Bonus tip: If you wish to explore the city by hop-on hop-off bus, purchase the Tallinn Card PLUS, which includes free rides on Tallinn City Tour buses in addition to everything mentioned above. You can choose between three lines, each one lasting approximately one hour, in peak season. There is only one line in the low season, which travels for 90 minutes. In either instance, you will see a number of distinctive areas and hear exciting stories about Tallinn in up to 10 languages with the audio guide.
We have some recommendations on how to spend an eventful and unforgettable day in the capital.
Explore the Old Town’s romantic streets, breath-taking views, exciting museums and tourist attractions
Tallinn’s highest rated tourist attraction is certainly its Old Town with its medieval milieu; it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Curved cobblestone streets lead you through idyllic courtyards and archways. The greatest city views can be experienced from the Old Town’s walls and towers as well as Toompea’s observation platforms.
There are also several thrilling museums in the Old Town. The Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum, with its defensive towers and underground bastion passageways, offers a unique opportunity to examine the story of Tallinn’s formation, moving along the historic city wall from one tower to the next.
Adult ticket: The Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum €12, the Estonian Health Museum €10, the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design €8, the Estonian Museum of Natural History €8-10 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student): The Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum €6, the Estonian Health Museum €6, the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design €4, the Estonian Museum of Natural History €4-6 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Photo by: Kadi-Liis Koppel
The thoroughly renovated artillery tower in the Fat Margaret Museum and Visitor Centre invites people on a thrilling journey to examine Estonian maritime history. During summer, a café is open on the roof of the decorous tower, providing mesmerising views of the sea and Old Town.
Adult ticket: €15 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student): €8 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Worth knowing: You will find a number of exquisite cafés and craft shops right in the heart of the Old Town. People with a Tallinn Card can receive sweet treats in the Kehrwieder Chocolaterie, the Marzipan room near Café Maiasmokk, the Town Hall Pharmacy and the medieval craft shop Olde Hansa Shoppe. Additionally, you can receive discounts at the Pierre Chocolaterie café and in the restaurants Lee, Olde Hansa and Kaerajaan.
Adult ticket: The Energy Discovery Centre €10, Seaplane Harbour €15, the PROTO Invention Factory €14, Kai Art Centre €8, Kalamaja Museum €5, Fotografiska Tallinn €15 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student): The Energy Discovery Centre €8, Seaplane Harbour €8, the PROTO Invention Factory €10, Kai Art Centre €5, Kalamaja Museum €3, Fotografiska Tallinn €12 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Worth knowing: You can enjoy thrilling exhibition experiences at the PROTO café, Café Maru in Seaplane Harbour or the café on the ground floor of Fotografiska Tallinn. The Tallinn Card provides discounts in all of these locations.
If you want to reach Kalamaja by public transport, take tram No. 1 or No. 2 or bus No. 3 from the Hobujaama stop in the city centre or you can conveniently get there via the Tallinn City Tour red line.
Enjoy greenery and intimacy with nature in Rocca al Mare
You can enjoy authentic village life and view exotic animals in Rocca al Mare. The grounds of a former summer manor are home to the Estonian Open Air Museum, which showcases traditional life in an Estonian village. The museum is the owner of approximately 80 buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, including farms, mills, fishing sheds, a village school, a chapel, a fire station and many others. All festivals on the Estonian national calendar are celebrated here, starting with Shrove Tuesday and ending with Christmas. Museum visitors can join in with the spirited folk celebrations.
Photo by: Toomas Tuul
Another significant tourist attraction to see in Rocca al Mare is the Tallinn Zoo with its rich fauna. Located in a naturally beautiful and species-rich park forest, the zoo has the most exciting collection of animals in any Nordic country!
There are elephants and rhinos, several species of predator, playful primates and many other exotic and endangered species; in addition, there is the magnificent polar bear world and a children’s zoo. This place is also home to the world’s best exhibition of mountain goats and mountain sheep.
Adult ticket: The Estonian Open Air Museum €10-12, Tallinn Zoo €5-8 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student): The Estonian Open Air Museum €8-9, Tallinn Zoo €3-5 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Worth knowing: The Rocca al Mare promenade, which passes through a green residential neighbourhood connecting Stroomi and Kakumäe beaches, provides active experiences.
You can easily reach Rocca al Mare on the Tallinn City Tour blue line or via public transport (buses No. 21 and 21B depart from Viru stop in the city centre).
Visit the romantic Kadriorg district or the vibrant Maarjamäe History Centre
The soul of the tranquil and green Kadriorg is the magnificent ensemble of palaces and parks built over 300 years ago by Russian Tsar Peter the Great. Kadriorg is also renowned as a cultural park since it is the home of Estonia’s best art museums – Kadriorg Palace exhibits foreign art pieces, the Mikkel Museum next to the palace exhibits an abundant private art collection and the KUMU Art Museum exhibits classical and contemporary Estonian art.
Besides the three art museums in Kadriorg Park, the personal museums of Peter the Great, Eduard Vilde and Anton Hansen Tammsaare and the Miiamilla Children’s Museum are also worth a visit.
Adult ticket: Kadriorg Art Museum €9, Mikkel Museum €7, KUMU Art Museum €12, Peter the Great House Museum €5, Eduard Vilde Museum €5 Anton Hansen Tammsaare Museum €5, Miiamilla Children's Museum €4 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student) Kadriorg Art Museum €7, Mikkel Museum €5, KUMU Art Museum €8, Peter the Great House Museum €4, Eduard Vilde Museum €3 Anton Hansen Tammsaare Museum €3, Miiamilla Children's Museum €2 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Worth knowing: Kadriorg Palace’s basement floor houses a cosy and elegant museum café, which offers discounts to people with a Tallinn Card.
You can easily reach Kadriorg on the Tallinn City Tour red line or via public transport (trams No. 1 and No. 3 depart from Hobujaama stop in the city centre). It is particularly wonderful travelling on a nostalgic tram named after an Estonian statesman.
If you are a major history buff, spend the day at the Maarjamäe History Centre because you can visit three museums in one go – Maarjamäe Palace, its stables and the Estonian Film Museum. Additionally, the complex features exciting outdoor exhibitions, recreational areas and a children’s playground.
Adult ticket: Maarjamäe History Centre €12 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Discounted ticket (student): Maarjamäe History Centre €8 or free of charge with the Tallinn Card
Photo by: Vahur Lõhmus
Worth knowing: At Maarjamäe Palace, you can enjoy a taste sensation at the Riviera Palais Brasserie, a French restaurant with a million-dollar view. A discount applies to people with a Tallinn Card.
You can easily reach Maarjamäe on the Tallinn City Tour green line or via public transport (buses No. 1A, 8, 34A and 38 depart from the Viru Centre bus stop in the city centre or bus No.5 from Viru bus stop).
No matter what area you choose, you will certainly have an exciting, packed day and learn many interesting facts about Tallinn and Estonia. At the same time, there is still much to explore. So you should definitely visit again!
