Holyrood Palace vs Edinburgh Castle: which should you visit?
Two very different buildings
The castle is a hilltop fortress: the Crown Jewels, the war museums and the best views in the city. It is also Edinburgh’s busiest paid attraction, and in August its timed entry sells out. Holyrood is something else entirely — a working palace where King Charles still stays every summer, with the state apartments laid out for use, Mary, Queen of Scots’ actual 16th-century chambers, and a ruined 12th-century abbey attached. One is a monument; the other is a house that happens to admit visitors.
Price and time
On money there is nothing in it: £21.50 for the castle in advance, £22 for the palace. On time there is: the castle properly takes two to three hours, while Holyrood takes about ninety minutes with the multimedia guide. The full price breakdown for the palace, including the combination tickets, is on my cost page.
The crowd difference
This is where I push back on the standard itinerary. Most visitors do the castle and skip the palace, which means the castle absorbs the coach parties while Holyrood stays quiet enough to hear your own footsteps in the Great Gallery. A reviewer from Italy, Massimo, put it plainly after walking in and getting tickets straight away: “For me, it’s more beautiful than the Castle.” I would not go quite that far every day of the week, but on an August afternoon I know which door I would rather walk through.
The same-day plan
Book the castle for 9:30 or thereabouts and give it the morning. Walk the Royal Mile downhill — it is one mile, 20 to 25 minutes without stops, though lunch on the way is the sensible move. Arrive at Holyrood after 14:00, when the morning groups have gone; last admission is 16:30 in summer and 15:15 the rest of the year. The getting there page has the walking routes. The one thing that breaks this plan is arriving on a Tuesday or Wednesday outside 21 May–7 September, when the palace is closed.
If you only pick one
Take the castle if this is your first visit with children, if you want a fortress and the Crown Jewels, or if the view over the city matters to you. Take Holyrood if royal history is why you came, if you have read anything about Mary, Queen of Scots, or if a quiet ninety minutes appeals more than a busy three hours. My fuller reasoning by visitor type is on the worth-it page.
Doing both on one ticket
Three products pair them. The £85 combination gives you a guided castle tour at 10:00 and a self-guided palace visit at 14:00 — my review covers its thin track record honestly. The £99 Royal Tour does castle, Royal Mile and palace in a five-hour small group. And the £81 Royal Edinburgh Ticket adds Britannia and 48 hours of buses on top of both entries.
Book the castle-and-palace day
The combination below reserves the guided castle morning and the palace afternoon in one booking.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Edinburgh Castle or Holyrood Palace?
For a first visit wanting spectacle, the castle; for royal interiors without the crush, Holyrood. The castle needs 2–3 hours and sells out in August, the palace needs about 1.5 and rarely feels crowded. My full breakdown by visitor type is on the worth-it page.
Can you do Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace in one day?
Comfortably. Castle in the morning, walk the mile of the Royal Mile downhill with lunch on the way, palace after 14:00. Just check the opening days first — Holyrood is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays outside 21 May to 7 September.
How far apart are the castle and the palace?
One mile — the exact length of the Royal Mile, castle at the top, palace at the bottom. Walking takes 20 to 25 minutes downhill; routes and buses are on the getting there page.
Is Holyrood Palace cheaper than Edinburgh Castle?
They are within 50p of each other booked ahead: £21.50 for the castle, £22 for Holyrood. The palace price includes the multimedia guide; every 2026 figure is on the cost page.