Destinations

Five Estonias, one cool summer.

Everything is close: Tallinn to Tartu is a two-hour drive, the islands a ferry away, and the national parks start practically at the city limits. Pick a base — or string them all together.

TallinnLahemaaSaaremaaTartuPärnu

Explore Estonia on the map

26 places

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Top attraction

Tallinn Old Town

A UNESCO World Heritage medieval Hanseatic town — one of the best-preserved in Northern Europe.

Explore Tallinn Old Town

The capital

Tallinn

A UNESCO-listed medieval core, the Telliskivi creative district, Kadriorg's parks and a seafront promenade — the best-preserved old town in the Baltics, easily covered on foot.

National park

Lahemaa

Estonia's largest national park, 50 minutes from Tallinn: raised bogs with boardwalk trails, four historic manor estates, fishing villages and wild coastline.

Traditional wooden windmills with thatched roofs

The big island

Saaremaa

Windmills, juniper fields, the Kaali meteorite crater and spa town Kuressaare with its island castle. Come for the slowest, saltiest version of Estonia.

University town

Tartu

Estonia's intellectual heart on the Emajõgi river — a 1632 university, café terraces, street art and the quirky AHHAA science centre. Young energy in a classical frame.

Estonia's summer capital

Pärnu

Estonia's summer capital: a broad sandy beach, shallow Baltic water, a seaside promenade and historic spa hotels, all in a walkable resort town. Come for the beach day; stay for the long summer evening.

More shores to wander

Beyond Pärnu

North-east coast

Narva-Jõesuu

A long sweep of sand beside pine forest, made for quiet walks and unhurried days by the Baltic Sea.

Pärnu's beachside promenade in the evening light

Evening by the sea

Pärnu after the beach

Follow the promenade from the sand into town for cafés, spa hotels and a slow dinner while the northern sky stays light.

Nature & culture, up close

From the map

National park

Soomaa National Park

Walk forest paths and river meadows; in spring, the fifth season brings floodwaters and canoe routes.

National park

Karula National Park

Explore the rolling hills, small lakes and quiet woodland of southern Estonia.

National park

Vilsandi National Park

Head west of Saaremaa for island landscapes, coastal walks and seabirds.

National park

Matsalu National Park

Watch migratory birds above broad coastal meadows and reed beds.

Museum · Tallinn

KUMU Art Museum

Estonian art in a striking limestone-hill building beside Kadriorg Park.

Museum · Tallinn

Seaplane Harbour

A maritime museum in vast historic hangars, with a submarine you can step inside.

Museum · Tallinn

Estonian Open Air Museum

Historic farmhouses and village life spread across a seaside forest park.

Museum · Tartu

Estonian National Museum

Discover Estonia’s people, language and traditions in a landmark contemporary building.

Museum · Tartu

AHHAA Science Centre

Hands-on science and interactive exhibits near the Emajõgi river.

Parks, forests & museums

Nature + culture

National parks

Lahemaa · Soomaa · Karula · Vilsandi · Matsalu

Raised-bog boardwalks, flood-meadow canoeing, forest hills, seal coasts and bird migration stops — five parks, each a different Estonia.

Forests

Half the country is woodland

Marked RMK hiking trails, free forest camping, mossy spruce halls and late-summer berry and mushroom picking.

Museums, Tallinn

KUMU · Seaplane Harbour · Open Air Museum

Art in a limestone hill, a real submarine under a seaplane hangar and 80 historic farm buildings in a forest park.

Museums, Tartu

Estonian National Museum · AHHAA

The national story in award-winning modern architecture, plus a hands-on science centre on the river.

One week, all five.

Tallinn (3 nights) → Lahemaa day trip → Saaremaa (2) → Tartu (1) → Pärnu (1). Easy drives, ferries included.

Fill the days →