Quick answer: a weekend in Edinburgh costs about £255–£465 per person for two nights, with train travel from London and a mid-range hotel room shared between two.

Cite this page: Atravel.uk, “What a weekend in Edinburgh costs”, updated 12 November 2026. https://atravel.uk/weekend-cost/edinburgh/

The figures below are built from the same ranges we publish in the Edinburgh guide, so the total and the individual costs agree with each other.

What a weekend costs, line by line

ItemPer personShare
Train, return from London£70–£16032%
Two nights, per person (sharing)£100–£17038%
Food and drink, two days£60–£9522%
Local transport£10–£164%
One paid attraction£14–£225%

Total per person: £255–£465

Compiled 2026-11-12 from our own partner searches. Mid-range, not budget and not luxury.

Where the money goes

Travel and accommodation take most of it: two nights, per person (sharing) and train, return from london are the two lines with the widest spread, which is also where you have the most room to move. Booking six to eight weeks out, and avoiding a Friday departure, usually does more than switching hotels.

How to spend less

  • Shift the trip to Tuesday–Thursday and both the fare and the room come down.
  • The second row of streets costs 20–30% less than the front row.
  • Book one paid attraction, not three. Edinburgh Castle and the One O'Clock Gun is the one most people would keep.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a weekend in Edinburgh?

Budget £255–£465 per person for two nights, including the train, a mid-range hotel room shared between two, food, local transport and one paid attraction.

What is the cheapest part of a weekend in Edinburgh?

Change the dates before you change hotels; that is where the saving sits. Edinburgh hotel prices move less than air fares outside peak dates.

Does this include spending money?

Food, local transport and one paid attraction are in there. Not included: shopping, late drinks, travel insurance and parking at the airport.

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