You can’t beat Easter in Edinburgh. The weather is usually fantastic. The chill is out of the air. And there’s lots going on in the capital. If you’re lucky to have Easter weekend free in the calendar this year and are looking for something special to do, we have you covered.
From Lindt bunny hunts and seeing the inside of the nuclear reactor, to one of the biggest events on the dance calendar and making your own penguin at Edinburgh Zoo, here’s a guide of what you can get up to in Edinburgh over the Easter Weekend based on what type of Easter holiday you need.
Easter in Edinburgh for Families
This year you can avoid the egg roll down Arthur’s Seat and take the family for a lovely little Easter egg hunt. Throughout the weekend over half a dozen hunts are going on.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has an Easter trail running from April 5th – 22nd, where families can go on a quest through the garden looking for clues, with victorious winners getting something special from Mackie’s of Scotland afterwards. You don’t need to book, and it's only £2 per trail.
National Trust Scotland has The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt at Georgian House from April 19th-22nd at 10 am every day. Exploring the grounds, kids can find clues to try and earn a Cadbury’s treat. It costs £2 per child as well.
Other notable family activities you might want to know about include:
- Free tours of the Royal Yacht Britannia when kids bring along their favourite cuddly toy
- Trying on fancy hats as part of the fun at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
- Matilda: The Musical at the Edinburgh Playhouse
- Zoo Hero Workshops on Easter Monday at Edinburgh Zoo, where kids can make their own cuddly toy.
Easter in Edinburgh for Couples who need a break
Make use of the bank holiday and enjoy a little staycation in the capital. Around Easter Weekend some top hotels are putting on amazing deals if you want to lap up a little luxury and live like royalty not that far from the castle.
Fraser Suites Edinburgh on Giles Street has unique luxury suites that are a cross between a normal hotel room and serviced apartment. Some of the rooms have a view looking over Prince St Gardens; an amazing chance to sip on your morning coffee and do some people watching. They usually have offers to get little treats like Prosecco in your room around Easter time.
The Balmoral also has offers on, and if you’ve always walked by it (or done a run) to catch a train, now you can stop and see what’s inside. They have some incredible looking suites and deals on rooms, as well as special offers with Spa access so you can get a sweat on in the Turkish steam room or Finnish style sauna.
Other hotels to check out around Easter weekend in the capital include:
- The Principal on George St with their unbeatable Sunday lunches
- The castle view rooms at Novotel Edinburgh
- The jacuzzi suite (if you’re lucky to get it) at Nira Caledonia
Easter in Edinburgh for Date Night
Don’t get the fear that everywhere will be booked out if you have a special date over the Easter weekend. There are some lovely little activities and romantic spots to try out, even with a little Easter flair.
When you’re looking to keep thing simple and elegant, start with cocktails at Panda & Sons on Queens St. Their prohibition based tipples have seen them shortlisted on best bar lists for years now. When you want to get really fancy over dinner, book a table at The Magnum. You can get all romantic sharing tapas with each other, or go full on luxury restaurant mode and order their renown dry-aged ribeye.
Other notable date ideas you might want to know about include:
- The Goonies at Cameo Picturehouse on Easter Sunday for a bit of nostalgia
- Go on a tour of the Edinburgh Gin Distillery
- Catch one of the last few nights of Local Hero at the Royal Lyceum Theatre
- Sushi School at Yo! Sushi on Princes Street
Easter in Edinburgh for something a little different
Don’t end up being stuck on the sofa all weekend eating chocolate when there are some truly unique events taking place around the city over Easter Weekend that will have you out the door in no time at all.
As Easter is taking place while the Edinburgh Science Festival is going on, on Easter Saturday night, you can get the ultimate version of Netflix and chill on the go with Dark Side of the Moon: The Full Dome Experience at Dynamic Earth as part of their Dome Nights. The legendary album will be played on massive surround sound speakers with 360-degree visuals being projected on the dome screen.
If the weather manages to hold off and you’re looking for something truly unique, on Saturday and Sunday afternoon book yourself a place on the aptly named Blood & Guts Tour. This walking tour through the Old Town showcases the crazy medical history the city once had. You’ll never look at some streets in the same way again.
Other notable activities with something a little different you might want to know about include:
- The Old Curiosity's Gin Garden Tours at The Secret Herb Garden
(Yes, it’s a gin tour) - The Robots exhibit at the National Museum of Scotland
- An Afternoon of Music and Mathematics at the NSM Auditorium
- Afternoon tea at Maison De Moggy (it’s a cat café)
Easter in Edinburgh for the Big Night Out
Getting that extra day off can really get you in a party mood. Plenty of bars and clubs around the city will have a heap of live music and DJs on the go. The biggest event though is Terminal V at The Royal Highland Centre. This is arguably the biggest event in the dance calendar for the city, with world-renowned DJs like Richie Hawtin, Patrick Topping and Green Velvet. It only goes until 11 pm too, so you don’t have to worry about staying up to the wee hours.
Easter in Edinburgh for everyone
While that’s just our pick of some the things happening around town over the Easter festivities, there is so much more you can get up to as well. Whatever you’re planning, here’s hoping you have a lovely Easter break this year.
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