Tallinn Travel Guide: Things to Do & Best Time to Visit

Top things to do in Tallinn

Tallinn is compact, walkable and full of contrasts between old and new.

• Old Town — Cobbled lanes, merchants’ houses and towers within medieval walls, centred on Town Hall Square.
• Toompea Hill — The upper town, with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea Castle and viewing platforms over the rooftops.
• Kadriorg Park and Palace — A baroque palace built for Peter the Great, surrounded by gardens and home to an art museum.
• Kumu Art Museum — Estonia’s national art museum, in a striking modern building in Kadriorg.
• Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) — A maritime museum in historic seaplane hangars, including a submarine you can explore.
• Telliskivi Creative City — Former factory buildings filled with cafés, studios, shops and street art.
• Kalamaja — A neighbourhood of colourful wooden houses near the sea.

Best time to visit Tallinn

Tallinn has cold winters and mild, bright summers. May to September is the most popular time to visit, when long days stretch towards midnight around the summer solstice, café terraces fill the Old Town and the seaside promenades are at their best. Midsummer celebrations in late June are an Estonian highlight.

December is magical, with a Christmas market on Town Hall Square and the Old Town dusted with snow, though days are very short and temperatures often fall below freezing. Spring and autumn are quieter, with cooler weather.

Getting from the airport

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is only about 4 km south-east of the city centre, making it one of Europe’s most conveniently located capital airports.

A tram line runs from the airport to the city centre, and city buses also connect the terminal with central Tallinn. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely used, and the journey by road typically takes 10 to 15 minutes, depending on traffic.

Where to stay

Staying central makes it easy to explore on foot.

• Old Town — Atmospheric hotels within the medieval walls; perfect for first-time visitors.
• City centre (Kesklinn) — Modern hotels and shopping near the Old Town, with good transport links.
• Kalamaja and Telliskivi — Creative and relaxed, with cafés and wooden houses; suits younger travellers.
• Kadriorg — Leafy and elegant, close to the park, museums and the sea.

Travel tips

• Money: Cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere.
• Getting around: The Old Town is best on foot; trams and buses cover the rest of the city.
• Footwear: Bring comfortable shoes for the steep cobbled streets of Toompea.
• Connectivity: Estonia is famously digital, and free Wi-Fi is widely available.
• Language: Estonian is the official language; English is widely spoken, especially by younger people.