In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Much of Tallinn costs nothing. The Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms on Toompea are free at any hour; Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is free to enter; St Catherine’s Passage and the Viru Gate towers are free to walk past; the Raeapteek pharmacy has a free museum room; and Kadriorg Park costs nothing. On the first Sunday of every month the Tallinn City Museum branches, including Kiek in de Kök, are free if you book a ticket in advance. Or book a tour: a guided Old Town historical walking tourad (from €35) adds the history behind these places.
⚠️ Free Museum Sunday needs a booking: admission is €0 on the first Sunday of the month, but you must reserve a time slot at linnamuuseum.ee, and not every room of every museum is open on those Sundays. Slots can be booked up to a month ahead.
1. Kohtuotsa viewing platform
Kohtuotsa viewing platform (Kohtuotsa vaateplatvorm) sits on the edge of Toompea hill. It looks east and north over the terracotta roofs of the Lower Town, the Town Hall spire, the spire of St Olaf’s Church, the glass towers of the modern centre and the ferries on Tallinn Bay.
- Cost: free.
- Hours: open at any time.
- Tip: go at sunrise or dusk to miss the tour groups.
2. Patkuli viewing platform
Patkuli viewing platform (Patkuli vaateplatvorm) is on the northern edge of Toompea. It looks straight down on a stretch of the medieval town wall and its towers above Toompark. A staircase below the platform leads down to the park.
Patkuli viewing platform. Photo: Gregso01, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. Viru Gate and the town wall
The twin towers of Viru Gate (Viru värav) are the main entrance to the Old Town from the east. Walking in and following the wall along Müürivahe street costs nothing. The town wall guide lists the ticketed towers if you want to climb.
4. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Aleksander Nevski katedraal) stands on Lossi plats at the top of Toompea. It was completed in 1900, in the Russian Revival style, with five black onion domes. Entry is free. It is a working church, so keep your voice down and do not photograph during services.
5. St Catherine’s Passage (Katariina käik)
St Catherine’s Passage is a narrow cobbled lane between Vene and Müürivahe streets. Stone arches span it, and old gravestones from the Dominican monastery are set into one wall. Craft studios of the St Catherine’s Guild (Katariina Gild) line the other side. Walking through is free.
St Catherine’s Passage. Photo: Leif Jørgensen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Guided walks on the same streets: the Old Town historical walking tourad (from €35, 2 hours), the Stories and Views 2-hour walking tourad (from €35) and the Medieval Walking Tourad (from €36, 2 hours).
6. Raeapteek: the Town Hall Pharmacy
The Raeapteek on the corner of Town Hall Square at Raekoja plats 11 has dispensed medicine from the same premises since before 1422. The modern pharmacy still trades, and a room of historic remedies beside it is open to visitors at no charge.
7. The Danish King’s Garden (Taani kuninga aed)
The garden on the slope between Toompea and the Lower Town, by the Lühike jalg gate, is tied to the legend of the Danish flag. In the story, the Dannebrog fell from the sky during the Danish conquest of 1219 and the Danes won. Bronze monk statues stand in the garden. It is free and open at any time.
8. Kadriorg Park and the Japanese Garden
Kadriorg Park covers about 70 hectares east of the centre. Peter the Great had it laid out from 1718 for his wife Catherine, around the palace he built for her. The Swan Pond (Luigetiik), the flower beds in front of the palace and the Japanese Garden are free to enter.
9. Linnahall
Linnahall at Sadama 1 was built on the shore as the V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport and hosted the sailing events of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The architect was Raine Karp. The halls inside are closed, but the concrete steps and the roof terraces are open to walk on, with sea views and a view back towards the Old Town.
Linnahall roof plaza. Photo: Calle Eklund, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
10. Free Museum Sundays
On the first Sunday of every month, admission to the branches of the Tallinn City Museum is free. The scheme started in March 2022.
- Branches: Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum (normally €16 for the full ticket), the Tallinn City Life Museum (Vene 17), the Museum of Photography, the Kalamaja Museum and the People’s Museum of Tallinn.
- Booking: reserve a free ticket for each visitor, children included, at linnamuuseum.ee up to a month ahead. Tickets are limited. Individual visitors only; no guided groups on that day.
11. Toompark and Snelli pond
Toompark runs along the foot of Toompea hill below the town wall. Its paths and the Snelli pond are free, and the park is the quiet way between the Old Town and Balti jaam.
12. Telliskivi courtyards and street art
Walking the open brick courtyards of Telliskivi Creative City (Telliskivi 60a) costs nothing. Murals cover the old industrial buildings. The Telliskivi guide has shop hours and where to eat.
13. Balti Jaama Turg market
Balti Jaama Turg at Kopli 1, beside the railway station, is free to wander. The market is open Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 09:00 to 17:00, with fresh produce, fish and meat halls and an antiques floor.
14. The seafront towards Pirita
A seafront path runs from Kadriorg east along Tallinn Bay towards Pirita Beach. On the way you pass the Russalka Memorial, a bronze angel by Amandus Adamson unveiled in 1902 for the sailors lost when the warship Rusalka sank in 1893.
15. The Governor’s Garden and Tall Hermann
The Governor’s Garden (Kuberneri aed) is a small public garden below the pink Baroque Toompea Castle on Lossi plats, beside the Tall Hermann (Pikk Hermann) tower. The Estonian flag is raised on the tower at sunrise.
For the places beyond walking distance, the Old Town, Kadriorg, Pirita and Open Air Museum tourad (from €150, 5.5 hours), the half-day city tourad (from €240, 4 hours) and the Tales of Tallinn car tourad (from €60, 2 hours) go by vehicle.
Free basics
- Drinking water: Tallinn’s tap water is safe to drink, so carry a refillable bottle.
Connecting planning resources
- Combine with paid highlights: Tallinn Card review and maths.
- Neighbourhood walks: Telliskivi Creative City guide and Noblessner seafront guide.
- Short-trip routes: Tallinn in 1 or 2 days and 3 days in Tallinn itinerary.
- Where to eat on a budget: Where to eat in Tallinn.
Common questions
Which viewing platforms in Tallinn are free?
Kohtuotsa and Patkuli on Toompea hill are free and open at any time. Kohtuotsa looks over the red roofs, spires and harbour of the Old Town; Patkuli looks down on the town wall towers.
Is Alexander Nevsky Cathedral free to visit?
Yes. The Russian Orthodox cathedral on Lossi plats is free to enter. It is a working church, so dress modestly and do not photograph during services.
How does Free Museum Sunday work in Tallinn?
On the first Sunday of every month, admission to the branches of the Tallinn City Museum is free, including Kiek in de Kök, the Tallinn City Life Museum, the Museum of Photography and the Kalamaja Museum. You must book a free ticket in advance, up to one month ahead, at linnamuuseum.ee.
Is Kadriorg Park free?
Yes. The park, with its Swan Pond, flower beds and the Japanese Garden, is free to enter. The palace and museums inside it charge admission.
Can you drink the tap water in Tallinn?
Yes. Tallinn's tap water is safe to drink, so carry a refillable bottle.
