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Travel guide · Medieval Tallinn, islands and forests

Travelling to Estonia

The medieval city of Tallinn, university-town Tartu, islands of windmills and saunas, and forests and bogs to explore on boardwalks. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from March to October
  • Where to eat: a tavern or a Nordic-cuisine restaurant
Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee

Estonia in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Estonia are from March to October.
  • To eat like a local: a tavern or a Nordic-cuisine restaurant. Don’t leave without trying: Rye bread, Kiluvõileib, Verivorst.

Estonia in November

You can go, with a few caveats: cold, dark winter. December has the Christmas market; for the islands and nature, June to August.

  • November

    Cold, dark winter

    The days have few hours of light and it’s very cold; the islands are quiet.

    What to do: December has the Christmas market; for the islands and nature, June to August.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Estonia

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Estonia are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in March · where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June

  • from November to February

    Cold, dark winter

    The days have few hours of light and it’s very cold; the islands are quiet.

    What to do: December has the Christmas market; for the islands and nature, June to August.

What to see in Estonia

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Tallinn

    Tallinn

    A walled medieval city of towers and red roofs, with an arts district in an old factory.

    • Town Hall Square
    • Toompea
    • Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
    • City walls
    Tallinn guide
  • Tartu

    Tartu

    The university city, with a sloping square, a ruined cathedral and student life.

    • Town Hall Square
    • Toome Hill
    • Estonian National Museum
    • Leaning House
    Tartu guide
  • Pärnu

    Pärnu

    Estonia’s summer capital, with a beach, spas and wooden houses.

    • Beach
    • Rüütli Street
    • Tallinn Gate
    • Spas
    Pärnu guide
  • Saaremaa

    Saaremaa

    The largest island, with windmills, a bishop’s castle and a meteorite crater.

    • Kuressaare Castle
    • Angla windmills
    • Kaali crater
    • Panga Cliff
    Saaremaa guide
  • Lahemaa National Park

    Lahemaa National Park

    Forests, bogs, waterfalls and manor houses an hour from Tallinn.

    • Viru Bog boardwalk
    • Palmse Manor
    • Käsmu
    • Jägala Waterfall
    Lahemaa National Park guide
  • Haapsalu

    Haapsalu

    A seaside spa town of wooden houses, with a bishop’s castle and its White Lady.

    • Bishop’s castle
    • Seafront promenade
    • Railway station
    • Wooden houses
    Haapsalu guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Tallinn

From Tartu

From Pärnu

From Saaremaa

From Lahemaa National Park

From Haapsalu

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Estonia

To eat like a local: a tavern or a Nordic-cuisine restaurant, and order rye bread or kiluvõileib. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Rye bread

    Leib, sacred to Estonians.

  • Kiluvõileib

    A sprat open sandwich with egg.

  • Verivorst

    Christmas blood sausage.

  • Mulgipuder

    Mashed potato with barley.

  • Kama

    A blend of flours mixed with kefir.

  • Vana Tallinn

    A rum and spice liqueur.

The typical dish of Estonia, at home

Kiluvõileib
Photo: Ave Maria Mõistlik · CC BY-SA 3.0

Kiluvõileib

The Estonian open sandwich of buttered rye bread, Baltic sprats in spiced brine, hard-boiled egg and spring onion. It’s eaten with a glass of vodka or a beer.

  • Serves 4
  • 15 min

Ingredients

  • 8 slices of dark rye bread
  • Butter
  • 16 sprats or anchovies in spiced brine (kilu)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • Red onion or spring onion
  • Dill

How to make it at home

  1. Butter the bread.
  2. Slice the eggs and lay them on the bread.
  3. Clean the sprats (remove the heads and backbones) and place two on each slice.
  4. Add chopped onion and dill.
  5. Serve them cold, freshly assembled.

The trick: Anchovies in vinegar get you close to the flavour of spiced kilu.

Curious facts about Estonia

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Skype was created in Estonia.
  • You’ve been able to vote online since 2005.
  • Tallinn’s old town is one of the best preserved in northern Europe.
  • Almost half the country is forest.
  • The smoke-sauna tradition of Võromaa is on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list.
  • Estonians regained their independence partly by singing: the “Singing Revolution”.

Traditions of Estonia

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 23–24 June Jaanipäev

    Midsummer with bonfires.

  • Song Festival

    On UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list, every five years.

  • December Christmas market

    In Town Hall Square.

  • 24 February Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Estonia

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t underestimate the cold and darkness of winter.
  • Don’t step off the boardwalks in the bogs.
  • Don’t expect people to talk much: silence is polite.
  • Remember that almost everything is paid by card.
  • Don’t miss a sauna.
  • Don’t cross on a red light.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Estonia

What people search for most before travelling to Estonia.

What’s the best time to travel to Estonia?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Estonia are from March to October.

What to see in Estonia in a week?

The essentials of Estonia: Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Saaremaa and Lahemaa National Park. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Estonia?

Rye bread, Kiluvõileib, Verivorst, Mulgipuder, Kama, Vana Tallinn. To eat like a local: a tavern or a Nordic-cuisine restaurant.

What is the typical dish of Estonia?

Kiluvõileib. The Estonian open sandwich of buttered rye bread, Baltic sprats in spiced brine, hard-boiled egg and spring onion. It’s eaten with a glass of vodka or a beer.

What should you not do in Estonia?

Don’t underestimate the cold and darkness of winter. Don’t step off the boardwalks in the bogs. Don’t expect people to talk much: silence is polite.

Is it worth travelling to Estonia in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: cold, dark winter. December has the Christmas market; for the islands and nature, June to August.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Ivar Leidus (CC BY-SA 3.0 ee). Tallinn, Jorge Franganillo (CC BY 2.0). Tartu, A.Savin (FAL). Pärnu, Kristian Pikner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Saaremaa, WikedKentaur (CC BY-SA 3.0). Lahemaa National Park, Abrget47j (CC BY-SA 3.0). Haapsalu, Tiia Monto (CC BY-SA 3.0).