How to get to Holyrood Palace
From Waverley Station
Two routes, both about fifteen minutes. The scenic one: climb to the Royal Mile and turn left down Canongate — you pass John Knox House and arrive at the palace forecourt with Arthur’s Seat ahead of you. The practical one: Calton Road, which runs flat along the back of the station and suits luggage wheels, pushchairs and anyone saving their knees. Same distance, none of the climb.
From Edinburgh Castle
The castle and the palace bookend the Royal Mile: one mile, 20 to 25 minutes, downhill the whole way from castle to palace — always walk it in that direction. This is the spine of the classic one-day plan, castle in the morning and Holyrood after 14:00, which I set out properly on the castle comparison page.
By bus
Lothian Buses route 35 stops at Abbeyhill/Holyrood, about a three-minute walk from the palace gates — the stop I use myself. If your trip also takes in the castle and the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Royal Edinburgh Ticket on my combo page includes 48 hours on three hop-on hop-off routes that all serve Holyrood; one Canadian reviewer, Craig, reckoned the buses “saved our feet”, which is about right for a Britannia day.
By car
Central Edinburgh punishes cars, but the palace end is gentler than most: the Broad Pavement car park nearby charges £1 an hour on weekdays, which by this city’s standards is nearly charity. Even so, if your hotel is central, walk.
From the airport
Take the tram to St Andrew Square, then finish on foot — down through the east end and along Calton Road — or pick up a bus toward Abbeyhill. There is no one-seat ride from the airport to the palace door; the tram-then-walk combination is what locals actually do.
When you arrive
The ticket office sits by the Mews courtyard, where the Café at the Palace earns its keep after the walk down; the Scottish Parliament faces the forecourt and Holyrood Park rises straight behind. Come with an advance ticket — and having checked the open days, because the palace shuts Tuesdays and Wednesdays most of the year. Once inside, the route takes about ninety minutes.
Doing castle, palace and Britannia in one trip? Britannia is the awkward one to reach — it sits in Leith, well beyond walking range — which is exactly the leg the bundle’s hop-on hop-off buses are for.
Let the bus do the connecting
The Royal Edinburgh Ticket below bundles Holyrood, the castle and Britannia with 48 hours of hop-on hop-off buses on three routes.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Holyrood Palace from Waverley Station?
About a mile — a 15-minute walk, either down the Royal Mile or along the flatter Calton Road behind the station. Arriving for the 9:30 opening is the quietest start, as covered on the best time to visit page.
Can you walk from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace?
Yes — one mile straight down the Royal Mile, 20 to 25 minutes, downhill the whole way. It is the backbone of the castle-morning, palace-afternoon plan on my comparison page.
Is there parking at Holyrood Palace?
The Broad Pavement car park nearby charges £1 an hour on weekdays, which is unusually reasonable for central Edinburgh. If you are staying centrally, walking or the number 35 bus beats driving.
Which bus goes to Holyrood Palace?
Lothian Buses route 35 stops at Abbeyhill/Holyrood, three minutes from the gates. The hop-on hop-off routes included with the bundle on my combo tickets page also serve the palace.