One day 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, St Olaf's Church and City walls and Towers Square, then Telliskivi Creative City in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Town Hall Square and Tallinn Town Hall

      Climb the Town Hall tower in summer for a close view over the roofs, and step into the old pharmacy's small museum room. Allow 1 hour.

   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. Allow Half a day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Black rye bread

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

   4. Afternoon

      St Olaf's Church

      The stairs are steep and tight; go on a clear day and avoid the climb if you dislike enclosed spaces. Allow 45 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      City walls and Towers Square

      Walk the outside of the walls from Towers Square to Fat Margaret's tower near the harbour for the best views of the fortifications. Allow 1 hour.

   6. Evening

      Telliskivi Creative City

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

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Tunnels (Toompea): Book the tunnel tour, which runs at set times, and combine it with the Maiden Tower café on the walls next door.
• Swap in Kumu Art Museum (Kadriorg): Allow time for the Soviet-era galleries, which show how artists worked under censorship.
• 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.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–9 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most sights in the Old Town, Toompea, Kalamaja and the harbour are within a 20-minute walk, though Old Town cobbles are uneven and Toompea is steep.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Tallinn
• 3 days in Tallinn

Questions travellers ask