Hi,
we will be spending four full days in Tallinn this summer, and we are considering taking a day trip to Helsinki by ferry.
Has anyone here taken this day trip? Is it worth the money and time, or should we spend all four days in Tallinn?
Thanks a lot in advance!
With five nights in Tallinn take a day trip to Helsinki: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Helsinki.
Great timing. I took the ferry yesterday from Tallinn to Helsinki.
I had spent three nights in Tallinn and that was more than enough time. So, yes, take the ferry to Helsinki for the day.
Mine is not a day trip as I'm spending a few nights in Helsinki.
The cities are quite different visually (Helsinki has a lot of Art Nouveau architecture, whereas much of Tallinn's tourist core is medieval), though there's a significant cultural and linguistic connection.
Thank you so much for your replies! We will definitely try to go to Helsinki for one day.
Before you give up time in Tallin, be sure to consider the several nice places on the edge of Tallin like the Open Air Museum, the Kumu museum, the botanical garden and nearby cemetery, and the Estonian History museum (Maarjamae Loss). Each is an easy Bolt ride away. All take a little more effort and time, but are worthwhile. Or instead of taking a two hour ferry ride, take the convenient two hour train ride to Tartu and explore that interesting University town for the day and experience more of Estonia.
Tallinn was my first solo trip to Europe in September 2013 (and I returned in 2019 because it is fabulous! Added Riga and Vilnius that trip) and I spent a week, taking the Tallink Silja ferry to Helsinki for a long day trip. It is definitely worth it, the city is beautiful and clean and I caught a bus from the ferry terminal that took me to Kauppatori esplanade where there was a great outdoor marketplace to explore, and from there I took the short boat ride out to Suomenlinna sea fortress, an island that is full of interesting things and I spent perhaps 3 hrs there. Back in Helsinki proper I ended up in their downtown area, this felt a bit like San Francisco to me...in a good way. A big fan of Marimekko designs and the Moomins of Tove Jansson, I was delighted to find their shops before having an early dinner and heading back to the ferry. As a newbie to Europe I was perhaps not as adventurous as I am now so there's definitely more to do in Helsinki.
If you tire of Tallinn's glorious old town (I really don't think it's possible), consider a tour that takes you to nearby towns such as Haapsalu or the Lahemaa national park. I used EstAdventures and they focus on very small groups so my 2 day trips were very personal and satisfying.
Thank you very much for your helpful replies! We will look into all the options you suggested and then probably decide spontaneously what to do, depending on the weather and how much time we actually need for Tallinn.
