royal yacht britannia tram stop

• Royal Deck Tearoom
• Group Visit
• Accessibility
• Annual Pass
• Our Green Tourism
• Weekly Snaps
• Things to do in Edinburgh
• What's On
• Private Events
• Private Dining
• Drinks Reception
• Private Tours
• Burns Supper
• Meet The Team
• Historical Timeline
• Explore Britannia
• Royal Residence
• Life Below Decks

The Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Drive, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ

Tel: 0131 555 5566 Email us: [email protected]

• Search this website

Where is The Royal Yacht Britannia Berthed?

Just a 20-minute drive from Edinburgh's city centre, in Leith.

The  entrance to the tour is on the Ground Floor of Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre.

What3Words: ///each.glee.served

Click here for Google Maps

Leave the car at home and cycle along the traffic-free Water of Leith. Bike racks are outside Ocean Terminal. For cycle routes, see  CycleStreets . For bike hire, contact the  Leith Cycle Company  or  Bike Trax .

Edinburgh trams now run from Edinburgh Airport through the city centre and down to Leith. To visit Britannia get off the tram at stop Ocean Terminal. 

Adult tickets cost £2 each way in the city zone. Child tickets are £1 each way. If you are returning to the city, you can purchase a return ticket for the same day at £3.80 for adults and £1.90 for children. Tickets must be purchased from the machines on the platform before travel. T icket vending machines accept most debit and credit cards including American Express as well as 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins. No change is given.

If you are travelling to or from Edinburgh Airport there is a single ticket for £7.50 or an open return for £9.50.

For more information and for combination tickets of the city zone tram with local Lothian Buses,   click here . 

Lothian Bus  services from Edinburgh city centre are 10, 16, 34 or 35. Tickets can be purchased with contactless card payment or with correct change. Single tickets cost £2.00 or a day ticket costs £5.00 however the daily cap by using contactless is cheaper at £4.80.

Alternatively, Regal Tour buses depart from Waterloo Place / St Andrew Square in Edinburgh's city centre. The Regal Tour Bus is operated by  Edinburgh Bus Tours .

The nearest train station is  Edinburgh Waverley . 

For satnav, our postcode is  EH6 6JJ . Follow signs for Edinburgh and Leith, or North Edinburgh. There is a free multi-storey car park as part of Ocean Terminal.

At the junction of Commercial Street, Lindsay Road and North Junction Street, turn on to Ocean Drive. Passing the Holiday Inn Express on your right, across the junction (traffic lights), after passing the large white Ocean Terminal sign on your left, take the first left turn into the multi-storey car park. We recommend parking on level C or E as they both allow direct access into the shopping centre.

Please see our videos below for instructions on how to go from the car park into Ocean Terminal and find the entrance to Britannia.

Visit   Google Maps  to help plan your journey.

To arrive by taxi, please ask the driver to drop off outside Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. Please then enter through the main shopping centre entrance and follow the signs to our Ground Floor location within the centre.

By Cruise Ship

If you are berthed in Leith our entrance to the tour is inside Ocean Terminal, 5 minutes' walk from your cruise ship.

If you are berthed at South Queensferry, take a shuttle bus to Edinburgh and catch the tram to Ocean Terminal. A taxi will cost approximately £35 and take 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on traffic).

Britannia is approximately 40 minutes' drive from  Edinburgh Airport .

The Lothian Bus Skylink 200  service travels directly from the airport to Britannia .   Tickets can be purchased from the driver. Please note that the correct change is required. Alternatively download the  Lothian Buses 'm-tickets'  app which allows you to buy tickets to be shown to the driver on your mobile phone.

For further details on transport links, please visit  Edinburgh Airport's Guide .

Open Friday

(Last Admission 5pm)

Visiting Britannia

TRIPADVISOR'S NO.1 UK ATTRACTION 2023 - 2024

PLEASE PRE-BOOK YOUR TICKETS TO GUARANTEE ADMISSION Start your tour at our entrance, currently located on the Ground Floor of Ocean Terminal. Please note that tickets purchased in person are by card/contactless only. 

Click on the Visit page  for more information before you visit.

Step aboard to enjoy a great day out!

Fingal Hotel

Get away from the everyday aboard Britannia’s sister ship, Fingal.  Extend your visit with a stay in one of Fingal’s luxurious cabins, your own oasis by the sea. 

TRIPADVISOR'S NO.1 UK LUXURY HOTEL TRIPADVISOR'S NO.1 UK SMALL & BOUTIQUE HOTEL AA Hotel of the Year Scotland, AA five-star hotel and 2 AA Rosettes

Learn more: fingal.co.uk

Trams are running from every 7 minutes

• Plan a journey
• Trams to Newhaven

Plan a Journey

Popular Destinations

For regular travellers, contact & help.

• Get in touch

Additional Help

• Ticket Offices
• Lost property
• Accessibility

Ocean Terminal

Always buy tickets before you board

Next Tram to Airport:

Next tram to newhaven:, plan your journey.

Ocean Terminal tram stop offers easy access to Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre which has many high-street shops and small bespoke independent stores. This tram stop is also next to the Royal Yacht Britannia, as well as the Port of Leith Distillery.

Stop Status:

Other tram stops.

What's nearby?

Its stylish and calming ambience is supported by a mix of coffee bars, 24 hour gym, 12 screen Vue Cinema, skatepark and top tourist attraction, The Royal Yacht Britannia. With over 1,600 free car parking spaces it is located just 3 miles from Edinburgh City Centre sitting on Leith's waterfront overlooking the magnificent Firth of Forth.

Royal Yacht Britannia

Step aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia! Explore each of the five decks of The Royal Yacht Britannia and discover what life was like during Royal service on board Queen Elizabeth II's former floating palace. A great day out for all the family.

Let's keep in touch!

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Get the news right in your inbox!

Search the blog

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

meganywhere

Solo Female Travel

Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, Scotland

If you find yourself in Edinburgh, visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia is an absolute must! It’s not far outside of the city, and a wonderful way to tour authentic royal history! I of course recognized it from The Crown, but loved stepping onboard walking in the same footsteps as QEII and other members of the royal family. Here is what to expect visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, Scotland!

Read More: An Ultimate Guide to 2 Days in Edinburgh

Getting There

Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia takes you just outside the heart of the city, but is very easy to get there! The easiest (and cheapest) way is to use the public tram. The tram is one line that starts at the airport, goes through the heart of the city, and then out to the coast. Click here for a map- chances are, there is a stop not far from where you’re staying in Edinburgh! Prior to boarding, you will want to make sure you purchase your round-trip ticket. Each stop has ticket machines where you can buy a round-trip ticket for less than £4 (as of September 2024). You will board the next train heading toward Newhaven and ride the tram to the second-to-last stop, getting off at  Ocean Terminal  where the Britannia lives! The ride is only about 20 minutes from the center of Edinburgh, and incredibly easy and safe. I also loved that it was above ground so I could see more of the city as we traveled!

Tickets and Boarding

Tickets and entry to the Britannia are  located in Ocean Terminal , which is like a mall (strange, but go with it). Once inside, continue straight back and then make a right turn. There will be plenty of signs guiding you to visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia, so just follow those! Step inside the ticket office to get your boarding pass and audio guide (more on that below!). Pro tip, if you have your student ID from college, bring that to save a few pounds! Once you have your ticket, you’ll follow signs outside to see the royal yacht in all her glory!

The Self-Guided Tour

Once onboard, you’ll set off on the self-guided tour through the Britannia! The tour starts on deck 5, which is the top deck with the bridge and a sundeck. You’ll then make your way down deck by deck to view the preserved rooms that are set just like when QEII and her family were on board. You will tour their staterooms, formal dining room, living room, sun room, sun decks, and crew areas. You’ll even work your way down to the lower decks to get a behind the scenes look at the operations that kept the Britannia operating smoothly (both on a logistical level, as well as a working royal one!). Since the tour is self-guided, you can spend as much or as little time in each area as you’d like. I feel as though I moved through at a moderate pace and it took me about 2 hours to tour the entire ship.

One of the best parts of this tour though? The audio guides! Do not sleep on them! When you arrive at the ticket booth, they’ll give you the option of taking them or not. Definitely make sure you do! They are free and give so much interesting backstory to the areas you’ll tour while visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia. One of my favorite parts though was the fact that they included audio clips from members of the royal family reflecting on their life aboard the Britannia. QEII, King Charles, Princess Anne, and so many others discuss the different rooms and recall memories throughout the yacht. It really gave me a lot of added appreciation for the Britannia hearing about it straight from them!

Off the Ship

Once you finish touring all the decks aboard the Britannia, there is still more to see off the ship! On the dock, you’ll find several “photo ops” set up- my favorite being this boarding area! You can walk up and feel just like royalty (an adult version of a Disney Princess!). Docked right next to Britannia was also a smaller speedboat, which I recognized from The Crown as the boat the family would use for zipping around the coast of Italy! I’m sure there is a name for this type of boat, but I’ll just call it the wooden speedboat with an Italian vibe ;). Once back inside Ocean Terminal, across from the ticket office is a small gift shop where you can get authentic Britannia gear. I snagged some ornaments for my Christmas tree!

Traveling soon? Check out my  Travel Tips  page to help you score good deals on flights, packing tips, tools to help you plan, and more!

Share this:

Related posts

Top 5 Non-Touristy Beaches on O’ahu

Staying in the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin, Ireland

12 Photos to Inspire You to Visit South Dakota

No comments, leave a reply cancel reply.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hi! Welcome to Meganywhere, a solo female travel blog designed to help you stretch your budget, maximize your time at a destination, and travel smarter! Read More

Popular Links

International

Travel Tips

Latest Posts

6 Best States to Travel to in Winter

Day Trip to the Scottish Highlands with Discover Scotland Tours

Be the first to hear about new travel tips, tricks, itineraries, and more!

SEARCH THE BLOG

Discover more from meganywhere.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

We've noticed that you're using an out of date browser. We recommend that you update to the latest version to enhance your browsing experience.

Availability Search for  The Royal Yacht Britannia

Terms & conditions.

This booking system and any information appearing on this page relating to the availability of any accommodation is provided by third parties and not by VisitScotland. It is intended to provide real time availability information relating to accommodation which is also provided by third parties. You may use this booking system to place direct bookings with third party accommodation providers. Any booking you make will not be placed with VisitScotland and we will have no liability to you in respect of any booking. If you proceed to make a booking you will leave our Website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party. VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. This booking system and any information appearing on this page is provided for your information and convenience only and is not intended to be an endorsement by VisitScotland of the content of such linked websites, the quality of any accommodation listed, or of the services of any third party.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Experience Tripadvisor's Best UK Attraction 2023-24. Follow in the footsteps of Royalty and explore this floating Royal residence with a fascinating audio tour of five decks (available in over 30 languages).

Tripadvisor's Best UK Visitor Attraction 2023-2024 and Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Best of the Best award winner. 

Visit this award-winning attraction, just two miles from Edinburgh's city centre at Ocean Terminal.  The Royal Yacht Britannia played host to some of the world’s most famous people, from Nelson Mendela to Winston Churchill, but above all was home for the British Royal Family for over 40 years. Now you can discover the heart and soul of this most special of Royal residences.

You'll receive a truly warm welcome at Britannia's Visitor Centre before boarding Queen Elizabeth II's former floating palace.

What will you see?

Tour Britannia’s five decks

Feel like the captain of the ship in the Bridge

Follow in the footsteps of Royalty through the State Apartments

See Queen Elizabeth II's favourite room- the Sun Lounge

Discover below decks in the Crew’s Quarters

Admire a tour highlight, the gleaming Engine Room

Take in the Royal Sailing Exhibition

Enjoy soups, sandwiches, cakes and scones in the Royal Deck Tearoom and admire the stunning waterfront views

The tour is available in:

Audio handset tour, available in over 30 languages

Children’s audio tour

Audio tour for those with sight loss

ASL and BSL tablet

Braille script ​​​​​​ ​​​​​

Complete the Britannia experience with a visit to the  Gift Shop in Ocean Terminal, where you’ll find exclusive Britannia souvenirs, china, toys, gifts and nautical items.

Berthed just moments away, Britannia's sister ship, floating hotel Fingal, offers 22 luxurious cabins inspired by the former Northern Lighthouse Board tender's rich maritime heritage. For further information, visit Fingal's website .

-  All weather experience -  Highly accessible for wheelchair users, single buggies and those with limited mobility. Read our accessibility statement here . -  Free Annual Pass for 12 months' admission included -  The entrance to Britannia is temporarily on the Ground Floor of Ocean Terminal shopping centre.

How to get here?

By tram: Take the tram to stop 'Ocean Terminal' (Newhaven direction). For further information, please visit Edinburgh Trams  

By bus:  Regal Tour Bus and Lothian Buses 10, 16, 34 and 35 run from the city centre towards Ocean Terminal. Regal Tour buses depart regularly from Waterloo Place / St Andrew Square in the centre of Edinburgh. The Regal Bus Tour is operated by Edinburgh Bus Tours .

By train:  Arrive in the city centre at Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, just 2 miles from Britannia. 

By car: Follow signs to Edinburgh and Leith or North Edinburgh. Then follow brown tourist signs for Britannia. Free car parking at Ocean Terminal multi-storey car park (level C is nearest). For satnav our postcode is EH6 6JJ. Go inside the shopping centre for Britannia’s entrance and the start of the tour. By plane: Britannia is approximately 40 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh Airport.

For further information on finding Britannia, please see here .  

Please check the Britannia website for full opening times and prices. EVENING EVENTS Exclusive dinners and receptions can be hosted on board. Call our events team on +44 (0) 131 555 8800 and see how we can create your event of a lifetime, or visit the events section of our website .

PRIVATE TOURS A private tour on board The Royal Yacht Britannia is an exclusive experience, giving you access to Britannia’s five decks, and a unique insight into the history of the Royal Yacht and how the Royal Family and crew lived and worked on board. Both morning and evening tours are available. Call our events team on +44 (0) 131 555 8800 or for more information visit click here . PRESERVING BRITANNIA Britannia is cared for by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust , a self-funding charity registered in Scotland (SC028070). By visiting Britannia you will be helping us to preserve this important piece of history for future generations.

Transport and Parking

• On Public Transport Route
• Public Parking Nearby
• No Pets Allowed

Accessibility

• British Sign Language
• Hearing Loop
• Accessible Parking Or Drop-off Point
• Lift or stairlift
• Large print, braille or audio
• American Sign Language
• Wheelchairs or mobility aids provided
• Accessible toilets
• Wheelchair access throughout
• Suitable for visitors with limited mobility

Dietary Options

• Gluten Free

Typical Prices

• Baby Changing Facilities
• Public Toilet Facilities
• Lunch Available
• Licensed Bar
• Cafe or Restaurant

Payment Methods

• American Express
• Diners Card
• Credit Card

Awards & Schemes

Related items of interest

• The Royal Deck Tearoom aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia

Cookies are required to view this content. Change your preferences at Manage Cookie Settings

The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.

What's Nearby

Accommodation, attractions, food & drink, terms and conditions.