Are you or your kids into world history? Like the medieval era and the Middle Ages, during the time of knights, crusades, castles, dungeons, merchants, and guilds? You will love Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the best-preserved medieval city in Northern Europe. Travel to Tallinn with your kids is a blast to the past!
How about the Cold War, with KGB spies, prison cells, and underground resistance? Tallinn, having been occupied by the Soviets after World War II, is also rich in Cold War history.
If you have limited time to visit Estonia with kids, then stick to Tallinn. Tallinn is a great holiday vacation for you and your kids, as it will take you back in time. It will make their history lessons come alive! And just by itself, Tallinn is an enchanting city with enchanting people (did you know Estonia has the most number of supermodels per capita?). And it’s inexpensive to boot (it was voted Lonely Planet’s Best Value Destination of 2018).
Usually, Tallinn is packaged as a day trip from Finland. But do your family a favor and spend a few days getting to know the history and culture, admiring Old Town and nearby neighborhoods, taking loads of photographs, and bringing home wonderful memories.
Our travel to Tallinn with our kids was during Christmas. It made the Old Town and Kadriorg Palace look more spectacular with snow. It’s like opening a beautifully illustrated fairy tale book!
What to Do
Tallinn is, in a way, much like other Northern European cities: plenty of beautiful architecture, rich in medieval history, and steeped in Christian, Scandinavian, and Russian influence. These are some of the things we did in our Tallinn itinerary.
1. Explore Old Town
Old Town is a worthy destination all by itself. If you only have a day or two in Estonia, visiting only Old Town will be worth the trip. It’s going to be the highlight of your travel to Tallinn with your kids.
It’s not just the cobblestone streets, gothic spires, medieval churches, merchant houses, hidden courtyards, eerie dungeons, fortified walls, and ancient towers (which, by themselves, are a major attraction). It’s the fact that it’s a living and breathing mini-city where people actually live and work. Plus, many of Tallinn’s best cafes, restaurants, and shops are located in Old Town, making it really a one-stop destination.
Some of the must-see spots inside Old Town are Viru Gate and Fat Margaret at opposite ends, the Great Guild Hall and Three Sisters, St. Catherine’s Passage and the Master’s Courtyard, Toompea Castle, and Kiek in de Kok. Among the various churches from different eras and denominations, don’t miss the austere Holy Spirit Church, the ornate St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, and the once-tallest building in Europe, St. Olaf’s Church.
And, of course, you have to see the heart of Old Town itself, Town Hall Square, which has been the center of commerce since the Middle Ages. This is where the open-air market, concerts, and festivals are held in summer and where the Christmas market and towering spruce Christmas tree (Old Town is the origin of the very first Christmas tree!) are located in winter.
And no trip to Old Town is complete without seeing the sweeping and magical panorama of Old Town’s rooftops and towers at either the Patkuli or Kohtuotsa viewing platforms.
We recommend you join one of the free walking tours to truly appreciate the rich history of Tallinn and the Old Town. We joined the very educational and entertaining Tales of Reval walking tour, led by a professional Medieval actor and performance artist (and I got to play a rich merchant who was tricked to carry around the slightly heavy banner!).
2. Enjoy the Christmas market
Visiting Tallinn in the summer is a great option. But for us, winter in Tallinn just makes it more magical and enchanting. And, of course, the Christmas Market in Old Town is a major draw. It’s consistently voted among the best Christmas markets in Europe, including among the top 10 according to Forbes and the number one by European Best Destinations!
Helsinki’s Christmas market is classy and reserved. Tallinn’s Christmas market is like the rowdier, more fun cousin. There are musical performances on stage, a seemingly drunk Santa who was hosting the program, blaring Christmas tunes (including Filipino Christmas classics when we were there!), lots of hot mulled wine (hence the Estonians are merrier and louder than the Finns), and plenty of handicrafts, souvenirs, and delicacies you can buy from the Christmas merchants.
It makes spending Christmas truly merry and will make your Tallinn travel vacation with your kids memorable!
3. Visit Kadriorg Palace & Park
Although closed during winter as a museum, Kadriorg Palace is still deserving of a visit. It was the 18th-century summer home of Tsar Peter the Great of Russia in honor of his wife, Catherine I. It’s known for its Italian architecture and Baroque structure.
The palace and park are considered a must-visit destination, second only to Old Town. It’s a fantastic place for photoshoots, and if you visit in winter, your kids will love playing in the snow in the gardens behind the palace and strolling in the expansive park.
Where to Eat
Estonian cuisine is heavy on meats and potatoes. Wild game like elk, deer, and boar, along with pork and beef, are popular. And so are rye bread and chocolate. So our travel to Tallinn with our kids included trying out the local and a bit exotic cuisine.
1. Olde Hansa
Some people love it. Some people hate it. But go to Olde Hansa not so much for the food but for the experience. The restaurant is set up as the medieval home of a rich Hanseatic merchant. You definitely feel like you time-traveled to 15th-century Tallinn. With period candle-lit halls, furniture and decor, medieval musicians and waiters always in character, and wild game dishes cooked in centuries-old methods, you get an authentic Middle Age experience.
Of course, it is touristy. But who cares? It’s a lot of fun. The food is exotic, tasty, and generously served. We tried the mushroom soup and game sausages made of bear, wild boar, and elk sausage, with sauerkraut, and roasted potatoes.
2. Vaike Rataskaevu 16
What’s the number one restaurant in Tallinn? Rataskaeve 16. What’s the number two? Its sister restaurant Vaike Rataskaevu 16. Rataskaeve 16 is always booked, but we were able to get a reservation at Vaike Rataskaevu 16. Same menu, same service, same experience.
Everything we ate was excellent. We had braised elk roast, beef tenderloin, chicken fillet, pasta, bread pudding, and chocolate cake. Very efficient and super friendly wait staff.
3. III Draakon
Another period restaurant and pub where everyone is dressed in medieval clothes, the often busy III Draakon offers cheap but delicious elk meat soups and pies.
4. Saiakangi Kohvik Cafe
A nice, cozy cafe in Old Town, Saiangkangi Kohvik offers yummy cakes and good coffee.
5. Il Gallo Nero
We were supposed to eat at the popular cheap pancake eatery Kompressor but the wait time was too long, so we ended up at the nearby Il Gallo Nero. Not that we were looking for pasta, but this small and cozy Italian restaurant and wine bar serves delicious pasta, panini, and tiramisu.
6. Kehrwieder Chocolaterie
Kehrwieder Chocolaterie is a unique, underground, cave-like cafe that serves good coffee, hot chocolate, quiche, and sandwiches.
7. Kalev Chocolate Shop
You can’t leave Tallinn without buying chocolates from Kalev, the largest and oldest confectionery company in Estonia.
8. Balti Jaam Turg
Just beside the Baltic railway station and walking distance from Old Town, Balti Jaam Turg is a modern, funky food market with a grocery store and dozens of eateries, many of which are family-owned. We had lunch there a couple of times. We really liked Samsa Family Bakers with their hearty and tasty Uzbek pies like cheburek, samsa, and pilaf with beef. We also like Eugenio‘s Streetfood for its authentic pizzas made by renowned Italian chef Eugenio Galbiatti.
We also ordered a lot of cakes for our Christmas celebration at Ristikheina Café. And we tried the yummy, cute, and colorful cupcakes at Vahvlihaldjad.
There were other highly recommended restaurants we wanted to try, like Kompressor, Farm, and F-hoone, but they were always packed. Still, I think we were able to try out some of the must-eat places and had a diverse taste in Estonian and European cuisine.
Where to Stay
Since we were going to spend Christmas in Tallinn, we made sure that we booked a place that was comfortable, spacious, and safe and where we could cook or heat food (since most restaurants were closed on Christmas day).
We decided to book an apartment on Airbnb, which listed a lot of very modern, stylish, and affordable places in Tallinn. We chose this beautiful apartment that’s within walking distance from Old Town and the port. Stay in Tallinn Poordi hosted by the very helpful and accommodating Tatjana was really the perfect place for us.
It was clean, spacious, and equipped with modern facilities and a fully stocked kitchen. It had a huge 4K TV with Netflix, which was great, since our eldest daughter got sick and had to stay for a couple of days. It was also very secure and safe. And it was just beautiful and stylishly designed.
Tallinn Travel Itinerary With Kids
This is what our Tallinn travel itinerary looked like:
Day 1
Arrive in Tallinn
Get settled in our Airbnb apartment
Explore Old Town, checking out Fat Margaret, Three Sisters, St. Olaf’s Church, Holy Spirit Church, and Old Town Square
Dinner at Vaike Rataskaevu 16
Day 2
Breakfast in apartment
Explore Old Town, including Great Guild Hall, St. Catherine’s Passage, Viru Gates, and Dome Church
Lunch at Il Gallo Nero
Explore Tallinn Christmas Market
Dinner at Olde Hansa
Dessert at Saiakangi Kohvik Cafe
Day 3
Breakfast in apartment
Explore Kadriorg Palace and Park
Lunch and dessert at Balti Jaam Turg
Explore Tallinn Christmas Market
Dinner at III Draakon
Day 4
Breakfast in apartment
Join the free Tales of Reval walking tour
Lunch and dessert at Kehrwieder Chocolaterie
Explore Old Town, particularly Toompea Castle, Kiek in de Kok, St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral
Go to the Kohtuotsa viewing platform
Attend church service at St. Olaf’s Church
Buy chocolates at Kalev Chocolate Shop
Dinner in apartment
To think that we had three-and-a-half days in Tallinn, we still missed a number of places we wanted to see. Part of the reason was that this was already our third week on holiday, after two weeks in Finland. So we were already pretty much tired by the time we arrived in Tallinn.
We missed the hip wooden townhouse district of Kalamaja (although we figured we’ve seen enough pretty wooden houses in Finland), the kid-friendly maritime museum Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour (our kids were sick and exhausted by then), and the really cool and colorful Telliskivi Creative City (even though it was just at the back of Balti Jaam Turg, we were frankly already exhausted to make the effort).
And because we arrived late in Tallinn, we missed the kid-friendly museums (which closed already the next day) we had planned to visit, including The Energy Discovery Center, NUKU Museum of Puppet Arts, Marzipan Room, and Estonian Healthcare Museum.
Overall, however, we had a great time exploring the nooks, lanes, and alleys of Old Town, enjoying the Christmas Market, playing in the snow in Kadriorg Park, and relaxing for a mini-staycation at our apartment.
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