Tallinn Travelers Recommend

Tallinn has so much to see and do that getting the maximum from three days in the city requires careful planning. From discovering its Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site to exploring farther afield, here’s our take on spending 72 hours in the Estonian capital.

Day 1: Explore the Highlights

Tallinn has sights aplenty, from its medieval Old Town to Soviet-era landmarks. Tick off Lower Old Town must-sees such as the Kiek in de Kök tower and Old Town Pharmacy—Europe’s oldest working pharmacy—and Upper Town sights such as the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Toompea Castle. Hop-on hop-off tours stop right outside the Old Town’s walls, while walking, bike, and bus tours offer Old Town overviews coupled with wider forays around 20th-century landmarks, such as the 1980 city hall and Song Festival Grounds. Top off a busy day with a tour sampling craft beers or liqueur such as the local caraway-flavored Kännu Kukk.

Day 2: Capital Trips

Rise early and get ready for a full—and long—day exploring one of two northern European capitals: Riga or Helsinki. Ride a ferry across the Gulf of Finland to explore the handsome Finnish capital of Helsinki, with its cathedral, Sibelius Monument, and late-20th-century Temppeliaukio Church. Most day trips include an audio-guided bus tour then time to enjoy the shops, markets, and restaurants independently. Alternatively, for architectural interest, take a guided tour of the beautiful Latvian capital, Riga. Travel south through Estonia’s and Latvia’s wooded countryside, stopping to see the medieval Viljandi and Cēsis castles en route. In Riga, explore the Old Town, crowned by Riga Cathedral, Riga Castle, and the Dutch Renaissance–style House of Blackheads, a 14th-century redbrick merchant’s hall and city landmark.

Day 3: Food, Art, and Fun

Begin today with a culinary tour of Tallinn. Call at the Baltic Station market, as well as delis, bakeries, and cafés, and sample staples such as sprat sandwiches and fruit wine, or join a workshop and learn the art of sculpting marzipan, reputedly invented in Tallinn. In the afternoon, continue exploring the city. Take in attractions such as the baroque Kadriorg Palace, built by Peter the Great, and a branch of Estonia’s Art Museum on the city’s fringes. Alternatively, join a cycling tour around Tallinn’s Kalamaja district. Finally, test your nerve with an escape-room game or a ghost walk around shadowy Old Town lanes to discover their sometimes sinister past. Otherwise, jump straight into party mode and top off your stay with a bar crawl.

Got a day to get to know Tallinn? If so, you’ll have time to see the star attractions of Estonia’s 1,000-year-old capital and delve a little deeper into its history, culture, and off-the-radar sights. Here are our ideas for making the most of 24 hours in this lively city.

Morning: Cover the Old Town

Start by familiarizing yourself with the Upper Town and Lower Town of Tallinn’s Old Town. Select a private or group walking or bus-and-walking tour, and absorb Upper Town highlights such as Toompea Castle and the onion-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, before seeing the Lower Town’s medieval towers, Old Town Square, and more. Many tours include a sightseeing drive around farther-out sights such as Kadriorg Palace and the ruins of Pirita Convent. Alternatively, select a hop-on hop-off bus tour that combines a panoramic overview of the city with the flexibility to disembark at stops that interest you.  

Afternoon: Different Perspectives

See Tallinn from a different angle this afternoon. Take a leisurely bike tour around its old fishing quarter of Kalamaja, passing its pastel-painted wooden houses and visiting off-the-beaten-trail attractions such as the 1980-built city hall and Balti Jaam market. Otherwise, leave town to climb the Soviet-era Tallinn TV Tower for bird’s-eye views over Estonia’s forests and coastline. If you’re a foodie at heart, let a guide introduce you to some of Tallinn’s markets and delis to taste staples including rye bread and berry wine. Alternatively, celebrate Tallinn’s claim to fame as the birthplace of marzipan by learning to shape the sugar-and-almond paste at a workshop.

Evening: Ghosts and Good Times

Tallinn gets extra atmospheric at night, with a party air mingling with the history and mystery of its darkened lanes. Tap into its creepy credentials on a ghost-themed walking tour, roaming the cobbles to discover hidden corners and tales of murders, hauntings, and spooky happenings. Alternatively, sample Estonia’s home-grown brews on a craft-beer tour, or take your tastebuds on a jaunt around the country’s traditional liqueurs, such as Vana Tallinn. For some serious partying, meanwhile, join a bar crawl around Tallinn’s hottest spots, enjoying included drinks at happening bars before hitting a nightclub.

With its Old Town of medieval buildings and cobbled squares and a rich culinary, cultural, and social scene, Tallinn will delight foodies and party lovers, as well as history, art, and architecture buffs. Here are our tips for how best to fill two days in Estonia’s capital.  

Day 1: Tallinn’s Top Sights

**Morning:**From the 15th-century Kiek in de Kök tower to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, abounds with sights. Cover as much as possible this morning on a bus-and-walking, bike, or dedicated walking tour around the cobbled old quarter and the parks and landmarks of the city’s outskirts.

**Afternoon:**Join a bicycle tour to experience Tallinn’s vibrant Kalamaja area, home to colorful weatherboard houses and the abandoned city hall, built for the 1980 Olympic Games. Alternatively, ride a hop-on hop-off bus into Tallinn’s fringes to explore attractions such as the Seaplane Harbour Museum, home to a 1930s submarine and icebreaker.

**Evening:**Explore Tallinn’s darker side on a ghost tour. Wander the passageways to find places linked with hauntings and bloody events, and hear the stories behind them. Beer lovers might instead embark on a craft-beer-tasting tour to sample Estonia’s top artisanal brews.

Day 2: Museums, Food, and Nightlife

**Morning:**Leave the Old Town for Kadriorg Palace, an 18th-century edifice commissioned by Peter the Great that’s now an international art museum framed by gardens that are perfect for strolling. Or, experience a piece of Soviet-era 1980s Tallinn at the TV tower, whose open-air observatory serves up spectacular views of the Gulf of Finland. 

**Afternoon:**Discover Tallinn’s cuisine with a tour of food spots both in and around the Old Town—tasting everything from spiced sprat sandwiches to schnapps. Or, punctuate your tastings with cycling and sightseeing on a food-and-bike tour. Love marzipan? Uncover the secrets of sculpting this sweet treat at a marzipan class—you’ll leave with a figurine to savor later. 

**Evening:**Finish your day with a challenging escape game—cracking puzzles to escape a locked room. Then, dive into Tallinn’s animated nightlife: either on a tasting roundup of Estonian liqueurs or a bar crawl with free shots at some of the city’s liveliest pubs and clubs.