Edinburgh Rail Trip from London with Castle entry and Hop-on Hop-off bus

Overview

Available languages

Russian

Portuguese

Chinese

Japanese

English

Italian

French

Spanish

16 hours

Mobile ticket

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 (if option selected) and entry to Edinburgh Castle all included, you’re free to explore Edinburgh at your leisure.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Outbound: Train departs London Kings Cross: 07:02 / train arrives in Edinburgh: 11:02

Return: Train departs Edinburgh: 17:13 / train arrives at London Kings Cross: 22:10

Your electronic tickets and vouchers will be sent to you one week prior to your scheduled departure date via email (or, if booked within one week then within 24 hours of booking). We recommend arriving at Kings Cross Station 30 minutes before your scheduled train departure time

This tour is unescorted

Child age: 3-11 yrs

We will make every effort to fulfil any train seating requests, however, this cannot be guaranteed

Please do not wait to meet our staff at the train station as we do not conduct in-person departures

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What‘s Included

Entrance to Edinburgh Castle

Hop on Hop off tour of Edinburgh

Return train journey with reserved seats

Guide (Unescorted tour)

Hotel pickup and drop off

Food and drinks, unless specified

What To Expect

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear.

1 hour•Admission Included

St Giles' Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to Holyrood Palace

20 minutes•Admission Not Applicable

Options

First class train

First Class train: First-class rail trip includes Edinburgh Castle ticket

Standard class train

Standard-class rail trip includes Edinburgh Castle ticket

Reviews

4.11

222 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

106

What a wonderful experience!
Pallavi S,
Apr 15, 2025
- Viator
5.00
The trip was one of the most memorable ones. My parents were with us and I was so happy to have given them this holiday opportunity. The train service was excellent and the weather just right!
If you have anxiety don’t do this trip!
Alicia M,
Feb 25, 2025
- Viator
1.00
The train had a delay and we had on 4hrs to explore. We couldn’t go into the castle because the road was closed and there were family members who couldn’t do the long hike up to the castle. Waste of money for such a short time. Just buy a train ticket and go on your own time.
Provided a Quick response...
Yuqin W,
Jan 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Provided a Quick response to any questions . Resolved our concerns and refunded the credits on time.
Edinburgh Day Tour
Francis E,
Dec 16, 2024
- Viator
4.00
The experience in Edinburgh was great, especially during the holiday season. The only shortcoming was actual time available in Edinburgh. The four hour train ride each way ate up a lot of time. This did not include riding the underground to get to and from the hotel to the train. Reality was only approximately five hours in Edinburgh. We loved the castle and went there first. Afterwards we found a nice pub and had lunch. We then walked the town a little and spent a fair amount of time in the Christmas village. Due to time constraints we then had to consider getting back to the train station for the 5pmish return train ride. Due to time constraints we never got to use the hop on hop off buses. While we really enjoyed the experience I would definitely do more precise time planning on exactly what else to see beyond the castle. Overall we were glad to have done this.
Great trip
Dorothy M,
Nov 14, 2024
- Viator
5.00
Great experience from start to finish. Train was smooth, slight delay due to an accident but we were well informed and moving quickly. Edinburgh is beautiful I opted to walk vs bus as city is so convenient. Glad I went!