We found our one day in Tallinn with kids to be incredibly romantic and charming so I’m sharing our one day Tallinn Itinerary below.

It’s the perfect amount of sights and bites for your port day in Tallinn, Estonia.

A little background on Estonia

Situated between Germany and Russia (smack dab between Hitler and Stalin…yikes), Estonian’s have a long history of struggling for independence.  As a result, they celebrate two independence days, the second is referred to as “restoration of Independence Day.”   They had a short period of freedom from 1920 to 1939 and have now been free since 1990.

Interesting Tidbit  The Danes established their flag in Tallinn when, while losing in battle, a white cross fell into a pool of blood motivating them to go on to win.

One Day in Tallinn with Kids (2024)

Morning: Explore Lower Town

The city is well setup for tourism. Monuments are clearly marked and described as you wander the winding cobblestone streets.  This allows visitors to pack a lot of sightseeing with just one day in Tallinn with kids.

Old Town Square

The Old Town Square in Tallinn is one of the best preserved in Europe and it felt like something out of a fairy tale.  (Free WiFi available in the square.)

Tallinn’s Oldest Café

Near the square is Tallinn’s Oldest Café, called Kohvik Maiasmokk. Opened in 1864. Indulge yourself in a bakery item here!

Admire the Intricate Doorways

We saw so many elaborate doorways we began snapping photos and created the collage above.

Meander the Narrow Alleyways

The best way to soak in old Tallinn in one day is to simply wander and get lost in its charming streets.

Walk Along the City Wall

The city is surrounded by a defensive wall which once had 46 towers, 26 still stand which are key to much of the city’s charm.

Afternoon: Upper Town

Kohtuotsa View Point

Head to Toompea Hill for the ideal view of the medieval city’s rooftops. There, you’ll want to find the Kohtuotsa View Point.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The Cathedral that dominates the hill is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.  It’s Russian Orthodox and was a slap in the face of Estonians when it was built, and bothers some to this day. The Russians were exerting their dominance by putting their church in such a  prominent location.

What to Eat

Pancakes at Kompressor

At a local’s recommendation, we had a Smoked Ham and Brie Pancake at Pub Kompressor.  The line was intimidating, but it moved fairly quickly.  The portion was large for a fair price and the food was delicious.  We noticed a lot of college students dined here, so we decided it must have been a good deal.

Kohuke

Find Estonians’ favorite sweet treat, Kohuke, in the refrigerated yogurt section in the grocery store.  It’s chocolate covered sweet cream cheese (curd) and was quite delicious. In our opinion, one was plenty decadence to share.

Visiting Tallinn with Kids

This was not a stroller friendly city!   We were grateful for our backpack straps on our stroller, as the wheels were not cutting it through the cobblestone streets.

Like many European Cities, Tallinn is a joy to explore as a family.

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