Tallinn Shore Excursion

This full day Tallinn shore trip is the most popular tour for first time visitors. You enjoy a comprehensive walking tour of Tallinn's Upper and Lower Old Town and also explore the Rocca al Mare park, featuring traditional Estonian farm buildings.

Your guide will meet you at the pier and you'll drive around the ancient city walls to the Upper Old Town of Tallinn, where your private walking tour begins. Vanalinn, as the Old Town of Tallinn is known, is one of the best preserved medieval cities in all of Europe, and your guide will introduce you to the fascinating mix of German, Scandinavian and Russian influences evident here.

You'll walk along cobblestone streets in the shadow of the looming Toompea Castle, which was originally built in the 13th century. You'll see the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky with its priceless collection of icons which has dominated Lossi Plats (Palace Square) since its construction in 1900.

From Palace Square you'll continue to the Gothic St. Mary's Cathedral, known by locals as the Toomkirik or Dome Church. This is the main Lutheran church in Estonia and was traditionally the church of Estonia's elite German nobles. The striking interior is known for its many funereal coats of arms dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries and burial stones from the 13th to the 18th centuries. For those interested in panoramic views, you can climb the steps of the bell tower for amazing views of the city. Please note that your guide will not be able to guide you through the Dome Church if religious services are in progress (generally Sunday mornings and at noon daily).

As you walk into the Lower Town, you enjoy the panoramic a view of towers and steeples rising above the red-tiled roofs, and have the chance to browse through local shops. You'll see the Holy Ghost Church, a structure which retains much of its 14th century appearance, and also stop to admire Tallinn's oldest civic building the Gothic Town Hall completed in 1404.

Next you'll visit the famous Katariina Gild street, the most picturesque lane in the Old Town. You enjoy a short amount of free time to explore a collection of craft workshops where artists use traditional methods to create and sell local crafts. Expect to see glassware, quilts, ceramics, jewelery and other hand made goods. These craft workshops are located in the small 15th to 17th houses so that visitors can see the artists working. Its a wonderful Medieval atmosphere not found in many places today.

After your Tallinn tour, you have free time in the town square for lunch (meal not included).

After lunch you depart for the Rocca al Mare Open Air Museum. This wonderful open air museum is a collection of nearly 100 traditional Estonian farm buildings that have been moved to a 200 acre park. The park is in a scenic seaside area that highlights examples of typical rural life as it has been lived in Estonia for last 300 years. Your guide will show you examples of farmsteads, fishing and inland villages, churches, 18th and 19th century windmills as well as a working village tavern. The order and rhythm of everyday country life in Estonia will be interpreted for you as you explore this quiet village park setting.

At the end of the tour, you return to the pier in Tallinn.

Mobility: NO wheelchairs