Snapshot: Edinburgh

Rick Steves Snapshot: Edinburgh contains the complete chapter on this atmospheric capital city, excerpted from Rick's full-length Scotland guidebook — and leaves out the chapters on other Scottish destinations. So if all you want is Edinburgh and its outlying sights, this compact Snapshot guide delivers everything you'll need to know — for about half the price, and a fraction of the bulk.

• Practicalities
  • ​Getting around Edinburgh by bus and taxi
  • Advice on planning your time and avoiding lines
  • Easy-to-follow maps
• Recommended sights and activities
  • ​From the city's iconic castle to historic St. Giles' Cathedral to whisky sipping to the intriguing National Museum of Scotland to literary pub crawls, and beyond
• Self-guided Royal Mile walk: This book becomes a tour guide in your pocket as you amble down from Castle Hill through the heart of the city's medieval Old Town, past inviting cafés and quirky sights to the Palace of Holyroodhouse
• Self-guided Bonnie Wee New Town walk: Don your imaginary bonnet or breeches as you stroll along Princes Street and its gardens, then zigzag through the city's elegant 18th-century Georgian squares
• Recommended hotels and restaurants
• And more
  • Sidebars on Edinburgh's history and culture
  • Basic tips on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's Best of Scotland guidebook (or Rick's Best of England guidebook)?

Probably not — Rick Steves Best of Scotland and Rick Steves Best of England have nearly as much information on Edinburgh as the Snapshot guide.

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's full-length Scotland guidebook?

Nope! Our Snapshot guides are simply excerpted chapters from our full-length guidebooks. Snapshot: Edinburgh covers the exact same topics as the Edinburgh chapter of Rick Steves Scotland — the same hotels, same restaurants, same sightseeing information, same everything.

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in our guidebooks on Scotland, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.