If you do little more than wander around the city streets of Edinburgh admiring the architecture, it will be enough. The centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the combination of medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town with its touch of modern architecture has won awards. Edinburgh has an enduring elegance that is steeped in history, from the imposing castle in its elevated position overlooking the city to the new Scottish Parliament building, stimulation, originality and vitality are everywhere.

If your time is limited, yet you don’t want to miss anything then why not take an organized tour around the city? Walking and cycling tours are easily available, or better still, hop aboard an open top tour bus where you can choose to get on and off whenever you see something that grabs your attention.

Edinburg has many different aspects to it. The Old Town has an intriguing history that is visible in the closely positioned buildings; The Royal Mile is the main part of this area and begins at Edinburgh Castle continuing on down to The Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament.  The steeply sloping streets are interestingly full of quaint shops and historical buildings, pavement cafes and stylish bars.

New Town was built to accommodate the overcrowding of Old Town. Its Georgian architecture is stylish and elegant shops and boutiques attract the stylish and fashionable to its many bars and restaurants. The main streets in this area are Princes Street and George Street, full of shopping opportunities and fine dining.

The West End is ideal for boutique shopping and contains a bounty of eating and drinking options. Only a short walk from Princes Street, there is lots of independent stores in William Street and Stafford Street where you can find anything from furnishings to elite designer clothes, original jewellery and classic eveningwear.

Previously a medieval market place, Grassmarket was the location of public executions until 1784. Now, with Edinburgh Castle in the background, it is a vibrant area of restaurants, bars and exclusive shops. Many tourists visit this area due to its ancient cobbled streets, Victorian buildings and lively atmosphere.

If you fancy some fresh sea air then Leith is a historical place with plenty of places to eat, drink and shop. Home to The Royal Yacht Britannia, it can be reached in 10 minutes from the city centre, and as well as culture and interesting architecture is a good place to relax by the ocean. The waterfront area has seen some major development with bars, bistros and boutiques, including the Ocean Terminal shopping complex.

Some of Britain’s best festivals are held in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Festival is actually a number of festivals, 9 in total, that are held all over the city in August each year.  They include the Edinburgh Art Festival, Jazz & Blues Festival, Military Tattoo, International Festival, Book Festival, Film Festival, Festival Fringe, Festival of Politics and Edinburgh Mela. The Ceilidh Culture is a stage for Edinburgh's traditional arts, with local talent showing beside international acts. Lasting for 3 weeks you can go along to a music workshop, learn to dance, play a new instrument, or listen to a story by a master storyteller. It is also a good chance to attend one of the many Ceilidhs organized as they have introductory classes for the uninitiated which are great fun.

Mary King's Ghost Fest goes on for a spooky 10 days and is held at various venues around the city. Mary King once resided at the top of The Close, until she died in 1644. Late on the City Chambers were constructed over the site in 1853, and The Close was preserved. Today you can go underground to see the preserved small houses and spaces, a mysterious and dark atmospheric place. You get to visit Edinburgh's most haunted sites and listen to scary stories, take part in experiments, join in an overnight vigil, watch a scary movie and visit a clairvoyant gathering.

Christmas in Edinburgh is a month of festivals, fun fairs, and one of the most well-known New Year street parties in the world bringing in more than 100,000 revellers. Hogmanay is a 4 day festival that starts on the 29th with a torchlight procession around the city, followed by a carnival on the 30th, and the main street party on the 31st. The 1st of January stats the New year with all kinds of organized events and has international artists performing.