Flights to Edinburgh

What's on in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest festival of its kind in the world. Each year, it attracts thousands of comedians, actors, magicians, musicians, artists and street performers. Held in August at the end of high season, you should book your flights and accommodation as soon as possible if you’d like to attend.

Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) runs in tandem with Edinburgh Fringe Festival, meaning you can experience two amazing festivals at once if you book your airfare to Edinburgh for August travel. EIF celebrates the best in opera, music, theatre and dance across six concert halls and venues across the city.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival is an incredible event to attend - and a great reason for music-lovers to book flights to Edinburgh. It sees more than 170 performances from jazz musicians that come from all around the world. The event usually takes place for three days in July and is considered one of the best jazz festivals in Europe.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Edinburgh is the first UNESCO City of Literature, so it's only fitting that Edinburgh has a book festival. Each year, the event is held for a week in August and hosts more than 700 events. For bibliophiles interested in flights to Edinburgh, attending the festival is a great way to discover emerging authors or watch panel discussions by Nobel Prize winners.

What are the best places to stay in Edinburgh?

Leith

Leith is a neighbourhood that will appeal to those travellers wanting to stay in a food-centric area while away on flights to Edinburgh. There are restaurants offering dozens of international cuisine, and the area as a whole has some of the best food in the city. There's also a Saturday market, with stalls promising the kinds of trinkets that make perfect souvenirs, plus a wide range of food for you to graze on while you shop. Leith is located a far distance away from Edinburgh Airport (EDI), and a taxi ride here takes about 30 minutes or about an hour on public transport.

Stockbridge

Stockbridge is one of the more trendy parts of Edinburgh. It's close to the city centre and only a 25-minute taxi ride away from Edinburgh Airport (EDI). The neighbourhood is close to the Waters of Leith, as well as a myriad of shops selling everything from artisan coffee, cheese and local beer.

Old Town

Calling all ghost hunters! Once you've bought your airfare to Edinburgh, start searching for the spookiest hotels in Old Town. It's considered one of the most haunted parts of the city and is the best place to carry out some paranormal research. If you're not catching flights to Edinburgh for the ghosts, Old Town has plenty of other things to offer too - the Royal Mile, free museums and beautiful architecture to see.

City Centre

The centre of the city is one of the best places for tourists to stay, especially if it’s their first time visiting Scotland with flights to Edinburgh. The area is within walking distance of some of the city's most popular attractions, such as Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh Castle and the Edinburgh Dungeons. Once your flights to Edinburgh arrive, the quickest way to get here from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is with a 23-minute taxi ride or you can save money and take a 39-minute tram ride.

What are the best things to do in Edinburgh?

Ross Fountain

Ross Fountain is located inside the beautiful Princes Street Gardens. It also has a picturesque view of Edinburgh Castle in the background. If your return flights to Edinburgh are booked around spring or summer, you can often find blossoming flowers here as well.

Royal Botanic Gardens

As one of the top botanical gardens in the world, The Royal Botanic Garden is well worth the 7 EUR ($11.21 AUD) entry fee. You can spend almost half a day wandering around the 10 zones, past almost 8,000 plants in the various glasshouses. With most of the gardens undercover, it's the perfect activity if your tickets to Edinburgh have you in the city on a dreary or rainy day.

Victoria Street

The legend is that Victoria Street was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter universe. Locals have embraced the rumour, and visitors can now find several Harry Potter-themed shops here, as well as restaurants and cafes. If you're a Harry Potter mega-fan booking flights to Edinburgh, it's a must-visit spot!

Arthur's Seat

Don’t forget to pack your best pair of walking shoes before departing on flights to Edinburgh if you’re planning on tackling the route up to the summit of Arthur’s Set. This is the highest point in the city, at 251 metres above sea level. Bring along your camera to capture the sweeping panorama this spot offers of Edinburgh. Plus, you can also visit the nearby Palace of Holyroodhouse.

When is The Best Time to Visit Edinburgh?

The best time to visit Edinburgh is during its summer months. From June to August, the weather heats up, and the city comes to life as the locals prepare for its many festivals. If you're planning a trip during this period, it's a good idea to book your flights and accommodation well in advance to lock in lower prices before they skyrocket.

If you can handle the cold, make your way to Edinburgh between November and March. The winter months are quiet, and you'll have better luck finding deals on hotels and airfare.

April to May and September to October are the city's two shoulder seasons. The temperatures are mild, and crowds at the Edinburgh's top attractions are bearable. Just make sure you pack a few warm layers as temperatures are known to drop below 10°C especially in the autumn months.

Airports in Edinburg

Edinburgh Airport

Located 12 km from the city centre, Edinburgh Airport is the busiest airport in the country. It serves over 300 flights a day and has routes to destinations in South America, North America and Europe.

Getting To and From Edinburgh Airport

Take the Airlink bus service. It operates 24-hours a day and is the perfect choice for travellers arriving in Edinburgh on a red-eye flight. The buses leave the airport every 10 minutes and take 30 minutes to reach the city.

Hop on board the tram. The service runs every 10 minutes between 06:18 a.m. and 22:48 p.m. every day. Tickets cost EUR 5 per person and the total journey time is 30 minutes.

If you don't want to use public transport, you can grab a taxi into town. Pre-book your trip online or go to the taxi rank once you arrive to arrange your ride.