A week in Edinburgh

[PolyplaxSerrata]

My 18 yo and I are heading to Edinburgh for a week next month.
We are staying in the city centre and don't have a car.
Is there anything we absolutely should do?
We like museums, animals, and don't mind train or coach travel. We like a tourist bus but would like to know about any interesting but less crowded attractions.

Really recommend Mary's King Close The Real Mary King's Close (realmarykingsclose.com) You go under the streets in the old town of Edinburgh. Walk up to Arthur's Seat if you're able to as you get a great view of the city. The Museum of Scotland is free in Chambers Street, and so is the Scottish Portrait Gallery in Queen Street which has the famous original Robert Burns painting (and a great cafe). Portrait | National Galleries of Scotland

My two favourite attractions in the world (and I've been about a bit) are in Edinburgh: the Royal Yacht Britannia and The Real Mary King's Close.

I can't vouch for lack of crowds but I presume they can be booked on timeslots (I last went pre-Covid).

And of course the hop on hop off bus - do it early in the trip to get your bearings.

There are loads of threads of things to do in Edinburgh, you will be spoilt for choice. Id say with a week you could get a train out to places like north Berwick, or visit a distillery somewhere. Or a bus to st andrews. For a quirky museum try the anatomy one at surgeons hall.

National Museum of Scotland has a varied selection of galleries and the roof top has a viewing platform. Arthurs Seat is worth the climb but can get crowded. RY Britannia is surprisingly good and you can reach it on the tram to Leith or hop on hop off bus. If you fancy green space the Botanic Gardens are a nice stroll. The parliament building at Holyrood is often open to visitors, even if in session, and has a cheap cafe .

I don't think the HOHO bus is particularly worth it in Edinburgh, the city centre is very compact and easily walkable and the bus routes that go further out only take you to places that can be reached just as easily by local public transport and you're paying a lot of money to drive around the suburbs! There's walking tours around the old town which might be better use of your time.
Edinburgh zoo, although sadly the pandas have now departed
You can go Alpaca trekking in the Pentlands, just a short bus ride from the city centre BobCat Alpacas - Trekking (bobcat-alpacas.co.uk)
Portobello beach and amusement arcade
National museum of Scotland
Mary King's close
The Castle (a bit boring and heaving on Scottish military history IMO but the tourists seem to love it)
Holyrood palace
Tour of the parliament building
Walk up Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill
Botanic gardens and stockbridge then walk along the water of leith to Dean Village to join a billion other tourists taking photos for instagram
Day trip by train to Glasgow, St Andrews or North Berwick if the weather is good
Royal Yacht Britannia and there's a new distillery at Leith which i think are doing tours
Do a day tour with Rabbies or Timberbush (don't go to Loch Ness, it's too many hours on a bus for one day!)

I agree not to bother with the tourist bus as ordinary public transport is brilliant and cheap and you'll have a much greater array of options. Look at the Ridacard which is £22 for a week.

Public bus fares are capped each day if you tap on, tap off.

I don't think you'd even need a Ridacard for £22 a week if you're staying in the city centre. It's capped at £4.80 a day (single £2) so you need to be doing multiple journey every day to make it pay and most attractions are walking distance from a central location.