Compare Three Days In Tallinn by Walks In Europe

Day 1: Discover Old Town Tallinn – 5 hours Walking Tour

Tallinn’s appeal is rooted in its rich history. Its UNESCO-protected old town has winding alleyways, ornate doorways and medieval courtyards. Among Nordic medieval cities, there’s none nearly as well-preserved as Tallinn, nor more dense with restaurants, cafés, and surprises.

Kings, queens and czars have walked the streets of the charming two-tiered city.

Tallinn once consisted of two feuding medieval towns separated by a wall. The upper town—on the hill, called Toompea—was the seat of government ruling Estonia. The lower town was an autonomous Hanseatic trading center filled with German, Danish, and Swedish merchants who hired Estonians to do the hardwork!

Join the cool and young affluent crowd in search of foodie delights and historical settings. The old town is not all that big and is perfect for for exploring galleries and craft workshops,too.

With its pastel-colored buildings all pretty in a row, the Town Hall Square is reminiscent of pages from a children’s fairytale book.

From fabric makers to ceramics stores, paintings and artwork to jewelery artisans, if there’s an art that can be perfected with the hands, there’s almost certainly a workshop for it in the old town of Tallinn.

Walking tours around Tallinn Old Town are the perfect way to explore at a leisurely pace. You won’t want to miss the intriguing details on the grand baroque buildings, crumbling stucco facades, monumental gates and marble streets.

Your informative walking tour guide will regale you with stories of past residents and significant landmarks, leading you on a journey not only through the streets of Tallinn, but through the alleyways of time.

We always include a perfect lunch to relax and watch the world go by at a scenic point — this is our only tour that we do this!

Day 2: Tallinn Food and Segway Tour, 3 hrs

Leaving Tallinn Old Town, we ride our Segways on the Culture Kilometrealong the seaside. This is just over a kilometre and we’ll stop at the famous Sea-Plane harbour.

During our Segway ride we’ll see the Patarei Prison from outside only.  Patarei has been selected into the “List of seven most endangered monuments” of Northern Europe. The harbour is best known for its architecturally unique Seaplane Hangars. Built almost a century ago, in 1917, as a part of Peter the Great sea fortress, these hangars are the world’s first reinforced concrete shell structures of such a great size.

Now the vast hangars house an extensive, high-tech museum telling exciting stories of Estonia’s maritime and military history and promising a ‘sea full of excitement’ for the whole family.

 It’s part of a fortification built in pure neoclassical style. Patarei prison constitutes a monument for victims of communism and Nazism and a powerful symbol of resistance of the martyrs of the Republic of Estonia.

Leaving the seaside, we’ll ride our Segways into Kalamaja neighbourhood, famous with its wooden houses and bohemian charm. ‘Kalamaja’ literally means ‘fish house’ in Estonian, and starting from the 14th century the area was traditionally dominated by fishermen, fishmongers and boat wrights.

Clever use of space and dedicated use of local produce makes the local restaurant-cafés an integral part of the Kalamaja atmosphere. The wooden houses built to accommodate these workers became Kalamaja’s architectural legacy and are now what gives neighbourhood its unforgettable charm.

Recently the area has taken on a bohemian atmosphere, becoming the residence of choice for young, creative types. Clever use of space and dedicated use of local produce makes the local restaurant-cafés an integral part of the Kalamaja atmosphere.

Immerse into this local atmosphere of interesting art, culture, and design center for artists, hipsters and design lovers. Kalamaja is the focus of experiential travelers in the seek of new gastronomic experiences.

A good way to experience Kalamaja is to visit the Telliskivi which is a collection of factory buildings that slowly transformed into a popular hangout for those who enjoy off-beat restaurants, art expos, craft beer, antiques shopping, alternative theatre and clubbing.

It is Estonia’s biggest creative economic enterprise centre, bringing together a diverse range of activities and businesses. For example, there is a 160-seat eatery, a childcare centre, a printing shop, a furniture shop, a theatre and an antique books store. Dance evenings are held on Tuesday evenings, Saturdays bring a flea market.

More than anything, the hub is a bohemian place for relaxation and business that encourages people with similar interests to get together.

We include a break in Telliskivi before we end our tour at the Old City.

Day 3: Kadriorg Park and Palace and more…

Today we  jump into our private vehicle to discover surrounding areas for a full sightseeing tour in Tallinn.

Our first visit  will be the Kadriorg Garden and Kadriorg Palace.

This grand, baroque palace built for Peter the Great in 1718 now houses the Art Museum of Estonia’s foreign collection. Designed by Italian architect Niccolo Michetti, the palace and surrounding manicured gardens are a humbling example of Tsarist extravagance.

Surrounding the Palace are several interesting palace side buildings and the Presidential Palace used as an office by Estonia’s head of state.

Kadriorg Park park surrounding Kadriorg Palace is without a doubt the best place in town for relaxed strolling, pigeon feeding and life pondering. It was set up in 1718 as part of the palace estate, but has always been open to the public.

Do not miss the truly wonderful addition in form of the Japanese garden designed by Japan’s renowned landscape designer Masao Sone.

Song Festival Grounds: An important part of Estonian history is the sprawling event venue in Kadriorg holding a special place in Estonians’ hearts as the birthplace of the Singing Revolution. It was here in 1988 that Estonia’s massive, musical demonstration against Soviet rule set the nation on its road towards re-independence. Most famously the site is home to the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration, an unforgettable event that takes place every five years, drawing together up to 34,000 performers and 200,000 spectators.

For a unique, historic experience, we explore the eerily beautiful ruins of St. Bridget’s, a medieval convent destroyed in 1577.

Founded in 1407 as part of a Swedish religious order, St. Bridget’s was the largest convent in the Livonian territories and operated until the Livonian War, when it was decimated by the forces of Ivan the Terrible. The most striking feature that remains is a mysterious, 35-metre gabled facade towering above the trees next to Pirita River.

We end the day at the Pirate Beach  is by far the largest and most popular in Tallinn – during summer it can attract up to 30,000 visitors a day. The 2km-long beach has a magnificent view of Old Town and the busy sea traffic on the Gulf of Finland.

Join our Three Days In Tallinn tour to get acquainted with the city in an efficient way organized professionally and led by a local guide.

There will be a max of 8 people so the experience is always intimate.