Tallinn Day Trip from Helsinki
Do you want to visit Estonia on a Tallinn day trip from Helsinki, Finland?
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Tallinn, Estonia on a day trip!
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, the northernmost of the Baltic states. It’s located directly south of Helsinki with the Gulf of Finland separating the two cities. The distance between Helsinki and Tallinn is just 80 kilometers, or about 50 miles. The two cities are conveniently linked by ferry.
The first time I visited Tallinn, I was actually on a cruise in Scandinavia and the Baltics. We spent one day in Tallinn (after spending a day in Helsinki) and I was charmed by it! I later returned to Tallinn for three days so I could spend more time exploring this city. But if you’re short on time, a day trip will do!
Tallinn is a popular day trip from Helsinki for both tourists and Finns alike. Many Finnish people head down to Tallinn for the day to stock up on alcohol and other items that are much cheaper there, while tourists visit the Estonian capital to enjoy its fairytale-like Old Town and cool attractions.
Here’s everything you need to know about taking a day trip from Helsinki to Tallinn!
Getting There
There are three ferry companies that run from Helsinki to Tallinn:
- Tallink Silja Line
- Viking Line
- Eckerö Line
I would recommend Tallink Silja Line simply because it’s slightly faster than the other two (making the crossing in just two hours flat) and has more departure and return times every day.
The price for the ferry is usually around $40 to $70 round-trip and you should book your tickets online in advance. The ferries have a lot of capacity, but they can still become full during peak travel times. The ferries are very comfortable and have plenty of sitting areas onboard, as well as food and shops.
I recommend choosing the earliest ferry departure, which is 7:30 AM. This will put you in Tallinn by 9:30 AM. You can stay as long as you’d like in Tallinn, but I’d leave no earlier than 4:30 PM.
Ferries for Tallink Silja Line depart from West Terminal 2 in Helsinki. You’ll arrive two hours later at the Tallink Terminal in Tallinn, which is just a 15-minute walk from the Old Town.
Things to Do in Tallinn
Tallinn is a fairly small capital city with a population of around 440,000 people. You’ll probably spend most of your time in Tallinn in the Old Town, but there are two other areas of the city I recommend visiting too.
These are the top five things I recommend doing on your day trip to Tallinn:
1. Stroll around the Old Town.
Tallinn’s Old Town is a real gem. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tallinn’s medieval walled town looks like something straight out of a fairytale with its cobblestone streets, church spires, and round towers with conical roofs. This is the perfect place to start your day in Tallinn.
You might want to take a walking tour of the Old Town to get oriented. This two-hour Old Town walking tour is a great way to start off your morning by discovering the highlights of Tallinn.
2. Take in a great view of Tallinn.
There are several excellent viewpoints around Tallinn’s Old Town, which can actually be quite hilly. But it’s worth the uphill walk to get to my favorite viewpoint overlooking the Old Town.
On Google Maps, you can put in “Kohtuotsa viewing platform” to find the exact location. This is a great place to photograph the Old Town and enjoy sweeping panoramic views of the city.
Not too far away is another viewpoint called “Patkuli viewing platform” which is also worth visiting.
3. Visit the Kadriorg Art Museum.
After you spend the morning exploring Tallinn’s Old Town, my next stop would be the Kadriorg Art Museum. Located in a beautiful Baroque palace that was constructed for Catherine I of Russia in the 18th century, this is my favorite museum in Tallinn. It’s definitely worth a visit on your day trip.
The Kadriorg Art Museum is located outside the Old Town, but you can easily get there by taking the number 1 or 3 trams. From the Old Town, it’s just a quick 15-minute journey to get there.
The art inside the museum is great, but equally as impressive is the interior of the palace and its gardens. If you want to stop for a snack or a coffee before or after visiting the museum, there’s an amazing little cafe called Katharinenthal a few minutes away overlooking a beautiful park.
4. Explore Telliskivi Creative City.
Telliskivi Creative City is another super cool place to visit in Tallinn. It’s on the opposite side of the Old Town from the Kadriorg Art Museum, but you can take the number 1 tram straight there in 20 minutes.
This area is in a former industrial district that has been revitalized and is now full of art galleries, working artist studios, cool shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and spaces for cultural events.
Another highlight of Telliskivi Creative City is Fotografiska Tallinn, a contemporary photography museum.
5. Have a late lunch or early dinner.
After Telliskivi Creative City, head back to Tallinn’s Old Town.
The last thing I would recommend doing on your Tallinn day trip is having a late lunch or early dinner at a restaurant in the city. Alternatively, you could do a food tour like this one which starts at 3 PM and lasts for two hours. It includes several tastings of traditional Estonian snacks and drinks.
My favorite restaurant in Tallinn was Vegan Restoran V. I loved the cozy atmosphere of this restaurant, which serves delicious all-vegan cuisine. It’s located in the heart of the Old Town.
Some other popular restaurants in the Old Town include Restoran Olde Hansa (which serves traditional Estonian fare and has a really fun atmosphere and experience) or Restaurant Rataskaevu 16 (which is considered to be the best restaurant in the city and requires advance reservations.)
Other Tips for Visiting Tallinn
The currency in Estonia is the euro. You don’t have to worry about changing any money coming from Finland. Tallinn is also largely cashless and almost everywhere accepts card payment.
The main language spoken is Estonian. Estonian and Finnish are fairly similar languages — Estonian speakers can understand about half of what Finnish speakers are saying, and vice versa. However, English is a popular second language in Estonia, and especially in Tallinn, many people speak it.
Book an early ferry there and a late ferry back. Since you’ll be going two hours each way, you might as well make the most of it and spend as much time as possible in Tallinn! I’d definitely recommend the first ferry from Helsinki in the morning. Ferries run back to Helsinki as late as 11 PM.
Tallinn is very walkable. From the ferry terminal to the Old Town is a 15-minute walk. The Old Town is a mostly car-free area and it’s pretty compact you can easily get everywhere on foot.
Getting around Tallinn is easy. To go outside the Old Town, you can take the tram. You can tap your card for contactless payments onboard, and the fare is €2. That being said, Uber is also available in Tallinn and I found it to be very affordable (always less than €10 to get across the city.)
Day Trip from Helsinki to Tallinn
This guide showed you how to take a day trip from Helsinki to Tallinn.
Tallinn is a lovely city that is perfect to visit on a day trip from Helsinki. Taking a day trip to Tallinn is a great way to get a taste of the Baltics. As I mentioned, I would highly recommend staying in Tallinn for a couple of days to do and see more, but even on a day trip, you can experience a lot of the city!
Enjoy your day trip to Tallinn!
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