How many nights in Edinburgh

[Wimbledonwomble]

Continuing to search for cheap London-edinburgh train fares for October half term. However, can't decide how many nights we'll need. Have a 15 yr old & a 12 yr old. We'll arrive mid afternoon on day 1 and will need to leave around lunchtime on final day. So do you recommend 2 or 3 nights, giving 1 or 2 full days? On a bit of a budget so looking at Travelodge/Premier Lodge Fri-Sun or Mon. Attractions I think will be of interest are Camera Obscura, Mary Kings Close, walk to King Arthur's seat. Anything else?
Thx!

I'd stay for three nights.
I'd recommend going on a Cadies and Witcheries tour on the first evening.
Camera Obscura and Real Mary King are both two hour activities and are very near each other. Could do them in the same afternoon, perhaps after having been to the Castle in the morning.
I'd allow two hours for Arthur's Seat. This could be combined with a trip to the excellent Dynamic Earth attraction, for which I'd allow another hour at least. I'd probably do this on your last morning.
Edinburgh Dungeon and the zoo (with a pair of giant pandas on loan from China) could be done together on a full day.

You could fill a week in Edinburgh no problem. Come for as long as you can. The penguin display at the zoo is amazing if the pandas are asleep! Just came on to say the Botanical gardens and glasshouses are wonderful too.

Definitely eat at Coro the chocolate cafe which has two locations in Edinburgh. It has an incredible (and endless) menu of both sweet and savoury crepes, pancakes and waffles. Or you can make your own from a massive list of toppings and sauces. They also do some epic chocolate fondues. The prices are excellent; it cost me less than £5 for a brie, spinach and tomato crepe with side salad.

We did 3 nights, we were also on a budget and so stay in a travel lodge. It was basic but perfectly fine. I paid £165 for 3 nights at end of July.

Castle is nice to visit also royal yacht Britannia. My children are younger but we all found it interesting.

From my experience I’ve always got the best priced tickets around 12 weeks beforehand direct on their website.
I can highly recommend the travelodge that’s just off the royal mile, not fancy but location is great and large rooms.

Thank you - some great suggestions there! The witchery tour sounds great & I hadn't realised Royal Yacht Britannia was nearby, how long is the bus trip there?

A friend who lives their drive us but it wasn't that far. It's at Leith. It's quite bizarre - it's at the back of a shopping centre so the ticket office bit is like a shop but you go out the back at there's the boat!

how long is the bus trip there?

About 35 minutes.

Lothian Region transport have a very good journey planning website if you want help to figure out your schedule.
www.lothianbuses.com/live-travel-info/journey-planner/

National museum of Scotland - you can spend a day there
Museum of childhood
People's museum
Dynamic earth
Surgeon's hall
Portrait gallery
Leith- royal yacht
Botanic gardens
Zoo
Get on tram or bus and take a city tour
Castle
Camera obscura
Mary Kings Close
Explore new town
Walk up to Stockbridge
St Giles'cathedral
Banking Museum
Just wander and take in the ambiance
Home city …. miss it...a lot.