Fun Things to do in Edinburgh with Kids for 2024

Edinburgh with Kids Update 2024 – Looking to enjoy life in Edinburgh? There’s so much fun, education and inspiration to be had so see what’s available on the doorstep.

Royal Botanic Gardens / Edinburgh Zoo / Family Friendly Afternoon Tea / Dynamic Earth / National Museum of Scotland / Dean Village / Hop On Hop Off Bus / Royal Yacht Britannia / Edinburgh Castle / Calton Hill / Arthur’s Seat / PYO Strawberries at Craigie’s Farm / Maid of the Forth & Inchcolm / Gallery of Modern Art

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – Edinburgh with Kids 2024

Life in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens – Life in Edinburgh

PREBOOK TICKETS/FREE – The glasshouses (which usually incur a nominal cost) are currently closed but there are still acres of gardens to explore. Beautiful for all ages – our favourite spots were the Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden and labyrinth, the Chinese Hillside, the Rock Garden, the Alpine House and the Demonstration Garden. A great place to meet up with friends and family, and let kids run off some steam. Remarkable that tickets are absolutely free! rbge.org.uk

Family Friendly Afternoon Tea

Choose from a variety of family friendly afternoon teas, from the magical to the very grown up and elegant. Read a complete guide to afternoon tea in Edinburgh here.

Edinburgh Zoo – Edinburgh with Kids 2024

PREBOOK TICKETS – The zoo was the high point of the Edinburgh trip for our kids. They saw Sumatran tigers, Asiatic lions, and more monkeys than you can shake a stick at. I loved penguin rock as you got so close to the penguins. So many animals, so many stories, it’s not cheap but kids LOVE it.

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Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh with Kids 2024

PREBOOK TICKETS – Edinburgh Castle is on most people’s bucket list, whatever their age. When we were in Edinburgh visitors could explore the Great Hall, St Margaret’s Chapel, the Scottish National War Memorial, the One O’Clock Gun, Mons Meg (the famous medieval gun) and external areas. Since then so much has reopened so consider the Royal Palace, Honours of Scotland (Crown Jewels & the Stone of Destiny), Fight for the Castle exhibition, Regimental Museums, National War Museum, One o’Clock Gun exhibition, Queen Anne Tea Room, guided tours and gift shops. 

Book skip the line tickets to Edinburgh Castle here. 

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Dynamic Earth Edinburgh with Kids 2024

PREBOOK TICKETS – When I read that Dynamic Earth explored the history of our planet I wasn’t sure if learning about tectonic plates was really my vibe, but Dynamic Earth is truly dynamic! The kids were transfixed from start to finish. You become a timelord and go back in time like Dr Who, feel an earthquake shake the earth beneath you, touch a real iceberg, and lots more. Read a full review here.

National Museum of Scotland

National Museum of Scotland

FREE/PREBOOK TICKETS The National Museum of Scotland is a fantastic indoor resource, especially when you consider it’s free. The stuffed animals and skeletons are an instant hit with wee ones. The Science & Technology Gallery is full of real life planes, alongside hands-on experiments. Charles Rennie Mackintosh shines in the gallery of Art, Fashion and Design, and we uncovered some national treasures in the Kingdom of the Scots. [There’s also a café, which sells typical museum café fare.]

Calton Hill – Edinburgh with Kids 2024

Life in Edinburgh
Life in Edinburgh

FREE Another easy walk for little legs. Walk to top to explore the many monuments on the summit – several climbing opportunities for sporty kids. Calton Hill offers fresh air and it’s v easy to socially distance. The views over the city are exceptional, and it’s great to do something healthy on a city break.

Royal Yacht Britannia

Click here for more pics and a full review of visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Catch a bus or tram out to Leith and step aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. This floating tourist attraction travelled over one million nautical miles on 968 state visits, and works for all ages because it’s a real upstairs/downstairs experience. See the sumptuous Royal apartments, the intimate space of the Royal bedrooms and the grand dining room (where leading world leaders were invited to dine). Then you see the staff quarters – bunk beds for the marines, glistening glassware in the kitchens, bars for the crew, a vast laundry room, and funny stories about toy monkeys and wallabies that entertained the sailors at sea. There’s also a fleet of cool vehicles – from a Rolls Royce and Landrover to the sassiest landing vessel that looks v James Bond.

Kids can follow a trail of corgis soft toys around the ship,  and are rewarded with a corgi badge once back onshore. The soft toys are available to buy in the gift shop. My favourite room, and the Queen’s favourite too apparently, was the Sun Lounge. You could picture anyone relaxing here and enjoying the rays and the sea views. With five decks to explore, plus a tea room and gift shop the Royal Yacht won the Which ‘best historic attraction’ award. Ticket info and prices here.

Dean Village & Dean Cemetery

FREE This historic mill town offers an easy walk along the Water of Leith, then heading through the cemetery takes you back to the gallery of modern art where we’d started. There are lots of architectural curiosities, social history stories and surprisingly calming city scenery to entertain children along the way.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

We visited the grounds of this renowned gallery, and the children actually asked to explore Charles Jencks’ ‘Landform’ outdoor landscape art. Other sculptures piqued their interest, especially a buried man on a pavement. From the SNGMA we walked to Dean Village and Cemetery (see next).

Arthur’s Seat – Life in Edinburgh

FREE For a more challenging walk, hike to the summit of Arthur’s Seat for fantastic views over the city. It’s a relatively strenuous walk, depending on the age of your children, and takes about two hours. But tell wee ones they’re climbing up an ancient volcano and that may spur them on!

Maid of the Forth

Edinburgh with Kids 2021
Edinburgh with Kids 2021

SAILING NOW/PREBOOK TICKETS – Slightly out of town, head to South Queensferry for a 90 minute sightseeing tour taking in the 3 bridges and views of the ruined Inchcolm Abbey on Inchcolm island. Spotting seals basking in the sun and lots of birdlife was another highlight – a serene day out. maidoftheforth.co.uk

PYO Berries at Craigies Farm

Also near South Queensferry, book a ‘pick your own slot’ at Craigies and return with healthy fresh fruit. The farm shop is also open. For more info on PYO fruit and strawberries across Scotland read our guide here.

Edinburgh Bus Tours

Edinburgh with kids 2022

 

To pick up the key sights, Edinburgh Tours run a mix of bus trips, including a City Sightseeing Hop On/Hop Off bus. Tickets can be bought online in advance, or contactlessly on the day.

WHERE TO STAY – Life in Edinburgh

Edinburgh with kids 2022
Mansley Apartments near the Grassmarket

Browse a host of family friendly accommodation here

For Free things to do in Edinburgh click here.

For rainy day or snow day activities in Edinburgh visit here.

And to browse all our Edinburgh material then it’s all here.

West Lothian – Things to Do in West Lothian with Kids.

East Lothian – Things to Do in East Lothian.

The Best Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh

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