Most people visiting Tallinn for two days in summer spend almost all their time in the Old Town, even though this season has so much outside Tallinn’s medieval walls. While you absolutely should see it, I am personally convinced that summer is the wrong season to stay within the ancient center all day long for 2 days in a row (even though it is quite big and there is plenty to do during the whole weekend).
After living in Tallinn for a few years, I came to love it mostly for everything that surrounds its Old Town – coastal paths, beaches, spas, waterfront terraces, green residential areas, and places where you can watch birds or even find Highland cows without leaving the city. And summer is the best time of the year to get out and see it all.
So this is not a standard Tallinn itinerary. This is a unique route with authentic things to do that I would recommend to my friends or family who are visiting Estonia from June to August. It lets you see both essential historic sights together with places by the sea, and combine them with local summer life and Estonian nature.
Start Planning Your Tallinn Summer Trip
Before you get into the itinerary, here are a few things I’d sort out first – where to stay so you don’t waste time crossing the city, which tours are actually useful, and what to book if you want to make these two days easier.
Top Places to Stay for This 2-Day Tallinn Itinerary:
Boho Guesthouse – best budget pick because it lets you start the Old Town part on foot without paying boutique hotel prices
Loft by the Sea – spacious apartment in the best summer base for this itinerary, right where Day 1 ends near the marina, sunset spots, bars, and brewery
Iglupark – best unique summer stay for this route, with tiny houses by the water and easy morning/evening walk
Schlössle Hotel – best luxury choice because it gives the classic Old Town hotel experience
Tours Worth Booking for an Immersed Experience:
Food and bike tour – covers the best summer parts of Tallinn in one route with local food stops
Tales of Old Tallinn– short 2-hour tour that makes Old Town more meaningful before you explore it on your own
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase – at no extra cost to you. This helps support my site and keeps content free. Learn more here.
Who this itinerary is best for
This itinerary is great for both first-time visitors and people who have been to Tallinn before, but for those who like experiencing destinations deeply, going to neighborhoods where locals live, and seeing the alternative side of a city.
I include a quick route through the medieval city (a specific path with stops great for summer), but for the most part, I am going to show you Tallinn outside its Old Town.
Note: this itinerary suits people who enjoy walking (lots of walking here), coastal nature, unusual places, and a fairly active schedule away from the main tourist paths.
Quick overview of 2 days in Tallinn Summer Itinerary
Day 1: Old Town, Kalamaja & Noblessner
Early morning spa or swimming/sauna session
Breakfast
St Olaf’s Church and tower
Pikk Street and lower Old Town
Toompea and Lühike Jalg Gate
Pastry break at Matilda on the Hill
Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms
Lunch at Balti Jaama Turg
Kalamaja and Kalarand
Seaplane Harbour
Sunset and drinks in Noblessner
Dinner at Põhjala Brewery & Taproom
Day 2: Pikakari, Open Air Museum & Merirahu
Bus 73 to Pikakari Beach
Coastal trail, birdwatching and Highland cows
Bolt to the Estonian Open Air Museum
Museum visit and traditional lunch
Coastal walk through Merirahu
Return to central Tallinn
Evening walk through the Old Town or ferry terminal area
Dinner at Mimosa
2 Days in Tallinn in Summer in Detail
Day 1: Old Town, Kalamaja/Kalarand, Sea Walk & Noblessner
Stop 1: Start the morning with a spa or water center
I know this may not be the first thing people expect in a Tallinn itinerary, but I’ll tell you as someone who spent a few years in this city that a spa morning in summer is a very special (local) thing here. Not just sauna, but a whole water center.
Tallinn has this whole culture of wellness complexes that offer massage pools, cold pools, swimming areas with various water temperatures, and saunas that people love starting a day with, particularly in summer when sunrise is very early and it is so easy to get up in the morning.
So I suggest you do the same and begin the day early at either Kalev Spa, Tallink Aqua Spa, or Reval Sport. They are located not far from each other, around the areas in Tallinn where I recommend you stay. Reaching any of them is easy. (I have been to many spa centers around Tallinn and in my experience, these are the best in Old Town for swimming, saunas, and relaxation time in the pools).
Kalev Spa and Reval Sport Center open at 6:30 (Kalev Spa from 8:00 on Sat and Sun), and Tallink Spa from 8:00 every day, so I recommend you come first thing in the morning before breakfast, this is when there are the fewest people.
You can also stay in Kalev Spa Hotel, which is in an adjacent building. Tallink Spa is also part of the Tallink Conference Hotel, where it is convenient to stay when you are traveling to Helsinki after Tallinn early in the morning or arriving from Helsinki late at night.
Here is a video from one of my early mornings in Tallinn in summer at Reval Sport center (starting at 6:30 in the morning). I personally prefer them more because I have a membership there, but I have also been to Kalev Spa and Tallink Spa, and both were wonderful too – just different. 👇🏻
Of course, you can skip it if you don’t like water activities, butthis is a very unique way to start a summer day in Tallinn. You can swim, use the saunas, cool down, and still have the whole day ahead because summer days in Tallinn are very long.
Spend an hour or two in the center (don’t stay longer because you’ll be very mellow; this time is just enough to feel energized for the whole day) and return to your accommodation for breakfast.
TIP FROM АNYА: If you don’t have breakfast included, you can get it in one of the Tallinn breakfast cafes from my list (places that I personally know and recommend).
Stop 2: Visit St Olaf’s Church & Tower
After the spa and then breakfast, go to St Olaf’s Church Tower.
I recommend it specifically for a summer itinerary in Tallinn because it is open only during the warmer months (depending on the weather) when winds subside and if there is no heavy rain. So, this is one of those seasonal things that actually makes sense to include.
I also recommend you do it particularly in the morning when it is not crowded yet.
St. Olaf church with green spire at the end of the street
View from the top of the tower
From the top, you can see the Old Town roofs, port, sea, Kalamaja, and that direction where this itinerary will take you later. That is why I like doing it first – you get a quick idea of the city before walking through it.
The church itself is also worth a quick look, not only the tower. St Olaf’s is one of Tallinn’s most important medieval churches and for a long time it was one of the tallest buildings in the city. It is simple inside compared to some other European churches and feels northern, plain, old, and very Tallinn.
Stop 3: Walk along Pikk Street into the lower Old Town
From St Olaf’s, continue to Pikk Street.
This is one of the best streets for entering the Old Town slowly. You’ll pass old merchant houses, guild buildings, side streets, and hidden courtyards (feel free to take a peek inside the ones with open doors).
What I particularly like about this street is that in summer, there are info boards set in different areas there that tell interesting details about various buildings located along this street.
On weekends, there is a local market in Roheline park on Pikk Str. Next to it is a nice Pan y Vino Peruvian restaurant with an outside terrace, great for live music and drinks during summer evenings.
Inner courtyard of one of the local residential buildings. If you see any open gates to the inner yard, feel free to walk in and take a look.
This is also where I’d suggest either joining a short walking tour if you want to understand more about what you are seeing.
This is a tour you can join from this point:
Stop 4: See the main lower Old Town sights
If you are walking independently, focus on the most important areas instead of trying to see every corner.
Include:
Town Hall Square
St Catherine’s Passage
Vene Street area
Old city wall sections (I like Nun Tower and Tower’s Square, both great for photography and some interesting historical facts)
Small streets around Pikk and Lai
Stop 5: Go up to Toompea through Danish King’s Garden
From the lower Old Town, I recommend you walk up toward Toompea through Lühike jalg Gate and stairs. There, also visit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and walk to Danish Garden.
This is not the only way to reach the upper town, but I like this route because it feels more interesting than just walking straight to the viewpoints. You pass the old wall with hidden stone stairs, and those monk statues that make this corner of Tallinn feel a bit unusual.
It is also a good place to understand that Tallinn Old Town is not completely flat. The lower town and upper town feel different, and when you walk up this way, you notice that change much better.
Stop 6: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Toompea viewpoints
From Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, go to the viewing platforms. I would include both:
Bishop’s Garden Viewing Platform
Walk towards Pilsticker Tower (by the wall to the staircase)
Stop 7: Pastry stop at Matilda on the Hill
Before leaving Toompea, stop at Matilda on the Hill. I think it is one of the best cafes that sell cinnamon buns in Tallinn. Buns here are made following old Swedish family recipes and are quite big (I also love Mathilda’s hot chocolate).
If in other seasons this cafe is often closed, in summer they work most days of the week.
Stop 8: See Patkuli and Kohtuotsa viewing platforms
These are a must since they are the most popular (and very scenic) viewing platforms in Tallinn.
After Matilda on the Hill, it is easy to reach them on foot through upper Old Town.
Kohtuotsa gives you the classic Old Town rooftop view, while Patkuli opens up Balti Jaama, Kalamaja, railway tracks, and sea in the distance.
Stop 9: Lunch at Balti Jaama Turg
From Patkuli, take stairs down to Nunne Street, from where I recommend you go to Balti Jaama Turg (the oldest market in Tallinn) for lunch or a snack.
There is a food court on the second floor with many kiosks selling food, so you can try either a modernized Estonian dish (like pelmeni or grilled chicken, asian food, or something as simple as a sandwich).
€12 for this bowl of street food-style noodles with ground beef. Other dishes here cost around the same.
There are also budget-friendly options, such as sandwiches, if you don’t feel like spending much on food
Stop 10: Walk through Kalamaja toward Kalarand
After lunch, from Balti Jaama, continue into Kalamaja via Vana-Kalamaja Street.
This is the main central street of the area, with interesting cafеs, oldest sauna, oldest shop selling quality Estonian socks (which, by the way, are made in Tallinn), and a few other notable details.
I recommend walking along it until you reach Kalarand, a new residential area by the sea with its own small, pretty beach, where you can dip your feet in the water or even go for a swim. There are also some very good restaurants and cafes here.
This is a nice area to walk around, go to a small local beach, grab coffee (you can do it in one of a few cafes located in these buildings that you see in the photo), and just take it slowly.
If you decide not to eat in Balti Jaama, then here is the next great choice because you can sit outside by the sea, if the weather is good. I love so many restaurants in this area, but if you are in the mood for pizza, stop at Vistamare, their pizza is amazing.
Stop 11: Seaplane Harbour area
From Kalarand, there is a lovely seaside path that goes past the old prison and leads straight to Lennusadam, the Seaplane Harbour Museum. It is one of Tallinn’s most interesting museums, focused on maritime history, ships, and seafaring.
The museum also has several historic vessels on the water that you can walk around and explore. They are interesting because they show what life on board looked like in the past, from the crew rooms to the working areas of former icebreakers, patrol ships, and other service vessels. The same ticket also includes the submarine inside the museum.
Stop 12: Noblessner for sunset and drinks
End the walk in the evening in Noblessner.
This is one of the best places in Tallinn in summer. In other seasons it is windy and empty, but in summer it is full of life, with terraces, outdoor seating, food trucks, waterfront bars, and events on the main square on some dates.
Stay here for sunset if the weather is good.
ALTERNATIVE: Põhjala Brewery & Taproom, one of Tallinn’s best-known craft breweries with a large taproom with local craft beers, Texas-style BBQ, a terrace, a beer shop, and brewery tours. We love coming here for their beer with in-house-made snacks and grilled meat.
Day 2: Pikakari Beach, Birds, Open Air Museum & Merirahu
Stop 1: Go to Pikakari Rand for Highland cows, birds, and a coastal walk
For the second day, I suggest doing something more unusual and going to Pikakari Nature Reserve.
This is where you can see the hairy Highland cows and also watch birds by the coast, and go on a lovely hike seeing what the Estonian coastline looks like without leaving Tallinn (I’ve been all over Estonia and can tell that the coastline in most places looks like Pikakari).
Even if you don’t have binoculars, I still recommend going because some birds stay close to the shoreline and you can see them while walking.
There is also a walking trail at Pikakari Beach that goes along the sea toward the Paljassaare birdwatching area where Highland cows also stay from the end of May to September, so this stop can easily take a few hours if you walk slowly and spend time by the water.
Bus 73 goes there from Noblessner and also stops near Linnahall, so if you stay in one of the areas I recommend for this itinerary, it is easy to get there without spending much time on the road. (You can also take Bolt to get there faster).
I would plan around 3-4 hours for this whole part if you like to hike, take photos, and slow down.
Stop 2: Go to the Estonian Open Air Museum
After Pikakari Beach, go to the Estonian Open Air Museum.
I recommend it for this itinerary because it is one of the best places in Tallinn to see old rural Estonia without leaving the city. It is an outdoor museum with traditional wooden houses, farm buildings, windmills, and village settings brought from different parts of Estonia. There are also quite a few spots where you can get close to the sea.
It works especially well in summer because you are not inside a regular museum. You walk outside, through a large green area, and it feels more like visiting an old Estonian village than just looking at exhibits.
From Pikakari, you can get there by public transport with transfers, but I would personally take Bolt since you have only 2 days. In Tallinn, Bolt is very convenient and not too expensive, and here it saves time.
Stop 3: Have lunch at the Open Air Museum restaurant
I recommend having lunch directly at the restaurant inside the Open Air Museum. It is one of the best places to try traditional Estonian food (although expensive).
Plus, being surrounded by a rural setting creates a feeling like you are dining in someone’s old house in the countryside.
Stop 4: Walk around Merirahu
After the Open Air Museum, if you still have time, walk around Merirahu.
There is a coastal trail by the sea with low rocky shores, beautiful summer vegetation, and birds near the water. You can also see swans and different types of seagulls there.
I also like this area because of the houses. It is interesting to see this quieter, wealthier residential side of Tallinn and how people live by the sea.
Stop 5: Return to Tallinn Old Town for the evening
After that, return to Tallinn for the evening.
You can either walk again through the Old Town or go to the ferry terminal area, which is very pleasant around sunset. From there, you get views of the new buildings, port, and Old Town rooftops in the background.
Stop 6: Dinner at Mimosa
For dinner, I recommend Mimosa. I really love their unique approach to pizza, with combinations such as pear and cheese or salmon and crispy bacon. But they also take a sophisticated approach to other dishes from different cuisines, including burgers, pasta and excellent salads.
I actually know Mimosa from Kyiv (it is from there, but with the beginning of the war, another branch was opened in Tallinn), where I used to dine on some occasions. Now in Estonia’s capital, it has the atmosphere of a tavern but in a stylish, modern interpretation.
What to do if it rains
Rain in Tallinn often comes and goes, so the chance of ruining your whole trip in summer is very low. However, it is still possible that it can rain for many hours and it won’t be possible to keep Pikakari, Merirahu, or Olaf Church tower.
Yet, you can still plan time around the viewing platforms (still scenic to visit with the umbrella) and even a coastal walk in Kalamaja.
During the rain, I think the best thing to do will be to spend more time at the spa, go inside the Seaplane Harbour museum or to one of the ships docked outside by the marina (entrance with the museum ticket), include Kiek in de Kök Fortification Museum with underground tunnels (one of the most interesting museums in Tallinn), include Soviet walking tour of Tallinn (rainy weather makes places on the route look much heavier which feels a bit creepy), or/and Estonian cuisine cooking class where you can cook and try a 3-course Estonian meal.
I visited these museum ships while it was pouring with rain, and it was much more atmospheric than on a sunny day (when I returned later with my guests).
The historic icebreaker was actually the highlight because you can go below deck, where there is a huge exhibition. With the rain hammering outside while I explored the ship, the atmosphere was incredible.
Heavy rain drumming against the ship’s skylight (combined with the vessel’s gentle rocking and exhibit about life on board) made me feel like I was sailing at sea with the crew of a working icebreaker.
If the entire second day looks wet, spend more time in the Open Аir Museum (walk thoroughly inside the old wooden houses that show in detail how people lived and a Soviet-style apartment building), visit shops in Teleskivi (a few really nice designer shops there), and spend more time in the Old Town with the umbrella (it is very atmospheric during the rain!)
Anya was born in Ukraine but has spent the past 15 years living in the US and all over Europe - from sunny Tenerife and Malaga to northern Estonia, Balkans, and Turkey. Working online allows her to move freely and explore new corners of the continent in depth. On this site, she shares honest stories, detailed travel guides, and hidden places across Europe, hoping to inspire others to live freely and see the world beyond the obvious.
