School trips to Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh

Scotland's beautiful capital city, there are a host of exciting educational visits and cultural things to do on a school trip to Edinburgh. The compact city centre is easy to explore on foot - discover the historic Old Town, Edinburgh Castle and walk the Royal Mile. The adventurous can climb to the top of Arthur's Seat for wonderful views over the city. Other favourite visits include Camera Obscura, Edinburgh Zoo and The Potter Trail.

  • Edinburgh Castle

  • Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park

  • Edinburgh Zoo

  • National Museum of Scotland

  • Dynamic Earth

  • Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

  • The Potter Trail

  • Excursions to St Andrews or Loch Lomond

Top Visits

Edinburgh Castle

The iconic Edinburgh Castle should be a must-see during your visit to the city. The castle dominates the skyline above Edinburgh and is home of the the Honours of Scotland (Crown jewels), the Stone of Destiny, Mons Meg gun, the One o'Clock Gun and the National War Museum. Guided tours are available.

Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park

Arthur's Seat, located within Holyrood Park at the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, is an ancient volcano sitting 251m above sea level and offers wonderful panoramic views of the city and surrounding area. There are various marked walking routes to the top suitable for all abilities.

Edinburgh Zoo

Located just outside the city centre, Edinburgh Zoo is home to over 1000 rare and endangered animals from around the world, including Lions, Tigers, Koala and Giant Panda. A variety of school lesson programmes are available for both primary and secondary school groups.

Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth is a fantastic educational attraction telling the story of planet Earth. A journey through space and time, how our Earth works, how life has evolved, and the future challenges faced by the planet. There is an educational visits programme of indoor and outdoor workshops in a range of subjects for primary school and secondary school groups.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

Take part in over 100 exciting, interactive exhibits of optical illusions, tricks and fun at Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Enjoy the vortex tunnel, lose yourself in the magical mirror maze, and test your brain in the magic gallery. There are excellent views of the city from the rooftop terrace.

The Potter Trail

J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh and this tour takes you to some of the locations which inspired characters and scenes in the series, including the café where it all started. See where Lord Voldemort is buried, take a trip down the real Diagon Alley, and much more, and even learn the odd spell along the way.

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National Museum of Scotland

With thousands of amazing objects across multiple galleries, the Museum offers you a world of discovery all under one roof. Bring the curriculum to life with the help of the incredible collections, covering the natural world, world cultures, science, technology, design, art and fashion, archaeology and Scottish history.

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Edinburgh Dungeon

The Edinburgh Dungeon is an underground journey through Edinburgh's darkest history, using live actors, theatrical sets and thrilling rides. It is a unique, exciting and amusing experience that allows you to see, hear, touch, smell Edinburgh's past.

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The Kelpies & Falkirk Wheel

Located in Falkirk, about an hour west of Edinburgh, you can visit the world's largest equine sculptures. The Kelpies, two 30-metre-high horse head sculptures which are a true feat of engineering. Find out about the history, the myth and the real life horses that inspired The Kelpies. Your students will also get the chance to go inside a Kelpie - an amazing experience. You can combine your trip with a visit to the Falkirk Wheel - an exciting engineering landmark, linking two great canals with the World's only rotating boat lift!

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Visit to St Andrews

St Andrews is a lovely seaside town on the coast north-east of Edinburgh. Scotland’s world-famous home of golf is also known for its historic university, medieval streets and beautiful traditional buildings.

Subject-specific trips

We can tailor your school or college trip to include a range of specialist subject-specific visits to meet your learning objectives for the educational package, study trip, or enrichment trip.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

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Day 2

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Day 3

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Where to Stay

Edinburgh accommodation

Edinburgh has an excellent range of accommodation to suit every group, from quality youth centres such as the international hostel chain, to good standard budget hotels including Ibis and Premier Inns. We will ensure the right option for you based on your budget and location preference.

Location Map

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As opposed to simply being sold a tour package, we felt the service Absolute Travel offered went above and beyond our expectations from a travel company. Thank you.

Stockton Riverside College

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