The Royal Mile is one long slope. It starts on a volcanic rock, where kings once lived behind walls, and ends at a palace in the flat ground below, where they moved when they wanted more comfort. Walk it in that direction and the city's history comes in order: fortress, church, reformer's house, then the old royal home and the parliament that now sits beside it.
Budget half a day. Several of the stops reward going inside, and the street itself is worth the slow pace.
Edinburgh Castle: where the story starts
Edinburgh Castle sits on the rock above everything else, and you climb to it before the walk begins to fall. Inside, look for St Margaret's Chapel, a tiny Romanesque building from around 1130 and the oldest building in Edinburgh. It is small enough to see in a few minutes, and it has outlasted every larger thing around it.
The One O'Clock Gun fires from the castle every day except Sunday, so plan your time on the esplanade accordingly. When you leave through the gate, you are at the top of the Royal Mile.
The Writers' Museum: a house off the Lawnmarket
Walk downhill along the Lawnmarket and look for a narrow close on your left. At the end of it stands the Writers' Museum, in Lady Stair's House, a townhouse dating from 1622. It is a small place devoted to three authors: Burns, Scott and Stevenson.
The objects are the draw: Burns's writing desk, Scott's rocking horse, Stevenson's wardrobe. Entry is free. The stairs are narrow and steep, so take them slowly.
St Giles' Cathedral: the High Kirk
Back on the Royal Mile, keep going downhill until the street opens out around the dark crown-shaped spire of St Giles' Cathedral. John Knox was minister here from 1559, in the years when Scotland turned Protestant, and the building has been at the centre of the city's religious and political life ever since.
Go inside and find the Thistle Chapel, a small, richly carved room that belongs to Scotland's highest order of chivalry. It remains open to visitors. Outside, look down at the cobbles for the Heart of Midlothian, a heart-shaped mosaic set into the paving.
John Knox House: the reformer's name on the street
Continue downhill, where the Royal Mile narrows and the buildings lean in, and look for a house that juts out over the pavement. John Knox House carries the name of the reformer who preached up the road at St Giles'.
The house is a museum, and a ticket is needed. Next door is the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which is free to enter and a good place to stop for a coffee before the last, flatter stretch of the walk.
The Scottish Parliament: a new building at the old end
Keep walking and the street flattens. At the bottom, across from the palace, stands the Scottish Parliament, designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles, who died in 2000 before it was finished. The Queen opened it in October 2004.
Walk around the outside and look at the shapes in the facade; they take some time to read. Entry is free but you pass a security check, and guided tours can be booked in advance. The building is not always open, so check the day before.
Palace of Holyroodhouse: the walk's end
The last stop is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royal home at the foot of the Royal Mile. It is best known for the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the old north-west tower. This is where her secretary, David Rizzio, was killed in 1566, and the room is shown with that story attached.
The palace closes to visitors when official functions take place, so check the dates before you come. Beside it stand the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, which you can see from the gardens when they are open.
You have walked from the castle's rock to a palace on flat ground, passing the church where Knox preached, the house that bears his name, and a parliament that sits where kings once lived. If you have energy left, Calton Hill is a short climb away and looks back over the route.