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Tallinn & Riga route inspiration

Tallinn & Riga

Two medieval squares, two first Christmas trees

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5 days through Tallinn, Riga.

Tallinn & Riga is a 5-day curated route with 2 destinations and 18 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Tallinn on the Tallinn & Riga route

    Destination 01

    Tallinn

    9 places

    Walled Hanseatic Old Town with a market on Town Hall Square; 2 to 3 nights.

    • Tallinn Christmas Market near TallinnPhoto: jonathan exon · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Tallinn Christmas Market

      Wooden stalls, a tall fir and mulled-wine counters fill Town Hall Square, where Tallinn says a tree stood as early as 1441.

      Tip Try verivorst blood sausage and hot glögi; the tree is lit on the first Sunday of Advent.

      ShopVanalinn$1.5 hrAfter dark
    • Tallinn Town Hall near TallinnPhoto: Hei1972 · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Tallinn Town Hall

      Gothic town hall from 1404, the oldest surviving in Northern Europe, with Old Thomas the weathervane on its spire.

      Tip The tower is open only in summer; the hall itself opens for concerts and tours.

      SeeVanalinn$45 minEvening
    • Kohtuotsa viewing platform near TallinnPhoto: Jimpaz · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Kohtuotsa viewing platform

      Toompea terrace looking over red and snow-covered roofs to St Olaf's spire and the harbour.

      Tip Come at sunrise, which in December is after 9 a.m.

      SeeToompeaFree20 minSunrise
    • Alexander Nevsky Cathedral near TallinnPhoto: Marmuras · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

      Onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral from 1900 on Toompea, opposite the Estonian parliament in Toompea Castle.

      Tip Dress modestly and skip photos inside.

      SeeToompeaFree30 minMorning
    • St Nicholas' Church near TallinnPhoto: Tusklikupreili · CC BY-SA 4.0

      St Nicholas' Church

      Medieval church now run as a museum of sacred art, home to Bernt Notke's Danse Macabre painting.

      Tip Organ concerts are held on weekend afternoons.

      SeeVanalinn$60 minAfternoon
    • Viru Gate near TallinnPhoto: Tusklikupreili · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Viru Gate

      Two 14th-century towers marking the eastern entrance to the Old Town, with a flower market along the wall.

      SeeVanalinnFree15 minEvening
    • Olde Hansa near TallinnPhoto: JIP · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Olde Hansa

      Candlelit medieval-themed restaurant in a merchant's house off Town Hall Square, serving game, honey beer and spiced almonds.

      Tip Book ahead in December, especially for evenings.

      EatVanalinn$$$2 hrDinner

    • Rataskaevu 16

      Small Old Town restaurant serving modern Estonian food, known for its braised elk roast.

      Tip Reservations are needed most evenings.

      EatVanalinn$$$1.5 hrDinner
    • Hotel Telegraaf near TallinnPhoto: Henrik Heino · CC BY 3.0

      Hotel Telegraaf

      Hotel in the 1878 former telegraph office on Vene Street, a short walk from Town Hall Square.

      StayVanalinn$$$$
  2. 2
    Riga on the Tallinn & Riga route

    Destination 02

    Riga

    9 places

    Old Town markets and Europe's densest Art Nouveau district; 2 nights.

    • Riga Christmas Market near RigaPhoto: AleWi · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Riga Christmas Market

      Red-and-white striped stalls and a tall tree on Dome Square, beside Riga Cathedral, selling mittens, honey and hot food.

      Tip Warm up with Black Balsam mixed into hot blackcurrant juice.

      ShopVecrīga$1.5 hrAfter dark
    • Town Hall Square near RigaPhoto: AleWi · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Town Hall Square

      Square where an octagonal plaque marks Riga's claim to the first decorated Christmas tree, set up in 1510.

      Tip The plaque is set into the cobbles in front of the House of the Blackheads.

      SeeVecrīgaFree30 minEvening
    • House of the Blackheads near RigaPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0

      House of the Blackheads

      Ornate Dutch Renaissance guild house of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, rebuilt in 1999 after wartime destruction.

      SeeVecrīga$45 minBlue hour
    • St Peter's Church near RigaPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0

      St Peter's Church

      Gothic church whose 123 m spire has a lift to a viewing gallery over the Old Town and the Daugava.

      Tip Go up on a clear afternoon before the 4 p.m. dusk.

      DoVecrīga$45 minAfternoon
    • Alberta iela near RigaPhoto: Rīgas pašvaldības aģentūra “Rīgas investīciju un tūrisma aģentūra” · CC BY 4.0

      Alberta iela

      Street of Art Nouveau apartment blocks from 1901 to 1908, many by Mikhail Eisenstein, with masks, lions and sphinxes.

      SeeCentrsFree45 minMidday
    • Riga Art Nouveau Museum near RigaPhoto: JIP · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Riga Art Nouveau Museum

      Restored 1903 apartment at Alberta iela 12 with original furniture and a painted spiral staircase.

      Tip Look up from the bottom of the staircase before going in.

      SeeCentrs$60 minAfternoon
    • Riga Central Market near RigaPhoto: Michael Kuhn · CC BY 4.0

      Riga Central Market

      Market in five former Zeppelin hangars by the river, with halls for fish, meat, dairy and smoked foods.

      Tip Buy smoked fish and rye bread for a picnic on the train or bus.

      ShopMaskavas forštate$75 minMorning
    • Black Magic near RigaPhoto: Turaids · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Black Magic

      Dark wood cafe-bar on Kaļķu iela pouring Riga Black Balsam cocktails, with handmade chocolates.

      DrinkVecrīga$$45 minEvening
    • Hotel Neiburgs near RigaPhoto: Jorge Láscar · CC BY 2.0

      Hotel Neiburgs

      Hotel in a 1903 Art Nouveau building on Jauniela, a block from Dome Square.

      StayVecrīga$$$

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Tallinn & Riga.

Spend two or three days in Tallinn's walled Old Town, where the Christmas market fills Town Hall Square under the 1404 town hall. Walk up to Toompea for the Kohtuotsa view and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, then eat by candlelight at Olde Hansa. Take the bus south to Riga for the Dome Square market and the House of the Blackheads, where a plaque marks the city's 1510 Christmas tree. Spend a morning on Alberta iela and in the Art Nouveau Museum, and finish at the Central Market and a Black Balsam at Black Magic.

Good for Couples and friends who want two compact medieval cities and their markets without hiring a car.

When to go

Both markets usually open in the last week of November and run into the first week of January; the Tallinn tree is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. Many stalls close early or entirely on 24 and 25 December. Expect around six hours of daylight in December and temperatures near or below freezing; snow is common but not guaranteed before January.

Getting around

Lux Express and other coaches run Tallinn to Riga many times a day in about 4.5 hours, with wifi and seat power; airBaltic also flies the route in about an hour. There is no direct train yet. Both Old Towns are compact and walkable; tram 4 runs from Tallinn airport to the centre, and bus 22 links Riga airport to the Old Town.

Tips for your crew

  • Pack boots with grip; Old Town cobbles freeze and are rarely salted.
  • Book restaurants for the weekends before Christmas, when ferries bring day visitors from Helsinki and Stockholm.
  • Estonia and Latvia both use the euro and cards are accepted almost everywhere, including market stalls.

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