London vs Edinburgh: Which City is Better to Visit and Why?
Not sure whether to visit London or Edinburgh? It’s a tough choice…
When visiting the UK you may face the dilemma of not knowing which city to visit: London or Edinburgh? They are both two of the most visited cities in the UK and are top destinations.
Both are fantastic places in their own right; London is an amazing international megacity with so much to do and Edinburgh is a beautiful place full of Scottish charm.
I’ve visited both London and Edinburgh countless times, and in my experience they are two of the best cities in the whole of the UK (as well as Brighton, which I love).
In this blog post I’ll cover which city is better to visit over several different criteria: from expense, weather, public transport, safety and lots more.
⌚ In a rush? My Top London/Edinburgh Tour Recommendations:
✅ London Eye
✅ Tower of London
✅ Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour
✅ Edinburgh Castle
✅ Loch Ness and Highlands Day Tour
✅ Edinburgh Whisky Tour
🏨 My Hotel Recommendations for London & Edinburgh:
⭐ K Hotel Kensington
⭐ Argo Hotel – Kings Cross
⭐ Rubens At The Palace
⭐ YOTEL Edinburgh
⭐ DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh
⭐ Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh
London vs Edinburgh: Which is Better?
To be honest, it’s a very subjective question when asking which city is better; London or Edinburgh. It totally comes down to what you prefer when visiting a city.
If you prefer big cities with lots of diversity and different areas to explore, then London is probably for you. It’s a busy and often overwhelming place, but that is a part of its’ appeal.
On the other hand, if you prefer walkable cities where you can get around easily and see a lot on foot, then choose Edinburgh. It’s often referred to as one of the most walkable cities in the world, and one of the most beautiful too.
It doesn’t take long to figure out the layout of this fantastic, charming place. Whereas with London it’s very easy to get lost (especially when using the underground), as it is such an enormous place.
To further help you decide which city is really better, we have to cover several different factors. Let’s start with the most important one – cost:
Which is more expensive?
London is easily the most expensive city in the whole of the UK, and is considerably more expensive than Edinburgh. This is why a lot of people think that London is somewhat overrated, and it’s a fair argument.
From public transportation, food, accommodation and more, everything is expensive in London! Even if you want to rent and live in the English capital, it’s probably going to cost you a lot of money.
So, if you’re on a tight budget when visiting the UK, then you will be better off visiting Edinburgh. Although Edinburgh is considered costly compared to other cities in Scotland such as Inverness, it’s nowhere near as expensive as London is.
Weather
Of course, the UK has a bad reputation for not having great weather, so both London and Edinburgh suffer in this category.
But, overall London does experience better weather than Edinburgh as it is based in the south of England so will generally experience higher temperatures, though not by much.
During summer, temperatures in Scotland will mostly be a few degrees lower than that in the south of England. But both cities can experience bad weather at the same time, as well as low temperatures during the winter months.
So if you prefer a hotter climate then London is the better option, though don’t expect glorious warm weather!
It’s best to visit both of these cities during the summer months to experience the nicest weather, or even the Spring/Autumn months if you don’t mind somewhat changeable weather.
Which city is prettier?
Most people would say that Edinburgh is the prettier of the two cities, and I would have to agree.
A lot of the city features beautiful historical gothic styled architecture everywhere you go, which makes Edinburgh such a pretty place to explore.
Depending on who you ask, some people think that London is pretty, while others will say it really isn’t. But it does have it’s beautiful side if you know where to look.
For me, I’ve always been gobsmacked by the sheer stunning beauty of the architecture that Edinburgh has and think it has the edge over the London when it comes to aesthetics.
But London has a lot of beauty spots of course, such as its’ gorgeous parks like Hyde Park, as well as lovely streets such as Carnaby Street, and nice, trendy areas like Shoreditch in East London.
Which city is safer?
Overall, Edinburgh is considered a safer city compared to London. Edinburgh is rated as one of the safest cities in the whole of the UK, and the safest in all of Scotland with a low crime rate in general.
I definitely felt safe every time I’ve visited the Scottish capital, but I can’t say the same about London to be honest.
London has a medium to high crime rate as it’s such a big city, and some of the outer regions outside of the centre are not considered safe.
But as a tourist you shouldn’t let this deter you from visiting; it’s generally safe for tourists as long as you stay in the more tourist areas.
Of course, petty acts of crime happens in every city, so it’s best to stay vigilant when travelling wherever you go.
How to Travel from London to Edinburgh
Of course, you may plan on visiting both cities when in the UK, so let’s have a look at the best options for travelling from London to Edinburgh or visa versa:
🚂 By Train:
There are a total of 26 direct trains from London to Edinburgh daily, with the quickest train taking just 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Though this is the UK where train reliability is notoriously bad, so always expect delays. The longest train ride between the two cities can take up to 6 hours, and tickets are in the region of £100.
Travelling by train from London to Edinburgh is a lovely way to see the UK countryside and expect to pass through several large English cities too, like Birmingham and Manchester.
🚗 By Car:
Of course, you can choose to drive from London to Edinburgh, but this will take longer than the train, roughly around 6 hours and 40 minutes via the M1 motorway.
This is assuming that you will have normal traffic, so always factor in extra time for motorway delays which can happen frequently.
Driving out of London can be quite a nightmare too with large volumes of traffic during rush hour, which occurs both during the mornings and evenings.
🚌 By Bus:
If the train option is too pricey and you don’t fancy the long drive, then you can always choose to travel between the two cities via bus.
This is the slowest of the three options, taking around 8 and a half hours, so be prepared for a long day (or night) of travel.
But this is also the cheapest option, with the average bus ticket costing around £25. There are several different bus operators you can travel with, with national express and megabus being the most popular.
BEST Tourist Attractions in London
The truth is there are so many things to do in London that you will find it difficult to fit everything into your itinerary! Here are three of the best tourist attractions to do in the big city:
Tower of London
This is undoubtedly one of the top attractions in all of London! You have the chance to see the actual crown jewels that are still used by the British Monarchy to this day, and you get to see the famous Beefeater guards up close and personal.
London Eye
The iconic London Eye has been voted London’s top attraction for over a decade, and for good reason! A trip on the eye gives you the best panoramic views of all of London all from one of the world’s tallest observation wheels.
Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios Tour
This is a must visit for any Harry Potter fan when visiting London! You get to see the behind the scenes of the movies, featuring so many props, sets and costumes that were used in the films.
This ticket includes bus transportation to Warner Bros Studios and back as well.
BEST Tourist Attractions in Edinburgh
Edinburgh also has many fantastic, historical places to visit, so let’s take a look at the top three tourist attractions here:
Edinburgh Castle
This is Edinburgh’s premiere tourist attraction and one of the top places to visit in the whole of the UK. It is the most important fortress in all of Scotland’s rich history and has amazing panoramic views of the whole city too.
Loch Ness and Highlands Day Tour
When visiting Edinburgh it would be remiss not to see the amazing Scottish Highlands and try to spot Nessie, the mythical Loch Ness monster as well.
This tour allows you to experience the most stunning scenes of nature, often referred to as the most beautiful in the world.
Edinburgh Whisky Tasting
Whisky is an important part of Scotland’s heritage and this is your chance to taste four classic single malt whiskies, all while hearing some great Scottish folklore. This takes place on Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile and is a fantastic experience.
Where to Stay in London
Accommodation in London can be rather expensive and it’s not easy to find a place in the perfect location. Let’s have a look at 3 very good options to stay at in London with varying prices.
📍 Budget Option: K Hotel Kensington
Located in the lovely Kensington district, this 4 star hotel is reasonably priced. It’s a perfect location, situated only a 15 minute walk from Hyde Park and a 10 minute walk from The Natural History Museum.
📍 Mid-Range Option: Argo Hotel – Kings Cross
Ideally situated just 500 metres from Kings Cross train station, this 3 star hotel is the perfectly placed in central London, you’re close to numerous theatres and restaurants and it has a 24 hour front desk.
📍 Luxury Option: Rubens At The Palace
This is an amazing 5 star boutique style hotel is located right next to Buckingham Palace and is just a short walk from Victoria Station. It has a beautiful lobby area, offers a fantastic dining experience and features stunningly beautiful décor.
Where to Stay in Edinburgh
Edinburgh also has a wide range of options when it comes to accommodation, let’s take a look at 3 brilliant hotels with different price options:
📍 Budget Option: YOTEL Edinburgh
This 4 star hotel is centrally located, so you’re ideally placed near all the top attractions in Edinburgh and it’s near the main train station too; Edinburgh Waverley station. It’s reasonably priced and features a bar and a fitness centre.
📍 Mid-range Option: DoubleTree by Hilton
This is a beautiful 4 star hotel in the heart of the city and offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle. It dates back to 1892 and has gorgeous decor, a swanky restaurant and features modern en suite rooms.
📍 Luxury Option: Radisson Blu Hotel
This 4 star hotel is an unmissable building located on the Royal Mile right in the city centre. All the top attractions are close by to the hotel, which features a spa, sauna, fitness centre and a swimming pool.
London vs Edinburgh FAQs
Still not sure whether to visit either London or Edinburgh? Let’s answer some commonly asked questions that you may have:
Which is the bigger city?
London is easily the bigger city; it’s a huge metropolis, the largest in the UK with a population of nearly 10 million people.
Edinburgh on the other hand is a far smaller city, with a population of only half a million. With Edinburgh being a small city, it’s much easier to explore all that it has to offer on foot.
Which has the better public transportation?
Edinburgh is often ranked as having one of the best public transportation systems for any city in the world, so I would have to choose the Scottish capital for this question.
Buses are the most often used form of public transportation in Edinburgh, offering a lot of different routes frequently throughout and around the city to various neighborhoods.
It also has a very good tram system as well. To be honest, you may decide not to use either bus or tram when in Edinburgh as it’s so easy to visit by foot.
London of course is famous for it’s underground subway system, which is one of the largest and most complex in the world. It’s also more expensive to use public transportation in London compared to Edinburgh.
It has a total of 11 lines which can get confusing, but is the most popular way of getting around and in my experience it’s one of the best subway train systems compared to other major cities like New York or Paris.
Which city has more museums?
London easily wins this question, having over an incredible 200 museums (compared to Edinburgh’s 18), making it the UK’s top cultural city by far. It also has over a 100 theatres, so you’re never short on entertainment.
But if you visit Edinburgh during August then you’ll experience the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. If comedy and theatre is you’re thing then this is the time to visit Edinburgh!
The entire city is taken over by nearly 60,000 performers for 25 days, performing at over 300 different venues in and around the city. Edinburgh is always crowded with tourists, but even more so during August.
As a result, accommodation is a lot more expensive during this month too. A lot of hotels are booked up a year in advance, so don’t hesitate if you’re thinking of going.
Which city has more nature?
This is an important question if you feel the need to escape city life for a bit of nature therapy.
Edinburgh would win this question too, having nearby mountains, forests and beaches, being close to the both the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.
London does have several fantastic parks worth exploring though, such as Hyde Park, St. James Park and more which can help you forget that you’re in the middle of one of the most popular cities in the world.
If you’re really craving a bit of nature when visiting the UK, then there is nowhere better than the stunningly beautiful Lake District, which is one of the top reasons why you should visit England.
And if you’re looking for the best views of the ocean while in London, then hop on a train to Brighton which takes less than an hour for a nice day trip to the seaside on the south coast of England.
This is something that a lot of Londoners do, Brighton is often referred to as ‘London-by-the-sea’ and is seen a much better option compared to London, especially during weekends or the summer months.
Conclusion: London vs Edinburgh
So there’s the lowdown on London vs Edinburgh. It’s all subjective to be honest, they are both fantastic cities and two must see places when visiting the UK.
I would probably visit Edinburgh if I had to choose between the two, but that’s only because I haven’t been there as often as I have London.
Edinburgh is easier to navigate by far and probably prettier, but London is simply unlike anywhere else.
Choosing between London vs Edinburgh is not an easy choice; they both offer so much rich culture, history and activities – you definitely won’t be disappointed with either of them.
➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
