There are so many amazing things to do in Tallinn Estonia.
Thanks to living in the nearby Baltic country of Lithuania for two years, I have had a lot of opportunities to explore this region including all of the best things to do in Riga, beautiful Vilnius, and cool Kaunas.
But Tallinn was always just a bit too far away to explore in a long weekend. So when I finally packed up my apartment in Lithuania, I knew I needed to explore Tallinn before leaving the region.
I took the Flixbus from Lithuania and in just under nine hours, I was pulling into the Tallinn bus station ready to explore for a week and see if this city was as good as I had hoped it would be.
Spoiler alert: it was even better.
Getting to Tallinn, Estonia
If you are including Tallinn in a Baltic itinerary, then it’s relatively easy to reach from Riga. There are several bus companies that run from Riga to Tallinn throughout the day and it takes about four hours.
I always use Busbud to check times and prices to see which company is offering the cheapest option for the day I want to travel. You can then head straight to that company’s website and see if it’s cheaper on their website or on Busbud.
If you are coming from Helsinki, it’s only about a two-hour ferry ride across the Baltic Sea. The ferry terminal is pretty well located and you can walk straight into town or hop in a Bolt (the Uber of the Baltics) to your accommodation. I always use Ferryhoppper to check and book ferries.
The final option for arriving in Tallinn is via the airport. The Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (code: TLL) is located less than 3 miles (5km) from the city center. You can hail a Bolt from here or there are several bus services that operate to the city center.
How Many Days in Tallinn?
You should aim to spend at least 3 days in Tallinn. There are so many great bars, restaurants, and things to do in Tallinn that you can easily fill a long weekend here.
If you are pushed for time, you could still see quite a lot in two days in Tallinn, but you may miss out on some of the museums or cool parks.
Explore the old town of Tallinn.
Should You Get a Tallinn Card?
While I was in Tallinn, I used the Tallinn Card which allowed for unlimited use of all forms of public transportation around the city center as well as entry to almost all of the city’s museums and Tallinn tourist attractions.
If you order online, the 24-hour Tallinn Card is only €34 and the 48-hour Tallinn Card is €51. Check out all of the options for the card here.
If you want to pack your trip full of the best things to do in Tallinn, the Tallinn Card will allow you to do that at a fraction of the price of paying out of pocket for each of the different activities.
I will mention with each of the things to do in Tallinn that are listed below whether or not it is included in the Tallinn Card.
Top Things to do in Tallinn, Estonia
Don’t miss out on these awesome Tallinn attractions which include everything from historical sites to art museums as well as great things to do in Tallinn with kids (or kids at heart).
Enjoy the sunshine in Tallinn’s main market square and home to the Old Tallinn Town Hall.
1. Tallinn Town Hall and Tower
Any tour of Tallinn should start in this main square. The Tallinn Town Hall is the old town hall of the city and is the oldest in the entire Baltic Sea region.
The written history of the Tallinn Town Hall dates back to 1322 while the building you see today was mostly completed in 1404. Have a look at the tower’s weather vane known as Old Thomas. It has been up there in that very spot since 1530.
Entry to the building is included in the Tallinn Card. It is set up as a museum now and is a great one to visit first on your tour of Tallinn because it begins at the beginning of the city’s Medieval history. The entire building is free to explore and there are signs all over the museum offering tons of interesting information about the building’s uses over the years.
2. Town Hall Pharmacy
Just around the corner from the Town Hall Square is a fun and unique thing to do in Tallinn. The Town Hall Pharmacy here is the oldest pharmacy in Europe that has continuously operated on the same premises.
Not only is it still a fully functioning pharmacy today, but there is a small free museum inside. Walk through the main entrance and you will walk into the modern part of the pharmacy. To the left, there is a second room that you are free to explore.
It is an incredibly fascinating place with old remedies on display like dried spiders, pickled frogs, and snake blood to name just a few things. There are some explanations about what these different “medications” used to be used for throughout history.
The old pharmacy is a fascinating place to check out while visiting Tallinn.
3. St. Catherine’s Passage
This historical little alleyway is a beautiful place to take a stroll no matter what time of year you are visiting Tallinn. In fact, it might be at its most beautiful when surrounded by snow and Christmas lights.
The alley is surrounded by 15th-17th century buildings, but it is believed that it was first built more than 700 years ago. There are a few small artisan shops and cafes down here to explore as well.
Entrance to St. Catherine’s Passage is completely free. It is a public street that you can explore like any other in the city.
4. Town Wall: Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala Towers
For great views of the city and a stroll along the city’s 13th-century city walls, a visit to this part of the town walls is essential when it comes to things to do in Tallinn.
Entrance to the Town Wall is included in the Tallinn Card. There is one main entrance that connects you to all three of these towers.
There are steep stone steps leading up to all of the towers and depending on the time of day and amount of light coming through the windows, it can be quite dark. I used my phone flashlight in some places to make sure I could see all of the steps.
All of the steps have handrails which helps as well. It’s well worth the steep climb to take in the views back over the city and to simply experience a little bit of what it must have been like to move through these walls that protected the city from danger.
Wander the old city walls in Tallinn.
5. Patkuli Viewpoint and Toompea Area
Just on the edge of the city center, not far from the Town Wall is another beautiful and completely free viewpoint.
I really enjoyed coming here on a sunny afternoon and looking out over the park below. If you choose to come up from the Town Wall area, you can climb the steps from this park. There are 157 steps and they were built to bring people up to Toompea Hill back in 1903.
Toompea Hill is one of the oldest areas of Tallinn. You can sense it as you wander the nonsensical cobbled streets that don’t seem to link up in any way. It is, however, very beautiful to wander. Just be sure to wear comfortable flat shoes for the cobbles.
6. St. Mary’s Cathedral
Also located on Toompea Hill is St. Mary’s Cathedral. Originally built by the Danish in the 13th Century, it is the oldest church in Tallinn and one of the oldest in all of Estonia. It is a Lutheran cathedral.
St. Mary’s is free with the Tallinn Card which also includes entry to the 226-foot (69-meter) bell tower. If you don’t have a Tallinn Card, entry to the church and bell tower is €5.
Inside the cathedral, you’ll be able to see coats of arms from the 17th-20th centuries. Around the church, there are gravestones that date as far back as the 13th century.
7. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral
The second cathedral located on Toompea Hill is the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral. It is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral designed in the Russian Revivalist style of architecture.
It is a very beautiful church and one that, if you haven’t explored other Orthodox churches in this region of the world before, stands out as being quite ornate. Certainly more ornate than the Lutheran churches around the city.
The church was built between 1894–1900 when the country was part of the Russian Empire. During later Soviet occupation, like many churches, this one was used for other purposes and mostly left to fall into disrepair.
Since independence in 1991, the church has been restored to its former glory and is now one of the most beautiful places to visit in Tallinn. Entrance is free when the church is open to the public (most days from 8am – 6pm).
The Vabamu Museum should not be missed on any trip to Tallinn.
8. Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom
Without a doubt, one of the most fascinating museums in the city, the Vabamu Museum is one of the most important things to do in Tallinn if you want to learn more about the country’s difficult past.
The museum recounts the story of Estonia from the time of occupation, fighting for freedom, and eventually what that freedom looked like in the first decade or so (and what it looks like today).
The entry includes a fantastic audioguide that digs very deep into the atrocities that occurred here in the last century. If you haven’t visited a museum like this elsewhere in the Baltics, or even if you have, this one is a must-visit.
The Vabamu Museum ticket is included in the Tallinn Card. If you do not have a Tallinn Card, entry to the museum is €13 for adults and €9 for pensioners and students. Children under 8 enter for free.
9. St. Nicholas’ Church
Located just off of the Town Hall Square and across the street from the tourist information center, St. Nicholas’ Church is a beautiful place to visit in Tallinn old town.
The church was originally built in the 13th century but was partially destroyed during the Soviet bombing of Tallinn in World War II. Despite being restored, the church no longer has a congregation and hasn’t held a service since before World War II. It became part of the Art Museum of Estonia upon reopening its doors in 1984.
You can read more about the history of the church before visiting on their website to give you a better understanding of why this church has been protected as a historical site.
The outside of the unassuming KGB Prison Cells.
10. KGB Prison Cells
The KGB Prison Cells Museum is exactly as the name suggests. From the outside, this apartment building doesn’t look any different than the others around it.
Located in the basement of Pagari 1, this now-museum was once a prison for those awaiting trial. Politicians, intellectuals, civil servants, and ordinary citizens were tortured here.
Many were then either sentenced to death or brought to prisons in other parts of the USSR.
The museum is a sobering experience, but one that will show you what happened to the people of Estonia and all of the Baltics during the Soviet occupation.
Entrance to the KGB Prison Cells is included in the Tallinn Card.
11. St. Olaf’s Church
St. Olaf’s Church was believed to have been built in the 12th century but was not mentioned in writing until 1267. At the time, it was the center for old Tallinn’s Scandinavian community before Denmark conquered Tallinn in 1219. The church is named for King Olaf II of Norway.
When the original steeple of this church was built in the 16th century, it was the tallest building in the world at 159 meters (521 feet). Legends say that the tower of St. Olaf’s has been struck by lightning no fewer than ten times. Several of them led to fires which partially destroyed the church and meant, of course, that the towers had to be rebuilt.
While the church itself is worth visiting (and free to enter), the main reason to come to St. Olaf’s is to go up the observation tower. Open from April to the end of October (because boy does it get cold in the Baltics!), this 124-meter (406-foot) tower has 232 steps to the top.
Entrance to the tower is included in the Tallinn Card.
The views from St. Olaf’s tower are some of the best in Tallinn.
12. Fat Margaret Estonian Maritime Museum
Housed inside the UNESCO World Heritage Fat Margaret Tower on the edge of Tallinn’s old town is the city’s Maritime Museum (at least one of them).
Inside this old tower, you’ll learn about maritime trade, and navigation in the Middle Ages, as well as in the era of sailing, steam, and motor ships. There are over 70 ship models and 50 different interactive exhibits. This museum is definitely one of the best things to do in Tallinn with kids.
Head to the rooftop of the museum on a sunny day to enjoy an al fresco drink with views out over Tallinn.
Entrance to the Maritime Museum is included in the Tallinn Card.
13. Seaplane Harbor Museum
The Seaplane Harbor Museum in Tallinn is located near the port and was one of my favorite things to do in Tallinn. I am a little bit of a history geek, and I found this museum to be utterly fascinating.
Inside you can walk through a real submarine from the 1930s. The submarine has been labeled throughout so you can see exactly how much space the soldiers living on board had to sleep, eat, and exercise (the answer is not much).
Outside of the museum, there are several more ships that you can walk through if you have a ticket. My personal favorite was the Suur Tõll, the most powerful steam-powered icebreaker of its time. It has been left mostly as is, and you can walk from top to bottom exploring the different rooms and even the engine area.
Entrance to the Seaplane Harbor Museum is included with the Tallinn Card.
The Seaplane Harbor Museum is such a fun place to explore in Tallinn.
14. Balti Jaama Turg
If you want to explore a local market and also eat some outstanding food, I highly recommend checking out Balti Jaama Turg. This market is located just outside of the main train station and is easy to get to on foot or by bus.
There are stalls outside of the market most days of the week selling fresh produce. We picked up some delicious fruit here to have for breakfast while visiting during the summer months.
Inside the market, you’ll find tons of fantastic food stalls. There is a Georgian restaurant, a local cafe serving up traditional home-cooked dishes, there are burgers pots, a bao bun place, and my personal favorite, a dumpling spot.
The dumpling stall is called Pelmen Käsitöö Kohvik and even after eating tons of different dumplings in Lithuania and Latvia over the last few years, these dumplings at this market were by far the best I’ve eaten in the Baltics.
Whatever you do in Tallinn, make sure you at least try these dumplings while you’re there!
15. Kadriorg Park
East of the old town, you can easily reach Kadriorg Park by taking the 1 or the 3 tram lines. Both take you directly outside of the park. It takes about 10 minutes to get from the center of town to the park on the tram.
The park is completely free to explore. There are several paths leading off in different directions, benches to sit and relax in the sunshine, a cute cafe to grab a coffee and a slice of cake, and a kid’s playground.
There are also several museums which are included in numbers 16 and 17 below that you don’t want to miss if you head out to this part of Tallinn.
Be sure not to miss exploring the gardens of the Kadriorg Museum and head inside to see the ornate Baroque Palace up close.
16. Kadriorg Art Museum
This is a breathtaking building that is worth at least exploring from the outside. It is just behind the president’s house, so you can catch a little glimpse as you walk through the gardens of the Kadriorg Museum if you’re lucky.
The museum is housed inside Estonia’s only Baroque palace. It was built over 300 years ago by Russian Tsar Peter the Great as a summer residence. It is now the only museum in Estonia dedicated to early European and Russian art.
Even if this type of art isn’t to your taste, seeing the inside of this palace and how ornate the main hall is makes it worth stepping inside. Especially if you have the Tallinn Card which makes entrance free.
17. KUMU Art Museum
The KUMU Art Museum is Tallinn’s modern and contemporary art museum and one of my favorite things to do in Tallinn.
The museum focuses on Estonian art and artists as well as the influences from around the world that have changed art history within Estonia. It is a fascinating place to explore. It feels like you aren’t just looking at art, but learning about the history of Estonia and how art can change a culture and society over time.
Entrance to the KUMU Art Museum is included in the Tallinn Card.
Take your time exploring the KUMU Art Museum.
18. Telliskivi Creative City
The hipster gathering place of Tallinn, Telliskivi is a collection of old warehouses on the edges of the city center where you will find the best restaurants, coolest craft beer bars, and creative happenings of the city.
Places not to miss when you visit the area include:
- F-Hoone for great food.
- Põhja Konn for delicious craft beer and great vibes. There is also an outdoor terrace.
- Lendav Taldrik for a very popular spot that does great Indian food.
- Dokfoto Keskus Documentary Photo Center is a great local art gallery that is free to explore.
The best craft beer spot that I found in Tallinn (and I promise, I sampled nearly all of them!).
19. Estonian History Museum – Great Guild Hall
The Great Guild Hall was a museum that I was very excited about visiting on my trip to Tallinn. The hall is over 600 years old!
You can stand in awe of the guild hall itself which makes the visit worthwhile, however, it is also a fascinating place to explore and learn about Estonia’s Medieval past.
The museum is packed with Estonian History and has a few fun and interactive exhibits that make it one of the better things to do in Tallinn with kids (and kids at heart like myself who like to wear silly costumes and take photos, too!).
20. Tallinn TV Tower
The Tallinn TV Tower is located about a 20-minute bus ride outside of the city center. It’s worth going to if you are spending more time in Tallinn and you want to see a few off-the-beaten-spots while you’re here.
The TV Tower was built in 1980 for the Moscow Olympics. During the fight for independence, the TV Tower became the place where Estonians came to defend their freedom (and the tower).
The viewing platform is open year-round and whether you just want to come up for the views or you want to enjoy a meal in their rotating cafe, it is an interesting place to visit in Tallinn.
Entrance to the tower’s viewpoint is €17. However, if you have the Tallinn Card, you can enter free of charge.
Watch all of the Best Things to Do in Tallinn
Disclaimer: I was gifted the Tallinn Card by the tourism board during my most recent trip to the city. All opinions are my own.