Photo: Abrget47j · CC BY-SA 3.0 eeHaapsalu & Hiiumaa Road Trip
Pair Haapsalu with Hiiumaa’s Kärdla, Kõpu and Tahkuna on a four-day west-Estonia circuit from Tallinn.
- Allow
- 4 days
- Route
- 422 km
- Drive time
- 8 hr 19 min
- Stops
- 6
Haapsalu’s railway story and wooden villas make a gentle first night before the Rohuküla–Heltermaa crossing. Hiiumaa is quieter than Saaremaa: Kärdla works as the practical base while Kõpu and Tahkuna pull the road toward forest, dunes and two very different lighthouse coasts.
This is a ferry-dependent route, not a schedule to pack tightly. Reserve summer vehicle space, carry food and fuel margin, and use the same official ferry system back to the mainland. Any ice-road option must be officially open and operated; this guide assumes the ferry.
The road, in one glance
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Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
Photo: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0Tallinn
Begin after the capital stay with ferry confirmation already downloaded.
Tallinn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Located on a bay in northern Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of 452,563 as of 2026 and administratively lies in Harju County. As of 2024, the population of the Tallinn metropolitan area is estimated at 646,315.
Photo: Tiia Monto · CC BY-SA 3.0Haapsalu
A wooden seaside resort, episcopal castle and extraordinary former railway station invite a slow overnight.
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Lääne County, and on 1 January 2020 it had a population of 9,375.
Photo: Hiiumaamudeliklubi · CC BY-SA 4.0Rohuküla Ferry Port
The Hiiumaa crossing begins west of Haapsalu at a purpose-built vehicle terminal.
Rohuküla is a village in Haapsalu municipality, Lääne County, in western Estonia. It is a seaport connecting the mainland with the islands of Hiiumaa (Heltermaa port) and Vormsi (Sviby port). During winter there are two ice roads from the village to the two islands, the one to Hiiumaa being Europe's longest, at 26.5 km.
Photo: Mmh · CC BY-SA 3.0Kärdla
Hiiumaa’s small capital provides fuel, food and an easy base between headland drives.
Kärdla is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Photo: Abrget47j · CC BY-SA 3.0 eeKõpu Lighthouse
One of the Baltic’s oldest working lighthouse sites rises above forest in western Hiiumaa.
The Kõpu Lighthouse (Estonian: Kõpu tuletorn) is one of the best-known symbols and tourist sites on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. It is located in the village of Mägipe. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, having been in continuous use since its completion in 1531.
Photo: KalervoK · CC BY-SA 3.0 eeTahkuna Lighthouse
A cast-iron lighthouse and memorial stand on Hiiumaa’s exposed northern tip.
Tahkuna Lighthouse is a tall cast-iron lighthouse on the northern tip of Hiiumaa. The surrounding headland also holds a memorial to the Estonia ferry disaster, making the exposed shoreline a place of navigation history and remembrance.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Reserve both ferry directions, check sailing status and plan rural legs in daylight. Do not use unofficial ice roads under any circumstances.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.