Tallinn can fill several fun days of your travels, but to get the full picture of Estonia, we really must recommend getting out there and exploring the rest of the country. One great thing about Estonia is that it is perfectly sized for a day trip – you can make it to most locations during a single day. Here are some top recommendations for day trip destinations from Tallinn.
1. Lahemaa National Park
Photo: Brand Estonia / Priidu Saart
Lahemaa National Park is on the North coast of Estonia and less than an hour’s drive from Tallinn. You can take a bus, but the best option is to rent a car for a day so you can navigate the small roads easily. Lahemaa National Park offers great short hiking trails, beautiful coastline, charming little villages, and historic manor houses, so there is a lot to explore.
There are several great hiking trails, but a must-visit is Viru bog trail. Learn about the local history at Sagadi Manor and Forest Museum. Don’t miss the charming and romantic Käsmu village. For a special place to eat lunch, find Vergi village and its port where there is the Wirkes Restaurant.
2. Pärnu
Pärnu is only an hour and a half away from Tallinn and easily reachable with several buses or by car. Pärnu is especially fun to explore in summer. Pärnu has a beautiful long sandy beach that is perfect for swimming or long walks, a sweet little Old Town, romantic wooden architecture, and lots of places for good food.
Pärnu is called the Summer Capital in Estonia for a good reason because in summer there is a lot of activity in this town. But even in the off-season, Pärnu is totally worth it. There is a vibrant cultural scene and a lot of nice places to eat like Kastrul Cafe or Cafe Supelsaksad. Visit a spa for a day; Pärnu has several, like Viiking Spa for saunas or Tervise Paradiis for fun water activities for the whole family.
3. Hiiumaa Island
Photo: Brand Estonia / Priidu Saart
If you are feeling ambitious and aren’t afraid of an early start, then you can fit a whole big island into one day. Hiiumaa is compact enough that if you only have one day, then you can see all the most important sights in one go. The best option is to do so by car – driving over from Tallinn and crossing to Hiiumaa with a ferry that goes several times a day. It is also an option to fly in and out during the same day; you then need to rent a car on the island to get around.
Hiiumaa is beautiful wherever you go but start in Kärdla, the charming main city of Hiiumaa, and then do a round around the island. Visit Tahkuna lighthouse for scenic views, hike up the Sääretirp peninsula, stop at Kassari peninsula’s tiny villages, and finally, you must climb up the 500-year-old Kõpu lighthouse. Somehow you should fit all of this into one day. Don’t worry; you can catch your breath on the ferry because it takes 1.5 hours to cross between the island and the mainland.
4. Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve
Estonia has many beautiful places to offer, especially when it comes to untouched nature. Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve is one such area that has so much to offer – wild forests, endlessly stretching moors, and mysterious bogs. This area is easily reachable from Tallinn with a car and some good navigating; don’t rely on public transport for getting to and from this area.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve protects rare species of orchids and is even home to the protected white-tailed eagle. Since some areas have restricted access, the best idea is to use a marked-out hiking trail. Don’t worry that any of them will be too crowded; unless there is a special event happening, most of the time you can expect to be the only hiker out there. The top recommendation is Paukjärve nature trail (5 km).
5. Naissaar Island
Naissaar is an island right off the coast from Tallinn. There is no traffic on the island, so you can take a ferry to Naissaar and use a bicycle to get around. It’s best to bring your bike with you to the island (easy to rent one for a day in Tallinn) and maybe bring a picnic as well because there may or may not be a cafe, depending on the year. The best time to visit is during the summer when the ferry goes several times a day.
Naissaar has a lot of interesting history and very few people living on it. Unbelievably, it is an official part of Tallinn, but you will never know it unless told. Naissaar was a closed military zone during the Soviet period, so most people were not allowed to live there, and very few people have settled back in recent times because of the lack of infrastructure. This means that there is an abandoned Soviet army site and a lot of wild nature taking over. There is a bike trail that circles the island and takes you to all the most important locations.
6. Tartu
Tartu is Estonia’s second-largest city and very easy to get to without a car. There are several trains and buses both ways every day. Tartu is just the right size for exploring in a day if you are willing to pack a lot of activities into it. Tartu offers bicycles for rent, so that should ease your getting around as well. Tartu is beautiful any time of the year, so don’t worry, be it summer or winter, there is always lots to do.
Start with the Tartu Old Town, visit the Tartu University Museum, and hike up the Toomemägi for nice views. Visit some cute cafes like Werner or Pierre Chocolaterie. Go to Aparaaditehas (the Widget Factory) for the old industrial vibes and make sure to stop by TYPA, the Printing Museum. If you are really ambitious, then try to fit in your visit ERM, the Estonian National Museum; it is really big but also really worth it.
7. North-Western Coast
West of Tallinn is a coastal area that is really beautiful and offers some very interesting sights near Tallinn. You can get to most of the places individually by bus or even a train, but getting back or moving between locations might be tricky, so it is easier to use a car.
Visit Keila-Joa waterfall for a romantic picture opportunity and a nice walk by the riverside. Stop at Laulasmaa for food either at super cute Ott & Matilda or Restaurant Wicca at the Laulasmaa Spa. You must visit the Arvo Pärt Centre to learn about the most famous Estonian composer and his music. In summer, you can go swimming here as well; there are several great places along the coast, but a top recommendation is Kloogaranna beach. If you are looking for a really unique swimming opportunity, then visit Rummu Quarry – an old prison that is partially flooded and where you can go swimming in summer.
8. Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a romantic little town on the West coast of Estonia. It is easy to get to with a bus or a car and small enough that you can get to everywhere by walking while there. Haapsalu is perfect if you want to take it slow and not rush with anything. Start off by walking around the charming Old Town area with lovely little wood houses and strolling down the promenade by the seaside. Stop at a cute cafe for cake and coffee, like Müüriääre.
To get the most of your visit, choose a museum or two as well. The Haapsalu Castle is a must-see; you can just walk the grounds or go into the history museum as well. A lovely museum is Ilon’s Wonderland. Ilon Wikland was an Estonian artist who illustrated many of famous children’s author Astrid Lindgren’s books. Another great little museum is the Museum of the Coastal Swedes.
9. Matsalu National Park
Matsalu National Park is on the West Coast of Estonia around the Matsalu Bay and can be hard to get to unless you have a car at your disposal. Matsalu is about 1.5 hours from Tallinn and really worth visiting, especially if you are a bird enthusiast. Matsalu National Park is also called Bird Paradise in Estonia; this is because the park protects the migration path and nesting area of numerous birds. So the best time to visit is in spring or autumn when most of the Nordic birds are flying across and stopping here for a rest.
Start your visit with Matsalu National Park Centre; you can learn a lot there about what kind can be found in the national park and how it was founded. During the migration period, the best is to climb a watchtower or two to see the birds (bring binoculars); you can try Suitsu, Keemu, or Haeska watchtower. There are a few hiking trails as well; we recommend Marimetsa hiking trail a little outside the National Park but very beautiful nonetheless.
10. Narva
Narva is a city in the East of Estonia, right on the border with Russia, and gives a unique look into local life. Narva is mostly a Russian-speaking town and has a very interesting mix of Estonian and Russian heritage. You can get to Narva with a train and bus several times a day, but it might be easier and more flexible to get around with a car.
Visit Narva Castle to learn about local history first. Then take a walk around Narva, especially down the Narva river promenade, and head over to the Town Hall which is freshly renovated and the most prominent building of Narva that remains from Baroque Old Town that was destroyed in the Second World War. If you can, get a tour into the Krenholm Factory, to learn about the industrial history of Narva. A unique place is also NART – Narva Art Residency, a modern art gallery and an international art center. In summer, try to fit in a small town near Narva – Narva-Jõesuu as well because that is where everyone goes for the gorgeous sandy beach and a quick swim in the Baltic Sea.
* Cover photo: Brand Estonia / Rivo Veber
