22 Best Things To Do In Tallinn in the Fall

Keep on scrolling to discover some of the best things to do in Tallinn!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. This in no way changes your price as a consumer, but it will reward me for my referral. Thank you so much for supporting my small, wanderlust business!

How to Get To Tallinn from Helsinki:

There are a couple of different ways you can get from Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia…the most obvious being on a flight. It’s normally around $100 for a one-way ticket and as always, I recommend using Google Flights in order to find the best airline prices available.

However, I didn’t take a flight to Tallinn, I hopped on a ferry with the Tallink Silja Line. It was only a 2-hour trip between Finland and Estonia and they had plenty of different departure times, so it was easy to plan our itinerary around. Besides the views, there was also dining and shopping available on board. I was able to walk right over to my hotel in Old Town in just 15 minutes once we arrived, which made for a nice and easy travel day.

Best Things To Do In Tallinn, Estonia:

There truly are SO many different ways to explore this beautiful city, but here are a few of some of the best things to do in Tallinn to get you started:

1. Edgewalk at the TV Tower

The Tallinn TV Tower has the highest viewing platform in all of Europe at 175 meters high (that’s almost 600 feet). However, that’s not all. There’s a unique experience that you can book here where you can literally walk the entire ledge around the tower, of course, after signing a liability agreement. As an adrenaline junkie, this is one of the experiences I just had to do and I will say, it’s not for the faint of heart.

The Edgewalk is only available to book when weather permits between April and October.

2. Kiek in de Kök Museum

The Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum consists of four medieval towers and is almost 500 meters long. You can learn about these defensive walls, the townspeople’s homes within the walls and artists who have lived here, all while soaking in a wonderful view of the historic Old Town. The 17th-century bastion passages are underground here, too.

3. Hellemann Tower

The Hellemann Tower is said to be named after Helle Holleman, a citizen of Tallinn that lived nearby. You can climb the steep stairs tower to get to a viewing platform with a nice view of the surrounding city.

4. St. Catherine’s Passage

St. Catherine’s Passage is a medieval alley lined with buildings from the 15th-17th century. The alley was last restored in 1995 and you can now find many artists inside of their handicraft workshops in here. The street isn’t too long, but the history is, making it well-worth a visit.

5. Raeapteek

Raeapteek is the oldest pharmacy in Europe that has continuously been in business in the SAME BUILDING since 1422. It is free to visit and explore, but there are guided tours and workshops to add on to your visit if interested.

6. Balti Jaam Market

Balti Jaam Market is a 3 level market with over 300 traders to explore. You can get everything from antiques to fresh fish, street food and locally brewed beers within these walls. The food is great, but be warned…once you start thrifting, it’s hard to stop.

7. Estonian Open Air Museum

This museum is a life-sized reconstruction of an 18th century rural village that will transport you right into the olden days. The Estonian Open Air Museum is open year-round and besides the 14 farms available to visit, you can find a schoolhouse, church, fishing sheds and different workshops and events going on, depending on your visit date.

8. KGB Prison Cells

The basement of this building used to be home to one of the most hardcore pre-trial detention centers during the Soviet occupation. People from all walks of life were tortured, imprisoned and sometimes even sentenced to death here. This is now open to the public to visit, view the cells and learn more about the building’s history.

9. Free Guided Walking Tour

I always recommend hopping on a free walking tour when in a new city because it’s truly an awesome way to acclimate yourself to the city and find some hidden, local gems you may not have heard about online. The tour in Tallinn was incredible and my guide was born & raised in the city- she was phenomenal! Don’t forget to tip, so tours like this can keep running 🙂

10. Ichthus Art Gallery

Situated within the cellars beneath Saint Catherine’s Dominican Monastery is where you will find the Ichthus Art Gallery and it is anything but average. If you go right and down the stairs when you arrive, you’ll end up beneath the interior courtyard in an open room with a series of connected cellars where monks worked from 1246 to 1524. These rooms hold artwork by the current renter, Aleksandr Savchenkov, who will probably be there working away on his next project.

11. Seaplane Harbour

The outdoor area of Seaplane Harbour is free, but you do need to purchase tickets if you want to explore the museum and ships inside. The Estonian Maritime Museum is the most popular museum in Estonia and probably the most accessible, as well. It showcases the lengthy history of ships and navigation in and around Estonia.

12. Olde Hansa

Olde Hansa is a medieval restaurant located inside of the home of a rich merchant. Their unique menu uses traditional recipes and cooking methods from the 15th century. They even got a permit to sell BEAR on their menu, which was a first for me! Don’t forget to check their live music schedule and book your reservations beforehand.

13. Glehn Park

On the outskirts of Tallinn is a historic castle surrounded by beautiful gardens that originally belonged to a man named Nikolai von Glehn. Now, you can explore his medieval castle, wander the gardens and ogle at the intricate sculptures.

14. Cromatico

The Cromatico sound sculpture is a genius work of public art designed by acoustic artist Lukas Kühne. From the outside, it may look like the keys of a piano, but if you make noise when inside, the sound will echo almost as well as it does when you sing in the shower.

15. Toompea Hill

Toompea Hill is part of the historic Old Town in Tallinn and rests about 20-30 meters higher than the surrounding areas, making for a great viewpoint with panoramic views of Old Town and the harbor. The walk up the hill can be a little steep, but well worth the climb. Bonus points if you visit at sunset! You may even catch some locals performing live music.

16. Kadriorg Park

The Kadriorg Park was established by Peter the Great in 1718 and is now known as the more spectacular Baroque park in Estonia. It’s open 24 hours a day, every single day of the year. Many people like to stroll through the flower beds that surround the Swan Pond, but there are also many museums to visit within the park, like the Kadriorg Art Museum, Estonian Art Museum (KUMU) and the Mikkeli Museum.

17. PoCo Pop Art Museum

There are over 340 works of art within the walls of this museum, dating from the 1950s to present day. It’s interesting to see the different takes on Pop Art from the boom in the modern century and dating back to the underground art of the USSR at the PoCo Pop Art Museum.

18. Tallinn Botanic Garden

The Tallinn Botanic Garden was one of the most beautiful botanical gardens I’ve been to. It’s home to the highest number of species in Estonia at over 8,000 varieties and has many beautiful rose beds, walking trails, and even ducks splashing in the trickling waters. This is also right next to the Tallinn TV Tower, so you can kill two birds with one stone.

19. Fotografiska

Fotografiska is a modern art museum that showcases world-class photography, art and culture and holds some elevated dining within its walls, too. The exhibits are rotated often and so locals enjoy visiting this museum, as well. However, with that being said, it’s best to check out their current exhibits to see if they are something of interest to you.

20. Elamus Spa

The Elamus Spa has the largest selection of saunas in Scandinavia and it’s a truly amazing way to spend a not-so-clear-skies day. The spa is 21+ and holds unique amenities, like The Mud Hall, Japanese Geyser and Smoke-Peat Sauna. I came to check it out and ended up spending a whopping 5 hours here, just exploring all of the pools and enjoying the rituals.

I hope this list of the best things to do in Tallinn gave you a great idea of where to begin when planning your adventures. If you’re more of a visual learner, feel free to check out my Estonia TikTok Playlist, where I dive in deeper on all of the things I did while in town.