Tallinn Upper & Lower Old Town Shore Excursion

This is the most complete Tallinn tour available, built for guests who want both the medieval capital and rural Estonia in a single port day rather than choosing between them.

The morning belongs to Tallinn's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. After meeting your guide at the pier, you drive around the city walls into Toompea, the Upper Old Town, where the layers of German, Scandinavian, and Russian influence become apparent as you walk. You pass beneath Toompea Castle, whose fortifications began in the 13th century even though its pink facade dates to the 18th, and see the onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1900, dominating Palace Square. At the Gothic St Mary's Cathedral, the Toomkirik, you can view centuries of funeral coats of arms inside and climb the bell tower for city views, services permitting. Descending to the Lower Town, you pass the 14th century Holy Ghost Church and the 1404 Town Hall, the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe, before browsing the working craft studios along Katariina Gild street.

After free time in the town square for lunch on your own (meal not included), the afternoon shifts entirely to the countryside. At Rocca al Mare, named for an 1863 summer manor, the Estonian Open Air Museum gathers nearly 80 original buildings across 72 hectares of parkland, moved here piece by piece from across the country. Your guide walks you through reconstructed farmsteads, fishing villages, 18th and 19th century windmills, and a working tavern that together illustrate roughly 300 years of Estonian rural life, a striking contrast to the morning's stone streets and church towers, before you return to the pier.

• Mobility: Due to uneven surfaces, steps, and walking distances, this itinerary is not suitable for guests using wheelchairs. Please contact us for alternative sightseeing options, including private driving tours that may better accommodate your needs.