Edinburgh Rail Trip from London with Castle entry and Hop-on Hop-off bus
Overview
Available languages
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 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.
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
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
Options
Standard class train
Standard-class rail trip includes Edinburgh Castle ticket
First class train
First Class train: First-class rail trip includes Edinburgh Castle ticket
Edinburgh - Overnight
Edinburgh - overnight: Edinburgh - The Royal City with Overnight Stay
Standard Class
Reviews
227 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great day trip to beautiful Edinburgh
Nicky M,Feb 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very well organised and easy to access all my tickets and vouchers. Much easier than having to do it all myself. I had a fantastic day!
Great trip
Kari C,Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was just a touch of Edinburgh. It was a great train ride. And then you have half a day to see the city.
Survey
georginatQ1108ZR,Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The bus and the tour guide was amazing He answer all our questions and really explain all the necessary things . Highly recommend him . Thanks
Day Trip
Hilary T,Sep 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Well done and easy to follow directions. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to do a day trip from London to Edinburgh.
Difficult trip
Jere J,Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00Walking is extremely difficult. Over a mile an extreme incline to reach castle. Hop on hop off bus ride was OK but it was so crowded. We didn’t use it hardly at all. Food on train was disgusting. Don’t waste your money on first class bring your own food.
All very well!!! It is a long journey and not much time to move around in Edinburgh!! We already knew but it got shorter
Monica E,May 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very good charming Esinburg!! Long journey!! And little time to tour!! Maybe we already knew. Ls logistica very bine
What a wonderful experience!
Pallavi S,Apr 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The 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
- Review from Viator
1.00The 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
- Review from Viator
5.00Provided a Quick response to any questions . Resolved our concerns and refunded the credits on time.
Edinburgh Day Tour
Francis E,Dec 16, 2024
- Review from Viator
4.00The 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.
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Operated by Evan Evans Tours