3 Days in Tallinn

Three days is the sweet spot: you can do Tallinn’s core and leave space for the city’s softer sides — parks, sea air, and one extra experience that makes the trip feel personal.

The easiest way to plan it:

• Day 1: Old Town + Toompea (the classic Tallinn story)
• Day 2: Kadriorg + a museum + sea air (green + cultural Tallinn)
• Day 3: Telliskivi/Kalamaja or a day trip (creative Tallinn or a reset outside the city)

If this is your first visit, it can help to skim First Time in Tallinn for quick “don’t overplan” rules.

With three days, you want a base that makes evenings effortless.

• Old Town edge / City Centre: best for a sightseeing-first trip and easy nights out.
• Rotermann Quarter: modern, central, and great if you’ll split time between Old Town and the waterfront.
• Kalamaja + Telliskivi: best if you want a local-feeling, coffee-and-walks rhythm.

Full breakdown: Best Areas to Stay in Tallinn.

Morning:

• Start at Viru Gate and let the lanes pull you around.
• Pause at Town Hall Square (look up — the buildings do the work).

Midday:

• Climb to Toompea and do the two viewpoints: Kohtuotsa + Patkuli.
• If you want one “extra story” experience, choose one: Bastion Passages or Niguliste Museum.

Evening:

• Keep it simple: dinner + a short walk. Tallinn’s Old Town is most romantic when it quiets down.
• If you’re planning this as a couples trip, pick one golden-hour moment and protect it (more ideas: Romantic Places).

This is the day that makes Tallinn feel soft and elegant.

Morning: Kadriorg (green Tallinn):

• Walk the paths in Kadriorg and don’t rush the park.
• Add one “beautiful detail” stop: Kadriorg Japanese Garden.

Midday: choose your museum anchor:

• Art + architecture: Kumu Art Museum
• Maritime history + wow factor: Seaplane Harbour

Afternoon + evening: choose sea air:

• Noblessner for marina light and a modern dinner mood.
• Pirita for long, open walks and beachy calm.

Day 3 is your “choose the personality” day. Pick one of these and do it slowly.

Option A (city-focused): Telliskivi + Kalamaja

• Spend the morning in Telliskivi for street art and studios.
• Wander into Kalamaja for wooden houses and cafes.
• Lunch at Balti Jaam Market.

Option B (nature): Lahemaa day trip

• Do Lahemaa National Park for forests + bog landscapes + coastal Estonia.
• If you want the most iconic, low-effort nature walk, anchor on Viru Bog Trail.

Option C (another capital): Helsinki day trip

• Do a Helsinki day trip and return to Tallinn for a late dinner.

Tallinn is easier when you book one or two things and keep the rest flexible.

• Book ahead: a special dinner, a specific museum tour time (if required), and any guided day trip to Lahemaa/Helsinki ferries (in peak season).
• Decide on the day: cafes, casual lunches, most neighborhood wandering, and “which viewpoint now?” choices.

If you’re staying in Old Town in summer, booking restaurants for peak dinner hours can save a lot of waiting.

Tallinn works best when you walk within clusters and use transit to connect them:

• Old Town + Toompea (walk)
• Kadriorg + museums (short hop, then walk)
• Telliskivi + Kalamaja (short hop, then walk)
• Noblessner / Pirita (short hop, then walk)

More detail: Getting Around Tallinn.