Compare Prices from All US Cities
| From | Airport | Est. Price | Flight Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BESTBoston | BOS | $257 | ~7h | View → |
New York | LGA | $273 | ~7h | View → |
New York | JFK | $273 | ~7h | View → |
Newark | EWR | $274 | ~8h | View → |
Philadelphia | PHL | $281 | ~8h | View → |
Baltimore | BWI | $288 | ~8h | View → |
Washington D.C. | DCA | $291 | ~8h | View → |
Detroit | DTW | $296 | ~8h | View → |
Chicago | ORD | $311 | ~8h | View → |
Minneapolis | MSP | $315 | ~8h | View → |
Charlotte | CLT | $318 | ~9h | View → |
St. Louis | STL | $332 | ~9h | View → |
Nashville | BNA | $332 | ~9h | View → |
Atlanta | ATL | $336 | ~9h | View → |
San Juan | SJU | $346 | ~9h | View → |
Orlando | MCO | $350 | ~9h | View → |
Fort Lauderdale | FLL | $356 | ~9h | View → |
Tampa | TPA | $356 | ~9h | View → |
Miami | MIA | $358 | ~10h | View → |
Denver | DEN | $369 | ~10h | View → |
Seattle | SEA | $376 | ~10h | View → |
Dallas | DFW | $378 | ~10h | View → |
Salt Lake City | SLC | $384 | ~10h | View → |
Portland | PDX | $386 | ~10h | View → |
Houston | IAH | $387 | ~10h | View → |
Austin | AUS | $393 | ~10h | View → |
Las Vegas | LAS | $414 | ~11h | View → |
Phoenix | PHX | $419 | ~11h | View → |
San Francisco | SFO | $425 | ~11h | View → |
Los Angeles | LAX | $433 | ~11h | View → |
San Diego | SAN | $436 | ~11h | View → |
About Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the most visually dramatic cities in Europe — a medieval volcanic rock with a castle on top, a Royal Mile running downhill to a palace, and Arthur's Seat looming over it all like a sleeping giant. For Americans, it punches way above its weight: you get genuine history going back a thousand years, a thriving restaurant and bar scene, and English as the native language, which makes logistics easy. The old city looks like someone left a film set standing, except it's real, and locals actually live in those stone tenements. It's also genuinely walkable in a way that London isn't, and significantly cheaper than London once you're there.
Best Time to Fly to Edinburgh
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Track Edinburgh flights →Airport to City: How to Get There
The Edinburgh Tram is the best option for most travelers — runs from the airport directly to York Place (city center) in about 31 minutes, every 7-8 minutes during the day, and costs £8.50 single or £14.50 return (buy return if you know your departure airport, it saves money). The tram drops you at Haymarket and St. Andrew Square, both walkable to most hotels. Lothian Buses Route 100 runs the same corridor for £5 single but takes longer due to stops and traffic. Black Hackney cabs from the rank outside arrivals cost £25-35 to central Edinburgh depending on destination and traffic — useful if you're arriving late at night with heavy luggage or splitting the cost among a group. Uber operates in Edinburgh but taxi queues at the airport are usually faster than waiting for an Uber pickup.
Neighborhoods & Where to Stay
The medieval core of Edinburgh running along the Royal Mile from the Castle down to Holyroodhouse — this is where most visitors want to be for the first trip. Accommodation is dense and ranges from party hostels (budget) to boutique hotels in converted historic buildings (mid-range to luxury). The crowds on the Royal Mile itself are intense in summer, but step one street off and you're in quiet closes and wynds that feel like a secret. Best for first-timers who want maximum walkability to the sights.
Built in the Georgian era (late 1700s) and still looking pristine, New Town is where you find Edinburgh's best shopping (Princes Street, George Street), the National Portrait Gallery, and a more residential feel than the Old Town. Charlotte Square is one of the most handsome urban squares in Britain. Hotels here tend to be business-oriented but several independent boutique options have opened in recent years — and you're a 10-minute walk from the Old Town via the North Bridge or the Mound.
Edinburgh's port district, about 2 miles north of the Old Town, and the city's most interesting neighborhood for food and drinking right now. The Shore along the Water of Leith has The Kitchin, Restaurant Martin Wishart, and a string of gastropubs and wine bars. Accommodation is cheaper than the center — budget another £5-8 each way on the bus (Lothian Buses run frequently). The Royal Yacht Britannia is moored at Leith and worth the visit. Stay here if you want to eat well and feel like a local.
A village-within-a-city feel, with the Water of Leith walkway, independent boutiques, and a Sunday farmers market that's genuinely excellent (not touristy). About 20 minutes' walk from Princes Street but feels a world away. Several good guesthouses and small hotels — quieter than the center at night, with neighborhood pubs that reward the extra walk. The Edinburgh Botanic Garden is right here, free to enter, and spectacular in spring.
Sits directly below the Castle Rock in a historic market square that's now lined with pubs, hostels, and independent restaurants. It's lively (loud on weekends) and historically interesting — public executions used to happen here, and the White Hart Inn claims to be Edinburgh's oldest pub. Budget accommodation is excellent in this area, and you're a 5-minute walk from the Royal Mile. Best for backpackers and anyone who wants to be at the center of the action without paying Old Town hotel prices.
South of the Old Town, this is where Edinburgh's residents actually live and shop. Independent cafes, curry houses, wine bars, and the Traverse Theatre make it worth exploring. Accommodation is noticeably cheaper than the tourist core, and you're a 20-minute walk from the Castle. The Meadows park is right here — a vast green space that's packed with locals on any sunny day and is where the city reveals its more relaxed, residential character.
Daily Budget: What to Expect
$20 hostel dorm (Kick-Ass Hostel or Smart City Hostel in Old Town), $25 food (£5 fish supper from L'Alba D'Oro on Henderson Row, supermarket lunch, one pub meal), $8 transport (day tram/bus), $22 activities (most museums are free, budget one paid entry like Edinburgh Castle at £18)
$120 mid-range hotel (Grassmarket Hotel or Hotel Indigo on the Royal Mile), $50 food (breakfast at hotel or cafe, sit-down lunch £15, dinner at a gastropub £25-30), $15 transport (trams and one cab), $40 activities (Edinburgh Castle plus a whisky tasting or ghost tour)
$280 hotel (The Balmoral on Princes Street or Waldorf Astoria Caledonian), $120 food (dinner at The Kitchin or Ondine Seafood £80-100, quality lunch and breakfast), $20 transport (cabs), $50 activities (distillery private tour, National Museum premium experience)
What to Eat in Edinburgh
Cullen Skink at The Witchery by the Castle or any traditional Scottish pub — this thick smoked haddock, potato, and onion chowder is the definitive Scottish soup and a perfect cold-weather lunch that costs £8-12 and will ruin you for American clam chowder
Haggis, neeps, and tatties — not just at a Burns Supper (though if one falls in your visit in January, go), but as a simple pub lunch at places like The Royal McGregor on the Royal Mile where it's about £14 and made with actual quality ingredients, not the grey cafeteria version tourists fear
Arbroath Smokie at the Stockbridge Market on Sunday mornings — whole haddock smoked in traditional barrels, sold still warm, eaten standing up, and genuinely one of the best things you'll eat in Scotland for about £6
Afternoon Tea at Colonnades in The Scotsman Hotel (not a tourist trap version) — specifically for the scones with Scottish clotted cream and the finger sandwiches with smoked salmon, about £35 per person and worth every penny for one indulgent afternoon
A dram flight at The Bow Bar on Victoria Street — not a food experience exactly, but this traditional pub with over 300 whiskies is where you learn the difference between Islay peat and Speyside sweetness. Order a flight of three regional whiskies for about £18-22 and ask the bar staff — they actually know what they're talking about
Flying from the US to Edinburgh
Airlines & Routes
- →United Airlines via London Heathrow (connects via EWR, IAD, ORD, SFO to LHR, then British Airways/Loganair to EDI)
- →British Airways via London Heathrow (BA transatlantic from JFK, BOS, ORD, LAX, SFO to LHR then onward to EDI — often bookable as one itinerary)
- →American Airlines via London Heathrow (from JFK, PHL, MIA, LAX to LHR, connecting to EDI)
- →Delta via Amsterdam (KLM partner — from JFK, ATL, MSP to AMS, then KLM to EDI)
- →Icelandair via Reykjavik (from JFK, BOS, MSP, SEA, DEN to KEF, then to EDI — great option for a stopover add-on)
- →Aer Lingus via Dublin (from JFK, BOS, ORD, LAX to DUB, then to EDI — clears US customs in Dublin which saves time on arrival)
- →Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich (from many US cities to FRA or MUC, connecting to EDI)
- →KLM via Amsterdam (from multiple US gateways, partner of Delta)
Flight Duration
Safety Tips
Edinburgh is among the safest major cities in Europe for tourists, but the Old Town on weekend nights (Thursday through Saturday from about 11pm) gets genuinely rowdy as the pubs empty — stag parties (bachelor parties) are a major Edinburgh industry and groups of very drunk men in fancy dress are common and occasionally aggressive to strangers. Just walk away and don't engage. The Grassmarket area specifically gets loud and messy late at night. Pickpocketing on the Royal Mile in peak summer is a real issue — don't keep your phone or wallet in back pockets. Arthur's Seat is a serious hill walk that surprises tourists: wear proper shoes, not fashion sneakers, and be aware that the weather can change dramatically in minutes — people get genuinely lost in low cloud. The tram and buses are safe at all hours. NHS healthcare is technically only free for UK residents, so travel insurance is essential — an ER visit (called A&E in the UK) will cost you if you're uninsured.
Buy a Lothian Buses day ticket (£4.50 from the driver, exact change not required with the app) rather than paying per ride — it covers all city buses and is the best value if you're doing more than two journeys. But the real trick: the free Royal Mile is crowded, but Greyfriars Kirkyard (the cemetery adjacent to Greyfriars Kirk, open all day free) is where locals actually go to feel the old city — it's one of the most atmospheric spots in Scotland and most tourists walk right past it chasing the main sights. The walking route from Grassmarket up Victoria Street (the curved medieval street that allegedly inspired Diagon Alley) and into the Lawnmarket is worth doing at 8am before the Royal Mile crowds arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to fly to Edinburgh?
The cheapest route to Edinburgh from the US is typically from Boston (BOS), with estimated round-trip prices around $257. Prices vary significantly by season and booking timing.
What is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
The best time to visit Edinburgh is May, June, September. Late spring and early fall have decent weather and fewer crowds. August is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (massive arts festival), but hotels triple in price. Avoid November-February; it's freezing and dark.
Do US citizens need a visa to visit Edinburgh?
US passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 6 months (tourism/business). UK is NOT part of Schengen.
How long is the flight from the US to Edinburgh?
Flight time from the US to Edinburgh (EDI) is approximately 7 hours from Boston. Flight times vary by departure city — eastern US cities are typically shorter to Europe.
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