Custom Trip Plan
Destinations

Trip Ideas
Itineraries
Themes

About Us

1 800 344 5785
Estonia


Travel and LeisureFodorsUSA TodayNew York TimesNational GeographicWashington PostVogue

Popular Estonia Vacation Itineraries

Whether you want to spend your vacation exploring Estonia only, or mix it up and add in some time in the Baltic States of Latvia and Lithuania, or even Finland, we've got plenty of Estonia vacation ideas for you. Our suggested itineraries in Estonia and neighboring countries in the Baltic States allow you to enjoy a multi-destination tour with ease. Our vacation packages make traveling in the Baltics and Eastern Europe hassle-free. We take care of getting you from place to place, accommodation, excursions, and activities.

Where to go in Estonia

Estonia Custom Tour Packages

Estonia is no longer Europe's best kept travel secret. The country has more visitors than ever. But it's a long way from the popularity of Central European capitals, to say nothing of countries further west. A holiday in Estonia is a rare treat. Everyone who visits Estonia says it's enjoyable and affordable.

After occupations by the Danes, Swedes, Russians, and Germans, Estonia loves its independence, attained in 1918, and again in 1991. Estonia is a forward-thinking member of the Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004. Estonia switched to the Euro in 2011. It is a developed country that loves hosting travelers. It is also comfortable and welcoming. That forward-thinking is demonstrated in the way that the country has embraced technology and fostered some of the world's most disruptive startups and technologies, such as Skype.

Estonia's best destinations

The highlight of Estonia for us is Tallinn, the capital. It's a coastal city with a strong trading history. It has a gorgeous medieval walled Old Town packed with cafes and restaurants. Tallinn is a great base to explore the surrounding countryside and coast. You can see interesting historic sites nearby like a Soviet military base. Tallinn enjoys excellent ferry links to Helsinki and road links to Riga. It is an essential stop on a wider tour of the Baltic region.

If you want to see another side of Estonia, take some time in beachside Parnu, the country's official "summer capital". With its folk clothing, thatched roofs, and medieval churches, windmills, and walls, scenic Saaremaa (Estonia's largest island) is one of the best places to get a taste of life centuries ago. Take in the student life in Tartu, Estonia's second city, intellectual capital, and "City of Good Thoughts." Take in Estonia's Soviet past by venturing to Narva. Here, where castles face off on either side of the Russian border, you can take in Soviet architecture in a city that primarily speaks Russian.

Visit neighboring countries

Hotels in Estonia are comfortable and affordable. Our local guides will be on-hand to assist all vacationers. Wherever you want to travel in Estonia, we can make it happen. From Tallinn much of the country can be visited on day trips and neighboring countries can be reached in a matter of a few hours.

Get your customized Estonian trip plan

Contact us for a free travel consultation and we'll start planning the perfect Estonian vacation, just for you.

More Videos About Estonia

Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Estonia

When is the best time to visit Estonia?

Visit Estonia in the summer, preferably between mid-May and mid-September. Estonia never gets hot, even at the height of summer, while winters are cold and snowy, with long nights. Summers are mild, with highs in the 60s and 70s, and even when the sun sets (for a few hours), the horizon remains red.

Is Estonia safe?

Estonia is one of Europe’s safest countries, and Tallinn among its safest capitals. The Soviet-era housing districts on the edge of Tartu and Tallinn, however, have unsavory reputations, and are best avoided at night, although even there crime is rare. Public drunkenness can also be a problem.

What is Estonian cuisine like?

Estonia’s food is a combination of its neighbors, from the berries and rye bread of Scandinavia, to the barbecue, soups, and mushrooms common in Russia. Many dishes will also be familiar to anyone who has been to Germany. Pork and potatoes form the basis for many meals, as do a wide variety of dairy products, such as curd and thick sour cream. We recommend trying Kohuke, a sweet snack akin to Hungary's Turo Rudi, made of curd covered in chocolate, often with a fruit or berry filling. The country’s largest chocolatier, Kalev, also creates a wide variety of unusual but tasty candies. Kalev’s creations range from white chocolate with blueberries, to Kirju Koer, which combines chocolate, dried fruit, and pieces of cookies, somewhat like a fruitcake. Estonian cuisine can also be primal, with blood sausage a common sight, and game such as wild boar, elk, deer, and bear can be found in grocery stores and nicer restaurants. For a quick snack, try a Pirukas, a puffed pastry filled with combinations of meat, vegetables, and rice, or an open-faced sprat sandwich. Tallinn is home to a modern Estonian movement, creating new takes on traditional recipes, with local ingredients, akin to some of Europe’s most renowned restaurants.

Local alcohol prices attract entire boatloads of Finns, who can be seen heading straight for the liquor stores in the port, then carting crates back to the next ferry home. Vodka is common, but we recommend Saku and A. Le Coq beers. Estonia also produces fruit wines, generally made from apples or berries. One of Tallinn's trademarks is Vana Tallinn, an herbal rum-based liqueur that's also available in a creamy form akin to Bailey's. Estonians are fond of milk, while Kali (a fermented bread drink similar to Kvass) is a popular summertime refreshment, as is birch sap and Kissel, a form of sweetened, thickened berry juice. Tap water is high quality everywhere.

What is transportation like in Estonia?

Tallinn was the world’s first city to provide free public transport for all residents, and now all but a few parts of the country offer free public transport for locals. Unfortunately, visitors still have to pay. Estonian cities and towns are compact enough that tourists generally have little reason to take public transport. Estonia has modern train lines that run to the capital, although since they follow a hub-and-spoke model and none intersect outside of the capital, traveling by bus generally makes sense. Intercity buses are modern, with attendants, refreshments, high-speed wifi, and more movies than on your flight to Europe. Although there is a daily train between Riga and Tallinn, it is slow, expensive, and uncomfortable on the Latvian side, and requires waiting and changing trains at the border.

The mainland is connected to Saaremaa year-round by ferries, for which tickets should be purchased well in advance, especially around Midsummer. In winter, several islands, including Saaremaa, are also connected to each other and the mainland by Europe's longest ice roads. These ice roads are unique, because they run parallel to the ferries, drivers are not allowed to wear seatbelts, and vehicles must drive either below 25 km/h, or 40-70km/h, as in between, they may create a resonance wave and break the ice!

Do Estonians speak English?

Estonians, especially those under the age of 35, have one of Europe's highest fluency rates, so the language barrier shouldn't be much of a problem, although our local staff are always ready to help with that.

Can I pay by card in Estonia?

Estonians almost always pay by card themselves, even for very small purchases (cashiers sometimes have little money on hand), though it's good to have some Euros on hand if you're visiting markets, or more remote areas.

Is free wifi hard to find in Estonia?

The Baltic States have some of the world's fastest and most easily accessible internet, and Estonia is no exception. Most restaurants and cafes offer wifi, and only Lithuania offers more free public wifi than Estonia.

Go To Top