Country · 1 guide

Things to Do in Estonia

A country the size of a large county, holding a walled Hanseatic capital, two thousand islands and some of the emptiest forest in Europe.

Estonia is the northernmost of the Baltic states — a small, forested, famously digital country where a UNESCO-listed medieval capital sits an hour's ferry from Helsinki and half the land is still woodland and bog. Tallinn draws most visitors with its walled Old Town, but the rest rewards anyone who keeps going: manor houses and boulder-strewn coast in Lahemaa, a student city in Tartu, windmills and juniper heath on the western islands. Use this hub to plan your trip: browse our Estonian city guides below, or read on for the regions, seasons and routes that tie the country together.

Map of Estonia
Red-tiled rooftops, medieval wall towers and church spires of Tallinn Old Town under a blue sky Tallinn, Estonia
Photos: Pexels / Margo Evardson

Estonia in numbers

Plan your trip
  • 1.4MPopulation
  • TallinnCapital
  • EuroCurrency (€ EUR)
  • EstonianLanguage
  • 2UNESCO World Heritage sites
  • RightDriving side
  • Type C/FPlugs & power (230V)
  • 112Emergency (country code +372)

Cities in Estonia

Attraction-by-attraction guides to 1 city in Estonia, each one mapped.

Map of Estonia

Estonia: 1 city we cover

Countries near Estonia

Trip planner

Plan your trip to Estonia

When to go

  • SpringMar–May

    A slow, late thaw: March and early April are still bare and grey, but by May the birches are out, migrating cranes and geese pass through Matsalu, and the cafe terraces reopen in Tallinn. One of the quietest times to have the Old Town largely to yourself.

  • SummerJun–Aug

    The peak season and by far the liveliest, with white nights around midsummer when it barely gets dark in the north. Warm rather than hot, this is the window for the islands, the beaches at Pärnu, open-air festivals and the long midsummer bonfire night. Book island ferries and Pärnu beds well ahead.

  • FallSep–Nov

    The forests turn gold and the bog boardwalks are at their most photogenic, with mushroom and berry picking a genuine national pastime. September is mild and uncrowded; by November it is dark, wet and cold, and island ferry timetables thin out.

  • WinterDec–Feb

    Cold, dark and often snowy, with temperatures well below freezing and only a few hours of proper daylight in December. This is Christmas-market season on Tallinn's Town Hall Square, plus cross-country skiing around Otepää and, in a hard winter, ice roads out to the western islands.

Regions

  • Tallinn & the north coastThe capital and its hinterland, where a walled Hanseatic Old Town gives way to the limestone cliffs, waterfalls and pine forest of the north coast. Lahemaa National Park sits an hour east with its restored manor houses and fishing villages, while Paldiski and the Pakri cliffs mark the abrupt western edge.
  • Tartu & the southeastEstonia's second city is a low-slung university town on the Emajõgi river, with a classical main square, a hilltop park of ruins and a young, studenty atmosphere quite unlike Tallinn. South of it the land finally starts to roll, rising to Estonia's modest highlands around Otepää and Haanja.
  • The western islandsSaaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu and their smaller neighbours are the slow half of Estonia — juniper heath, windmills, lighthouses, thatched roofs and a bishop's castle at Kuressaare. Reached by car ferry, they keep their own dialects, traditions and a noticeably unhurried pace.
  • Pärnu & the west coastEstonia's summer capital is a genteel spa and beach town with a long sandy shore and a wooden villa quarter. Around it lie Matsalu National Park, one of northern Europe's great migratory bird stopovers, and Soomaa, where spring meltwater floods the bogs into a so-called fifth season.
  • Lake Peipsi & the eastThe shore of one of Europe's largest lakes, where Old Believer villages string along the water and onions and chicory have been grown for centuries. Further north the industrial northeast leads to Narva, whose castle stares directly across the river at a Russian fortress.
  • Setomaa & the far southA distinct cultural corner near the southeastern border, home to the Seto people, their polyphonic leelo singing and their own festivals and food. The surrounding Võrumaa countryside holds smoke saunas, lakes and the country's highest ground.

Estonia's signature sights at a glance

Suggested routes

Tallinn & the north coast

~3–4 days

The short trip most visitors take: two days in the walled capital, then a day or two along the limestone coast east of it. Doable by bus and tour, though a car opens up Lahemaa properly.

  1. Tallinn Old Town — two days for the walls, towers and squares
  2. Kadriorg & Kumu — a tsar's palace and the national art museum
  3. Telliskivi & Noblessner — the creative quarters and the seafront
  4. Lahemaa National Park — manor houses, bog boardwalk and coast
  5. Jägala or Keila-Joa — a waterfall stop on the way back

The island loop

~1 week

A slow western circuit for the quiet half of the country, built around the Virtsu and Rohuküla car ferries. Best in summer, when the ferries run often and the heath is in flower.

  1. Tallinn — fly in and pick up a car
  2. Haapsalu — wooden spa town and castle ruins
  3. Hiiumaa — lighthouses and empty pine coast
  4. Muhu & Saaremaa — windmills, Kaali crater, Kuressaare Castle
  5. Pärnu — the beach and the villa quarter on the way home

Tallinn to the southeast

~1–2 weeks

The full length of the country, trading the coast for lakes, bogs and the Seto borderland. The Tallinn–Tartu leg runs fine by train or bus; the far southeast wants a car.

  1. Tallinn — two to three days in the capital
  2. Lahemaa — north-coast forest and manors
  3. Narva & Lake Peipsi — the border castle and Old Believer villages
  4. Tartu — the university city, two nights
  5. Otepää & Haanja — Estonia's modest highlands and lakes
  6. Setomaa — Seto villages, smoke saunas and leelo singing

Estonia travel FAQ

Eight questions travellers ask before they go.

When is the best time to visit Estonia?

Late spring through early autumn — roughly May to September — is the comfortable window, with June and July bringing the white nights when it barely gets dark. September is mild, golden and much quieter. Winter is genuinely cold and dark, but it is also when Tallinn's Christmas market fills the Town Hall Square and the skiing around Otepää works, so it depends what you want.

How many days do you need in Estonia?

Two full days covers Tallinn's Old Town and Kadriorg comfortably, and three lets you add Telliskivi, the Seaplane Harbour and a half-day in Lahemaa. A week is enough to add Tartu and either the islands or the southeast, and around ten days to a fortnight covers the whole country without rushing.

Do you need a car in Estonia?

Not for the cities. Intercity buses are cheap, frequent and reach almost every town, and the Tallinn–Tartu and Tallinn–Narva trains are fast and modern. A car becomes worth it as soon as you want Lahemaa's manor houses, the bog trails, the smaller islands or the southeast, where public transport thins out considerably.

What is Estonia known for?

Its UNESCO-listed medieval capital, its forests and raised bogs, and its song festival tradition — the mass choral gatherings that gave the Singing Revolution its name. It is also known as one of the most digital societies in the world, where public services, banking and voting run online.

Is English widely spoken in Estonia?

Yes, particularly in Tallinn, Tartu and anywhere used to visitors, and especially among younger Estonians. Estonian is the national language and is Finnic rather than Slavic or Baltic, so it will look unfamiliar; Russian is also widely understood, most of all in the northeast.

What currency does Estonia use, and is it in the EU?

Estonia uses the euro and has done since 2011. It is a member of both the European Union and the Schengen area, so travel from most of Europe involves no border checks. Card payment is accepted almost everywhere, and carrying much cash is rarely necessary.

What food should you try in Estonia?

Dark rye bread appears at nearly every meal, alongside smoked and marinated fish, sprats, sour cream and potatoes, and game such as elk in season. Forest berries and mushrooms are close to a national obsession in late summer and autumn, and kama — a toasted grain mixture stirred into buttermilk or yoghurt — is the distinctive local taste worth seeking out.

What kind of trip is Estonia best for?

City breaks, island-hopping and quiet nature.