Two Days in Edinburgh: Castles, Colorful Streets & a Little Scottish Chaos

Day One: Castles, Colorful Streets & Old Town Edinburgh

Start With Edinburgh Castle

If it's your first time in Edinburgh, I can't imagine starting anywhere other than Edinburgh Castle.

Sitting high above the city, the castle is one of those landmarks that seems to follow you around Edinburgh — but actually getting inside and exploring it was one of the highlights of our visit.

We bought tickets and spent our time walking through the different areas of the castle, learned some of its history and, maybe most importantly, stopping constantly to take in the views. From this high above Edinburgh, you get some truly incredible perspectives over the rooftops and surrounding city.

I wouldn't rush this stop. There is quite a bit to walk through, and part of what I loved was simply having time to explore rather than treating it as somewhere to quickly photograph and leave.

Wanderland Tip: Buy your tickets ahead of time online. Edinburgh Castle says tickets can sell out well in advance, particularly during the summer, and advance online tickets guarantee entry.

Wander Down Victoria Street

From the castle, make your way toward one of Edinburgh's most recognizable streets: Victoria Street.

This was exactly the kind of Edinburgh I had pictured before our trip — curved cobblestone streets, colorful storefronts and little shops tucked into historic buildings. We didn't have a huge agenda here. We wandered, went into all the little shops, took photos and just enjoyed the area.

And honestly? Build time into your Edinburgh itinerary for exactly that.

You don't need every hour accounted for. Some of my favorite parts of Edinburgh were the moments when we weren't necessarily doing anything other than seeing what was around the next corner.

Say Hi to Greyfriars Bobby

While you're exploring this part of Old Town, make a quick stop to see Greyfriars Bobby.

The little dog statue is one of those slightly random Edinburgh landmarks that takes approximately five minutes to visit but is too cute to skip. It's also conveniently close to our next stop — which ended up being one of my FAVORITE experiences of the entire trip.

Make Your Own Scottish Bag at Islander

If you only take one slightly unconventional recommendation from this itinerary, make it this one.

My mom, sister and I booked the handbag-making experience at Islander on Candlemaker Row, where you get to create your own Scottish bag to bring home.

There are different bag shapes and sizes to choose from — we ended up making two bags and a backpack between the three of us, and I chose an adorable circular bag.

What I loved about this experience was that it gave us something interactive to do in the middle of all the sightseeing. Instead of buying another souvenir, we actually got to sit down together and make something that would remind us of Scotland long after the trip was over.

And we LOVED it.

The Candlemaker Row workshop is also really convenient for this itinerary: Islander describes it as being just a short walk from both the Royal Mile and Greyfriars Kirk, and this location was their original workshop.

Dinner at The Doric

After a full day of exploring, we had dinner at The Doric, and this ended up being one of my favorite meals in Edinburgh. The restaurant calls itself Edinburgh's oldest gastropub, with the building dating back to the 17th century. Downstairs you'll find the traditional pub, while the bistro is upstairs.

And the food was amazing.

Seriously, my salmon was amazing. If you're looking for somewhere that feels appropriately Scottish and cozy after a day exploring Old Town, I loved having The Doric as part of our trip.

Day Two: A Quieter Edinburgh, Handmade Souvenirs & a Night Out

Take a Morning Walk Through Dean Village

For a completely different side of Edinburgh, spend part of your second day wandering through Dean Village.

One of the prettiest places we visited in Edinburgh, Dean Village sits along the Water of Leith and feels surprisingly peaceful considering how close you still are to the center of the city. We specifically came here to walk around and take photos, and we probably spent about 30 minutes exploring. There isn't necessarily a massive checklist of attractions to work through here — and that's exactly why I liked it.

Walk along the water. Look at the old stone buildings. Cross the bridges. Take entirely too many photos.

You don't need hours here, which also makes Dean Village really easy to fit into a two-day Edinburgh itinerary.

Find Paddington Bear in St Andrew Square

This stop was mostly thanks to my mom. She was on a mission to find Paddington. And yes, Edinburgh has its own Paddington Bear statue, sitting on a bench in St Andrew Square Garden with his marmalade sandwich.

Naturally, we had to find him.

It's not something I'd rearrange an entire Edinburgh itinerary around, but if you're already nearby — especially if you love Paddington or you're traveling with someone who does — it's such a cute little stop.

And my mom was VERY pleased that the Paddington mission was successful.

Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen

For another dinner option, we went to Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen & Bar. I had the vegetarian curry, which was really yummy, and everyone in my family loved their meals.

This is obviously a very different experience from somewhere like The Doric. If I were choosing between them purely for traditional Edinburgh atmosphere, I'd pick The Doric. But Bread Street Kitchen was a great family dinner, particularly before what became a significantly less sophisticated portion of our evening.

Have a Proper Edinburgh Night Out

This was technically a birthday celebration for my boyfriend.

It somehow became a night out for my entire family.

And it was fantastic.

Start With Live Music at Stramash

If you want live music in Edinburgh without ending your night after dinner, head into Old Town to Stramash. It's a huge live-music venue on Cowgate with bands playing every day of the week, often continuing until 3 a.m.

It was exactly the kind of lively atmosphere we wanted for a birthday night out — and apparently my parents did too, because they stayed out much later than anticipated.

End the Night With Karaoke at Frankenstein

And then things got chaotic.

We ended up at Frankenstein, the gothic Frankenstein-themed bar in Edinburgh, for karaoke.

My boyfriend sang. My whole family was there. My parents were having the time of their lives.

It was one of those completely unserious travel memories that somehow becomes one of the things everyone talks about afterward.

And this wasn't just us getting unusually lucky — Frankenstein currently runs karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday evenings, so if your Edinburgh trip falls over a weekend, check their schedule.

If you're visiting Edinburgh for a birthday, girls' trip, family trip or just want one night that isn't castles and historical tours, I highly recommend embracing the chaos.

Is Two Days in Edinburgh Enough?

Yes — but you'll probably leave wanting more.

Two days gave us enough time to experience the Edinburgh I had been hoping for: the castle, Old Town, colorful streets, cozy meals and some of the city's prettier, quieter corners.

What made the trip especially memorable, though, was mixing those iconic Edinburgh experiences with things that felt a little more personal — making our own bags with my mom and sister, hunting down Paddington because my mom was determined to find him, and staying out far too late celebrating my boyfriend's birthday.

If you only have two days, don't try to see everything.

Choose the places you're genuinely excited about, leave yourself time to wander and add at least one experience that you'll actually remember once all the castles and cobblestone streets start blending together.

Two Days in Edinburgh: Final Thoughts

Edinburgh gave me exactly what I wanted from the beginning of our Scotland trip: castles, winding streets, beautiful architecture, great food and plenty of places that felt like they belonged in a storybook.

But some of my favorite memories weren't necessarily the famous ones.

They were sitting with my mom and sister making Scottish bags. Watching my mom finally find Paddington and his marmalade sandwich. Eating one of the best pieces of salmon I've had at The Doric. And watching my boyfriend sing karaoke while my parents unexpectedly committed themselves to a proper Edinburgh night out.

That's the Edinburgh I'd go back for.

And if you only have two days?

See the castle. Wander Victoria Street. Take the photos in Dean Village.

But leave a little room for the Scottish chaos, too.