Where to stay · Tallinn · Estonia
Where to stay in Tallinn
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Olga Itenberg, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old Town (Lower Town). Cobbled Hanseatic streets, guild halls and Town Hall Square inside the medieval walls. Best alternatives — families: City Centre and Rotermann; budget: Kalamaja and Telliskivi; nightlife: Kalamaja and Telliskivi.
Key facts
- First visit
- Old Town (Lower Town)
- Families
- City Centre and Rotermann
- Budget
- Kalamaja and Telliskivi
- Nightlife
- Kalamaja and Telliskivi
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old Town (Lower Town) | Cobbled Hanseatic streets, guild halls and Town Hall Square inside the medieval walls |
| Families | City Centre and Rotermann | Modern hotels, shopping malls and an old industrial quarter rebuilt with bold architecture |
| Couples | Old Town (Lower Town) | Cobbled Hanseatic streets, guild halls and Town Hall Square inside the medieval walls |
| Budget | Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Wooden houses, converted factories, cafés and the city's creative scene |
| Nightlife | Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Wooden houses, converted factories, cafés and the city's creative scene |
| Food lovers | Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Wooden houses, converted factories, cafés and the city's creative scene |
| Solo travellers | Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Wooden houses, converted factories, cafés and the city's creative scene |
| Shopping | City Centre and Rotermann | Modern hotels, shopping malls and an old industrial quarter rebuilt with bold architecture |
| Quiet stays | Toompea | The quiet hilltop upper town of the castle, Parliament, cathedrals and viewpoints |
| Beach | Pirita | Seaside suburb with the city's main beach, a ruined convent and the TV Tower nearby |
Tallinn neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and culture
Old Town (Lower Town)
The Lower Town is the medieval merchant city, with Town Hall Square at its centre, Pikk and Vene streets lined with guild halls and churches, and St Catherine's Passage with craft workshops. Staying inside the walls puts every major sight within a short walk, though summer days are busy with cruise and ferry visitors and the streets around Viru Gate are lively at night.
- Good
- Every historic sight on the doorstep; Atmospheric in the evening and in winter; Short walk to the ferry harbour
- Watch out
- Crowded on summer days; Restaurants on the main square charge more; Noise from bars and stag groups at weekends
- Nearby
- Town Hall Square, St Olaf's Church, Viru Gate, St Catherine's Passage
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and culture
Toompea
Toompea is the limestone hill where the nobility and bishops lived above the merchants of the Lower Town. Today it holds Toompea Castle with the Tall Hermann tower and Parliament, the Alexander Nevsky and St Mary's cathedrals, embassies and the famous viewing platforms. It empties after the day-trippers leave, making its few hotels and guesthouses a peaceful base.
- Good
- Very quiet at night; Best views in the city; Historic setting
- Watch out
- Few hotels and restaurants; Steep cobbled streets with luggage
- Nearby
- Kohtuotsa viewing platform, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, St Mary's Cathedral, Toompea Castle
$$ · Best for food lovers, solo travellers, budget and nightlife
Kalamaja and Telliskivi
Just north-west of the Old Town beyond the Baltic Station, Kalamaja is a former fishermen's and workers' district of colourful wooden houses, now popular with young families and creatives. It includes Telliskivi Creative City, a set of former railway factory buildings filled with restaurants, design shops and galleries, as well as the Balti Jaama market and the Seaplane Harbour museum by the sea.
- Good
- Best café and restaurant scene in the city; Walkable to the Old Town; More local character, lower prices
- Watch out
- Mostly apartments and small guesthouses; Uneven pavements and some unrenovated buildings
- Nearby
- Telliskivi Creative City, Balti Jaama market, Seaplane Harbour, Kalamaja Park
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and families
City Centre and Rotermann
East of the Old Town walls, the modern centre around Viru Keskus and Liberty Square holds most of the large hotels, shopping centres and the bus routes to the airport. The Rotermann Quarter, between the walls and the harbour, mixes 19th-century salt and grain warehouses with angular new buildings, restaurants and shops.
- Good
- Large, modern hotels with good facilities; Close to both the Old Town and the ferries; Easy tram link to the airport
- Watch out
- Less character than the Old Town; Heavy traffic on main roads
- Nearby
- Rotermann Quarter, Viru Keskus, Freedom Square, Old City Harbour
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, culture and couples
Kadriorg
Kadriorg grew around the baroque palace Peter the Great built for his wife Catherine from 1718. Its large park has the Swan Pond, a Japanese garden, Kadriorg Art Museum and the Kumu, and the surrounding streets have handsome wooden villas. The seaside promenade leads north to Pirita. Trams 1 and 3 reach the centre in about ten minutes.
- Good
- Green, calm and close to the sea; Museums within the park; Direct tram to the centre
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Quiet in the evenings
- Nearby
- Kadriorg Palace, Kumu, Song Festival Grounds, Pirita promenade
$$$ · Best for food lovers, couples and families
Noblessner
Built in 1912 as a shipyard for submarines, Noblessner on the Kopli bay was redeveloped from the late 2010s with apartments, a marina, seafood and fine-dining restaurants, the Kai Art Center and the PROTO Invention Factory, an interactive science attraction. The Põhjala brewery has its taproom here. It continues the seaside walk from the Seaplane Harbour.
- Good
- Sea views and sunset terraces; Strong restaurant scene; Modern apartments for longer stays
- Watch out
- About 25 minutes' walk from the Old Town; Feels quiet out of summer
- Nearby
- Seaplane Harbour, PROTO Invention Factory, Kai Art Center, Kalamaja
$$ · Best for beach, families and quiet stays
Pirita
Pirita, about 6 km east of the centre along the coast road, has Tallinn's largest sandy beach, the 1980 Olympic sailing centre, the ruins of St Bridget's Convent and pine woods running to the botanic garden and TV Tower. It suits summer visits and families who want space, with buses into town in about 20 minutes.
- Good
- Beach and forest on the doorstep; Calm and spacious; Cycle path along the sea to the centre
- Watch out
- Far from Old Town nightlife; Little to do outside summer
- Nearby
- Pirita beach, Pirita Convent, Tallinn TV Tower, Tallinn Botanic Garden
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Lower Town) | $$$ | Town Hall Square, St Olaf's Church, Viru Gate, St Catherine's Passage |
| Toompea | $$$ | Kohtuotsa viewing platform, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, St Mary's Cathedral, Toompea Castle |
| Kalamaja and Telliskivi | $$ | Telliskivi Creative City, Balti Jaama market, Seaplane Harbour, Kalamaja Park |
| City Centre and Rotermann | $$$ | Rotermann Quarter, Viru Keskus, Freedom Square, Old City Harbour |
| Kadriorg | $$ | Kadriorg Palace, Kumu, Song Festival Grounds, Pirita promenade |
| Noblessner | $$$ | Seaplane Harbour, PROTO Invention Factory, Kai Art Center, Kalamaja |
| Pirita | $$ | Pirita beach, Pirita Convent, Tallinn TV Tower, Tallinn Botanic Garden |
Getting to your hotel
Tallinn Airport is about 4 km from the centre. Tram line 4 runs from the terminal to the city centre in about 15–20 minutes, and taxis or ride-hailing cars take around 10–15 minutes to the Old Town.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Tallinn for first-time visitors?
Old Town (Lower Town). The Lower Town is the medieval merchant city, with Town Hall Square at its centre, Pikk and Vene streets lined with guild halls and churches, and St Catherine's Passage with craft workshops.
+Where should families stay in Tallinn?
City Centre and Rotermann: Large, modern hotels with good facilities.
+Which area of Tallinn is best for a budget stay?
Kalamaja and Telliskivi ($$): Wooden houses, converted factories, cafés and the city's creative scene.