My first time visiting Europe was an amazing trip spending time exploring both Edinburgh and London. Admittedly I was more excited to visit London and was overlooking Edinburgh…man was I foolish. Below I’ll cover my experience visiting the beautiful cities of Edinburgh and London.

Arriving in Edinburgh

We flew from JFK airport in New York to Edinburgh airport (EDI), our flight was about 6 hours, we went in October and to no surprise it was cloudy and rainy with rolling fog when we landed but I could easily identify how beautiful this country is despite the unwelcoming weather.

From the airport we took an Uber to our hotel to unload our stuff and then hit the streets of Edinburgh.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile stretches through the center of Edinburgh’s Old Town and connects the iconic Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. We walked this mile (it’s technically a little longer than a mile) and it’s filled with shops, restaurants and historical landmarks. We popped into one of the casual restaurants and ate the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.

Just casually strolling the Royal Mile and checking out all the little shops along the way is an exhilarating way to soak in the culture.

Visit Edinburgh Castle

This ancient castle used to be home to Scottish monarchs and sits atop Castle Rock and overlooks the city. We bought our tickets online here in advance and just wandered around the castle soaking up the history and taking in the views of Edinburgh.

Explore Calton Hill

Calton Hill is in central Edinburgh and home to some iconic Scottish landmarks including the National Monument of Scotland. Visiting is free and requires no permit, tickets or anything like that, I highly recommend visiting early in the morning to catch the sunrise or go in the evening to watch the sunset like we did. Either way you won’t be disappointed, from the top of the hill you have spectacular views of the city.

Hike Arthur’s Seat

In my opinion this is a must for anyone visiting Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat is in Holyrood Park at the end of the Royal Mile and the hill is actually an extinct volcano adding to the sense of adventure! Now this hike is on the more difficult/strenuous side so might be challenging for beginners but trust me the grind is worth it, I think this hike offers the best view of the city!

Edinburgh Ghost Tour

If you’re a thrill seeker and don’t get scared easily then I recommend booking a ghost tour to explore Edinburgh’s underground vaults. These vaults are centuries old, going back to the 1700’s. These vaults have a dark and eerie past, they once were home to squatters, criminals and were used to store cadavers. These vaults were essentially slum houses where robbery, murder and gambling took place, there has been reports of paranormal activity like children laughing, hearing footsteps and voices.

While I didn’t experience anything supernatural, there was definitely a creepy vibe, just knowing the history of this place is enough to make you feel uneasy! Being in a group relieved the tension, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of going alone.

If you’re into the spooky stuff then book a tour here!

Edinburgh to London (King’s Cross Train)

After an amazing start to our trip I was genuinely upset that our time in Edinburgh was coming to an end. The day we departed I was already plotting a return trip to visit The Scottish Highlands. Despite the feeling of sadness when leaving Edinburgh, I was also excited for the next part of our journey, visiting London!

From Edinburgh we took the London Northeast Railway (LNER) to London which was a 4 hour train ride. If you are visiting Edinburgh I highly recommend taking the train to London, it was awesome to sit back and relax while gazing out at the small towns and countryside.

After our 4ish hour train ride into King’s Crossing station we took The Tube to our hotel in Kensington where we settled in and got ready to do all the basic American tourist things.

Visit Tower Bridge

One of the most iconic landmarks in London, the Tower Bridge was completed in 1894 and stands 200 feet above the Thames River and stretches 800 feet across. The draw bridge is raised roughly 900 times a year to allow ships to pass through. You can book a tour here but we just gazed in awe from a distance.

Book a Ticket to Sky Garden

Enjoy sweeping views of London from the “Walkie Talkie” building and wander around the indoor gardens and even grab a drink or some food from one of the several bars and restaurants, the best part is that entry is free! You can book you’re free ticket to the Sky Garden here. We went in the late afternoon and stayed to watch the sunset.

Visit the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is worth visiting without a doubt, maybe I’m bias because I find history fascinating but even if it wasn’t your best subject in school, I still think it’s worth a visit. In the museum you’ll find 80 million objects spanning billions of years with some notable things to see including the skeleton of a Blue Whale, a collection of dinosaur skeletons, pieces of moon rock, precious gems from around the world and so much more and on top of that, general admission is free! You can book a ticket for your admission here, but be mindful that some exhibitions due charge a fee.

Turn Up at the Tower of London

One of the most popular tourist attractions, the Tower of London has such a wild past, a fortress, palace and prison all in one, now that’s versatility. The Tower oozes with history, from being protector of the Crown Jewels, the site of the Ceremony of the Keys and home to the famous ravens, there’s so much to see so I highly encourage you to buy tickets and check it out!

Get Tickets to a Premier League Match

Now truthfully, this was the only reason I wanted to go on this trip in the first place. I love the Premier League (England’s professional soccer league), I support Tottenham Hotspur and wanted to see them play in their new home stadium. Even if you aren’t a fan of the sport and don’t know much about it, I highly recommend going to a game, the atmosphere in the stadium alone will make for a memorable experience.

So as you see, there is so much to do when visiting Edinburgh and London and what I saw was just scratching the surface. Immediately after boarding the plane I was thinking of the next time I would visit these countries because there is so much more to see in both Scotland and England. So if you’re trying to decide if you should visit Edinburgh and/or London and if the trip is worth it, the answer to both questions is YES!

Now one question you are probably asking “is one week enough time to visit both Edinburgh and London?” personally, I think so, will you see everything each city has to offer? No. Will you see enough to make the trip feel worth it? Yes. Remember you can always visit another time if there is anything you feel you missed out on!