Tallinn Attractions Near and Far
Tallinn Attractions by Distance From the Old Town
Most of Tallinn’s big attractions sit in one of three rings around the Old Town, and the ticket you buy depends on which ring you are in. Inside the walls the attractions are small and close together, so you can fit three in a morning. Out past the harbour and the park, each stop is a half day.
Inside the walls
Kiek in de Kök is a 15th-century artillery tower with cannonballs still lodged in its walls, and the passages beneath the bastions were used as shelters in the Second World War. Tickets are sold by section, covering the museum, the towers and the bastion passages, so pick the part you want at the desk or on linnamuuseum.ee . Fat Margaret, the cannon tower at Pikk 70, belongs to the Estonian Maritime Museum, and a combined ticket with Seaplane Harbour costs €30 adult and €15 reduced. The Niguliste museum holds Bernt Notke’s Danse Macabre and costs €15 or €10.
The KGB Prison Cells at Pagari 1 are run by Vabamu: €10 adult, €8 reduced, €20 family, open daily 10 to 18 from May to September and Wednesday to Sunday 11 to 18 from October to April (see vabamu.ee ). Expect a sombre visit.
Just outside the Old Town
The KGB Museum on the 23rd floor of Hotel Viru, at Viru väljak 4, is reached only on a guided tour in English, Finnish, Russian or Estonian, so reserve ahead through viru.ee . It costs €20 for adults, half price for ages 5 to 11 and nothing for under 4s. Tours last about an hour, and the group size is small.
The harbour ring
Seaplane Harbour (Lennusadam) is the largest single draw: reinforced-concrete hangars from 1916, the icebreaker Suur Tõll and the submarine Lembit. Tickets are €22 adult, €11 child or student and €40 family, with children under 8 free. Hours are 10 to 19 daily from May to September and 10 to 18 Tuesday to Sunday from October to April. Details are on meremuuseum.ee .
The Kadriorg and Pirita ring
KUMU is the big art museum and costs €16 adult, €11 concession and €32 family, closed on Mondays. The Kadriorg Art Museum in the baroque palace costs €15 or €10, and the surrounding park is free. Further out, the TV Tower deck is €18 to €19, with an evening rate of €10 between 17 and 19. The harness-secured Edge Walk is €41 and has age and fitness limits listed on the tower’s own site. The Estonian Open Air Museum at Rocca al Mare lies west of the centre.
Do the card sums
The Tallinn Card runs €45 for 24 hours, €65 for 48 and €78 for 72, and includes public transport. Seaplane Harbour, the TV Tower and St Olaf’s tower accept it. At the desk those three come to about €50, so the card pays off on a full day of paid entries plus transit. Without a card, a single 1-hour transit ticket is €2 and a 24-hour ticket is €5.50.
For the harbour and Kadriorg rings, a guide who handles transfers can save time, and attraction tickets on Viator show what is on offer.
Verdict
Spend your first morning on the inner ring, where Kiek in de Kök, Fat Margaret and Niguliste are within a few minutes of each other, and keep a full afternoon free for Seaplane Harbour. Book the Hotel Viru tour first, since it has the fewest slots.
The Tallinn walking page shows how to link the inner ring on foot.