Edinburgh is one of the most walkable capitals in Europe, so you're rarely more than half an hour on foot from the castle wherever you sleep. But the neighbourhoods feel completely different, and prices swing wildly with the festival calendar. Here's where to base yourself by budget and trip type, then compare live prices and book direct.
If it's your first visit, the Old Town is the postcard. The Royal Mile runs downhill from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and staying on or just off it means you step out of your hotel into medieval closes, the National Museum of Scotland and the Grassmarket's pubs beneath the castle rock. The trade-offs are the classic old-town ones: rooms tend to be smaller, stag and hen noise carries on weekend nights near the Grassmarket and Cowgate, and you pay a premium for the location. Ask for a room facing away from the street, and remember that "two minutes from the Royal Mile" is usually just as convenient as being on it, and often quieter and cheaper.
Cross Princes Street Gardens and you're in the New Town, a UNESCO-listed grid of Georgian terraces that's barely a ten-minute walk from the castle. This is the best all-round base for most people: wide streets, the main shopping on Princes Street and George Street, good restaurants around Thistle Street, and direct tram and bus links to the airport. Hotels here range from grand classics to smart mid-range chains, and you'll often find a bigger, quieter room than the Old Town offers at the same price. If you like a level walk, note that Edinburgh is genuinely hilly, and the New Town sits below the Old Town, so you'll climb one way or the other.
North of the New Town, Stockbridge feels like a small town that happens to be attached to a capital city, independent shops, a well-loved Sunday market, cheese mongers and coffee roasters, with the Royal Botanic Garden on its doorstep. Neighbouring Dean Village, a former milling hamlet on the Water of Leith, is one of the prettiest corners of the city. Accommodation is more guesthouse and apartment than big hotel, which suits couples and longer stays. You're 15 to 20 minutes on foot from Princes Street along pleasant streets, so you give up very little for the calm.
Haymarket is the practical choice. It has its own mainline station one stop from Waverley, sits on the tram line between the airport and the centre, and its cluster of mid-range hotels is usually priced a notch below the Old and New Towns. The West End proper, between Haymarket and Princes Street, adds Georgian crescents, wine bars and easy walks to everything. This side of town is also the obvious base for a big match or stadium gig at Murrayfield, which is walkable from Haymarket, no taxi queue required. If you're building a cheap city break around a gig, our guide to planning a trip around a concert covers the timing tricks.
South of the Old Town, the Southside (Newington and around the university) is guesthouse country, terraces of B&Bs and small hotels that have served festival-goers for decades. It's the closest area to the main Edinburgh Fringe venues around George Square and the university, and it's handy for Arthur's Seat if you fancy the classic sunrise climb. Outside August it's one of the better-value central areas; during August it books out first, precisely because performers and regulars know it's the smart base. Buses into the centre are constant, and the walk to the Royal Mile is 15 minutes or so.
Leith is Edinburgh's port, and in the last couple of decades it has become the city's best eating neighbourhood, from Michelin-starred dining to some of the best casual seafood in Scotland, along with the Royal Yacht Britannia and a lively bar scene around the Shore. The tram now runs from Newhaven through Leith straight to Princes Street and on to the airport, which has made it a far easier base than it used to be. Rooms here are usually noticeably cheaper than the centre, so if you're happy with a 20-minute tram or bus ride to the castle, Leith stretches a budget further than almost anywhere else in the city.
Edinburgh's prices are a tale of two calendars. In August, the Fringe, the International Festival and the Tattoo run at once and the city sells out months ahead, the same room can cost several times its winter rate, and the cheapest options go first. If August is the point of the trip, book as far ahead as you can and widen your search to Haymarket, Leith and the Southside. Hogmanay (New Year) is the other spike. The reverse is also true: from November to March, outside those dates, Edinburgh becomes one of the best-value weekend cities in Britain, and it arguably looks its moodiest and best in winter light. See our guides to the cheapest months to travel and weekend breaks under £250 for how to time it.
Prices move a lot by date and neighbourhood, and the same room often swings £30–£50 between booking sites, so always compare before you commit. We check 100+ booking sites and show the cheapest with photos and ratings.
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Planning more than a hotel? Read the Edinburgh budget guide, build an Edinburgh trip to your budget, or see what's on if you're timing a visit around a show. Edinburgh also features in our round-ups of the cheapest UK city breaks and the best UK cities for live music.