Mount Holyoke Global Alum Alliance

• Edinburgh Bus Tours (£20 - buy online ahead of time) Hop-on, hop-off bus tours through the city that stop off at major attractions. This is a great accessible way to see the city. Tickets can be bought to last 24 or 48 hours.

• Old Town Walking Tour (£18) This walking tour of Edinburgh is a great choice for first-time visitors who want to get their bearings of the city and learn more about its history. By exploring the city with a guide, you’ll be able to stop looking at a map and focus on enjoying the sites around you. Your guide will teach you about secret places locals love, as well as the Old Town’s most famous sites. Highlights include St. Giles’ Cathedral, the Mercat Cross, Edinburgh Castle, and much more.

• The Vaults (£10-20) Several ghost tours a day in the underground vaults.

Walks

• Arthur’s Seat and the Crags. That huge mountain in the middle of the city? That is Arthur’s Seat. It is about an hour walk up and down, with the last part being quite steep. This climb is genuinely dangerous in bad weather; however, if the weather is good, you will get the best views the city has to offer.

• Calton Hill is a great place to see classic views of both the city and the sea. It contains Enlightenment architecture – a half-completed Parthenon, an obelisk, and such. If you head up from Princes street, you can see some fantastic old grave stones on the way up as you pass by the Old Calton Cemetery where David Hume is buried.

• Dean village: Although it is called a village, Dean village is immediately northwest of the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland and only about a 5-10 minute walk from Princes Street. It is bounded by Belford Road to the south and west, Belgrave Crescent Gardens to the north and below the Dean Bridge to the east.

• Leith Walk takes a long way around the city and is nice to walk around Dean's Village/the modern art gallery. This route can be cycled or walked and is partly accessible by wheelchair.

• The Meadows – Main University Area – Bruntsfield are all connected by the park area called the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links – green spaces which are nice to walk through and you get a neat mix of new and old architecture. The University buildings are historic and Bruntsfield has many cute boutique shops, nice cafes and restaurants.

Food

• Format Coffee & Cult Coffee: Found on Buccleuch street near the University library are both favorites for good quality coffees and offer darker, more brooding coffee experiences.

• Hendersons: A vegetarian/vegan restaurant that has recently opened with excellent reviews.

• Indigo Yard: Found in New Town, for dinner or lunch has some reasonable dining options and lunch/dinner specials and is a great modernised pub.

• Kilimanjaro Coffee: Found on Nicholson Street, makes a lovely coffee, and they have some of the best scones and clotted cream for £3.50.

• Meal Deals – every grocery store chain does a £3-3.50 meal deal. These include sandwich/salad/wrap/etc + snack + drink. This is truly what fuels the UK. The best are at the Pharmacy chain, Boots. They are way more diverse and better options. Otherwise, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Tesco and so on all have them. If you are on the move or going to picnic somewhere, this is your best option.

• Montpeliers: Found in Bruntsfield do fantastic brunch and lunch options, and their menu can basically be done gluten free.

• Pickles of Broughton Street: An excellent wine bar with a great charcuterie board. A fantastic place to spend an evening in a vibrant part of Edinburgh.

• Pizza Posto: Found on Nicholson Street is one of the best-rated and proper Napolitano-style pizzerias in town. Prices are decent and the food is always good.

• Ting Thai Caravan: Found by the Bristol Square and McEwan Hall in the University area does tasty and reasonable Thai lunches.

• The Kitchin: A Michelin star restaurant serving contemporary Scottish food. It is in Leith, so a bit outside of the main city, but it is worth a visit.

• The Witchery: Found on the Royal Mile is a luxury fine dining restaurant that immerses you in an opulent, gothic atmosphere.

• Victor Hugo Café: Found in the Meadows serves a French-style café vibe with good coffee and nice sandwiches.