The Scottish capital is a center of culture and the arts, and is especially well-known for its festivals. These include the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which welcomes more than 1,000 authors, to the sparkling Christmas Markets and the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest festival of the arts.

Those wanting to broaden their zoo experience can opt to participate in a variety of special events and animal interaction opportunities, including the popular "keeper experiences," which offer a fun behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day care of animals.Other highlights include the woodland garden with its colorful azaleas, hydrangeas, camellias, and rhododendrons. There's also an aquatic house with tropical water plants, such as the pink water lily from India. Touring displays can be enjoyed in the Exhibition Hall.

To explore the rest of the building—including walls, staircase fragments, and other architectural ghosts lingering among modern construction— you’ll have to take a guided tour. These are typically offered on Fridays and can be booked via Eventbrite . So in this guide, we selected only the most unique experiences, the very best things to do in Edinburgh. This list features the most famous landmarks and best tourist attractions in Edinburgh that are worth your time the most. Depending on how much time you have, simply start with the attractions on the top of this list, and work your way down. Another popular spot is St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. Serene and beautiful, it’s a lovely spot to linger and think about the Scottish Royals who would kneel for worship within its walls. Holyrood Palace stands at the foot of the Royal Mile. Look at the pavement near the entrance, and you’ll notice a row of three brass letter “S”s. These shiny symbols were placed on the cobblestones to mark the boundary of a five-mile area once known as Abbey Sanctuary. Those attempting to evade their debt creditors could seek refuge within its confines. Food and housing were on offer, too—though with a heftier price tag than you’d find in the Old Town. People could stay in the sanctuary indefinitely, and could even leave on Sundays without fearing retaliation from their collectors. The ATLAS Edinburgh group is led by Prof. Phil Clark, Prof. Sinead Farrington, Dr. Yanyan Gao and Prof. Christos Leonidopoulos, and Prof. Victoria Martin. Research interests

Navigate your way around Edinburgh with this detailed and easy-to-use A-Z Street Atlas.

Also on this Edinburgh map are Cramond, Currie, Loanhead, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Millerhill and Musselburgh. Busy Princes Street is the New Town's main thoroughfare. It extends for almost a mile and is lined with colorful gardens and elegant shops, including the tradition-conscious Jenners of Edinburgh, founded in 1838 and one of the world's oldest department stores. Edinburgh also had its share of graverobbers, body snatchers, and even cannibals. Some tours include visits to cemeteries and Kirkyards, where you can see for yourself the caged graves and mausoleums that families used to protect their departed loved ones. Not all the art is housed inside the museum. The building itself is well worth appreciating and is a stunning example of neo-Classical architecture.

Often referred to as Holyrood Palace, this is the official residence of the Queen of England when she comes to visit Scotland. The ruins of the Holyrood Abbey are connected to the Palace on one corner. TIP: You can also get some fantastic views of the city from the roof of the museum. There are also powerful telescopes here that will help you make out the smallest details, right up to the horizon! Use controls to display a detailed street map of Edinburgh and get a Edinburgh city centre map showing the St Giles Cathedral, the University of Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland, the Calton Old Burial Ground, Holyrood House, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Rail and Haymarket Rail. The original stone and concrete steps, 104 in total, were constructed in 1899 alongside the Scotsman building—a newspaper’s former home that now serves as a hotel. By the early 21st century, the passage had fallen into disrepair. People took to using it as a public toilet, their urine mixing with the trash that littered the space. In 2011, artist Martin Creed cooked up a new art project to revive the stairwell and give it a marble makeover. Creed used different stone to create each step, and the result is a cascading medley of pigments, with reddish purples, deep greens, and blush hues from places as far away as Turkey, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Bolivia. Street Map of Edinburgh City Centre: Detailed street map for Edinburgh City centre in Scotland. Large and clear map of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.Despite its city-center location, the Palace of Holyroodhouse – set in beautiful parkland and overlooking Arthur’s Seat – feels a million miles away from Edinburgh’s hustle and bustle. Perhaps the most important of Edinburgh's many memorials is the impressive National Monument on Calton Hill, erected to remember the dead from the Napoleonic Wars. Henry Playfair designed the memorial using the Parthenon in Athens as his inspiration. One of the newest attractions in Edinburgh, The Real Mary King's Close offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into one of the oldest sections of the Royal Mile. Located on the Royal Mile a short distance from the castle, the John Knox House & Scottish Storytelling Centre attraction is a treat for anyone interested in Scotland's rich cultural heritage. It was built in 1470 and is said to be the one time home of the protestant reformer after which it's named.

Lined with cobbles and bustling with visitors, it has a vibrant atmosphere and is one of the most famous streets in Britain.

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Out-of-towners arrive with creative business concepts like tropical Art Deco cafés or a pizzeria run by an acrobatic pizzaiolo. The local crowd reimagines long-standing structures, from a historic theater-turned-Roaring ‘20s nightclub to an ATM-turned-taco stand. And far-flung emigres weave strands of their home countries into the global tapestry that is St. Pete/Clearwater, from a British tea parlor to a French-Vietnamese restaurant serving two chefs’ childhood favorites. The knowledgeable guides – dressed in character costumes – will share with you all kinds of stories connected to these streets, including fascinating myths and macabre legends. You’ll learn all about the ghost of Annie, to which people from all over the world bring dolls and toys. And you’ll meet a whole host of colorful characters from the past and hear their fascinating stories! This museum is an unforgettable adventure for the whole family, combining a fantastic educational experience with lots of fun. If you plan on seeing both locations, as well as the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery, there's a lot of art (and walking) to experience, so you may want to spread your visits over a couple of days. The canary-yellow Museum of Edinburgh is a trove of treasures that reveal the city’s past. Among the culinary artifacts, pottery exhibits, and centuries-old human bones are a few models of the Old Town that provide a historic bird's-eye view of the road you’ve just walked.