London and Edinburgh are the two most visited cities in the United Kingdom and for good reason. The two cities are among the most famous in all of Europe. If you are trying to decide whether to visit London or Edinburgh, this is the ultimate guide to help you decide.
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London or Edinburgh Overview
London
London is the largest city in the United Kingdom with close to 9 million people and a metro area of over 14 million. London has been one of the most famous cities in the world for many centuries being the home to the historic British Empire. Founded by the Romans, London has an ancient history dating back nearly a thousand years.
Today, London is known for its historical architecture mixing into the cityscape with modern skyscrapers, making up one of Europe’s most iconic skylines. London remains one of the most influential cities in the world along with cities like Hong Kong and New York City. London is also the most visited city in Europe with nearly 20 million visitors each year.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a population of 500,000 people and has been the capital of Scotland since the 1400s. It is the second most visited city in the United Kingdom, only behind London. The city has been a center for banking and finances for hundreds of years.
Edinburgh has been referred to as the “Athens of the North” because of Castle Rock overlooking the city, similar to the Athenian Acropolis. One of the first things you will notice is the Gothic Revival architecture made with sandstone with a dark stain still visible from Edinburgh’s heavy industrial days. People come to Edinburgh to explore its museums, galleries, castles, and grand churches.
Things to See
London
Big Ben is the iconic clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the most iconic structures in London.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the monarchy of the United Kingdom.
Westminster Abbey is a Gothic abbey church that is known for being the burial site of English and British monarchs.
Tower Bridge is one of the most famous symbols of London. It is the most well-known bridge in the city and is often confused with the London Bridge.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral that was built in 1675. It was the tallest building in London until 1967.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle has overlooked the city since the 12th Century.
Calton Hill has some of the best views of the city and has many monuments on it.
Scott Monument, located in Princes Street Garden, is one of the city’s most iconic monuments.
Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland.
St. Giles Cathedral was originally constructed in the 12th century and is one of Scotland’s most famous cathedrals.
Food
London
London is the perfect place to try some of England’s most traditional dishes. English breakfast is one of the most traditional dishes in England and continues to be a local favorite today. It is a dish typically consisting of bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, baked beans, and tomatoes.
Another world-renown dish that is famous in London is fish and chips. You can find a nice plate of fish and chips just about anywhere in London. Sunday Roast is exactly what it sounds like, a roasted meat dish served typically made on Sundays. The dish is oftentimes served with gravy, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, and vegetables. Click here for more note-worthy cuisines in London.
Edinburgh
Haggis is considered Scotland’s National Dish. It can be a scary dish to try for someone who has never seen or heard of it before but it is quite good. One signature dish of Edinburgh is Cullen Skink. The word skink initially referred to meat in Scotland, but it has now evolved to also mean soup. This thick and hearty soup is traditionally made from smoked haddock and potatoes, along with many other flavorful ingredients.
Getting Around
London
As you would expect, the system of public transportation is massive here. London uses a pay as you go card called the Oyster Card to pay for public transportation. You can take the tube (subway), lite rail, or you can hop on the expansive network of double-decker buses. One thing to note about public transport in London is that is rather expensive compared to many European cities. a Tube journey in central London costs £2.40 with Oyster or £4.90 with cash and a bus ride costs £1.50 with the Oyster Card. Riding on the passenger boats down the Thames is a fun way to get around as well.
A popular way to explore the city, if you don’t want to mess with public transportation, is investing in a multi-day hop-on hop-off bus tour (this worked well when I tried it). These are double-decker buses that have tour guides telling you about each area you are riding through which is extremely informative. You can buy 1, 2, and 3-day tickets. The best hop-on hop-off bus tours are the Original Tour, Big Bus, and Golden Tours. Each service has dozens of buses around the city so don’t stress about missing one.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is not a huge metropolis so you can walk around the city center with ease. You can cover a lot of the city within a 30-minute walk. Buses and trams can get you pretty much wherever you want to go. Some bus routes go all night and the trams have wifi, so public transportation here is quite friendly. You should definitely utilize the buses and trams if you are traveling outside of the city center. Uber and taxis are also options.
Nightlife
London
London is known around the world for having one of the best nightlife scenes in the world. London is home to over 3000 bars and pubs so you don’t have to worry about running out of options. Though there are incredible nightclubs in London, the nightlife scene still revolves around bars and pubs.
Soho is considered to be the biggest party area in the city. Pretty much any district of London has its own unique atmosphere for you to experience. If you want to go clubbing, some of the best clubs in the city are Fabric, XOYO, Cargo, and Egg London. Ministry of Sound and Studio 338 are probably two of the biggest nightclubs.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh offers quite an experience when it comes to nightlife. The area around The Royal Mile is easily the best part of Edinburgh to check out for a night out. The Royal Mile is lined with pubs, breweries, and bars with live music. If you are into live music, Edinburgh has no shortage of options. You should check out The Liquid Room, Sneaky Pete’s, La Belle Angele, Opium, and The Mash House. If you want to go clubbing, there are options for that as well.
Day Trips
London
Oxford is a city less than an hour to the west of London. It is known for the world-renown University of Oxford.
Bath is known for being one of the most beautiful cities in England. It has incredible architecture and more than 2000 years of history.
Brighton is a seaside city just to the south of London. It is a popular day-trip destination, drawing in over 7 million day visitors each year.
Edinburgh
St. Andrews is a coastal city just to the north of Edinburgh.
Glasgow is just an hour away from Edinburgh so if you have time you should definitely hop over there.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is just to the northwest of Edinburgh.
Between London and Edinburgh, there are quite a few major UK cities worth visiting such as Manchester or Leeds, and Birmingham.
Overall
London and Edinburgh are the two most visited cities in the United Kingdom. Both cities are full of sights to see but it doesn’t have to be a tough choice. London has more to see and do so if you have a longer duration planned for your trip, you might want to choose London. If you want to do outdoorsy things such as hiking and going to national parks, Edinburgh would be a better choice for you.
Though the two cities seem a continent apart, you can catch a train between the two and the ride is roughly 4.5 hours apart so you could definitely see both if you have time.