Day trip from Edinburgh Alnwick Castle
A large medieval castle in Northumberland, England, used as a Harry Potter filming location, 58 minutes by train to Alnmouth plus four miles by bus or taxi.
Is Alnwick Castle worth a day trip from Edinburgh?
Go, but only spring to autumn.
Yes, between late March and late October. The castle shuts for winter, so check its calendar before you buy a train ticket. Direct trains from Waverley reach Alnmouth in 58 minutes at best, 1 hour 11 on average, and there are 59 a day. Alnmouth station is about four miles from the castle, so add a local bus or a taxi. Entry is £ 22 online or £ 24.45 at the gate, and showing a bus or train ticket takes 20% off the gate price. The grounds open at 10:00 with last admission at 15:45, and the State Rooms run from 10:30 to 16:30.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 58 minto Alnmouth, then 4 miles by bus or taxi · one way · Trainline (LNER, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express services)
- Transport
- Train + bus or taxi
- Self-guided cost
- Not verified yet
- Tour price
- From € 63.05Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 8–10 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Winter, from late Oct to late Mar
- Best time
- Apr-Sep, on weekdays outside school holidaysDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Alnwick Castle
- 01
The State Rooms
The furnished rooms of the Duke of Northumberland's family, who still live here, with Italian Renaissance interiors and paintings by Titian and Canaletto. They open at 10:30. Allow 45 minutes.
- 02
Broomstick training
A staff-led session on the lawn where the first Harry Potter flying lesson was filmed. It is included with admission, lasts about 25 minutes, and you collect a timed ticket on arrival.
- 03
The Outer Bailey and ramparts
The big grass courtyard inside the curtain wall, with towers, small museums and the gun terrace above the River Aln. Half an hour, and the best place for photographs.
- 04
The Alnwick Garden
A separate attraction next door with a large water cascade, a locked Poison Garden shown by guides, and a huge treehouse. It needs its own ticket and about two hours.
- 05
Alnwick town and the old station bookshop
A market town with a medieval gate and cobbled marketplace. One of Britain's largest second-hand bookshops fills the former railway station, ten minutes from the castle.
Good forCastles and palacesWith kids
How to spend the day
Leave Waverley around 08:30 and reach Alnmouth by 09:45. Take the bus or a taxi to Alnwick and be at the gate soon after 10:00. Walk the grounds first, go into the State Rooms once they open at 10:30, and stay until about 13:30. Lunch in the market town, a look at the Alnwick Garden entrance, and a bus back to Alnmouth around 15:30. Trains north get you to Edinburgh between 17:00 and 18:00.
Alnwick Castle in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustPeak season. The castle opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, with last entry to the grounds at 15:45. School holidays bring queues for broomstick sessions and crowded State Rooms around midday. Extra activities for children run most days. Highs are close to Edinburgh's, around 18-19°C. Book the train early, since advance fares rise as the date nears.
Winter
December to FebruaryDo not go for the castle: it closes from late October until late March. In 2026 the season ran from 27 March to 25 October. The Alnwick Garden next door keeps some winter opening and the town is pleasant, but neither justifies the journey from Edinburgh alone. Save this trip for spring.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- School holidays in late July and August, 11:00-14:00
- Quietest
- Weekdays in April, May, June and September
Arrive for 10:00 and collect broomstick tickets first, because sessions run out on busy days. Be at the State Rooms door for 10:30. By the time coach groups arrive you will have seen the interior.
How do you get to Alnwick Castle from Edinburgh?
Train + bus or taxi
- Travel time
- 58-71 min, plus 4 miles by road
- Frequency
- 59 trains a day
- Cost
- Advance singles from £ 9.70
- Departs from
- Edinburgh Waverley
LNER, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express all run direct to Alnmouth. Fares change from train to train, so book ahead and check which operator your ticket is valid on. From the station, local buses go to Alnwick bus station, a short walk from the castle entrance.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 9.5 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 63
- Departs from
- Castle Terrace, outside the NCP car park
The coach goes to Holy Island first and Alnwick second, and is back in Edinburgh around 18:15. Castle entry is not included, and your stop in Alnwick has to cover both town and castle. When the tide closes the causeway, Bamburgh Castle replaces Holy Island.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Flat shoes for cobbles and grass, and a waterproof, since much of the visit is outdoors in the baileys. Northumberland is as windy as Edinburgh. Large bags are not allowed in the State Rooms.
What to eat
There are cafes inside the castle walls and more in the Garden. For a proper lunch walk five minutes to the marketplace and Bondgate, where the pubs and bakeries are. Craster kippers, smoked a few miles away on the coast, are the regional product.
What you will spend
Castle entry is £ 22 online or £ 24.45 at the gate. The cross-border train is priced by demand, with advance singles from £ 9.70, so book early. Add the bus or taxi from Alnmouth, and a second ticket if you visit the Garden. The tour starts from € 63 without castle entry.
How to get the most out of the day
- The bus from Alnmouth station to Alnwick runs roughly hourly. Check its times against your train, or book a taxi for the four miles.
- Advance tickets tie you to one departure. Choose a return train with a margin, because a late bus from Alnwick can make you miss it.
- Photography is not permitted inside the State Rooms. Everywhere else in the castle, including the film locations, you can take pictures.
- Castle tickets bought online are valid for repeat visits for 12 months, and that makes no difference to you on a day trip.
How long do you need in Alnwick Castle?
Plan 8–10 h on site, plus 58 min of travel each way from Edinburgh.
When is Alnwick Castle closed?
Winter, from late Oct to late Mar. Best time: Apr-Sep, on weekdays outside school holidays.