Price: £345 per person based on two sharing (Holiday period prices vary)

INCLUDES

• 3 nights BB in Holiday Inn Express Picardy Place or similar
• Hop On Hop Off ticket
• Entry to Edinburgh Castle
• Train tickets to Dundee
• Entrance to the V&A Dundee
• Entrance to RSS Discovery

Welcome to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is Scotland's compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials.

Holiday Inn Express or similar

In Edinburgh’s New Town, this Georgian building is just a 5-minute walk from bustling Princes Street and Edinburgh Rail Station. It offers free Wi-Fi access and serves a free buffet breakfast every morning.

Modern rooms at Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre each have satellite TV and free tea and coffee. Tiled private bathrooms all feature a power shower and a hairdryer.
 

A free daily buffet breakfast with both hot and cold items is provided in the Great Room. Evening menus are on offer at restaurants on the hotel doorstep.
 

The restaurants and cinema in the Omni Centre are opposite this Holiday Inn Express. Impressive Edinburgh Castle is 1 mile away, whilst the galleries surrounding Queens Street Gardens are a half-mile walk.

Visit Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear.

Explore Royal Mile

The Royal Mile runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, connecting the magnificent Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a base of volcanic rock, with the splendorous Palace of Holyroodhouse, resting in the shadow of Arthur's Seat. The Mile is overlooked by impressive, towering tenements, between which cobbled closes and narrow stairways interlock to create a secret underground world.

Peppered with superb attractions such as The Real Mary King’s Close or the Scottish Storytelling Centre, historical sites and some of the best eating spots in the city, the Royal Mile offers much to see and do. For a glimpse of recent history, be sure to visit the ultra-modern Scottish Parliament, a striking building boasting a cutting-edge design.

SATURDAY

Farmer's Market

Experience Edinburgh’s original award-winning Farmers’ Market – the only Scottish market accredited by FARMA.

The Edinburgh Farmers’ Market takes place on Castle Terrace under the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Listed by Lloyd Grossman as one of the World’s Best Farmers’ Markets and now in its 18th year, we have a huge variety of fresh local produce from over 35 specialist producers. The majority of stallholders grow or rear what they sell.

Hop On Hop Off

Highlights

• 24hr unlimited Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with 360º panoramic views of Edinburgh. 
• Flexible 3-month ticket. 
• Access to 1 bus tour route & 14 stops around the city, including all main sights & attractions. 
• One of the best audio commentaries in 9 languages plus 'Horrible Histories' Kid's Commentary. 
• Create your own itinerary to explore Edinburgh hopping on and off whenever you wish.

SUNDAY

Train to Dundee

Scotrail to Dundee

0910 - 1037 (No changes - 1 hour 17 mins)

Explore Dundee

Dundee is a coastal city on the Firth of Tay estuary in eastern Scotland. Its regenerated waterfront has 2 nautical museums: RRS Discovery, Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition ship, and 19th-century warship, HM Frigate Unicorn. North of the water, Verdant Works is a museum celebrating the city’s jute-manufacturing heritage. The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum displays art and archaeological finds.

V&A Dundee

The first ever dedicated design museum in Scotland and the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London, V&A Dundee provides a place of inspiration, discovery and learning through its mission to enrich lives through design.

As Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee tells a global story, investigating the international importance of design alongside presenting Scotland’s outstanding design achievements.

At the heart of the museum, the Scottish Design Galleries feature 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A’s rich collections of Scottish design, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world.

The museum is open seven days a week, 10.00 – 17.00. 

Entry to the museum is free. A paid ticket is needed for certain events, activities and temporary exhibitions.

RRS Discovery

 RRS Discovery – Made in Dundee | Designed for Adventure.
This award-winning visitor attraction tells the story of Discovery from her beginnings in Dundee, her amazing Antarctic expedition with Captain Scott and her voyages thereafter.

Follow in the footsteps of Captain Scott and his heroic team at Discovery Point!
Find out about the Heroes of the Ice who braved the harsh conditions of the Antarctic and hear their stories first hand.

As you explore the self-led museum at your own pace you will:

• Find out about ‘Scott of the Antarctic’ and explore the crews quarters and the Officers Wardroom
• Discover more about the ships voyages and journeys after The Discovery Expedition
• Discovery the unique design features of the first ship built for scientific research in Antarctica
• Learn about the first voyage of Discovery to the most inhospitable place on the earth
• Walk in the footsteps of Heroes and climb aboard one of the most incredible ships ever built

Walk along Slessor Gardens

At the heart of the central waterfront area is a large avenue of open space. This comprises three elements: Slessor Gardens, The Caird Hall Civic Space and the soon to be constructed Waterfront Place.

Slessor Gardens:

The main central parkland area in the central waterfront is Slessor Gardens, 10,738sqm in size and designed to be a multi-functional space with the capacity to host large events.

Train back to Edinburgh

Train back to Edinburgh

DAY 4

Depart

Depart home