15 Things To Do In Edinburgh On A Budget

Edinburgh was recently named the most expensive city to visit in Europe, which I find hard to believe when the last time I checked, London still exists. Dublin is certainly more expensive, and in fact, I even think Dubrovnik is more pricey these days.

That said, like most cities now, the prices in Edinburgh are spiralling – but it has more than its fair share of ways to keep the costs down!

As well as a plethora of free things to do, there are also plenty of places to pick up a cheap meal and even cheap drinks if you know where to look. (One thing I will say is that Edinburgh has become extortionate for drinking! So there’s one tip straight off the bat: don’t drink much. And yet still nowhere near as expensive as, say, Norway.)

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I am all for a cheap day out, so here are some of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh if you’re on a budget.

Walk everywhere

Edinburgh is an incredibly walkable city. Even though you’re likely to rack up a lot of steps without even realising, it’s worth, if you’re able to, just using your feet to get around the city centre.

It’s my favourite way to acquaint visitors with the city; walking from Princes Street up the winding Cockburn Street to the Royal Mile, along past St Giles Cathedral, down Victoria Street to Grassmarket, and back up through Greyfriars Kirkyard. It’s so easy to lose track of time just wandering the Royal Mile and checking out all the little closes, or going further afield to Dean Village or Stockbridge.

However you arrive into Edinburgh, you’re straight into the heart of the city, ready to explore all of these places. And, of course, walking is totally free!

With all the walking, don’t forget to hydrate – luckily, Edinburgh has completely free water points where you can fill up a water bottle! Scottish people are very proud of our fantastic drinking water, so this is a great initiative.

Visit a free museum

While attractions like Edinburgh Castle are bank-breaking prices, there are plenty of free museums dotted all over Edinburgh which is always a great thing to do on a budget.

The best museum to visit is the National Museum Of Scotland. You could easily spend a full day in here – or more! – with displays of animals, textiles, scientific discoveries, and plenty of Scottish history. Highlights for me include Dolly the sheep, the Lewis chessmen, and all the interactive stuff in the science section.

If you don’t have much time, the smaller Museum Of Edinburgh is worth a look in, and if you want some nostalgia with a side of horror (between the room of dolls and the fact they have smartphones on display, I don’t know which is worse!), then the Museum Of Childhood is really good too.

A couple more niche museums worth visiting are the Museum On The Mound, which is all about money, and the Writer’s Museum, which covers legendary Scottish authors like Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott. Again, all free!

Related: What To Do In Edinburgh On A Rainy Day

Visit a graveyard

If you’re morbid like me, you might enjoy a visit to a graveyard. In a city as historic as Edinburgh, they are fascinating as well as peaceful. The best one to visit is Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, where you can pay tribute to Greyfriars Bobby, the faithful dog who visited his owner’s grave for several years and became the stuff of legends.

There are also lots of references to Harry Potter characters, as JK Rowling used to frequent the kirkyard while she was writing the books. The most famous of these is Thomas Riddell – even with the different spelling, this unassuming man’s grave attracts lots of visitors. You can also find Moodie (a common Scottish surname) and McGonagall.

And if you’re not a Potterhead, there are plenty of actual historic characters and stories throughout the graveyard.

Relax in Princes Street Gardens

One of my favourite things to do on a sunny day in Edinburgh (they do happen!) is sit in Princes Street Gardens underneath the castle.

Edinburgh is actually one of the greenest cities in the UK, so there are plenty of parks to explore. The two gardens along Princes Street are split by the Mound, but the smaller one stretching between there and Scott Monument is also a lovely place to relax.

Another great park is the Meadows, beyond the Old Town. This is my favourite place to check out the cherry blossoms in April, and it’s always popular with students and dog walkers.

Take a free walking tour

There are absolutely loads of walking tours you can take in Edinburgh.

From general tours of the Old Town to spooky ghost tours and other themed tours (Harry Potter, obviously), a walking tour can be a really budget-friendly way of getting your bearings while also learning a lot from an enthusiastic guide.

It’s one of my favourite things to do in new cities, because you do discover a lot of things you might not find on your own, especially the context behind what you’re looking at.

Do note that while many of the walking tours are “free”, you should tip what you think the tour is worth at the end.

Visit a market

I love visiting markets in cities, as you often find local crafters or homebakes. It’s also a great place to find a cheap lunch.

My absolute favourite market is Stockbridge which is on Sundays. They also hold a similar one in Leith and Grassmarket on Saturdays.

It’s also worth popping in to Tron Kirk on the Royal Mile as it’s now host to several crafters and designers, and it’s a fantastic place to pick up a unique souvenir that isn’t just the typical tourist tat you find in all the souvenir shops (and my God, there’s a lot of them). Even if you’re local, it’s a great way to support indie businesses and find some lovely gifts.

Find a viewpoint

Amongst Edinburgh’s parks, there are plenty of fantastic viewpoints.

One of the most iconic in the city is viewing the sunset from Calton Hill, which is just a short walk from Princes Street and not too much of a climb if your legs are weary from walking all day.

I also adore the Vennel, one of the best vantage points for Edinburgh Castle.

And if you want a view with minimal effort, the rooftop terrace in the National Museum Of Scotland is well worth going up to!

Climb Arthur’s Seat

If you want a bit more of a walk, Arthur’s Seat has probably the best views in Edinburgh.

This hike normally takes 30-45 minutes to reach the top, and it is a proper hike which I think a lot of people underestimate. If you’re a hiker, you’ll find it easy, but it’s something to bear in mind because it seems to take a few people by surprise!

The views at the top, however, are definitely worth the effort. There’s virtually a 360 degree view of Edinburgh, so if you’ve got good weather, you’ll be able to see the castle, the bridges over to Fife, and all the way along the East Lothian coast to the pointy hill of North Berwick Law.

It’s not often you can hike up a volcano in a city centre!

Find views of the castle

As above, the Vennel is one of my favourite places to view Edinburgh Castle.

But what if you don’t want to climb a load of stairs or a hill? (To be honest, there’s not much avoiding that in Edinburgh! Though for the Vennel, you could walk around to the top and descend the steps instead – you get the above view before you even get to the steps.)

Well there are plenty from ground level too. Speaking of the Vennel, the bottom of the steps is also a fantastic view, at the end of Grassmarket. It’s even better enjoyed with an ice cream from Mary’s Milk Bar.

One of the best views is from Princes Street Gardens, in front of the iconic green Ross Fountain.

Princes Street in general is a great place to view the castle. Several spots along the top of the gardens give a perfect view, sometimes with a statue to fill the foreground, or sometimes framed beautifully by trees. One spot I found recently was at the entrance to the gardens by the Mound, where the floral clock is, as you can get layers of colour in the foreground with the castle behind.

Check out an art gallery

Edinburgh has a selection of fantastic art galleries, from internationally famous artworks hidden in plain sight right off the main street, to an impressive portrait gallery housed in an incredibly beautiful building, and smaller galleries exhibiting local artists.

My top picks are the National Galleries of Scotland, the National Portrait Gallery, and the City Art Centre.

The best thing is they’re all completely free to visit!

Take a trip on the tram to Leith

We lived in Leith for a couple of years, and I’ve been visiting friends there since before we even moved to Edinburgh. It’s undoubtedly my favourite area of Edinburgh if you want to get out of the city centre.

There’s nothing better than sitting along the Shore on a sunny day with a drink and some fish & chips from Pierino’s, or indulging in some delicious tray bakes from Mimi’s Bakehouse. I have tons of recommendations for Leith in my full guide.

If you visit on a Saturday, there’s a market going on which is similar to the one in Stockbridge (although Stockbridge still wins it for me).

Go to the beach

You might be surprised that there are beaches in Edinburgh, but it’s right on the coast! There are two fantastic beaches which I’ll mention here.

First up is Portobello, a lovely stretch of beach with a typical seaside promenade. Naturally it gets busy on a sunny day, but it’s a great area to visit any time (unless it’s really throwing it down…). There are some fantastic cafés along the seafront as well as up on the main street.

Secondly, I have to mention Cramond. If you time it right with the tide, you can walk out to Cramond Island and explore the wartime battery remains. This is probably one of my favourite free things to do in Edinburgh!

Find a cheap lunch

Food has shot up in the UK in the past year or two, but it’s still possible to find some budget lunches, which I highly recommend:

• Oink. This is my number one choice for lunch in Edinburgh, unless you’re vegetarian of course. This is year-round hog roast, and you can choose your size, your topping (stuffing or haggis), your sauce (I always go for apple!) and you can even get crackling on top. All for between £5-10!
  
• Bonnie & Wild. A food court in the St James Quarter shopping centre. This gets busy – for good reason! There are so many fantastic vendors here, and what I love about it (and all of these types of places) is that you can grab something from one place, something else from another, etc. If you’re in a group, you don’t need to argue over where to go. Everyone can just get their own thing.
  
• ESF – Edinburgh Street Food is another food court with lots of local places. This feels a lot more casual and “student”-y than Bonnie & Wild in my opinion. We love both, though!

Find a cheap dinner

The two street food establishments above are also great for dinner, but I do have a few casual restaurant recommendations too.

• Wings – a nerdy place serving up nothing but chicken wings. The only thing to choose is the sauce…
  
• Taco Libre – an excellent homely Mexican joint tucked away in the corner at the end of Princes Street. There’s now a larger one on Rose Street too which is great.
  
• Bucks Bar – an American-style bar serving lots of chicken. Absolutely massive portion sizes on the chicken burgers. You don’t even need sides. Even better, they serve loads of drinks for just £3. £3!!!! It’s so unheard of these days that I had to do a double take.

For other casual places to eat, some of our favourites are Bread Meats Bread (burgers), Pizza Pilgrims, and for a quick takeaway option, my go-to is Frites – Belgian fries with a twist!

We have taken friends to all of the above, and they are always a hit.

Stay in hostels

I’ve always said, if you’ve never stayed in a hostel before, Edinburgh is a great place to start. Possibly the UK’s most backpacker-friendly city, the hostels are worlds apart from some of the horrors traditionally found in the UK, and more like its European counterparts.

Scotland in general is great for hostelling, although you might find some of them more rustic and aimed towards outdoorsy pursuits.

Edinburgh has a great mix of laid-back backpacker hostels, trendy hip hostels, and out-and-out party hostels. I’ve stayed in all 3 types here over the years, and my favourite is probably High Street Hostel which is nice and laid back. Castle Rock Hostel also looks great.

With accommodation going through the roof (pun intended – it’s the reason Edinburgh has been named the most expensive European city to visit), it’s a good time to go for a more budget-friendly option.

Overall, I find Edinburgh to be a fantastic city for those on a budget, despite the spiralling costs if you do want to spend money.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how you can see the best of the city without breaking the bank – because I do think it’s still possible to see a lot of it on a budget!

Do you have any tips for visiting Edinburgh on a budget?

Read more posts on Edinburgh here:
⭐ My Highlights Of Edinburgh
⭐ Edinburgh’s 10 Best Walks & Where To Find Them
⭐ A Local’s Guide To Leith, Edinburgh’s Coolest Neighbourhood
⭐ What To Do In Edinburgh On A Rainy Day
⭐ How To Spend The Perfect Sunday In Edinburgh

P.S. you might have noticed a slight change on the website! I’ve moved hosts which has been an absolute rigmarole (hence zero posts in September…) and I’ve had to change the theme. Please let me know if you spot any issues!