Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia – MUST Read Before You Go

Hey hey, Alisa here – the face behind Wonders of Scotland! After living in Edinburgh for over 10 years, I finally visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, and I’m super excited to share my experience with you. This iconic visitor attraction is full of history, and I’ve got everything you need to know before planning your visit. I’ll try to keep it short, I promise!

Let’s start with the basics: what the Royal Yacht Britannia actually is, why it’s important to Scotland, how to get there, where to get tickets and I’ll wrap it up with my honest opinion and rating.

Royal Yacht Britannia – What Is It?

The word Royal in the name is your first clue – this is no ordinary yacht. The Royal Yacht Britannia served the royal family for 44 years, travelling around the globe for everything from official state visits to honeymoons. Queen Elizabeth II definitely spent a lot of cherished time on board.

In 1997, Britannia was officially retired because it became too expensive to run and maintain. I’m linking a really moving YouTube video here from the 1997 decommissioning ceremony — you can truly see how attached the royal family and crew were to this vessel.
These days, Royal Yacht Britannia is permanently docked at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh’s Leith area and is one of the city’s most popular attractions. If you’re curious about the royal family and have an interest in boats, yachts, or transportation, you’ll probably find this one fascinating.

Logistics & Tickets

The Royal Yacht Britannia is located at Ocean Terminal in Leith and is super easy to reach by public transport. If you’re coming from the city centre (Princes Street), you can hop on Lothian Bus number 10 or 34 – the journey takes about 30 minutes, and a single ticket costs £2.20.

Personally, I recommend taking the tram. It’s slightly quicker, brand new, and the new line now goes all the way to Ocean Terminal. It’s also £2.20, but make sure you buy your ticket from the machine at the stop. If you buy from the conductor onboard, it’ll cost you around £10. 😬

I visited on a Saturday, and to be honest, it wasn’t super busy – I easily got tickets at the entrance. That said, I always recommend booking in advance, especially during peak times like August, to make sure you get the date and time you prefer.
You can book you tickets on the official website of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Useful Info Before Your Visit

I love fun facts. Do you? If you’re visiting with family and want to impress them, or maybe taking a date, I’ve got you covered.

• Even though it’s now a tourist attraction, you can actually hire the dining room on Royal Yacht Britannia for events — and dine where prime ministers, royals, and diplomats once had dinner. How cool is that?
• Over its 44 years of service, Britannia hosted 968 official visits. That’s about 22 visits a year!
• The yacht was built in Scotland by the legendary shipyard John Brown & Co in 1952. The company, founded in 1851, also built other famous ships like the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Lusitania. Fun twist: the last ship ever built by Upper Clyde Shipbuilders in 1972 was called… Alisa! Yep, we share a name — and no, I didn’t make that up.
• Britannia hosted four royal honeymoons. I could definitely feel the love in the air while on board.
• There is only one double bed on the entire yacht. The rest? Singles. I know, right? Surprising for a royal ship!

My Honest Thoughts on the Royal Yacht Britannia

Okay, time for my personal review. I’m not a massive fan of boats in general, but it was interesting to get a little peek into royal life — like spying, but legally 😅. I enjoyed seeing the décor, the different rooms, and imagining how they lived on board.

For the boat lovers out there, you’ll probably be obsessed with the engine room and the gazillion buttons and panels (none of which work anymore, but still cool to see).

I recommend setting aside about 2 hours to explore everything properly. If you get tired halfway, there’s a lovely tearoom on board with a gorgeous sea view – such a vibe.

They hand out a portable audio guide at the entrance. Honestly? I’m not the biggest fan of carrying those around, but it’s better than just reading plaques. Still, I found the audio guide a bit dry — lots of information, but I personally prefer juicy behind-the-scenes stories over technical facts. Maybe that’s just me.

The attraction feels a bit outdated overall – not in a bad way, more like charmingly vintage. That said, I think it could benefit from some updates — maybe offering different types of audio guides depending on your interests (history nerds vs gossip lovers, you know?).

My rating: 7/10.
The exhibits are in great condition, the staff are probably the friendliest I’ve ever met at a tourist site, and it’s fully accessible for wheelchairs or anyone with limited mobility. But I’d love to see a little more modern tech and engagement added.

Overall, if you’ve got the time and you’re curious about the royal family, boats, or 1950s Britain, then you’ll definitely enjoy this place. It’s a unique window into royal life at sea and a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in Edinburgh. And if you’re looking for more ideas while you’re in town, don’t miss my post on the 10 Best Things to Do in Edinburgh – it’s packed with local gems and must-sees!

Enjoy your time in Edinburgh, Enjoy the Royal Yacht Britannia