I did 3 days independently in Helsinki, took the ferry to Tallin, and joined a tour group for a 12 day tour through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. I did a separate review of the tour experience which can be found here:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/exodus-adventure-travels-a-review
Helsinki: I took a direct flight from Seattle to Helsinki on Finn Air. The Helsinki airport is an extremely easy entry/exit point for EES and passport control. The train station is below the airport and the train to the city center runs frequently. No need to purchase a ticket in advance, simply board, pick “ABC” ticket from the blue machine near the coach entrance and pay with contactless card. My hotel was the Scandic Grand Central which is located directly next to the railway station in a renovated historic building. Location was terrific. Easy to arrive and easy to get around as many buses and trams connect at the Central Station. The intercity bus terminal is a 7 minute walk away.
My first full day I joined a tour that was an overview of city highlights and also went to Soumenlinna Island fortress. The group size was 8 and it was a very enjoyable day. It included some bus transport around various sites and then ended up being primarily a walking tour.
The next day I walked to the intercity bus terminal and took a bus to Porvoo. I had seen videos on you tube and so I had this rosy idea of what this would look like. My experience was nothing like the videos…..This day was my first introduction to what I have learned to think of as “Baltic Showers.” A beautiful sunny day, a sudden torrential downpour, return to sunny day. The torrential downpour occurred while I was exploring Porvoo. The only people out were about 30 Chinese tourists and myself. Several shops and restaurants didn’t bother opening. I conceded defeat and returned to the bus station and took a bus back to the city.
The next day was a travel day to Tallinn. I took an Uber to the port and boarded the Tallink Ferry. I left my luggage in the onboard luggage room (€2 a bag) and settled in for the two hour journey without having to worry about keeping track of it. The ship is massive with many restaurants and seating areas. The time passed quickly and the seas were smooth. Arrival in Tallinn was easy. I simply walked out of the terminal to the bus stop and took the bus (contactless pay) to the Central Train station. My hotel, Go Hotel Shnelli ($80) was located there. A great location directly next to Old Town with easy transport connections. Rooms were somewhat similar to a Premier Inn, but the restaurant was excellent and full meals were €10-15 euros. I walked across the road and began an explore of the upper Old City.
The following day I walked to the Maritime Museum which is quite well done. It is situated inside the “Fat Margaret” tower and has a very thoughtful design. Each level in the tower reflected a different era in Tallinn’s political and Maritime growth. The afternoon I toured the KGB prison cells in Old Town and then the KGB museum in the Hotel Viru. The prison cells were quite sobering and the KGB museum fell short of expectations . I would not recommend the Hotel Viru. I then met my tour group for orientation and a “get to know you” dinner.
The next day started with a 3 hour walking tour with a local guide through Old Town. I then took a nap and set off on a trek to do laundry. I took a tram to the laundromat where all directions were in Estonian, Russian, and thankfully, English. We would be starting on the bus portion of our tour the next day and it felt good to start off with everything clean.
Our itinerary the next day included a stop at Palmse Kula, a manor house in the country side, Altman Kula, a traditional fishing village, and a lunch stop at a traditional longhouse restaurant, before arriving in Tartu. I learned about a charming Estonian tradition which is the village swing.