Is the Edinburgh City Pass 2024 worth it? We review value and prices here

As you look through the Edinburgh City Pass prices located below, you’ll notice that you have 3 choices to select from, each of which offers both an adult rate and a child rate. Child rates apply to children that are 5 to 16 years old while children 4 and under get into attractions for free. The prices below are listed in British pounds.

• Adult 1 Day Pass £50, Child 1 Day Pass £30
• Adult 2 Day Pass £75, Child 2 Day Pass £40
• Adult 3 Day Pass £90, Child 3 Day Pass £50

When looking at the passes above, keep in mind that these are current prices and may change down the line, usually becoming more expensive. Also, no matter what size pass you choose, each one is activated when you visit your first attraction and is valid for consecutive calendar days. This means if you activate your pass on a Friday, then you have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to use it.

>>>Buy the Edinburgh City Pass at the lowest available price

Hop-on Hop-off City Bus Tour – £18.00

A hop-on hop-off tour, this City Bus Tour takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete, but you are allowed to get on and off at each sight within a 24 hour period. Some of the attractions you can visit during this tour are Burns Monument, Hollyrood Distillery (which is also included in the pass), the Scottish Parliament, and Dynamic Earth (another attraction that’s included in the pass) Headphones are included so that you can hear a pre-recorded guide. Tours run from 9am to 6:40pm.

Edinburgh Vaults Tour – £18.00

If you don’t mind being underground, then you’ll enjoy this walking tour of the vaults that are hidden under the South bridge in Edinburgh’s Old Town. These vaults are infamous as poor people lived in them. Each tour happens throughout the day, starting at 10:00am going through 4:30pm, with each leaving every half hour. Because of this, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to fit it into your schedule.

Dynamic Earth – £19.50

Great for all ages, Dynamic Earth guides visitors through the powers of nature and offers films throughout the year that explore the nature and its different climates. Interactive displays are a hit here, as well as the 360 degree dome technology in the ShowDome cinema.

Happy Potter Walking Tour – £15.00

A huge hit with Harry Potter fans, this walking tour lasts about 2 hours and is great for families. Here you’ll start your tour at 10:30am and learn about the inspirations behind both the books and movies, including a walk around the winding streets of Old Town, where JK Rowling wrote the books.

Three Bridges Boat Tour – £24.00

On this boat tour, you’ll get the chance to view the Edinburgh skyline, the Kingdom of Fife, and the Three Bridges. If you’re a fan of Outlander, you may recognize Blackness Castle, which was featured in the TV show. Tours depart at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, helping to make fitting a few attractions in a single day a little easier.

Hopetoun House and Grounds – £11.50

Known as Scotland’s finest stately home, the Hopetoun house is a solid choice for those who love history and historical buildings. It’s also an amazing choice if you’re a big Outlander Fan, as the grounds were used frequently during filming, making it so that the structure may look very familiar.

To make sure that we answer this question completely, we’re going to construct a sample itinerary, which you’ll see directly below. But before we do that, let’s touch on what is included in the pass. Whether you select a 1 day, 2 day, or 3 day pass, you’ll gain access to 15 popular area attractions, a free local guide book that outlines where each attraction is with a map and offers local tips on what to see and do,  and a free airport transfer with a return tram ticket.

To find out if you’ll really save money with the Go Edinburgh City Pass, let’s look at the 3 day adult sample itinerary below.

3 Day Adult Edinburgh City Pass

• The John Knox House £7.00
• Hop-on Hop-off City Bus Tour £18.00
• Solve a Mystery on the Royal Mile £22.00
• Three Bridges Boat Tour £24.00
• Harry Potter Tour £15.00
• Hollyrood Distillery £20.00

When totaling the gate fees for each of the 6 attractions we have listed above, the total comes out to £106.00. When looking at the prices of the passes, you’ll see that the cost of a 3 day adult Edinburgh City Pass is £90. That means that with this particular itinerary, you’ll save £16.00. Though savings will certainly change with each itinerary, as long as you visit a few attractions a day, you’ll save money with the pass.

Because all of the attractions and activities included with the pass are popular and well reviewed, we’d say that each and every attraction is worth a visit. However, when visiting with the pass, you’ll want to select the most expensive attractions to visit in order to make sure you save money. If you choose the lowest value attractions, you may not save any money at all.

When deciding to purchase a pass or not, it’s important to first understand what the pass includes and then, how not to use the pass. We say this because if a pass isn’t used to its ultimate capability, it can end up not being the most practical.  The first thing to note is that the Edinburgh City Pass is presented on a daily basis instead of a number of attractions basis. This makes it so that you can visit as many attractions as possible each day of your chosen path length. In order to get the most out of your pass, and thus save the most amount of money possible, you’ll want to try to visit a few attractions each day. If you only visit one attraction in a day, you’ll either not save any money or just a little. Also, because you’ll receive a detailed guide with each pass purchase, and the fact that you don’t have to pick your attractions until you activate your pass until you visit your first attraction, you’ll want to research each attraction before your visit. If you don’t and thus accidentally end up visiting an attraction that’s just not very suitable for children while you have kids in tow, you’ll have to then turn around and decide on another attraction.

The Edinburgh City Pass is a great way to save money while Edinburgh. With a choice of either a 1 day, 2 day, or 3 day pass, all of which are available for both adults and children, you’ll really get to have fun customizing a short trip here. And because there are 15 attractions and activities to choose from, if you’re traveling with a group or family, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding something for everyone to enjoy. However, with that said, there are a few attractions that aren’t suitable for young kids, so you’ll want to make sure to look up each attraction beforehand, just to make sure it’s right for your family. If you’re traveling with strictly adults or older children, then this won’t be a concern.

>>>Buy the Edinburgh City Pass at the lowest available price

After purchasing your pass or a number of passes through the link provided directly above, you’ll then receive your pass via email. This is considered a digital pass.

Photos from Flickr users barnyz, Chris Yunker, James F Clay, Terry Madeley, and mattlucht.