Estonia · City break

Tallinn City Guide

Behind the Viru Gate begins the north's best-preserved Hanseatic town. Red brick, pointed towers, narrow lanes and, high above, Toompea hill with its postcard view. Beyond it lies a surprisingly digital, modern city on the Baltic. One ready-made day route takes you from the lanes down to the harbour.

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Our walking tours of Tallinn

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Tallinn, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Altstadt, Domberg & Hafen

From the twin-towered Viru Gate to the Town Hall Square with northern Europe's oldest town hall, up onto Toompea hill to the Kohtuotsa postcard viewpoint, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the parliament castle. Back down into the lower town through the St. Catherine's Passage, up the tower of St. Olaf's church for the best all-round view and to the Fat Margaret bastion at the harbour.

Viru Gate (Viru väravad). The walk begins at the Viru Gate, the classic entrance to the old town, with two round, ivy-clad 14th-century defensive towers and a flower market in front. Beyond, the cobbled Viru street opens up towards the city's medieval heart.
Raekoja plats & Town Hall. The Raekoja plats is the historic market square, framed by colourful gabled houses and the Gothic town hall of 1404. Northern Europe's oldest surviving town hall. Atop its spire turns "Old Thomas", the city's emblem; in summer the tower can be climbed.
Kohtuotsa viewpoint (Toompea). On Toompea hill lies the city's most famous view. From the Kohtuotsa platform you look over a sea of red tiled roofs and the green church spires of the lower town, with the modern skyline and the Baltic beyond. Tallinn's postcard shot par excellence. Loveliest in the early evening. If it gets too crowded here, just walk two minutes on to the Patkuli viewpoint. Almost the same panorama, but often far quieter.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Facing the parliament castle rises the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral of 1900, with its striking black onion domes and golden crosses. A piece of the tsarist era on Toompea. The opulent interior of icons and mosaics is impressive, though photography isn't allowed inside.
Toompea Castle & Parliament. The pink castle on Toompea is today the seat of Estonia's parliament (Riigikogu). Behind it rises the medieval "Tall Hermann" tower, where each morning the Estonian flag is raised to the national anthem. A symbol of independence. Quiet lanes and more viewpoints lie all around.
St Catherine's Passage (Katariina käik). Back in the lower town, St. Catherine's Passage runs through one of the old town's most atmospheric lanes, narrow, partly vaulted, its wall lined with old gravestones from the former St. Catherine's church. In the little workshops (Katariina Gild) artisans work with glass, leather and ceramics. In the morning, soft light falls into the lane.
St. Olaf's Church (Oleviste) tower. St. Olaf's Church was considered one of Europe's tallest buildings around 1500, with its huge tower. Climb the 232 steep steps to the viewing gallery. At the top waits the best all-round view over the whole old town, the harbour and the Baltic. Only with some fitness and no fear of heights.
Fat Margaret (Paks Margareeta). To finish, Fat Margaret, a massive 16th-century cannon tower on the northern edge of the old town near the harbour. Inside, the modern Estonian Maritime Museum tells the country's seafaring story; from the roof terrace you look over the city wall to the sea. The tram back is right beyond.

Planning your visit

One day is enough. The route from the Viru Gate runs 3.5 kilometres and leads across the town hall square up to Toompea, where the Kohtuotsa terrace offers the best known view over the red roofs. It then passes the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral back down to the lower town, through St Catherine's Passage to Fat Margaret. The city wall still stands almost all the way round, which has become rare in the north. Seven evening tips are ready, plus Kadriorg and Lahemaa National Park for a second day.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

Radisson Sky Bar (Lounge 24). Bar on the 24th floor of the Radisson with all-round glazed views over the old town's red roofs, the church spires and, beyond, the Baltic. The city's highest rooftop terrace.

Nightlife quarters

Telliskivi Creative City. Tallinn's hipster heart in an old factory complex by Balti jaam station, with street art, design shops, craft bars, street food in the Balti market and the Fotografiska photo gallery. Young and lively at night.
Altstadt mit Vana turg & Suur-Karja. Around Vana turg and Suur-Karja, medieval-looking taverns, cocktail bars and clubs line up. Touristy, but atmospheric under old vaults.

Food & restaurants

Rataskaevu 16. One of the city's most popular restaurants in the old town, serving modern Estonian cooking, honest and affordable, with classics like braised elk. Reservation essential.
Olde Hansa. The medieval-themed restaurant by the Town Hall Square, with candlelight, servers in costume, game dishes and spiced honey beer. Kitschy and touristy, but a genuinely fun experience.

Bars & clubs

Suur-Karja & Telliskivi (spät). Late on, it's the clubs of Suur-Karja in the old town or alternative Telliskivi with its bars and gigs. Tallinn's nightlife is compact but lively until morning.

Stage & concerts

Nationaloper Estonia. The grand theatre at the edge of the old town houses opera and ballet under one roof. Estonia is a nation of singers, and classical music runs deep here.

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Practical information for Tallinn

Public transport

Operator. AS Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) is the municipal transport operator and runs buses, trams and trolleybuses (lines 1 to 96) under Tallinn's unified fare system. According to its own figures, TLT carries around 180,000 passengers a day using around 460 buses and 50 trams in weekday service (with a total fleet of 557 buses and 65 trams). Regional buses out into the surrounding Harjumaa area and the Elron trains fall outside this city fare.

Network. Trams, trolleybuses and buses. Fares are very low for visitors.

Modes of transport. Bus · Tram · Trolleybus

Operating hours. TLT's local transport runs on a normal weekday from just before 5 a.m. until well past midnight. Going by the city's official timetable data for a Tuesday in August 2026, half of the 73 city lines start before 5.22 am, with the earliest trip belonging to tram T2 from Kopli to the airport at 4.45 am. Trams T1 to T4 start between 5.02 am and 5.31 am, trolleybus lines 72 and 81 to 85 between 5 am and 5.20 am. At the other end of the day, the median last departure is 12.16 am, and 48 of the 73 lines still run after midnight. The airport tram T4 holds out the longest, its last trip starts at 1.06 am. Anyone wanting to head back earlier has it easy, since several lines run in parallel on the busy routes to Mustamäe, Õismäe, Lasnamäe and Kopli. Only a handful of secondary lines finish before 11 pm, that affects 14 lines. For visitors, that means a late evening in the old town can almost always still be wrapped up by tram or bus.

Night service. Tallinn has genuine night service, but it's limited to weekend nights. Six Ööbuss lines numbered 91 to 96 run on the nights of Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday. Their shared starting point is Balti jaam station on the edge of the old town, where each line has its own stand. Departures from Balti jaam leave every 30 minutes, the first at 12.30 am and the last at 3.30 am. The destinations cover the major residential districts and surrounding area, line 91 to Mustamäe, 92 to Väike-Õismäe, 93 to Pelguranna, 94 to Priisle, 95 to Viimsi keskus and 96 to Vana-Pääsküla. In the opposite direction the buses head back into town from their end stops, usually a few minutes before the half and full hour, with the last departure around 3 a.m. Between 3.30 am and the start of normal service around 5 a.m. there's a gap where only a taxi or ride service can help. There are no night buses at all from Monday to Thursday.

Buying tickets. There are four ways to get a ticket. First, the QR ticket, bookable at tallinn.pilet.ee or in the Pilet.ee app, valid for one hour and validated on boarding by QR scanner at the door validator. Second, the Ühiskaart chip card, topped up with credit or a multi-day ticket at R-Kiosks, post offices (Omniva), the supermarket chains Selver, Maxima, Prisma and Rimi, at Stockmann, or at the city hall service counter, with a deposit of 3 euros. Third, a contactless bank card (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron) directly at the door validator at the front of the vehicle, which only lets you buy the single-hour ticket, no multi-day passes and no discounts. Fourth, Apple Pay. Drivers never sell tickets, and cash isn't accepted anywhere. Riding without a valid ticket can be fined up to 40 euros under the public transport act. Chip cards and unregistered balances up to 20 euros can be refunded at R-Kiosks at the airport, at ferry terminals A and D, at the train station and at the bus station.

App and payment. The official app Pilet.ee (iOS and Android) sells QR tickets, tops up credit on the Ühiskaart, and also handles combined tickets for the Harjumaa region. Apple Pay is accepted at the validators. Contactless bank cards (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron) only work at the front door validator, and only for the single-hour ticket, identifiable by the contactless symbol on the device. Cash isn't accepted on any vehicle.

Which ticket. Prices for visitors without Tallinn residency, valid since 1 May 2023. Single hour 2 euros, 1 euro reduced. Day ticket (24 hours) 5.50 euros. 3-day ticket (72 hours) 9 euros. 5-day ticket (120 hours) 11 euros. 30-day ticket 30 euros, 13 euros reduced. The day ticket costs less than three single rides (6 euros), and the system on the Ühiskaart and on contactless bank cards recognizes this automatically, converting to the day ticket from the third hourly ticket validated on the same service day, so a day of hourly tickets never costs more than 5.50 euros. The 3-day ticket (9 euros) costs less than two day tickets (11 euros) and less than five single rides (10 euros), and is worth it for anyone riding more than twice on at least two of the three days. All tickets are also valid on express buses. The service day starts at 4 a.m. and runs 24 hours until the next morning, which matters for hourly tickets validated late at night.

Fare zones. The prices given apply across Tallinn's entire city network (bus, tram, trolleybus). Anyone heading out into the surrounding Harjumaa area, for example by regional bus or Elron train beyond the city limits, needs a separate Tallinn-Harjumaa ticket, available at the same sales points and in the Pilet.ee app.

Tip. The old town is pedestrianised and crossed in twenty minutes.

Getting there

Main station

Location. North-west of the old town, with the Balti Jaama Turg market right beside it.

Long-distance trains. West towards Keila, Kloogaranna, Paldiski and Turba. Southwest towards Rapla, Türi and Viljandi. East towards Aegviidu, Tapa and Narva, continuing on to Tartu. Southeast towards Valga and Koidula. Since 2026 there's also a combined Tallinn–Tartu–Riga connection, promoted as a car-free route to the neighbouring capital. There are no classic international long-distance trains (night trains, Intercity) from Balti jaam, the routes listed are purely Elron regional services.

Opening hours. The train day at Balti jaam begins at 5.45 am with the first Elron train to Tartu. The last Tartu train leaves at 9.40 pm, with the very last departures towards Rakvere and Türi following shortly after 10.30 pm. The last arriving train reaches Tallinn at 11.56 pm.

Airports

TLL

Into the city. Tram T4 runs to the city centre, T2 to the Old City Harbour. Buses 47, 49 and 65 stop at the airport, bus 2 a short walk away on Tartu maantee.

Local quirks

The city wall is still standing. Almost two kilometres of wall and twenty towers have survived. Part of it can be walked.
The ferry harbour sits right in the old town. According to the port operator, Tallinn's Old City Harbour is one of the busiest passenger ports in the Baltic Sea region, with over 10 million passengers a year, and by its own description sits at the heart of the city with direct access to the medieval old town. Routes to Helsinki and Stockholm run year-round. Anyone arriving by ferry instead of by air is practically already at the town hall square, with no transfer needed.
The airport is unusually close to the centre. According to the operator, the airport is just four kilometres from the city centre, considerably closer than in most European capitals. The transit ticket system treats trips there like any other city ride, there's no separate airport surcharge.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Tallinn
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 90 km/h, motorway 110 km/h

The 90 km/h rural limit also applies on many unpaved gravel roads inland, which should be driven considerably slower despite the permitted maximum speed. Continuous motorway sections with a 110 km/h limit exist only on short stretches around Tallinn, the rest of the long-distance road network stays at 90 km/h.

Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants, otherwise nothing.

Tolls. No tolls and no vignette for cars.