I don’t always make it to Edinburgh’s New Town. I find it a bit touristy and I prefer the cheaper part of town around the universities. However, there are some great attractions in the New Town. I recently found the happiest place at the Chihuahua Cafe, and now I’ve located the most fun place at Escape Edinburgh.
What is an Escape Room
As you might have read previously on my blog, I love escape rooms and puzzles of all kinds. The games have raised a few questions and concerns which I’d like to address.
What if you don’t escape?
You can always escape. The term escape room is symbolic more than anything. A game master is always watching and is able to let you out whenever you need. Some escape rooms even have a “bypass” key if you need to leave. Yes, the room is locked. No, you aren’t trapped. This is a game, nothing more.
Are they claustrophobic?
No. They are less claustrophobic than closing the door to your bathroom unless you have an obnoxiously large bathroom. True, many escape rooms are in smaller rooms (maybe 10 by 15 feet), but others are in much larger rooms. Other escape rooms have multiple rooms, although the subsequent rooms are not always apparent.
I would find it hard to experience a feeling of tightness or smallness in these spaces. If you’re fine with getting into a car (and closing the doors), you’ll be fine in an escape room.
Are they difficult?
Some are. With dozens of escape rooms to choose from, they have almost every level of difficulty. I’ve been in escape rooms that were a breeze, while the room in Bristol was nearly impossible (we got tons of hints).
How Does Escape Edinburgh Compare
Escape Edinburgh is a series of escape rooms in the New Town of Edinburgh. Visiting with two other friends, we played Houdini’s Workshop, one of Escape Edinburgh’s newest rooms.
While most escape rooms use similar puzzles, Houdini’s workshop had some surprises for us. One of the puzzles managed to stump us for nearly 10 minutes, a good chunk of our hour’s limit. We also almost fell for a couple decoys, which is something I haven’t really seen in an escape room, not that I want to give away any clues.
The other recently opened room is The Experiment. On my evening there, I found out that they actually had to remove one of the puzzles from the room, as too many people were failing to complete in an hour. Personally, I would have loved to take the more challenging room.
Escape Edinburgh’s other location in Haymarket has three rooms to choose from: Area 51, Escape Casino and Contagion. They are also putting together a third location at their Noughts and Coffees Board Game Café, where one of the games might have a Harry Potter-inspired theme. Their sister company Can You Escape? Edinburgh is located near Holyrood Park on the east side of the Old Town.
Booking with Escape Edinburgh
As with many of the attractions in Edinburgh, Escape Edinburgh does book up in advance. Not only is it great to get out of bad weather or fill an extra hour of the day, escape rooms tend to be frequented by bachelor and bachelorette parties, and make great team building experiences for small and large businesses. While the minimum number of people on a team is 2, I would recommend 4-5 to ensure the most help solving the puzzles, and also as a failsafe in case a member of the team falls through.
- Locations:
- New Town: 1 St Colme St, Edinburgh EH3 6AA
- Old Town: 54 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh, EH11 2BA
- Hours: Sun-Thurs 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Prices: Start at £19 ($26) per player Mon-Thurs, and £24 ($33) per player Fri-Sun.
- Phone: (+44) 07 557 362 664
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Escape Edinburgh
- What to bring: Some friends and all your wits.
- Best time of year to visit: All the time, especially when it’s raining.
Additional Activities in Edinburgh
Looking for other attractions in my favorite city in the world? Here are some more articles you might like.
- Begin Your Journey in Scotland with a Secret Food Tour in Edinburgh
- What the Da Vinci Code Didn’t Show You About Rosslyn Chapel
- There’s a Cat Cafe in Edinburgh!
- Enjoying the Happiest Place in Scotland at Edinburgh’s Chihuahua Cafe
- Camera Obscura in Edinburgh Brings Out the Kid in You
- Experience the Underground Preservation of Mary King’s Close
- Finding the Best Ghost Tours in Edinburgh
- 9 Free Attractions to Visit in Edinburgh
- 10 Activities for The Perfect Day Trip from Edinburgh
Here’s some extra reading to save hundreds on your next vacation or stage of your journey.
- 5 Steps to Book Cheap Flights
- Hostels: To Book or Not to Book
- Is Workaway Worth it for the Traveler?
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