Not to sound overly dramatic or anything, but if there’s one European city I’d predict is on the verge of a tourism boom… it’s Tallinn.

Estonia’s woefully underrated capital is home to a gorgeous Old Town, amazing food, and enough museums and attractions to keep you busy for weeks.

I loved it so much on my first visit in fact that I booked a trip back again just six months later… and somehow left even more smitten. Armed with my signature fangirl enthusiasm, and plenty of personal experience in summer and winter, this post is going to cover all the most important tips and must-knows for your very first trip to Tallinn, from the most worthwhile museums and viewpoints to random lessons I learned the hard way (spoiler don’t trust Google Maps).

I hope you find it helpful!

1. Aim to stay in or near to Tallinn Old Town for the most pleasant experience 

The touristic heart of Tallinn is without a doubt its historic Old Town, so staying close to this area makes sense if you want to be able to walk to most points of interest.

On my first trip, I visited Tallinn solo, so I wanted a low key and affordable hotel that was still well located. The CityBox Tallinn ended up being perfect for my needs – clean, modern, and really walkable to both the Old Town and ferry terminal, so I can really recommend that if you don’t need anything too fancy and don’t mind a smaller room. I liked it so much that I ended up staying here during my second visit as well!

2. Know when crowds will be at their highest

Generally speaking, there are two peak visiting times in Tallinn: summer and the festive season.

Aaand of course, these times are popular for a reason. Summer in Tallinn gives you the best chance at warm weather, while the holiday season is sprinkled with ample festive magic, including one of the most atmospheric little Christmas markets in Europe. 

But while these seasons yield a higher-than-usual number of visitors, Tallinn’s peak season crowds are thankfully nothing like the crowds you’ll see in other major tourist hotspots across Europe… so even visiting in peak season is manageable!

3. Beware that June 23rd & 24th are major holidays in Estonia

…and therefore opening hours will have many changes.

The day before (June 22nd), many businesses also close 3 hours earlier.

How do I know this? These holidays happened to overlap 100% with my first visit, which forced me to amend my itinerary a little bit.  

It was worth it though because I got to experience my very first Estonian Midsummer, which is usually celebrated on Midsummer Eve, being June 23rd. I attended a fun traditional celebration over at the Estonian Open Air Museum which was incredibly wholesome, with lots of traditional dancing and a big bonfire – a delight even in the rain… and an experience I can definitely recommend if the timing aligns with your trip.

4. Plan for at least three days

Tallinn’s Old Town and touristic core might be small, but it is absolutely packed with museums and interesting sights. If you want to explore these in-depth, then I’d say at least three days makes sense.

It would also be well worth staying longer and doing some day trips out into the countryside… but in any case, avoid coming here for just a day trip as many visitors do. Tallinn has a ton to offer, and you want to do it justice.

5. Tallinn is only 2 hours from Helsinki by ferry

If you’re interested in combining two cities and two countries on your trip, the trip from Tallinn to Helsinki and vice versa via ferry really couldn’t be easier… and as a foot passenger it’s super affordable – I paid 18.50 euros for my ticket and I only booked it a few days before.

Again, some people even do this as a day trip, but personally, I think both cities deserve at least a one night stay.

6. Don’t forget that there’s a lot of amazing nature surrounding Tallinn

A lot of people see Tallinn as just a city break, when in reality, those with more time can easily venture out to discover some beautiful natural spots as well, whether you’re into beaches, bogs, or b…….eautiful parks. Lahemaa National Park for instance is a popular day trip you can do with many tour companies like this one.

This is definitely something I’d love to take advantage of more on my next trip!

7. Visit Tallinn has a really excellent YouTube channel packed with local knowledge 

Now, this post aims to give you a quick overview of top Tallinn must-knows as a first timer, but if you want any more specific tips about places to go, and other insider info, be sure check out the Visit Tallinn YouTube channel. Overall, I was super impressed with the content on there and they’ll definitely be able to help out more with on the ground advice like places to eat.

This would be a great resource for finding more offbeat day trips, for instance! Definitely check them out.

8. Tallinn Airport is fairly close to the city centre & the bus is easy and cheap 

From baggage claim, you just follow signs for public transport and it brings you to a tiny bus bay where you can get tickets from an electronic kiosk.

As far as I could tell though, you could also just pay with contactless on the bus and tap in, so maybe that would just be easier. 

The only thing about these public buses though is that they don’t have any designated space for luggage as far as I could see, so if you are travelling with big bags then you might be better off getting a taxi, which is fairly inexpensive, at less than 10 euros if you book with Bolt. 

Smaller suitcases though aren’t an issue if it’s not too busy and I do think they can actually slide under some seats if needed. 

The public buses are also super modern and clean – they even have USB-a charging ports!

9. For covering longer distances, Bolt is an affordable option

If you need to go a bit further, Bolt is the best app for ordering rides around town.

Especially if you’re travelling in a group, Bolt can be a very affordable option for getting around.  I think I paid about 7 euros for a 15 minute drive that would have taken me 40 minutes on public transport, so it’s definitely worth it in some cases.

Generally though…

10. Tallinn is a great city to explore on foot

… especially in and around the Old Town.

Depending on where you’re staying, I would take public transport or a taxi to the Old Town, then get around on foot from there as lots of the main sights are within very easy walking distance to each other. And honestly, the Old Town is just dreamy to wander through, so you wouldn’t want to miss anything by catching cabs everywhere.

11. Beware that Google Maps walking directions may not always be 100% accurate 

Tallinn’s Old Town is a scenic tangle of tiny streets and various levels, so little surprise that Google maps can get a litttttle bit confused. 

As a salty example, there were a few times that I was directed to go downhill and then back up again when looking at the different viewpoints up at Toompea, for instance, a betrayal my leg muscles will not soon forget.

So, definitely take a good look at the map before you double the work for yourself!

12. Beware of bike lanes

And when you are walking around, do be aware of the bike paths! These tend to be found right next to pedestrian paths, often without any physical barriers.

I almost got mowed down a few times by bikes because I wasn’t fully paying attention, so keep an eye out for bike symbols on the pavement. You’ve been warned.

13. Get a Tallinn Card to save big

This card (available for 24, 48, and 72 hours) gives you unlimited public transport, as well as entry to most of Tallinn’s paid attractions for one set price.

If you plan to do even just a few of Tallinn’s main attractions, this will probably end up being worth it – just make sure you do the math first to double check. The free spreadsheet in my VIP Zone can help you do that!

I got an absurd amount of value out of my pass because there were so many included sights within a walkable distance to one another.

As a bonus, the pass also encouraged me to go a bit off the beaten path and visit cool little museums and sights that most visitors don’t bother to see, so I definitely think it’s a worthwhile purchase.

They even have a super informative app that tells you all about each attraction:

14. Many main attractions offer similar perks

Having done my fair share of Tallinn attractions, I feel like I can now say that if you’re short on time, you don’t need to stress too much about seeing them all. The reason for that is many of them do actually offer the same perks (e.g. a great view of the city) so you don’t necessarily need to go to every single one to “complete” your Tallinn experience.

Saying that, definitely do some research in advance to choose a varied set of attractions rather than pay for random ones.

In my opinion, a well-rounded Tallinn trip will include all of the following…

• A nice viewpoint 
• An attraction that covers local history 
• And if you have time and interest, one maritime related attraction 

If I were to choose my favourites out of all the ones I did, I think the best free view was probably from Kohtuotsa viewpoint, and the best paid view was from the Niguliste Museum and Steeple… not just because this is one of the best views that requires zero climbing thanks to its elevator, but also because the viewing platform itself is very spacious and comfortable with plenty of room to enjoy… unlike others like the City Hall Tower which is quite tiny and claustrophobic feeling. 

The Estonian History Museum was probably my favourite about local history, because it offers a very engaging and immersive overview of Estonian history, which I didn’t know much about. 

And for maritime history, Seaplane Harbour was just unreal. So many cool displays and artifacts to look at, plus you even get to go inside a submarine! Need I say more?

I should say though, one of the best things about Tallinn is how many small museums it has to offer, covering all sorts of niche topics, so be sure to look into the options. I found the Tallinn Museum of Orders of Knighthood, which is dedicated to knighthoods around the world, super interesting.

15. The first Sunday of the month is Museum Sunday

This is a day that many places offer free entry, so do keep that in mind, and maybe even factor that in when you’re doing your trip planning for a very budget-friendly hack. 

Here’s a handy list of all the museums that are free on the first Sunday each month.

16. Explore beyond Tallinn Old Town

The Old Town is definitely the main highlight of Tallinn, but there are some other areas and neighbourhoods that I think really deserve a mention as well. 

The Balti Jaam Market, for instance, is a really cool spot to check out near the train station – it’s a massive market with a bunch of vendors both inside and out, ranging from fresh produce and butchers to ready-to-eat food stalls where you can try different types of cuisine. I went for a burger from VLND Burger which has won a few awards – it was really good! 

And from here you can easily walk over to DEPOO Food Street where there are loads of murals and food vendors. 

And then onwards to the Telliskivi Creative City, which is a really cool little area with public art pieces and little businesses, as well as the very cool Fotografiska Tallinn, which has some really excellent photography exhibitions and some really nice coffee as well. 

Another area I can recommend is around Kadriorg Palace – it’s just a super peaceful green area with beautifully landscaped parks as well as the Estonian Art Museum, also known as KUMU, which is this massive museum with tons of to see. Definitely worth the trip out. 

17. Card payments are accepted pretty much everywhere

So no, you don’t really need cash when visiting Tallinn. Yay! One less thing to worry about.

In fact, my go-to travel friendly card Wise was founded by two Estonians, so yes, they are pretty cashless over there. However, I didn’t observe too many card-only signs, so I do believe most places still accept cash as well, it’s just not super common. 

18. English is widely spoken in touristic settings, but learning some basics is polite

Thank you, for instance, is Aitäh, and hello is Tere.

Using these whenever I had a chance got me some reeally big smiles so I don’t think there’s really an expectation to learn Estonian, but they do appreciate the basics.

Again, at all the sightseeing spots I went to though, pretty much everybody was able to speak enough English for us to get by.

19. Know that kitchens close earlier than the stated opening hours online

Next, a bit of a random one, but this definitely caught me out a few times – so bear in mind that the kitchen will often close at least an hour before the opening hours listed on Google Maps. If you want to get food then be sure to get there with time to spare. 

20. Be sure to weigh your fruits and veggies at the supermarket 

Another random but helpful one if you plan to buy any groceries during your time in Tallinn is to remember to weigh them!

I forgot that this can be common practice in some cities so forgot to do it, which was very confusing because a lot of the supermarkets use self checkout, so I was struggling for a bit. So yes, look around for a scale near the produce section and observe what others are doing to avoid embarrassment.

21. Tipping isn’t expected to the same level as North America

Finally, in Tallinn, tipping is not a big thing, but 10% is normal for good service.

Rounding up is often the simplest way to do this. 

I hope this list of Tallinn travel tips was helpful!

Let me know in the comments if you have any more to add.