1 day Itinerary for Dundee
Published 28th March 2023
Dundee is a vibrant city in Scotland that has a rich history and is a popular destination for tourists. Some of the city’s historical attractions include the Dundee Law, the McManus Art Gallery & Museum, and the HMS Unicorn. Additionally, visitors can explore the V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first design museum, and enjoy the city’s many restaurants, bars, and shops. You can reach Dundee by train, bus and car from Fife.
- 10.00am – 12.00pm V&A Museum
The V&A Museum was opened in 2018, here you can either just take in the extraordinary architecture from outside, visit the free areas within including some exhibitions and café, or pay to view the main exhibitions which change throughout the year.
- 12.00pm – 2.00pm Lunch
- 2.00pm – 4.00pm RSS Discovery & HMS Unicorn
The RSS Discovery started its journey in Dundee and ventured to Antarctica. It is now a museum and visitor attraction, where visitors can learn all about the history of the research ship, and the journeys it has made. There are interactive displays, artefacts, pictures and videos.
HMS Unicorn is another important ship located in Dundee and turned into a museum and visitor attraction, and is nearly 200 years old. The ship was originally built for the Royal Navy and is one of six oldest ships in the world.
- 4.00pm – 6.00pm Dundee Museum of Transport
Dundee Museum of Transport is a popular visitor attraction for all the family. Learn about the past, present and future of various methods of transport, with some that you can actually explore.
- 6.00pm – 8.00pm Dinner
- 8.00pm – 10.00pm Mills Observatory
Mills Observatory is free to enter, the opening times vary per day and per season. throughout winter, if the conditions are right they have fantastic sky viewings in the evening. They hold various shows and public events through the year.
Alternative places to go
There is so much to do in Dundee, whether you want indoor only activities or to enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces and landmarks Dundee has to offer. When you are out and about, try to find all thirteen of the public sculptures located around the city.
- This is an outdoor attraction, with a very famous viewpoint at the top, it is 572 feet above sea level. There is various interpretation boards throughout the different trails, explaining the history and significance of the law
Avertical World Climbing Centre
- Indoor rock climbing centre, with sessions available for children age 5+ and adults
- Whether you take on a public skating session or a learn to skate session, this is a great indoor activity
- Here there is a variety of fashion, beauty, toys and other stores as well as various eateries in the centre
- A wonderful active and outdoor activity is to book a walk and talk activity with the alpacas and see some other animals on the property
- The Verdant Works is a visitor attraction which provides an insight into the industrial textile heritage in Dundee. In the old refurbished mill, visitors can step back in time
McManus Art Gallery and Museum
- With displays spanning 400 million years throughout the eight galleries, it is a fascinating location to learn about the Dundee of the past
- A fun and interactive centre for all of the family, with a variety of exhibits and fun activities
Camperdown Park – & Camperdown Wildlife Centre
- This 400acre public park has so much to offer, various walking trails, playground equipment, toilets, heritage tree area and even a wildlife centre. It is a place where with a picnic you could easily spend the whole day
- There is a wide range of native and exotic plants, shrubs and trees as well as education opportunities and occasionally art exhibitions. There is a popular cafe on site.
Restaurant Suggestions
Dundee offers such a variety of dinning options from casual take aways and cafes to a Michelin star restaurant. Depending what you are in the mood for you will no doubt find a suitable option that suits everyone.
- Mexican restaurant and bar
- Mix of locally sourced food
- Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar
- Italian
- Spanish Tapas
- West Africa and Caribbean modern fusion restaurant
- Lebanese and Mediterranean
- Scottish restaurant
- Japanese
- Thai
- Italian
- Michelin star restaurant serving fresh seasonal produce