Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Dundee?

Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Dundee?

Most visitors spend one to two days in Dundee when visiting. The historic city offers so many things to see and explore, so you'll want to take full advantage of the limited time you have. Highlights include the museums and landmarks, the big city activities, the food, and the nightlife.

Dundee is a coastal city on the Firth of Tay estuary. It's located in Eastern Scotland and has a strong student population as well as several interesting museums.

Do you have one or two days to visit Dundee? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.


Is one day enough time in Dundee?

One day is generally not enough time to browse through museums, discover the big city activities, enjoy a meal at a restaurant, and take advantage of the local nightlife in Dundee. A shorter schedule may leave you with a sense of urgency to enjoy popular activities such as the museums and landmarks, the big city activities, the food, and the nightlife. To genuinely appreciate the highlights of the historic city, a more lengthy visit is typically recommended. Many tourists opt for one to two days here. After all, Dundee is a medium-sized city with a some good sights and activities, but still hosts a fairly small number of tourists. However, if you're working with limited time, we have some great ideas for making the most of your stay below.

How to spend a day in Dundee

You'll find a few good museums and historic landmarks here, so it's worth your time to spend a day exploring a few of them. On the waterfront you'll find a couple of nautical museums such as RRS Discovery, and HM Frigate Unicorn. Other museums and sights include V&A Dundee, Tay Rail Bridge, Camperdown Wildlife Centre, and Glamis Castle.

You can't miss out on tasting the fantastic cuisine at one of the best restaurants in town, so make sure you find somewhere special for lunch or dinner. There are a few local dishes that the city is known for. These include Dundee Cake, Dundee marmalade, and Angus beef.

The public transit in Dundee is fast and efficient. Over the course of a few days, you should be able to explore the city quite easily and affordably. The city has a public bus system.

Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Dundee?

Dundee isn't a particularly popular city for tourists, despite having some sights and attractions worth seeing. A weekend is just the right amount of time to see pretty much everything in Dundee. Most visitors prefer to spend one to two days here, and we have a few suggestions of things to do while you're visiting. Also, Dundee is popular with which enjoy visiting because the city offers activities specifically for them.

Dundee, Scotland Dundee, Scotland

How to spend 2 days in Dundee

If you have more than a weekend (two to three days) in Dundee, you'll appreciate the added time for everything the city has to offer.

Dundee is large enough to spend at least a full day exploring the local neighborhoods, attractions, and activities found around town. It's a medium sized coastal city with a long history.


A few tour suggestions include:

  • Boat Seafari Adventure ($34)

The nightlife scene is very popular here. After dark, head out to one of the many venues around town. The vibrant student population heavily influences the city's nightlife. There are a number of clubs and bars where you can hang out late into the night.

More Info

If you're looking for more information about Dundee, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.

Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.

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