Best Things to do in Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is Estonia’s cultural hub as well as the country’s capital on the Baltic Sea. A few minutes walk around its cobblestoned Old Town will reveal myriad things to do in Tallinn, from fairy like photographic opportunities, through the cultural richness you can find in its museums, to a wealth of culinary experiences.

We visited Tallinn from Helsinki by ferry and we were amazed to discover such gem of a city. The moment we arrived in Tallinn’s walled Old Town, we fell in love with its colourful houses, quaint architecture and distinctive medieval streets. It’s rare to see such well-preserved town, which could fool even the most trained eye, making you believe you arrived in a Game of Thrones movie set.

Here are the best things to do in Tallinn, which you ought to experience during your visit to Estonia.

Things to do in Tallinn, Estonia

We arrived by ferry from Helsinki at around 9 AM which meant we could photograph the Old Town with almost no people around. We visited Tallinn at the end of March and were lucky enough to get a snowy afternoon which made this incredible place look even more gorgeous. One of the best things to do in Tallinn is to meander around with your camera and discover an array of exciting spots. Tallinn’s Old Town preserved its medieval look and feel which made us feel like we were walking around in the Game of Thrones. In our opinion, Tallinn sure is one of the most interesting Baltic Countries we’ve visited thus far.

Our New Home Tallinn

Accommodation In The City Centre Of Tallinn

The following hotels all have a lovely sauna or spa, high ratings and they are conveniently located in downtown Tallinn.

Hotel Imperial
Mid-range Hotel 8.8

The elegant 4-star Baltic Hotel Imperial is located in the Old Town Tallinn, 200 yards from Tallinn Railway Station. All rooms are spacious and decorated with high-quality fabrics and wooden furniture. Guests can relax in the spacious on-site sauna and hot tub for an extra charge. The hotel also has a fireplace and a minibar. A varied buffet breakfast is served every morning in the hotel.

Click here for prices and book Hotel Imperial

Swissotel Tallinn
Mid-range Hotel 8.8

Located in Tallinn’s tallest building, luxurious Swissôtel’s rooms feature modern décor, offering a view of the hotel’s surroundings, such as the Medieval Old Town and the Gulf of Finland. The hotel also offers fitness and spa facilities, an indoor swimming pool, and several saunas for guests recreation. Hotel Concierge can provide outdoor enthusiasts with easily accessible jogging routes nearby the hotel and the city centre. Cocktails and dinner can be enjoyed at the Horisont Restaurant & Bar on the top floor. The Quarter is another restaurant, where different meals can be ordered.

Click here for prices and book Swissotel Tallinn

Hotel Palace by TallinnHotels
Mid-range Hotel 8.8

Located in the centre of Tallinn and originally built in the 1930s, Palace Hotel is situated in an impressive building and offers rooms with a digital TV system with satellite channels, a tablet, a minibar and a work desk. The rooms of the Palace Hotel feature a modern and elegant interior design with furniture in warm tones. Guests are welcome to visit the gym, small swimming pool, spa bath and steam or Finnish sauna on the lower ground floor, which are all available at a surcharge. The restaurant serves international dishes and a breakfast buffet is available in the morning.

Click here for prices and book Hotel Palace by TallinnHotels

Toompea

The Times We Had Tallinn

Toompea is a limestone hill in Tallinn. Being around 20-30 metres higher than the surrounding areas, you can enjoy views over the city. On the hill towering over the rest of the city, you can visit Toompea Castle.

Address:
Lossi plats 1a, Tallinn

Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square)

Perfect Square Tallinn

A beautiful square with merchant houses, restaurants and cafes, the Town Hall Square can get really busy during peak hours. We recommend arriving here as early as possible to enjoy the peace and quiet. And why not enjoy breakfast in one of the cafes, in order to people watch and kick-start the day with a traditional Estonian dish.

Address:
Raekoja plats, Tallinn

Kiek in de Kök

Cory G Tallinn

This is a tower turned museum. You can learn about the town’s fortification, see some old weapons and get a glimpse into the medieval-era life. At the top, there is a cafe which offers wonderful views of the city.

Opening times:
1.11-28.02 Tue-Sun 10-17.30
1.03-31.10 Tue-Sun 10.30-18.00

Fees
Ticket 6.00€
Child ticket 4.00€
Family ticket 12.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Komandandi tee 2, Tallinn

Estonian History Museum – Great Guild Hall

Corners of Tallinn

If you are interested in history, this is the place for you. You can view various videos and access hands-on displays to learn more about how Estonian-dwellers lived, fought and survived through 11,000 years.

Opening Times:
1.05-30.09 Mon-Sun 10-18
1.10-30.04 Tue-Sun 10-18

Fees:
Ticket 6.00€
Child ticket 3.00€
Family ticket 12.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Pikk tn 17, Tallinn

St Mary’s Cathedral, Tallinn

Interested in magnificent views over the Tallinn? Head over to St Mary’s Cathedral and climb the 69-meter Baroque bell. It’s one of the perfect places to admire Tallinn from above. Make sure you check when it’s open as it’s not available year round.

Opening times
01.01-31.03, 01.11-31.12 Tue-Sun 10:30 – 15:30
01.04-30.04 Tue-Sun 10:30 – 16:30
01.05-31.05 Mon-Sun 9:30-16:30
01.06-31.08 Mon-Sun 9:30-17:30
01.09-30.09 Mon-Sun 9:30-16:30
01.10-31.10 Tue-Sun 9:30-15:30

Fees:
Ticket 5.00€
Child ticket 3.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Cory G Couple Tallinn

This is Tallinn’s most opulent Orthodox church. It is located on Toompea Hill and you can even see its domes from the Old Town. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was meant to represent the Russian’s empire dominance over Tallinn, however, nowadays is regarded only as an architectural gem.

Opening Times
Mon-Sun 8-18

Address:
Lossi plats 10, Tallinn

KUMU Art Museum of Estonia

Square Tallinn

We love art museums, so naturally, we couldn’t miss Kumu, a glorious art museum which displays Estonian-created works from the 18th-21st centuries. The building has five floors so remember to allocate a few hours for exploring.

Opening Times:
Thu 10-20, Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 10-18

Fees:
Ticket 8.00€
Child ticket 6.00€
Family ticket 16.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
A. Weizenbergi tn 34, Tallinn

Estonian Museum of Natural History

Kissing in Tallinn

For the love of nature, visit the Estonian Museum of Natural History. This museum tells various stories of Estonian’s natural environment so if you love the outdoors, as well as want to know more about local flora and fauna, make sure to not skip this attraction. You can get a free web-based audio guide in Estonian, English, Russian or Finnish.

Opening Times:
Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 10-17, Thu 10-19
1.06-31.08 Fri-Wed 10-17, Thu 10-19

Fees:
Ticket 6.00€
Child ticket 3.00€
Family ticket 12.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Lai tn 29a, Tallinn

KGB Prison Cells

Interested in a darker side of Estonian history? Head over to the KGB prison cells where enemies of the state were imprisoned and interrogated before they were either shot or sent to labour camps in Siberia. These prison cells are not for the pigeon-hearted, as a lot of human suffering happened between those walls. If you want a lighter experience of the city, best to skip this one.

Opening Times:
01.05-30.09 Mon-Sun 10-18
01.10-30.04 Mon-Sun 11-18

Fees:
Ticket 5.00€
Child ticket 4.00€
Family ticket 11.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Pagari tn 1, Tallinn

Epping Tower

Tallinn Winter Estonia

This attraction is more family oriented as it offers the chance to dress up in medieval armour. You can find various handicrafts here as well. We love interactive museums but since we don’t have kids we decided to skip the Epping Tower. However, we know how many of our readers are interested in family attractions, so we wholeheartedly recommend it.

Opening Times:
16.09-01.05 Sat-Sun 11.00-16.00
02.05-15.09 Thu-Tue 10.00-18.00

Fees:
Ticket 6.00€
Child ticket 4.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Laboratooriumi tn 31, Tallinn

Maiden’s Tower

Tallinn is beautiful

One of the most famous defence towers, the Maiden’s Tower is now a renovated museum which offers an interesting exhibition hall in its basement. You can learn a lot of interesting facts about a family in Estonia separated due to war. At the top, you can enjoy a cafe and a traditional dish. In all honestly, Tallinn is one of the prettiest Baltic cities we’ve seen in Europe.

Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 11-18

Fees:

Ticket 3.00€
Child ticket 2.00€
Family ticket 6.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Lühike jalg 9a, Tallinn

Tallinn Botanic Garden

You know how much we love botanic gardens, so we weren’t going to skip Tallin’s kingdom of plants. It is home to over 4,500 plant species which makes it the best stop for those in need of a relaxing stroll away from the city’s agitation.

Opening Times:
01.10-30.04 Mon-Sun 11-16
01.05-30.09 Mon-Sun 10-19

Fees:
Ticket 5.00€
Child ticket 2.50€
Family ticket 9.00€
Free with Tallinn Card

Address:
Kloostrimetsa tee 52, Tallinn

Where to eat in Tallinn

Vegan Food Tallinn

As you might already know we travel vegan so we are going to recommend you our favourite plant-based restaurants.

Breakfast at Vegan Inspiratsioon

We just arrived in Tallinn and we were already starving. We did a quick search and found Vegan Inspiratsioon, a cute cafe which serves really nice tea as well as great sandwiches and pancakes. Prices were very reasonable and the ambience was lovely.

Address: Lai 44, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia

Lunch at Restoran Spot

Chickpea Curry

We didn’t think we’re going to find vegan options for the lunch menu but we were wrong. We were so pleased with the starter, main (amazing chickpea curry) and the most delicious vegan gelato ever. The food was original and the ambience was great. We loved the service, the traditional drinks (we tried Vana Tallinn) and the overall experience. Can’t miss Spot Restaurant in Tallinn, totally worth it.

Address: 10140, Vene 4, 10140 Tallinn, Estonia

Dinner at Vegan Restoran V

Before heading back to Helsinki, we decided to have one more stop at the V restaurant. This is 100% vegan. We were very hungry so we ordered starters, mains and desserts. The highlight of our trip? Their amazing chocolate cake with mango cream made with oat milk. Seriously, we never ever, ever tasted a cake as good as this one. V is popular so make sure you book a table in advance if possible.

Address: Rataskaevu 12, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia

Practical information: Our trip to Tallinn was sponsored by VisitTallinn, MyHelsinki and Tallink Silja Ferries. You can read more about our trip from Helsinki to Tallinn. In Tallinn, we received two Tallinn Cards so we can explore the city and find its incredible cultural gems. We also had our lunch covered. We covered our own expenses for breakfast and dinner, gratuities and purchases made in Tallinn. This article is honest and transparent and all opinions are our own.

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Cory from You Could Travel entering Senso-ji in Tokyo, Japan

Cory Varga – Cory is a published travel writer and award-winning photographer. She travels full time with her husband and is passionate about creating in-depth travel guides. Cory published her first book on Japanese customs and manners because she’s obsessed with everything Japan. She has visited hundreds of destinations and has lived in 7 different countries. Cory is multilingual and an alumna from The University of Manchester.

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One response to “Best Things to do in Tallinn, Estonia”

  1. Thomas Smith Avatar
    Thomas Smith

    Best Blogger Ever, the way you express place and all. Remarkable

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