It is difficult to know what to recommend, not knowing what you like doing, and I’m not sure I have similar tastes to many, but (presuming you’ve not been before):
Walking up Arthur’s Seat +/- Salisbury Crags is a must. Then down into Duddingston for a pint in ‘The Sheip’s Heid’ maybe?(others would know better than me about that).
Princes Street including the gardens & gallery, George Street, Queen Street inc the Portrait Gallery.
Walk down through the New Town to the Botanical Gardens.
My personal favourite place for coffee is Soderburgh on Middle Meadow Walk. Their Mazarins and their buns are to die for – so have both! Sit outside and watch people walk and cycle past. You could then walk across the Meadows to Edinburgh Cycles and browse some bikes. Then pop to Bruntsfield and Morningside which are very Edinburgh. Some decent charity shops in Morningside too.
Edinburgh buses are frequent and very reliable, a day ticket for unlimited use is very good value.
However, if you have bicycles there are many places that you’d likely not see otherwise. An off road, circular route along the canal, down to Crammond on the sea, along the coast (through Leith) and on to Portobello with fish and chips sitting on the promenade (swimming in the sea optional, although very trendy). Then back along the Innocent Railway cyclepath is highly recommended.
If it’s raining, Vue cinema at Ocean Terminal (near Leith) has very luxurious all reclining seats at £6.99.

Room & Rumours for coffee and donuts. It’s near the Royal Mile and the station.

The old railway tunnel between Arthur’s seat and duddingston is worth a walk for the imaginative grafitti

Good call on the Botanic Gardens. Take a walk via Stockbridge on the way there and stop at the pubs/cafes. If you like SE Asian style food then Wee Buddha is great.

Went to the castle for the first time in years over the summer. Wouldn’t rush back TBH.

On the flip side, I got dragged to dynamic Earth and really enjoyed it.

Personally I just love wondering around, but appreciate with kids in tow that’s not always possible.

Fairly adventurous food-wise? I’d recommend Six by Nico – you’ll get a lunch or late reservation at short notice. Six course tasting menu for £32 a head – it’s well worth the price.

Maki and Ramen for sushi, you’ll find a fair few of them dotted around.

Dynamic Earth is interesting enough, as is the Arthur’s Seat area in general. A volcano in a city.

Supposedly the Royal Yacht Brittania (down at the Shore in Leith), the Edinburgh Dungeon, The Bus Tours and Mary King’s Close are the best “tourist” things to do. The National Museum is pretty good too and I like the Portrait Gallery.

All pretty good options if the weather is poor.

I’d wrap up well as it’s to get much colder when the dreich ,cloudy and rainy weather clears
If the sun comes out the Scott monument just suck your belly in at the top , but if it’s still raining a trip to the Dominion to watch James Bond , comfy reclining seats, maybe a wee drink and your inclusive pringles
So comfy I fall asleep

I’ve been up the fore flag pole / mast on a few occasions of Brittania at work, i’ve subsequently had a quick nose around and can recommend it to see how the top few 0.000% get by. I’ve always mena to go back for a tour.

Britannia is a mile away from Shore ( not “the Shore” ) Its a street named “Shore” and is only a couple of hundred m long. Its weird and makes constructing sentences hard but thats its proper name – same as “Pleasance” No “the” involved

🙂

I have not been on one of these tours but very good by all accounts

https://www.hettyshistorywalks.co.uk/

Re my comments on Leith – I am sure people have other experiences – I passed through in the car a few months ago and witnessed an assault on the pavement. Other people in the traffic jam got out to intervene. This is just one (OK maybe 20 or so who saw it from their cars) person’s experience and an isolated incident, I am sure many people live safe happy lives. It has always been a place of contrasts, I lived on Henderson Street for six months a few years ago, in one direction cars set on fire most weekends, a few doors down the road a Michelin starred restaurant….

Did anybody mention Rosslyn Chapel yet? That just counts as Edinburgh I think? And no fire-bombing there recently. Penicuik now…

Indeed you are an outlier Hels

i have lived about 100m from where you were for 30 years. Seen one assault in that time and never seen a car being burnt nor seen the remains of burnt out cars

Lets put it this way – the area is now one of the highest priced places for property in the city. a 2 bed flat can be £400 000+

Last time I was in Leith a weird junkie guy showed me his stoma and asked me to go to Granton with him to buy a colostomy bag.

I’ve been in three street brawls and an attempted mugging in my time in Edinburgh. Every one was in Leith.

I think the area is a dump.

To be fair, I also think the same of Nicolson Street where my flat is.

Oi ygh – don’t refer to me as a “weird junkie guy”!

Lets put it this way – the area is now one of the highest priced places for property in the city. a 2 bed flat can be £400 000+

Maybe ‘one of’ but I doubt it would be in the top 10 priciest areas in Edinburgh.

It’s a funny place Leith, whilst I feel totally safe when there, it definitely has an air of menace.

I have lived in leith for 30 years – I really do not recognize this leith you describe at all. maybe 40 years ago in trainspotting days but no longer. No one I know that lives here has ever been mugged or in a fight.

I guess you see what you want to. maybe its because I used to live on the whalley range / mosside border in manchester before leith where shotguns in the night were commonplace

and yes – Leith is one of the most expensive parts of the city to live in. My block has a 25% premium over the rest of the area because location location location

anyway – huge thread drift.

Can’t resist it

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/leith-named-best-place-live-scotland-2502755?fbclid=IwAR0JQp8ZZMl6zkcI08INq4JoCyMpriPv23QkZWoqvq3s9AmxTMYgrZ6G660

https://www.coultersproperty.co.uk/blog/edinburghs-leith-area-is-one-of-the-coolest-places-to-live/

There are plenty things to do in Edinburgh, be regards food and drink, really I’d be tempted not to take anyone’s advice.
It would be harder to find a crap place than find a decent place in Edinburgh nowadays.

Leith is ok as well. Some nice places round the water of Leith bit.

Had food and drink in the Guildford https://guildfordarms.com/ behind the Apple shop in Princes street a few days ago, was really braw, but there are probably 50 as good places within 300yrds of it.