Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel in the heart of the city.

The rest of the day is yours to spend relaxing and exploring your new surroundings, perhaps choosing to dine in one of the Edinburgh’s many fine eateries, or enjoy a drink in a cosy café or bar.

As this is a short break, we don’t include checked-in hold luggage but do include the airline’s base-level hand luggage so you can choose how much luggage you want to add on when you check in for your flight.

Some airlines include a bag under the seat as their base luggage, others include overhead cabin bags – it varies from airline to airline – and there are always different options to increase the allowance. You may wish to add a hold bag if you anticipate buying lots of gifts at the Christmas markets or consider booking one hold bag between two people. The choice is yours, as we know everyone has different needs.

Join your friendly tour manager for a short, guided introduction this morning, which will bring to life Edinburgh’s major sights, including the lanes and wynds of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the impregnable Castle atop its rocky promontory. Wander along Princes Street, with its shops, stores and colourful festive markets, stopping to explore the Traditional Highland Village in Princes Street Gardens, where the gifts, handicrafts and foodstuffs showcase the best of Scottish fare, together with an authentic German Market – a great place for a light lunch.

This afternoon is free to spend at your leisure, perhaps revisiting some of your favourite spots from this morning’s tour, finding a cosy restaurant for dinner.

Today you have the choice of joining an optional tour to Loch Lomond or continuing your exploration of Edinburgh under your own steam, perhaps returning to Princes Street and its colourful Christmas markets.

Loch Lomond is located at the heart of the Trossachs National Park. Join your fellow guests as you enjoy a scenic drive around its southern shores, home to loch-side castles and stately homes, with the possibility of catching a glimpse of magnificent Ben Lomond. A stop at the chic loch-side shopping centre Lomond Shores provides ample opportunities for some souvenir shopping and a spot of lunch (payable locally). Continue to a local distillery, where you will enjoy a brief tour and learn about the history of whisky, one of Scotland’s principle exports, followed by a tasting session and the chance to buy a bottle of the good stuff to take home.

Return to your hotel, and perhaps venture out to a local restaurant to enjoy your last night in Edinburgh.

Depending on the time of your return flight, you may have some free time this morning to look around Edinburgh one last time, before you transfer back to the airport for your return flight, rounding off a marvelously festive few days.