Tallinn in a day, the way the Finns do it

Tallinn is the easiest international day trip from Helsinki. The crossing is about two hours, ferries run frequently, and a well-planned day gives you several hours on the Estonian side. Tallinn's old town is UNESCO-listed, compact, and walkable.

The route

1. 1

   Tallink or Viking ferry

   West Terminal 2 (Länsisatama)

   Tallink and Viking Line both operate Helsinki-Tallinn ferries. Book ahead and compare departure times and terminal details. The larger ferries have restaurants, shops, and plenty of seating.

   Take the 07:30 out, the 19:30 back. You get six full hours in Tallinn.

2. 2

   Tallinn old town walk

   Vanalinn (old town)

   Compact, walled, 14th-century core. Not a replica, the real walls are still mostly standing. Cobblestones, steep in places. The whole walkable area is about 1 km across.

3. 3

   Toompea hill

   Toompea, old town north

   Upper town, medieval nobles' quarter. Two viewing platforms, Kohtuotsa and Patkuli, both free, with photos of the lower town's red roofs over the city walls. Russian Orthodox cathedral at the top.

4. 4

   Rataskaevu 16 or Olde Hansa

   Rataskaevu 16 / Vana turg 1

   Actual Estonian food, not Finnish-ferry food. Rataskaevu is modernist-traditional, Olde Hansa is medieval-themed. Both are tourist-heavy, both are still worth the lunch. Book ahead in summer.

5. 5

   Telliskivi creative city

   Telliskivi 60/1, Põhja-Tallinn

   Former railway workshop complex turned into a creative quarter, 15 minutes' walk north of the old town. Food halls, local designers, street art, cafés. This is where Tallinn locals spend their Saturdays.