Contact :  BALTIC EXPRESS TOURS

Tallinn Old town excursions are an integral part of any visit to Estonia and her capital, and we can provide several types of tours depending on the time our guests have at their disposal.

If one is in Tallinn only for a short time we suggest the basic package of 2 nights’ accommodation with round trip airport transfers  including Tallinn City Tour (duration approximately 3 h).

.  Day 1
Arrival in Tallinn. Meet and greet at the airport, transfer to a centrally located hotel.

.  Day 2
Breakfast in hotel.

09:30 Your local guide and coach/car  will meet you at your  hotel.

The tour starts with circling the Old Town after which you will head to the seaside districts of  Kadriorg and Pirita.

The coach will drive through Kadriorg with its wooden houses and 18th century park laid out by the order of Peter the Great.  The Song Festival Amphitheatre (stop about 10 minutes) is a monument to the Estonian tradition of singing. You will also drive past Woodland Cemetery , the final resting place of  many famous Estonians (e.g. one of the world’s greatest chess players Paul Keres) as well as two Presidents of Estonia.  Pass through Pirita that got its name after St Birgitta’s convent erected in the 15th century. 

Pirita is also home to the Olympic yachting centre (Tallinn was the venue of the 1980 Olympic Regatta)  as well as one of the main public beaches of Tallinn.
    

From Pirita you will return back to centre and the coach will take you back to the historic centre, Tallinn’s old Town ( a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997).

You will disembark the coach on Toompea Hill aka Upper Town. From thereon you will continue your tour on foot as the Old Town streets are too narrow for driving around. 

The focal point of Toompea will be Palace Square, named after the Baroque Toompea Palace, home to the Estonian Parliament.  On the south-west side of the castle stands the Pikk (Tall) Hermann Tower, topped by the national flag of blue, black and white.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominating Palace Square is a Russian Orthodox Cathedral and  a strong testament to the influence of years under the rule of Russian Tsars.  Its cupolas and golden crosses rise high above the rooftops of the Upper Town, contrasting with the needle-like copper spires of the Lower Town.  You will have a chance to step inside this working Cathedral to view the numerous golden icons and mosaics which line  the walls  (no photos permitted inside). 

Further  along St Mary’s or Dome Cathedral is a working Lutheran church. From there continue to the view platforms: one opening to the north offers a  view of the town wall,  its towers and St Olaf’s church.  The other opening to the east boasts a bird’s-eye-view of  the Lower Town, the port and the neighbourhoods around the centre.  Having made a round in the Upper Town return to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and continue from there along the Long leg and Short Leg Street to the lower Town.

Continue down “Short Leg Street” to the Lower Town, passing by a jumble of narrow cobble-stoned lanes lined with medieval merchant houses.  During your walking tour, you will view many of the watch-towers that stand as silent sentinels over the Old Town.

Town Hall Square has retained its charming time-worn appearance and is still a hub of activity with its many cafés, restaurants and shops.  Dominated by the monumental Gothic Town Hall, this Square has been the centre of life in Tallinn’s Lower Town since the 12th-century.  Across the Square stands the Town Council Pharmacy, which has been in business since 1422.
The tour finishes in the Town Hall square after which you are free to enjoy lunch or just coffee or tea in any of the multitude of cafés or restaurants of Old Town.

Afternoon free for browsing around on one’s own or an optional guided visit to St Nicholas Museum and Concert Hall

.  Day 3
Breakfast in hotel
Transfer to airport

Contact :  BALTIC EXPRESS TOURS