Edinburgh is one of the cheapest major cities in Europe to visit if you know where to look. Scotland's national museums and galleries have free general admission, the best viewpoint in the city is a hill you can walk up, and a large share of what makes the place worth seeing is simply the streets.
This guide covers what is genuinely free, and flags the places where "free" comes with an asterisk.
The national museums and galleries
Scotland's national collections operate free general admission. This is the single biggest saving available to you here.
National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is the essential one. It combines Scottish history, world cultures, natural history, science and technology in one enormous building, and you could spend a full day without finishing it. The roof terrace has one of the best free views in the city and a lot of visitors never find it.
Scottish National Gallery on The Mound holds the national collection of fine art, including work by Botticelli, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet and Turner, alongside major Scottish painters.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street is worth going to for the building alone. The Great Hall has a painted frieze of Scottish historical figures that is remarkable in its own right.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, split across Modern One and Modern Two in Belford Road, sits in parkland with a landscaped sculpture garden. The permanent collection is free.
The asterisk: general admission is free at all of these. Major temporary exhibitions usually charge. If you are travelling specifically for a headline show, budget for it.
The best free view in Edinburgh
Arthur's Seat, in Holyrood Park, is an extinct volcano in the middle of the city and the walk to the top is free.
It takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour up, depending on route and fitness, and the reward is a 360-degree view over Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and out to Fife. Wear proper shoes. It is a hill, not a staircase, and the ground gets slippery.
Calton Hill is the easier alternative, about ten minutes up from the east end of Princes Street, and gives you the classic postcard view of the city with the Acropolis-style National Monument at the top. The Nelson Monument on the hill charges for entry; the hill itself does not.
If you have one afternoon and want one view, Calton Hill costs you less effort. If you want the better view, it is Arthur's Seat.
Walking the city
Quite a lot of Edinburgh's appeal is free by definition.
The Royal Mile runs from the castle down to Holyrood, and walking it costs nothing even though almost everything either end of it charges. The closes and wynds running off it are where the interesting parts are.
Dean Village is a former milling community on the Water of Leith, five minutes from Princes Street and looking like it belongs several hundred miles away. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city and completely free.
The Water of Leith Walkway runs roughly 12 miles from Balerno to Leith, passing Dean Village and the Modern Art galleries. Pick any section.
Greyfriars Kirkyard is free, atmospheric, and full of names that will be familiar if you have read Harry Potter. The Kirk itself is generally free to enter.
Victoria Street and the Grassmarket are the curved, colourful streets everyone photographs, and browsing them costs nothing.
Princes Street Gardens sit in the valley beneath the castle and give you the classic view up at it without paying to go in.
Parks and outdoors
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has free entry to the garden itself, 70 acres of it. The Glasshouses charge separately, so this is a partial rather than a full free attraction.
Holyrood Park surrounds Arthur's Seat and includes Salisbury Crags, whose Radical Road path gives a dramatic view back over the city.
Portobello Beach, about 20 minutes from the centre by bus, is a proper sandy beach with a promenade. Free, and a surprise to most visitors.
Blackford Hill and Cramond are the two locals go to when the central spots are busy.
Free galleries beyond the nationals
City Art Centre on Market Street shows the city's own collection with free admission to most exhibitions.
Fruitmarket near Waverley station is a well-regarded contemporary art gallery with free entry.
Talbot Rice Gallery, run by the University of Edinburgh in Old College, is free and shows a serious contemporary programme.
National Library of Scotland runs free public exhibitions on George IV Bridge.
Museum on the Mound, on the Bank of Scotland's Mound headquarters, is a small free museum about money, and considerably more interesting than that sounds.
The Scottish Parliament
Free to enter, and free guided tours run on non-business days. The building itself, by Enric Miralles, is one of the most architecturally significant in modern Britain and divides opinion sharply.
When Parliament is sitting you can watch debates from the public gallery, also free, though you should book ahead.
What is not free, despite what you might assume
Being clear about this saves disappointment.
- Edinburgh Castle charges, and it is one of the more expensive attractions in Scotland
- Palace of Holyroodhouse charges
- Camera Obscura charges
- Real Mary King's Close charges
- Surgeons' Hall Museums charge
- The Scotch Whisky Experience charges
- Nelson Monument on Calton Hill charges, though the hill does not
- Royal Botanic Garden Glasshouses charge, though the garden does not
- St Giles' Cathedral is free to enter but asks a donation and charges a photography permit
Doing Edinburgh free for a day
A workable route, all on foot:
- Start at Calton Hill for the view
- Walk down and along to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
- Cross to Princes Street Gardens and up to the Royal Mile
- Greyfriars Kirkyard, then Victoria Street and the Grassmarket
- National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street for the afternoon and the roof terrace
- Finish with Arthur's Seat for sunset if you have the legs
That is a full day, several world-class collections, the best views in the city, and it costs you food and nothing else.
FAQs
Q: Are museums free in Edinburgh?
A: Scotland's national museums and galleries have free general admission, including the National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Modern Art galleries. Major temporary exhibitions usually charge.
Q: Is Edinburgh Castle free?
A: No. Edinburgh Castle charges for entry. You can get excellent free views of it from Princes Street Gardens, Grassmarket and Calton Hill.
Q: Is Arthur's Seat free to climb?
A: Yes. Arthur's Seat sits in Holyrood Park and is free to walk up. Allow 45 minutes to an hour and wear proper footwear.
Q: What is the best free view in Edinburgh?
A: Arthur's Seat for the best overall view, Calton Hill for the classic postcard view with much less effort, and the National Museum of Scotland roof terrace for a free central viewpoint most visitors miss.
Q: Is the Royal Botanic Garden free in Edinburgh?
A: The garden itself is free. The Glasshouses charge separately.
Q: Can you visit the Scottish Parliament for free?
A: Yes. Entry is free, guided tours run free on non-business days, and you can watch debates from the public gallery when Parliament is sitting, though booking ahead is advisable.
Q: What can you do in Edinburgh with no money?
A: Walk the Royal Mile, climb Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill, visit the free national museums and galleries, explore Dean Village and the Water of Leith, and wander Greyfriars Kirkyard, Victoria Street and the Grassmarket.
