Top tips

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The Quick Answer

• The best areas in the city: The Old Town or the New Town
• The best areas outside the city: Leith

Table of contents

Discover Edinburgh’s best neighbourhoods with our in-depth guide, helping you choose the perfect place to stay. Whether you’re chasing lively nightlife on the Cowgate, exploring historic landmarks along the Royal Mile, catching live music in trendy bars, enjoying family-friendly attractions like the zoo and museums, or simply soaking up charming local streets and cafes, we’ll show you where to be.

Neighbourhood guide to Edinburgh

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Edinburgh is a vibrant, historic city brimming with culture — from winding medieval streets to world-class museums — so choosing the right neighbourhood really matters. Do you want to be steps from buzzing nightlife, or wake up right on the Royal Mile? Despite its hills, the city is surprisingly compact and walkable, letting you explore most of it on foot. If you prefer public transport, Edinburgh’s efficient bus and tram network makes getting around quick and easy, connecting every corner of the city.

The New Town

© Jim Barton (cc-by-sa/2.0) geograph.org.uk/p/5832965

Edinburgh’s New Town is a masterpiece of Georgian planning, celebrated for its elegant terraces and UNESCO World Heritage status. Just across Waverley Station and Princes Street Gardens from the Old Town, it’s a hub for shopping, dining, and culture, including the National Gallery of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Families love staying here for the central location, easy access to top sights, and the chance to let off steam in Princes Street Gardens after a day of museum-hopping.

The Old Town

Image by kolibri5 from Pixabay

Edinburgh’s World Heritage Listed Old Town is perfect for staying close to the city’s iconic historic sights. By day, its maze of closes, alleys, and passageways buzzes with visitors exploring the winding streets, crammed with shops (both independent boutiques and souvenir shops). By night, the pubs and restaurants take over, keeping the energy alive. Highlights include the Castle, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirk, the National Museum of Scotland, and the Grassmarket — the site of former gallows and home to the city’s oldest pub, the White Hart Inn, once frequented by Robbie Burns and William Wordsworth.

The Royal Mile

By Herbert Frank from Wien (Vienna), AT - Edinburgh, Royal Mile, CC BY 2.0

The Royal Mile is part of the Old Town, but we’ve listed it separately because for so many people this is the only place to stay in Edinburgh. You can’t get more central, or more famous than this, with the castle at one end and the Palace of Holyrood at the other. Along the mile you’ll also find St. Giles Cathedral and numerous closes and alleyways. You’re just a short, albeit uphill, walk from Waverley Station, so we think this is the ideal base if you’re not going to be staying long.

The West End

By Discott - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Edinburgh’s West End is the bit of town just to the west of the New Town, on the way towards the Murrayfield stadium and the Edinburgh Zoo. This is one of the best places to stay in Edinburgh if you want to stay somewhere a bit quieter, but still really central, with plenty of well-loved pubs and bars and independent boutiques. It’s quite artsy and hipster, with many of Edinburgh’s most famous music and theatrical venues crowded onto its cobbled streets. But it’s also got its fair share of grandeur, with some beautiful Georgian terraces, some now converted into elegant hotels, and one even restored to its 18th century glory and open as a museum.

Leith

Image by christophe tixier from Pixabay

Leith, Edinburgh’s historic port district just north of the city centre, has transformed from a gritty, working-class area into one of the city’s hippest neighbourhoods. Its waterfront along the Firth of Forth is lined with trendy cafes, top-notch restaurants, and lively bars, making it a foodie hotspot. While its semi-gentrified streets still hint at the area’s rough-and-ready past, Leith now boasts a cosmopolitan, contemporary vibe, complete with quirky shops, cultural spaces, and a thriving arts scene, all buzzing with energy day and night.