Helsinki – Tallinn: the perfect day trip

Tallinn and Helsinki are separated by just under 90 kilometres of cold seawater from the Gulf of Finland. It’s no wonder that the ferry connections between the two cities are among the busiest international passenger routes. Ever since Tallinn was the European Capital of Culture together with Turku in 2011, the city has been in vogue. Tallinn is hip, colorful, friendly and very pretty. That’s why it’s worth planning an extra day to visit the capital of Estonia on a city trip to Helsinki.

We also didn’t want to miss the opportunity and used the only not monotonous gray day of our Finnish week to pay a visit to Tallinn. Double luck for Tallinn, the city showed itself in the most beautiful dress in the 5 minutes of sunshine and turned me into a little Estonia fan.

Here’s how we enjoyed the 12 hours in Tallinn:

7:00 – Get up early

Regular ferry services are offered by the Viking Line and the Tallink Silja Line. In summer, there are also speedboats. We opted for the Tallink Silja ferry, which runs the connection up to seven times a day. So you are also a bit flexible, with the outward and return journey. The ticket for the Star Class, the normal ceiling passage, costs 31 euros (the daily updated prices can be found here: tallinksilja.com).

Tallink Silja ships serve two ports in Helsinki – the South Harbour/Olympic Terminal for ships to/from Stockholm and the West Harbour/Länsisatama for the Tallinn ferry service. We did some research the night before to find out exactly where we had to go. It would be very annoying if you got up extra early and then stood at the wrong port …

Since we want to catch the first ferry at 7:30 a.m. and you should be on the ship 30 minutes before departure, the alarm clock tears us out of our dreams early in the morning at 6:00 a.m. It’s still pitch dark outside. We take tram no. 9 (Itä-Pasila – Central Station – Kamppi – West Terminal) directly to the Westhafen and buy our ticket at the self-check-in machine. The whole thing works perfectly and totally uncomplicated.

On the ship we look for a quiet corner and use the two-hour crossing to decide what we want to see in Tallinn. I skip breakfast because I don’t feel like sausages and French fries (it’s not included in the ticket price). I look in vain for “normal” rolls.

Shortly before arriving in Tallinn, we venture onto the deck, but the merciless wind quickly drives us away again. Unfortunately, we have to cancel the program item “Photographing sunrise on the high seas”. By the way, the ships sail even when the Gulf of Finland is frozen (… I had secretly hoped for it …).

10:00 – Sweet awakening

Since we skipped breakfast on the ferry, we walk to the first café in Tallinn in no time. From the ferry terminal to the first sweet stop at Maiasmokk Café | Pikk tn 16 it is 1.7 kilometers. Great distance to get a first overview of the center on foot.

The Maiasmokk – in German Feinschmecker (name says it all) – is the oldest café in Tallinn. The interior decoration is reminiscent of times gone by and the kitchens are absolute eye-catchers. By the way, there is also free WiFi here.

12:00 – Hustle and bustle

Freshly strengthened, we stroll through the narrow streets of the city center. There is a lot going on around the town hall square with the striking town hall tower, surrounded by pretty merchants’ houses. The Christmas market, which by the way is considered one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe, is still in full swing.

Just behind the town hall tower is the Olde Hansa restaurant. Since I read somewhere that the dishes there are real poems (ok, it wasn’t written quite like that), I wanted to go there, of course. As soon as we sat down, I regretted this quick shot. The Olde Hansa is a typical tourist restaurant that serves menus in a medieval setting. It’s quite nicely done, the food was also okay, but it seemed overpriced to me and I don’t like themed restaurants (I had probably overlooked this part in the corresponding review).

As we continue our walk after the Olde Hansa stop, a small burger restaurant catches my eye right next to the town hall square. For a brief moment, we consider whether we should really just have lunch twice. Reason prevails. But the next time you visit Tallinn, you’ll find me in here!

14:00 – Old town with a view

We will dedicate the afternoon to the beautiful old town, which was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 thanks to its preserved wholeness of the medieval structure. The medieval charm can still be felt in the old town. The narrow cobblestone streets lead past pretty, colourful buildings, some of whose basic structure dates back to the 11th century.

We stop at the Suur-Kloostri gate. Here you can visit part of the medieval city fortifications (cost 2 euros). The stairs up to the three towers, which are reached via the wall, are narrow, dark and adventurous. The brave ones will be rewarded with a beautiful view.

Afterwards we climb the steps up to the Cathedral Hill, which towers over the old town. There are numerous sights on the Cathedral Hill. The Kohtuotsa observation deck with a great view over the city, the castle, Tallinn Cathedral and my personal highlight – the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – should not be missed.

16:00 – Aperitif of a different kind

Via a steep road we return from the former upper town – the Domberg – to the picturesque alleys of the lower town. Not far from the St. Catherine’s Passage with numerous craft workshops is the Pierre Chocolaterie | Vein 6. Creativity and tradition complement each other perfectly in this neighborhood. The cosily furnished chocolaterie confirms this. The chocolate cake corresponds to the highest level of craftsmanship.

Between a chocolate aperitif and dinner, we go on a Blue Hour photo walk, which takes us back to the Cathedral Hill and the brightly lit Town Hall Square.

20:00 – Hipster Place

The Sfäär is both a clothing/design shop and a restaurant and is located outside the old town centre in the direction of the harbour area (Mere pst 6). Prices for a main course range from 10 to 20 euros, while soups and other appetizers start at 5 euros. Everything is right here! The food is unbelievably delicious, the music fits, it’s young people and on the toilet even the biggest sleeping bag is put in a party mood (this is because the music ;) full blast there). My opinion: great!

21:00 – Rocking back by ferry

Despite the many coffee and chocolate breaks, the day in Tallinn was noticeably exhausted. It was a good decision that we chose the late connection at 21:00 (arrival Helsinki 23:00). So we were able to enjoy the day in Tallinn in full length including dinner. Nevertheless, I am pleased that we received tickets for Comfort Class for the return journey. The Comfort Class is a separate area with extras such as free drinks and snacks, power outlets, WiFi and comfortable sofas. The tickets cost around 20 euros more than for Star Class (51 euros). We are so tired that the gentle rocking slowly closes our eyes and the time until docking in Helsinki passes in no time.

Note: My day trip to Tallinn was supported by Tallink Silja Line. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.