In this guide
💡 The Short Version: St Olaf’s tower is closed until 1 April 2027, and from September to May the Town Hall is open only by appointment. Kumu and the Kadriorg museums are closed on Mondays all year, and Seaplane Harbour and Kiek in de Kök are closed on Mondays from October to April. Take tram T4 from the airport: about 19 minutes to Viru at the edge of the Old Town, on a €2 one-hour ticket. Public transport is not free for visitors. The Christmas market on Town Hall Square runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Helsinki is a two-hour ferry away. Prices are in euros (€). Or book a tour: a guided Old Town historical walking tourad or a Tallinn food and history walking tourad is sold on GetYourGuide.
⚠️ Validate your ticket every time you board. A tap on your first ride does not cover the next one, tickets are not sold by the driver, and the penalty fare is up to €40. Tap a contactless bank card on the orange validator at the front door.
What to book, and when
| Sight | Book | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Olaf’s tower | Walk in | €10 | Open 1 April to 31 October, 10:00 to 18:00; closed until 1 April 2027 |
| Town Hall and tower | Walk in, 1 June to 31 August | €7 hall, €6 tower, €12 both | Other months by appointment, €14, and the tower is closed |
| Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Passages | Walk in | €16 whole complex | Closed Mondays from October to April |
| Toompea Castle and parliament tours | Book | Free | English tours for individuals pause from 6 November 2026 to 2 April 2027 |
| Alexander Nevsky Cathedral | Walk in | Free | A working church; services at 08:30 and 17:00 on weekdays |
| Kadriorg Art Museum | Walk in | €15 | Closed Mondays; open to 20:00 on Wednesdays |
| Kumu | Walk in | €16 | Closed Mondays; open to 20:00 on Thursdays |
| Seaplane Harbour | Walk in | €22, including the submarine Lembit and the icebreaker Suur Tõll | Closed Mondays from October to April |
| TV Tower | Walk in, or online | €18 online, €19 on site; evening ticket €10 | A stamp on a poor-visibility ticket gives a free return within two months |
| Helsinki by ferry | Book ahead | See the operators | 2 hours each way on Tallink’s fast ferries; take official ID |
| Tallinn Card | Online | €45 for 24 hours, €65 for 48, €78 for 72 | Includes public transport; pays off only on museum-heavy days |
Tallinn Town Hall, Town Hall Square. Photo: Ivar Leidus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee.
Opening hours and closed days
- Mondays: Kumu and the Kadriorg Art Museum are closed all year. Seaplane Harbour and Kiek in de Kök are closed from October to April. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the TV Tower and the Old Town are open.
- Winter: St Olaf’s tower is closed from 1 November to 31 March, the Town Hall is open only by appointment from September to May, and Hellemann Tower is closed on Tuesdays from 15 October to 15 April.
- Parliament: the Riigikogu runs free tours, and English tours for individual visitors stop from 6 November 2026 to 2 April 2027.
- Christmas: the Tallinn Christmas Market on Town Hall Square runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and the Christmas market and winter guide has the holiday hours.
Getting around
The Old Town is small enough to walk, and trams, trolleybuses and buses share one ticket. Tap a contactless bank card on the validator at the front door: each tap buys a one-hour ticket, and with the same card your total in a transport day (04:00 to 04:00) never goes above the day ticket. The 3- and 5-day tickets are loaded onto an Ühiskaart.
| Ticket | Price | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | €2 | 60 minutes, changes allowed |
| 1 day | €5.50 | 24 hours |
| 3 days | €9 | 72 hours |
Children of pre-school age ride free. Public transport in Tallinn has the card rules and night buses.
| From the airport to the centre | Time | Adult fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tram T4 | About 19 minutes to Viru | €2 | From the end of the terminal; the last tram leaves at 00:00 |
| Tram T2 | About 22 minutes to the Old City Harbour A-terminal | €2 | The last tram leaves at 00:15 |
| Bus 2 | About 15 minutes to Vabaduse väljak | €2 | Runs towards the centre only, until about midnight |
Tallinn Airport to the city compares them with a taxi or Bolt.
Money
Cards and phones work almost everywhere, trams included, but street parking meters take cash only. Choose euros if a terminal or cash machine offers to charge you in your home currency. Tipping is about 10% for exceptional service and is not compulsory. There is no tourist tax on hotel stays. Money in Tallinn covers VAT refunds, alcohol hours and ATMs.
Carved stones, St Catherine’s Passage. Photo: Aditya Karnad from Bangalore, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Entry rules for Estonia
Estonia is in the EU and the Schengen area, so the 90 days count across every Schengen country you visit.
| Citizens of | Visa | Passport | At the border |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| United States | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| Canada | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| Australia | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| EU and EEA citizens | None | Valid passport or national ID card | No registration |
The photo and fingerprints are the EU’s Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps for non-EU visitors and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It costs nothing and needs nothing before you travel (EU). The ETIAS travel authorisation, a €20 online form for visa-free visitors, is not yet required: the EU says ETIAS is not in operation and will announce the start date several months ahead (ETIAS).
The rules above come from the UK and Canadian government travel pages, the EU’s passport rule for visa-free visitors and its guidance for EU citizens. For official safety advice, see the UK Foreign Office and US State Department pages for Estonia.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tallinn guides
- Old Town sights: Toompea Castle and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Town Hall and the square, St Olaf’s tower and the town wall and towers each have a guide. Free things to do in Tallinn lists the viewpoints and churches that cost nothing, and the Tallinn Card sums show when a pass pays.
- Beyond the walls: Kadriorg Palace and Park, Kumu, Seaplane Harbour and the TV Tower are each a guide of their own, and Telliskivi Creative City and Noblessner and the Kalamaja seafront cover the quarters west of the Old Town.
- Arriving and getting around: Tallinn Airport to the city compares tram, bus and taxi, and public transport in Tallinn covers fares and the Ühiskaart.
- Where to stay and eat: Where to stay in Tallinn compares the areas, where to eat in Tallinn names the places to order, and Tallinn craft beer and bars covers the taprooms.
- Short stays: Tallinn in 1 or 2 days fits a weekend, and 3 days in Tallinn adds a day trip.
- Day trips: Day trips from Tallinn compares the options; Helsinki, Lahemaa National Park and Haapsalu each have a guide, the Helsinki guide covers the other end of the ferry, and the Riga guide covers the next Baltic capital.
- When to go: The best time to visit Tallinn compares the seasons, and the Christmas market and winter guide covers the market and the holiday hours.
- Staying safe and paying: Is Tallinn safe? covers pickpockets, taxis and the emergency number, and money in Tallinn covers cards, VAT refunds and alcohol.
- Compared with other cities: Helsinki vs Tallinn sets the two side by side, with the €2 ticket, the museum prices, the Christmas dates and the two-hour ferry between them. Best cities for a stag do has the brewery tour, the private sauna and the 22:00 alcohol rule, long weekend city breaks fits Tallinn into two days, and the Christmas market cities has the Town Hall Square dates.
- Tallinn or Riga: Tallinn vs Riga sets the two side by side, with the fares, the airport tram and bus, the tourist tax, the beer and the Christmas dates.
Itineraries
Day-by-day plans for a first visit.
Itinerary
Tallinn in 1 or 2 Days: City Break Itinerary
A 1-day and 2-day Tallinn itinerary: Old Town, Toompea, Telliskivi, Kadriorg Palace, Kumu, and Seaplane Harbour. Complete pricing, tram routes, and hours.
Itinerary
3 Days in Tallinn: Weekend Itinerary
A 3-day Tallinn itinerary: Old Town and Toompea, Telliskivi and Seaplane Harbour, Kadriorg Palace, Kumu, and Helsinki or Lahemaa excursions. Costs and hours.
Which ticket to buy
The official ticket, the tours that include entry, and which sells out first.
Tickets
St. Olaf's Church Tower Tallinn: Tickets & Hours
Climb St. Olaf's Church tower in Tallinn: open 1 April to 31 October, 10:00 to 18:00, 258 steps to a platform 60 m up, free with the Tallinn Card.
Tickets
Tallinn Town Wall & Towers: Tickets & Bastion Tunnels
Tickets and hours for Kiek in de Kök (€16), the Bastion Passages (€10), Fat Margaret, Hellemann Tower and the Nun's Tower wall walk, with winter opening days.
Tickets
Kadriorg Palace & Park Tallinn: Tickets & Hours
Kadriorg Art Museum in Peter the Great's palace: €15 adult ticket, closed Mondays, Mikkel Museum, combined tickets with Kumu, the free park and trams 1 and 3.
Tickets
Kumu Art Museum Tallinn: Tickets, Hours & Guide
Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn: €16 adult ticket, closed Mondays, open late Thursday, the Estonian art on floors 3 and 4, joint tickets with Kadriorg and buses 31, 42 and 67.
Tickets
Seaplane Harbour Tallinn: Tickets, Submarine & Hours
Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) in Tallinn: €22 ticket covering submarine Lembit and icebreaker Suur Tõll, combined €30 ticket with Fat Margaret, hours and transit.
Tickets
Tallinn Card Review: Prices, Savings & the Maths
Is the Tallinn Card worth it? Adult prices are €45.00 for 24 hours, €65.00 for 48, and €78.00 for 72, with 50-plus sights and public transport. The sums.
Tickets
Tallinn TV Tower Tickets: Prices & Opening Hours
Tallinn TV Tower (Teletorn) tickets from €18 online, evening ticket €10, Edge Walk at 175 m, the 1991 independence history and buses 34, 38 and 48.
Day trips from Tallinn
Out and back in a day, with the tours compared against going on your own.
Day trip
Day Trips from Tallinn: Options & Journey Times
Day trips from Tallinn compared: Helsinki by ferry, Lahemaa bogs and manors, Haapsalu resort by bus, Tartu university town by Elron train, and Rummu Quarry.
Day trip
Helsinki Day Trip From Tallinn: Ferry and Route
How to take a day trip from Tallinn to Helsinki: compare Tallink, Viking Line and Eckerö Line ferries, departure terminals, ID rules, and city tram routes.
Day trip
Lahemaa Day Trip from Tallinn: Bog Trails
Lahemaa day trip from Tallinn: the Viru Bog boardwalk and tower, Palmse and Sagadi manor prices, Altja fishing hamlet, and regional bus connections.
Day trip
Haapsalu Day Trip from Tallinn: Castle & Spa
Haapsalu day trip from Tallinn by direct coach (1 h 40 min): Bishop's Castle (€12.00), Imperial Railway Museum, Tchaikovsky's bench, Thalasso mud spa, and cafés.
Where to stay
Areas and hotels, chosen for a visitor rather than a resident.
Airport transfers
From the airport to the centre, every option priced and timed.
Getting around
Tickets, passes and the transport a visitor actually uses.
What's on, month by month
Festivals, holidays and closures that change a visit.
Food and drink
Where to eat, what to order and when to book.
Food and drink
Where to Eat in Tallinn: Restaurants & Dishes
Where to eat in Tallinn: Rataskaevu 16, Lee Brasserie, Moon, Michelin-starred NOA Chef's Hall, medieval III Draakon, Balti Jaama Turg, and Maiasmokk café.
Food and drink
Tallinn Craft Beer & Bars: Taprooms & Pubs
Tallinn craft beer guide: Põhjala Tap Room in Noblessner, Põhja Konn in Telliskivi, Hell Hunt in the Old Town, Humalakoda brewpub, and Vana Tallinn liqueur.
More guides
Guide
Toompea Castle & Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Tallinn
Visit Toompea in Tallinn: free Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, free Riigikogu parliament tours, Pikk Hermann tower, Toomkirik cathedral, and the top panoramic viewpoints.
Guide
Tallinn Town Hall & Square: Tickets & Tower Hours
Tallinn Town Hall tickets (€7, tower €6, both €12), summer-only opening from 1 June to 31 August, the Raeapteek pharmacy and where to eat on Raekoja plats.
Guide
Telliskivi Creative City Tallinn: Bars, Food & Shops
Telliskivi Creative City in Tallinn: design studio hours, Fotografiska photography museum (€14.00–€17.00), F-hoone, Balti Jaama Turg market, and tram routes.
Guide
15 Free Things to Do in Tallinn: Viewpoints & Parks
15 free things to do in Tallinn: Toompea viewpoints, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, St Catherine's Passage, Raeapteek, Kadriorg Park, and Free Museum Sundays.
Guide
Noblessner & Kalamaja: Tallinn Seafront Guide
Noblessner and Kalamaja in Tallinn: PROTO (€16 to €20), Kai Art Center (€12), Iglupark saunas, Põhjala Tap Room brewery tour (€20) and Patarei fortress.
Guide
Best Time to Visit Tallinn: Season by Season
When to visit Tallinn: monthly temperatures, daylight from 6 hours in winter to 19 hours at midsummer, seasonal attraction closures, and festival dates.
Guide
Is Tallinn Safe? Safety Tips for Travellers
Is Tallinn safe for tourists? US State Department Level 1 rating, Old Town bar scams, taxi regulations, winter slip hazards, tap water, and 112 emergency advice.
Guide
Money in Tallinn: Currency, Cards & Tipping
Tallinn uses the euro (€): contactless card payments, ATM withdrawal tips, tipping etiquette, €0 municipal tourist tax, and tax-free VAT refunds over €38.00.
Plan your trip
The rules and costs that apply to every city on the site.
Common questions
What do I need to book in advance for Tallinn?
Very little. The museums, Kiek in de Kök, the TV Tower and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral sell tickets at the door. Parliament tours at Toompea Castle must be booked, the Town Hall must be booked by appointment from September to May, and Tallinn–Helsinki ferries are best booked before the day you travel.
Can I climb St Olaf's tower in winter?
No. The viewing platform is open from 1 April to 31 October and closed from November to March, so it reopens on 1 April 2027. The TV Tower and the free viewpoints on Toompea are the winter alternatives.
Which Tallinn sights are closed on Mondays?
Kumu and the Kadriorg museums are closed on Mondays all year. Seaplane Harbour and Kiek in de Kök are closed on Mondays from October to April. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the TV Tower and the Old Town are open.
How do I get from Tallinn Airport to the city centre?
Take tram T4 from the terminal. It reaches Viru, at the edge of the Old Town, in about 19 minutes. Tram T2 goes to the Old City Harbour and Balti jaam station. A one-hour ticket costs €2, paid by tapping a contactless bank card on the validator at the front door.
Is public transport free for visitors in Tallinn?
No. Free travel is for registered residents of Tallinn. Visitors pay €2 for a one-hour ticket by tapping a contactless card, and the total is capped at the €5.50 day ticket within a transport day. Travelling without a validated ticket can cost up to €40.
Do I need a visa for Estonia?
Not as a UK, US, Canadian or Australian citizen for a stay of up to 90 days in any 180. Estonia is in the EU and the Schengen area, so your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave, and the EU's Entry/Exit System takes a photo and fingerprints at your first entry. ETIAS is not yet required.