3 days in Tallinn

Day by day

1. Day 1: Town Hall Square and Tallinn Town Hall and Lower Town streets and St Catherine's Passage

   Town Hall Square and Tallinn Town Hall, Lower Town streets and St Catherine's Passage and St Olaf's Church, then Telliskivi Creative City in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Town Hall Square and Tallinn Town Hall

      The cobbled Raekoja plats has been Tallinn's marketplace since the Middle Ages.

   2. Late morning

      Lower Town streets and St Catherine's Passage

      Explore early in the morning before cruise groups arrive, and duck into side lanes such as Saiakang and Raekoja tänav.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Black rye bread

      Bakeries, supermarkets and every restaurant bread basket; garlic bread in most pubs.

   4. Afternoon

      St Olaf's Church

      St Olaf's Gothic spire, now 124 metres tall, made it one of the tallest buildings in the world in the 16th century, when it reached an estimated 159 metres.

   5. Evening

      Telliskivi Creative City

      Visit late afternoon to browse the shops, then stay for dinner and drinks as the courtyards fill.

2. Day 2: Toompea hill and viewing platforms and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

   Toompea hill and viewing platforms, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Tunnels, then Old Town in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Toompea hill and viewing platforms

      Walk up the steep Pikk jalg lane and back down via the Patkuli steps to make a loop; go at sunrise or late evening for the emptiest platforms.

   2. Late morning

      Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

      This onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral, completed in 1900 opposite Toompea Castle, was built when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sprat sandwich

      Cafés, market food stalls and traditional restaurants; tins of spiced sprats are sold in supermarkets.

   4. Afternoon

      Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Tunnels

      Book the tunnel tour, which runs at set times, and combine it with the Maiden Tower café on the walls next door.

   5. Evening

      Old Town

      Pubs, cellar bars and cocktail bars around Viru street and Town Hall Square, busy with visitors and weekend groups.

3. Day 3: City walls and Towers Square and Kadriorg Palace and Park

   City walls and Towers Square, Kadriorg Palace and Park and Kumu Art Museum, then Telliskivi and Kalamaja in the evening.

   1. Morning

      City walls and Towers Square

      About 1.85 km of Tallinn's medieval wall survives, with 26 of its original 46 towers.

   2. Late morning

      Kadriorg Palace and Park

      Take tram 1 or 3 to Kadriorg, walk through the park to the palace and continue up the hill to Kumu.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Blood sausage

      Traditional restaurants and the Open Air Museum's tavern, especially in December.

   4. Afternoon

      Kumu Art Museum

      Estonia's national art museum opened in 2006 in a curved limestone and copper building cut into the Lasnamäe bank above Kadriorg park, and was named European Museum of the Year in 2008.

   5. Evening

      Telliskivi and Kalamaja

      Craft-beer bars, wine bars and club nights in former factory buildings, with a local crowd.

Before you go

• Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Tunnels: Tunnel tours have limited places; reserve a time online in summer.

If it rains

• Swap in Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) (Kalamaja): Combine it with a seaside walk to Noblessner for lunch, and allow extra time with children for the simulators and play areas.
• Swap in Balti Jaama market (Kalamaja): Head upstairs for old badges, cameras and enamel signs, then eat downstairs at the street-food stalls.
• Swap in Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom (Toompea): Visit early in a trip; it gives useful context for the Song Festival Grounds and the TV Tower.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Old Town (Lower Town) keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Toompea ($$$) suits couples, quiet stays and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–17 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 6.1 hours in December to 18.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tallinn
• 2 days in Tallinn

Questions travellers ask