TALLINN - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 182

Tours in Tallinn
Bus and Walking Tour —This thoroughly enjoyable, narrated 2.5-hour tour of Tallinn
comes in two parts: first by bus for an overview of sights outside the Old Town such as the
Song Festival Grounds and Kadriorg Park, then on foot to sights within the Old Town (€20,
pay driver; covered by 24-hour or longer Tallinn Card—not the 6-hour version; in English
and Finnish; daily morning and early afternoon departures from A-Terminal, D-Terminal,
and major hotels in city center, later afternoon trip added in summer, tel. [phone]—to see
the schedule, go to www.tourism.tallinn.ee and type “official sightseeing tour”—without
quotes—in search box).
Local Guides — Mati Rumessen is a top-notch guide, especially for car tours inside
or outside town (€32/hour for driving or walking tours, mobile [phone],
www.tourservice.ee , [e-mail] ). Other fine guides are Antonio Villacis (mobile
5662-9306, [e-mail] ) and Miina Puusepp (€20/hour, mobile
551-7028, [e-mail] ).
Tallinn Traveller Tours —These student-run tours show you the real city without the
political and corporate correctness of official tourist agencies. All tours start from the Trav-
ellers' Tent, across from the main TI; reserve by dropping by the tent, by calling (mobile
5837-4800), or online ( www.traveller.ee ) . Their CityIntroductoryWalkingTour is free,
but tips are encouraged (around €5/person if you enjoy yourself, daily at 12:00, 2 hours,
English only, runs year-round; off-season, this tour meets at the corner just outside the
TI). The Tallinn Ghost and Legends Tour promises a spooky evening of ghost stories
(€13, Tue, Thu, and Sat at 21:00). On the Funky Bike Tour, you'll pedal through indus-
trial zones and offbeat residential districts, learn about the divide between Estonian and
Russian speakers, and visit an old prison (€13, June-Aug daily at 12:00, 3.5 hours). The
Beautiful Bike Tour takes you to the Song Festival Grounds, Kadriorg, and more (€13,
June-Aug daily at 16:00, 3.5 hours). They also offer a minibus excursion to the Western
Coast and the Soviet military town of Paldiski (€39, daily at 10:00, 7 hours), and one to
Lahemaa National Park east of town (€49, daily at 10:00, 9 hours). Both excursions go
year-round but require at least two people to run. You can also book any one of these tours
for your own small group for the same per-person price (4-person minimum).
Tallinn at a Glance
▲▲▲ Tallinn'sOldTown Well-preserved medieval center with cobblestoned lanes,
gabled houses, historic churches, and turreted city walls. Hours: Always open. See
here .
▲▲ KumuArtMuseum The best of contemporary Estonian art displayed in a strik-
ingly modern building. Hours: May-Sept Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00, closed Mon; Oct-
April Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00, closed Mon-Tue; open Wed until 20:00 year-round. See
here .