitions charge an entrance fee.