Home > London > Daytrips - General > Edinburgh Rail Day Trip from London including Edinburgh Castle Entry and Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
USD $230.00
Edinburgh Rail Day Trip from London including Edinburgh Castle Entry and Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
London, United Kingdom
See the best of the Scottish capital on this independent day trip from London to Edinburgh. Travel by train through England’s countryside and jump aboard your hop-on hop-off city tour in Edinburgh. Wander along the Royal Mile — a UNESCO World Heritage site — and marvel at the Scottish Crown Jewels inside Edinburgh Castle. Gaze up at the Scott Monument and visit the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center. With your rail travel, hop-on hop-off bus tour and entry to Edinburgh Castle all included, you’re free to explore Edinburgh at your leisure.
Depart central London in the early morning and head north by train on your 4.5-hour journey to Edinburgh. Travel through England’s open countryside, skirt the canals and waterways of the Midlands and pass old mill towns built during the Industrial Revolution. Upgrade to first class train tickets if you wish, for wider seats, complimentary snacks, free Wi-Fi and quieter coaches.
On arrival in Edinburgh, head to the bus stop for the city’s open-top sightseeing service — it’s located right by the station and is easy to spot! Jump aboard for a bird's-eye view of Scotland’s majestic capital and enjoy the freedom to hop on and off as you please. Frequent departures throughout the day mean you have total flexibility to plan your day.
Perhaps alight at Edinburgh’s historic Old Town and stroll along the city’s famous Royal Mile, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The charming Royal Mile runs right through the Old Town, with cobbled alleyways leading down the hillside to the city center. St Giles’ Cathedral and the National Museum of Scotland are close by.
Cross the courtyard at the top of the Royal Mile and head through the grand entrance of Edinburgh Castle. There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century, and over the years it has been used as royal residence, prison and army garrison. Gaze out over the city from your vantage point on the castle ramparts, before heading inside to discover the dazzling Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. Wander through the Royal apartments where Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to the boy who was to become King of Scotland.
You might decide to visit the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center to learn about the nation’s favourite tipple, or head down the hill to gaze up at the famous Scott Monument, decorated with 64 characters from Walter Scott's novels.
Jump back aboard the hop-on hop-off bus service to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where state ceremonies and official entertaining take place when the Queen is in Scotland, or stroll along Princes Street checking out the tartan, whisky and shortbread that have made Scotland famous.
Enjoy complete freedom to explore Edinburgh at your own pace, then travel back to London by train where your tour will come to an end.
Great experience - Evan Evans rep was at King's Cross as directed, was very clear with our instructions, and had all materials ready. We did first-class, which was fun but probably not necessary for another go-around - standard would have been fine. Once in Edinburgh we went to the castle first. We ate lunch in the castle tea room and then explored that area of town - lots of fun shops. The hop on/hop off bus was reliable and quick, and the audio commentary was very good. We unfortunately didn't have much time to explore much else of the city given how cold it was and my parents are a bit slow-moving, but this trip was enough to give me a taste of Scotland, and I definitely will go back - this time on my own, knowing how easy it is to travel there from London.
Review by: grunt3381, January 2018
We met the representative at the coach station after given the package and after that in our own, we had a great time and will recommend it ...it was a taste and wanted more! just an amazing place...if you can advise priority seating. Enjoy and have a poncho handy.
Review by: Patrick R, December 2017
It’s a long train ride, but if you’re short on time and can’t dedicate anything more than a day to Edinburgh, it’s worth it. It’s a beautiful city. This is an independent trip. A guide gets you on the train and then you’re on your own. You will only have about five and a half hours max in Edinburgh.
Review by: Susan B, October 2017
This was a great trip - from getting on the train, to arriving in Edinburgh and back again. Train trip was long each time - just over 4 1/2 hours each way, but Edinburgh is beautiful. Castle was fantastic - plenty of time to see and then the Hop on Hop off bus, was really easy to catch and get on and off as well as walking the royal mile. Would recommend to anyone.
Review by: Elizabeth M N, October 2017
I loved this tour. I had not been to Scotland before so this was a nice introduction. I loved the history this city holds which can be seen in the architecture, the statues, the castle and monuments. My plan is to go back and see more of this beautiful country. My only complaint is that my time there was too short.
Review by: Amanda, October 2017
This was a great way to get a taste of Edinburgh
Review by: Dan P, October 2017
Great tour, Highly recommended.
Review by: jba3220, September 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: David T, September 2017
Long train ride, so I definitely recommend opting for the First Class ticket. Well worth the extra money. Also, through no fault of Viator, my wife and I selected the wrong days to go. There was an Arts Festival the Fringe in Edinburgh and two cruise ships in port, so the city was mobbed with people. We finally made it to Edinburgh Castle and enjoyed our time there. As I said, visit would have been much more enjoyable without all of the crowds literally had trouble walking down the street and once you were finally able to get seats on a tour bus, it took much longer to get from point to point consequently, cut down on the hop on hop off options.
Review by: S S M, August 2017
Basically you buy train tickets, and then once in Edinburgh, you have 4 hours on your own. if there was anyone in Edinburgh to facilitate this, we didn't see them. In London we were given an envelope with hop-on, hop-off bus tickets and train tickets and off we went. The bus tickets are useless. The bus allows people to buy tickets at each stop, and so it takes forever for the bus to get anywhere. We waited for 4 stops, saw people buy tickets from the bus driver at 3 of them, and jumped off because we could walk faster than the bus went. It's cheaper and easier to buy your own train tickets and leave later or the next day.
Review by: mary.youtsey, August 2017
Nice trip. Need more than 1 day though. Long train ride
Review by: Cyndi J, July 2017
It and #39;s a little bit short timewise, but definitely a trip to take and worthwhile. we had so much fun in Edinburgh!!
Review by: Mary D, June 2017
Not worth it ... too much time on train and.... no tour guide!!!
Review by: SHAUNDA C, June 2017
Lovely views from train!!!!
Review by: gregorylbooker, June 2017
Honestly, we spent more time on the train nearly five hours each way than we did in Edinburgh. The countryside views were a bonus and the Castle of course was great. But there just is not enough time to really explore the city.
Review by: Lisa L, June 2017
The train ride is long and relaxing. We chose to travel first class, and I'm really glad we did. Edinburgh Castle is beautiful and fascinating, offering many photo opportunities. The first Hop-On Hop-Off bus location from the train station could have been explained better, or a map provided, as we spend more time than we should have looking for it. I would have liked to have more time in Edinburgh, but it was a great trip nonetheless.
Review by: greenmarie60, May 2017
LOVED this trip! Only thing I would do differently is spend a night in Edinburgh. This is not offered through this travel program, however, so would possibly just book the train trip first class myself each way, book a night there, and book the hop on and off bus. Really isnt that big of a place, so wouldn't need the hop on and off bus at all.
Review by: Renee C, May 2017
Edinburgh was a beautiful town but dress for at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the actual temperature is. The castle area is very windy and cold.
Review by: ngcnvn, April 2017
You booked my return train seat from Edinburgh back to London on the wrong date. I had to stand on the train until a seat was available. The same thing happened to two other people that I know of in the group I was traveling with.
Review by: Preea, April 2017
it was great but I wish it was an overnight stay ..too short for such a wonderful place.
Review by: Raghuram, April 2017
Edinburgh is a fantastic place to visit and experience the scottish culture and way of life. The Castle is a beautiful place ,do not miss a Hot Coffee on a good breezy and balmy morning .....
Review by: Darshanand R, April 2017
Very good trip. Enjoyed the first class cabin views. Highly recommend it.
Review by: Daniel H, March 2017
Edinburgh is an excellent city. I'm not sure the one day tour is the best way to see the city, as you'll spend over 9 hrs, between the train rides, with the majority of the train ride returning home, too dark to see much. In return, you get roughly 6 hrs in Edinburgh. The city is well worth seeing, but is best seen over the course of 2 days, if you can work it into your travel plans.
Review by: ochaps, March 2017
Was a bit rushed once in Edinburgh, but that is just a fact of the distance traveled from London. Train was great, hop-on hop-off was fine. Would have liked more time- guess I'll have to go back! _br/_ I have never had a bad excursion with Viator.
Review by: Patti W, March 2017
Most amazing day in Edinburgh...We actually saw the Queen at the castle.
Review by: Touch, March 2017
Nice Trip. Worth value.
Review by: amanda m, March 2017
i would defiantly recommend upgrading to first class ticket it was well worth the money for the added comfort and service on the long train trip. the only thing i didn't like about this trip is that its unguided.
Review by: Jessica W, February 2017
Exactly what is promised, no more, no less. We had plenty of time to explore the city after the hop-on hop-off bus tour we took and time to see the amazing castle! It was also early enough in the morning that we had the harry potter platform 9 3/4 picture spot to ourselves :
Review by: Chloe C, February 2017
I really enjoyed this tour - everything was well organised, the guide we met at the beginning of the day had plenty of information for us and was able to answer all of our questions :_br/_ It is important to remember that you really don't have a lot of time in Edinburgh - we had about 5 hours - but you are still able to achieve a lot during that time as long as you plan it. Edinburgh Castle was fantastic and I was so glad that we had included tickets to see it, I went inside the National Museum of Scotland, saw the outside of Holyroodhouse Palace, the supreme court and took a leisurely stroll down the Royal Mile. On top of that, I tried some delicious haggis and a glass of proper scotch! The hop-on-hop off tour was also fantastic, very informative and well organised.
Review by: Jamie M, January 2017
Excellent rail accomodations snack trolley provided to and from the city! The castle entry was super easy and let us skip the loooooooong line. The castle itself is quite crowded so we hurried a bit more than necessary. From there, it was down the Royal Mile and over to the bus tour - which was very informative and timed well. We took advantage of the listening guide and just enjoyed the drive.
Review by: Flash, December 2016
Love Edinburgh! Great to be able to wander at own speed and return to London when ready rather than being rushed. Poured with rain on the day we went - advice: don't let a little rain spoil your chance to visit any fascinating site. I know some on the tour just turned around and went back to London - I was most disappointed for them -they missed a great city!
Review by: Connie H, December 2016
this has been awhile but it was good going. Hard to fine a seat coming back because of Prince Williams wedding and everyone celebrating. One person had beer spilled on her. Edinburgh castle was interesting. wish had more time. wish the trip was longer then three hours before got back on train.
Review by: Michele S, November 2016
I loved Edinburgh however, I only gave this trip 3 stars because...
Review by: Robin B, November 2016
This was really good but unfortunately there was a 90 minute delay on the line that shortened the time we could spend in Edinburgh.Otherwise it was fantastic! First class trip is well worth the extra cost.
Review by: rhansbarger, October 2016
GUIDE MET US AT THE TRAIN STATION TO GIVE US VOUCHERS. ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS AND WAS PROFESSIONAL. LONG TRAIN RIDE, BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT....AND WE DIDNT MIND... WE SLEPT AS WE WERE STILL JET LAGGING!_br/_ REALLY NEAT CITY. THE CASTLE WAS VERY COOL WITH GREAT LOOKOUTS OVER THE CITY AND THE OLD STREET DOWN FROM THE CASTLE WAS SOMETHING OUT OF A FAIRY TALE. LUNCH AND SHOPPING WAS PRIME AND THE DOUBLE DECKER BUS WAS RELAXING AND A GREAT WAY TO CHECK EVERYTHING OUT.
Review by: Barry R B, October 2016
Good way to see the country from London to Edinburgh. Easy on and off.
Review by: Marva W, September 2016
My only complaint is the return train ride stopping at every station possible along the way making the return trip 5.5 hours. Leaving at 530pm from Edinburgh could have been pushed to 730pm extending more time in Edinburgh which was needed and then probably a shorter trip back due to less trains stops at that time of day. Edinburgh is a beautiful city really requiring more time. The train trip up was fantastic and the English countryside is well worth the view. Beautiful other than the silly long trip back.
Review by: Agatha T, September 2016
This was a great tour mostly because we were left on our own. The tour rep met us at Kings Cross station, explained our tickets, gave us a map and a guide and told us which train to be in for the return trip and off we went. Edinburgh Was easy to navigate and there was plenty to see and do at our own pace. It was the perfect amount of time to spend there. I highly recommend this trip.
Review by: karens, August 2016
Edinburgh is great and well worth the visit, but this tour doesn't do it justice. First of all, it's not a tour per se. All you get is a rail ticket to Edinburgh, a voucher for a hop on, hop off bus, and priority entrance to Edinburg Castle. The Hop on Hop off bus is a complete waste or at least the one we used was as it only stops at select sites and sometimes it is a long like you might as well walk back to town it's so far walk between stops, which are not well marked on the map they give you. Perhaps other companies are better as there are several to choose from. Unfortunately, the guide who gave us our vouchers did not explain that the companies are different or provide any guidance on this point. Also, there is no live guide on the bus, so it's the typical audio recording stuff which is boring for kids and some adults.... Trains run to Edinburgh from Kings Cross fairly regularly throughout the day so in hindsight it makes much more sense to just book one yourself and then buy tickets for the Castle and bus if you choose to use it when you get there--you had to line up to hand in your vouchers anyway, so it wasn't clear that anything was saved by pre-booking here. Also, keep an eye on the calendar as Edinburgh is an entirely different city during the Fringe. Doing this one again I would definitely book a tour that has you staying overnight 1 day to allow more time to experience what is an amazing, ancient city without being exhausted and worrying about getting back on the train to London in time.
Review by: Mahen, August 2016
More info or a guided tour in Edinburgh would have been more enjoyable._br/_ Overall it was a very good tour and experience. The train ride with Virgin was great too.
Review by: Tanya B, July 2016
We met the travel agent exactly on time and where we were told she would be. She was very helpful in telling us how and when to do things to optimize our time in Edinburgh as it was an unguided tour. The trip was awesome! Our family of 6 is Scottish so we thoroughly enjoyed the history of the city. Take a few minutes to go to the Edinburgh museum in the old city, its free and very informative. The inclusion of skip the line tickets was a lifesaver as the weather was very nice and the castle was very busy.
Review by: FLFOWLER, July 2016
I would not recommend this trip to anyone. Almost 5 hours to Scotland and not much to see on the way up or back. Only 4 hours in Edinburgh, we saw the castle. Hop on/off again was useless die to congestion. The trip back was delayed more than a hour due signal problems in London. To us it was a waste of money and time. Better to stay in London and see more there.
Review by: kamaloid, July 2016
The tour was through Evan Evans. The contact person at the train station was very helpful, explaining in detail the itinerary and walking us to the train. Traveled coach with assigned seats so I don and #39;t think traveling first class is necessary. Used Hop on/Hop off to get to Edinburgh Castle.
Review by: Sandra C, June 2016
Really enjoyed this trip. We went first class the the seating was great. The meal at the end of the day left much to be desired.
Review by: Rebecca R, June 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Joel W, May 2016
I picked the first class option for the rail trip and quite enjoyed my ride. The included bus tour in Edinburgh is potentially quite useful if you've never been there or are unsure of what to see. Included entry to Edinburgh Castle is quite nice and allows you to skip a lot of lines. Time in Edinburgh is limited and the city has a lot to offer so I recommend prioritizing and eating on the train if possible. Overall a very good experience.
Review by: Jim, May 2016
Good tour but you can probably arrange this one on your own. Train ride through the countryside is beautiful and Edinburgh Castle is beautiful and very historic. Since there is no tour guide, I would recommend staying overnight so that you have enough time to see more of the sights. The train trip takes 4 1/2 hrs each way so there isn't a great deal of time to see the sights if you're trying to do it in one day like we did.
Review by: Catherine R, May 2016
This was an awesome day. Very long but well worth it. The train travel was long but being prepared with reading material made the time pass quickly.
Review by: Regina H, April 2016
Wonderful trip. Sit back and relax on your train trip. Once you reach your destination- everything was great!!!
Review by: Karl R, April 2016
A great tour and travel for the price. The tour rep met us at the train station time and clearly explained the trip details. Each voucher was used with ease and was seamless.
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