In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Lahemaa National Park (Lahemaa rahvuspark) is a stretch of pine forest, bog and rocky coast about 50 kilometres east of Tallinn. The Viru Bog (Viru raba) boardwalk and viewing tower is free and works on public transport. For the Palmse Manor (€12 from May to September, €8 from October to April) and Sagadi Manor (€5), the fishing hamlet of Altja and the captains’ village of Käsmu, you need a car or a tour. Or book a tour: the Lahemaa National Park day tripad and the full-day tourad pick you up in Tallinn and cover the bog, the coast and a manor.
⚠️ Local buses are thin: the highway buses stop at Viru Bog, but the buses on to Palmse, Sagadi and Altja are infrequent. On public transport, keep to the bog. To combine bog, manors and coast, hire a car or book a tour.
Day tours to Lahemaa
A tour picks you up in Tallinn and links the bog, the manors and the coast in one day, without the rural bus changes.
Lahemaa National Park day trip
From €125 · 4.1 stars from 95 reviews · 8 hours · small group
The From Tallinn: Lahemaa National Park Day Tripad is a small-group trip with a bog trail, coastal villages, manor landscapes and a light Estonian lunch.
Lahemaa full-day tour
From €122 · 4.9 stars from 964 reviews · 7 hours · guided
The From Tallinn: Lahemaa National Park Full-Day Tourad visits Jägala Waterfall, a historic manor estate, a traditional fishing village and Viru Bog.
Bog walk and sauna tour
From €220 · 5 hours · guided hike plus sauna
The From Tallinn: Bog Walk and Sauna Tourad is a guided bog hike with a traditional Estonian sauna, plus stories of local folklore and nature.
Getting to Lahemaa
| Transport | Reach | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hire car | Bog, three manors, the coast and Jägala in one day | Drive east on the Narva highway; about 50 kilometres to the Viru Bog turn-off |
| Organised tour | Bog, waterfall, manor and fishing village | Pick-up in Tallinn; see the tours above |
| Regional bus | Viru Bog only | From Tallinn Bus Station to the Viru raba highway stop; check times at peatus.ee |
| Bus plus local feeder | Palmse, Sagadi, Altja | Needs a change and an infrequent local bus; check both legs at peatus.ee before you leave |
Buy regional bus tickets at tpilet.ee or from the driver. Check the return times for the day you travel before you set out.
Viru Bog: the boardwalk and observation tower
Viru Bog is a raised peat bog. The trailhead is at the Loksa tee turn-off from the highway, and a path runs about 1.3 kilometres through pine forest to the bog, where a boardwalk and a wooden observation tower let you look over the bog pools.
Observation tower, Viru Bog. Photo: Abrget47j, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Stay on the boardwalk. The moss mat is fragile and takes decades to recover from footsteps.
- Boots: the boardwalk is level, but the forest paths have roots and damp ground.
- Insects: June and July bring mosquitoes and horseflies around the pools.
Viru Bog boardwalk. Photo: Abrget47j, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Baltic German manors
Lahemaa’s coastal plain was farmed by Baltic German noble families, and their manor houses survive.
Palmse Manor (Palmse mõis)
Palmse was held by the von der Pahlen family for centuries. The manor house sits in a landscaped park.
- Opening hours: daily 10:00 to 18:00 from 1 May to 30 September; Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00 from 1 October to 30 April.
- Adult admission: €12 in summer, €8 in winter. Students and pensioners pay €10 in summer and €7 in winter; a family ticket (two adults with children) is €24 and €18. The ticket covers the manor house, the animals on the estate and an electronic guide, and the park is free.
- Guides and horses: a guide costs €75 and must be booked ahead. Horse and pony rides are booked in advance too.
- Tavern: the Palmse Tavern (Palmse kõrts) is open daily 12:00 to 18:00.
Sagadi Manor (Sagadi mõis)
Sagadi is a manor of the von Fock family, run today by RMK, the State Forest Management Centre, and a short drive from Palmse.
- Two museums, one ticket: a forest museum in the old barn and a manor museum in the main house.
- Admission: €5 adults, €3 students and pensioners, €10 family.
- Hours: daily, 10:00 to 18:00 from June to September and 10:00 to 16:00 from October to May.
- Inside: the forest museum’s exhibition Metsane teekond (“A journey through the forest”) fills two floors of the barn. In the manor, a hunting hall holds trophies and a collection of hunting weapons from the last 250 years, and the attic shows unrestored furniture.
- Guides: a guide costs €80 an hour in Estonian and €90 an hour in a foreign language.
Coastal hamlets: Altja and Käsmu
Northern Lahemaa reaches into the Gulf of Finland on four forested peninsulas.
Altja
Altja is a fishing hamlet on a single lane, with a row of fishermen’s net sheds on the shore that are open to walk around at any time. The Altja tavern (Altja kõrts) is the village’s place to eat.
Käsmu harbour. Photo: Hiiumaamudeliklubi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Käsmu
Käsmu is known as the “Captains’ Village” (Kapteniküla): a maritime school here trained sea captains from 1884 to 1931. The village is white wooden houses and a shore strewn with large glacial boulders, each with its own name on the park’s information boards.
Jägala Waterfall on the way
Jägala Waterfall (Jägala juga) is about 25 kilometres east of Tallinn, a short drive off the highway. It falls 8 metres over a limestone ledge about 50 metres wide, which makes it Estonia’s widest natural waterfall. It is free and open at any time. In April the meltwater makes it loud; in a hard winter it freezes.
Tips for Lahemaa
- Food: places to eat are few. Eat at the tavern in Palmse or Altja, and bring water and snacks.
- Winter: carry warm and windproof layers for the coast, and check the manor’s winter days (Wednesday to Sunday).
Connecting guides for Tallinn planning
- Overview of all excursions: Day trips from Tallinn compared.
- Island and sea options: Helsinki day trip from Tallinn by ferry.
- Western resort excursion: Haapsalu day trip from Tallinn.
- City transport: Public transport in Tallinn.
- Basing your trip: Where to stay in Tallinn.
Common questions
Can you visit Lahemaa National Park on a day trip from Tallinn?
Yes. The Viru Bog trailhead is about 50 kilometres east of Tallinn on the Narva highway, under an hour by car. Regional buses from Tallinn Bus Station stop at the Viru raba stop on the highway. A guided day tour covers the bog, the coast and a manor in one loop.
Can you reach Palmse Manor and the coastal villages by public bus?
Viru Bog is reachable by the highway buses, but Palmse, Sagadi and Altja need changes onto infrequent local buses. Without a car, a guided day tour is far more practical if you want both the bog and the manors.
When is Palmse Manor open and how much does it cost?
From 1 May to 30 September it is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00; adults pay €12, students and pensioners €10, and a family ticket is €24. From 1 October to 30 April it is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00; adults pay €8, students and pensioners €7, and a family ticket is €18. The park is free.
What does admission to Sagadi Manor cost?
One museum ticket covers both the forest museum and the manor museum: €5 for adults, €3 for students and pensioners, and €10 for a family of two adults and up to two children aged 17 or under. It is open daily, 10:00 to 18:00 from June to September and 10:00 to 16:00 from October to May.
