In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Day 1 is the medieval core on foot: Viru Gate, St Catherine’s Passage, Town Hall Square, the Kohtuotsa viewing platform on Toompea, and Kiek in de Kök (€16). Day 2 is Kalamaja and the sea: Balti Jaama Turg, Telliskivi and Fotografiska (€14 to €17), then Seaplane Harbour (€22) and a beer at Noblessner. Day 3 has three options: Kadriorg Palace (€15), Kumu (€16) and the TV Tower (€18 to €19); a ferry to Helsinki; or the bog and manors of Lahemaa National Park. Or book a tour: start Day 1 with an Old Town historical walking tourad (from €35).
⚠️ Mondays: Kumu and the Kadriorg Art Museum are closed on Mondays all year. From October to April Kiek in de Kök and Seaplane Harbour are closed on Mondays too. Make a Monday your Telliskivi, market and viewpoint day.
Three-day itinerary overview
| Day | Focus | Main stops | Getting around | Gate tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Medieval Old Town and Toompea | Viru Gate, St Catherine’s Passage, Town Hall Square, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Kohtuotsa, Kiek in de Kök | On foot | €16 |
| Day 2 | Kalamaja and the harbour | Balti Jaama Turg, Telliskivi, Fotografiska, Seaplane Harbour, Noblessner | On foot, taxi or tram | €36 to €39 |
| Day 3, option A | Kadriorg and the TV Tower | Kadriorg Palace, Kumu, Tallinn TV Tower | Tram and bus | €49 to €50 |
| Day 3, option B | Helsinki | Ferry, Senate Square, Suomenlinna | Ferry and tram | Ferry fare: see the Helsinki guide |
| Day 3, option C | Lahemaa | Viru Bog, Palmse Manor, Altja | Hire car or tour | Tours from €122 |
St Catherine’s Passage. Photo: Leif Jørgensen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Day 1: the Lower Town and Toompea
All on foot.
Morning: merchant streets and Town Hall Square
- 09:30, Viru Gate and the town wall: go in through the twin towers of Viru Gate (Viru värav), then up Müürivahe street beside the wall to St Catherine’s Passage (Katariina käik), a cobbled lane with craft studios.
- 10:15, Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats): the Gothic Town Hall dates from 1404. The Raeapteek (Town Hall Pharmacy) at number 11 has been trading since before 1422, and has a free museum room.
- 11:30, coffee at Maiasmokk: Tallinn’s oldest continuously working café, open since 1864 at Pikk 16. The Marzipan Room is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
- 12:30, lunch at III Draakon: a candlelit medieval tavern inside the Town Hall at Raekoja plats 1.
Afternoon: Toompea and the bastion tunnels
- 13:30, up to Toompea: climb the Pikk jalg (“Long Leg”) street to the black onion domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the pink Baroque Toompea Castle, with the Tall Hermann tower.
- 14:15, viewpoints: the Kohtuotsa viewing platform, then the Patkuli viewing platform round the corner. Both are free.
- 15:00, Kiek in de Kök: a 15th-century cannon tower and museum. The full ticket (€16) also covers the underground Bastion Passages.
- Guided alternatives: the Stories and Views 2-hour walking tourad (from €35) and the Medieval Walking Tourad (from €36, 2 hours).
- 19:00, dinner at Olde Hansa: Vana turg 1, a medieval-style restaurant. The Grand Chef’s Feast costs €68 per person for two or more guests, and musicians play there from Thursday to Saturday, 18:00 to 21:00.
Day 2: Kalamaja, Seaplane Harbour and Noblessner
Morning: market and design
- 09:30, Balti Jaama Turg: the market at Kopli 1 is open Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 09:00 to 17:00. Baojaam on the ground floor sells steamed buns.
- 10:30, Telliskivi Creative City and Fotografiska: walk the old industrial courtyards of Telliskivi, then see the exhibitions at Fotografiska Tallinn (€14 to €17). Telliskivi’s shopping streets are open Monday to Friday 11:00 to 19:00.
- 13:00, lunch at F-hoone: meat dumplings in a creamy mushroom sauce (€8) in a former workshop hall.
Submarine Lembit, Seaplane Harbour. Photo: TenthEagle, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Afternoon: submarines and craft beer
- 14:30, Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam): the 1916 concrete seaplane hangars hold the 1936 submarine Lembit; the icebreaker Suur Tõll (1914) is moored outside. The ticket costs €22. It is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 from October to April and daily 10:00 to 19:00 from May to September.
- 17:30, Noblessner: walk the harbour pier into the former submarine shipyard.
- 18:30, dinner and drinks at the Põhjala Tap Room: Peetri 5, with 24 beers on tap and Texas-style barbecue. It is open Tuesday to Thursday 12:00 to 00:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 01:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, and closed on Mondays.
Day 3: three options
Option A: Kadriorg, Kumu and the TV Tower
- 09:30, tram to Kadriorg: take tram 1 or 3 from the Old Town.
- 10:00, Kadriorg Palace and Art Museum: a baroque palace built for Peter the Great, now an art museum of early European and Russian art (€15). It is open Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and Wednesday 10:00 to 20:00.
- 11:30, Kumu: a short walk through the park to Estonia’s national art museum (€16). It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and Thursday 10:00 to 20:00.
- 14:00, lunch in Rotermann: the Røst bakery at Rotermanni 14 is open Monday to Friday 08:30 to 18:00 and Saturday 09:30 to 17:00.
- 15:30, Tallinn TV Tower (Teletorn): in Pirita, with an observation deck at 170 metres (€18 to €19). It is open 10:00 to 18:00.
- 19:30, dinner at Rataskaevu 16: contemporary Estonian cooking in the Old Town; mains run from €16.80 to €29.40.
Kadriorg Palace. Photo: Guillaume Speurt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Option B: Helsinki by ferry
- Morning: Tallink’s MyStar and Megastar sail from Terminal D in about two hours. The Helsinki guide has the operators, fares and the tram from the terminal.
- In Helsinki: Senate Square and the cathedral, then a short ferry from Market Square to the Suomenlinna sea fortress, and the Oodi library.
- Evening: ferry back to Tallinn.
Option C: Lahemaa National Park
- Full day: hire a car or join a guided tour east along the Narva highway; the park is about 50 kilometres from Tallinn. Tours include the Lahemaa day tripad (from €125, 8 hours), the full-day tourad (from €122, 7 hours) and the shorter Jägala Waterfall and picnic tourad (from €99, 2 hours).
- Highlights: the Viru Bog boardwalk and tower, Palmse Manor, and the fishing hamlet of Altja. See the Lahemaa guide.
Gate tickets for Option A
- Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum: €16
- Fotografiska Tallinn: €14 to €17
- Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam): €22
- Kadriorg Palace and Art Museum: €15
- Kumu Art Museum: €16
- Tallinn TV Tower: €18 to €19
- Total: €101 to €105 per adult, before transport
The Tallinn Card page sets this total against the price of a 72-hour card.
Connecting planning resources
- Detailed sight guides: Seaplane Harbour tickets and Tallinn TV Tower tickets.
- Card evaluation: Is the Tallinn Card worth it?.
- Transport details: Public transport in Tallinn and Airport to city centre guide.
- Hotels: Where to stay in Tallinn.
Common questions
Is 3 days enough time to visit Tallinn?
Yes. Two days cover the Old Town, the Toompea viewpoints, Kiek in de Kök, Telliskivi and Seaplane Harbour. The third day is for Kadriorg Palace, Kumu and the TV Tower, or for an excursion to Helsinki or Lahemaa National Park.
Is a Tallinn Card worth buying for this itinerary?
The gate tickets on this itinerary (Option A) come to €101 to €105 per adult before transport. The Tallinn Card page works out whether a 72-hour card pays back against that total.
Which days of the week work best for this 3-day itinerary?
Tuesday to Sunday. Kumu and the Kadriorg Art Museum are closed on Mondays all year. From October to April Kiek in de Kök and Seaplane Harbour are closed on Mondays too, and the Põhjala Tap Room is closed on Mondays throughout the year. If a Monday falls in your stay, spend it at Telliskivi, Fotografiska, Balti Jaama Turg and the Toompea viewpoints.
Do you need a passport for a day trip to Helsinki?
Bring your passport. Estonia and Finland are both in the Schengen Area, but ferry operators check identity before boarding. EU citizens can usually use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport.
Where should you base yourself for a three-day Tallinn stay?
In or beside the Old Town, such as the Rotermann Quarter or Freedom Square. You are on foot to the medieval centre and a short tram ride from the airport, the ferry port and Kadriorg.
