ALUR Hostel Tallinn Old Town
For a cheaper night in Tallinn, ALUR Hostel Tallinn Old Town in Pohja-Tallinn keeps costs down while staying within reach of St. Olaf’s Church.
From here, Tallinn’s main attractions — including St. Olaf’s Church — are an easy walk or short ride away, so you spend less time in transit and more time exploring.
Because pricing is set live by the hotel and its suppliers, the figure shown here is a recent snapshot; check the current rate for your exact dates before booking.
Key facts
What’s included
Around Pohja-Tallinn
Best time to visit Tallinn month by month
June to August is peak: temperatures 18–22°C, daylight until 22:30 around Jaanipäev on 23 June, and hotel rates in Vanalinn 40–60% above winter lows. Cruise ships dock at the Old City Harbour almost daily from May to September, which pushes weekday prices up as well as weekends. Late August into early September is the sweet spot — warm enough for Pirita beach, prices already softening, and the Black Nights Film Festival not yet started.
The Christmas market on Raekoja plats runs from mid-November to early January and is the one winter period when Old Town rates climb back toward summer levels, especially Fridays and Saturdays. January, February and March are the cheapest months, with 3-star rooms in Kesklinn regularly under 60€, though you should expect snow and daylight only from about 09:00 to 16:00. April and October are shoulder months with the weakest weather but the strongest deals — often 30–40% off July rates for the same room.
Getting around Tallinn and whether you need a car
You do not need a car in Tallinn itself. Vanalinn, Toompea, Rotermann, Kalamaja, Telliskivi and Noblessner are all within a 25-minute walk of each other, and trams 1 and 2 plus buses 1A and 2 link the airport (4 km from the centre, roughly 8€ by taxi or 2€ on tram 4) with Viru and the port. Public transport is free for registered residents but costs visitors 2€ per single ticket or 5.50€ for 24 hours from an R-Kiosk.
A car makes sense only if you are leaving the city. Tartu is 185 km south-east on the E263 (2h15 by car, 2h by Elron train from Balti Jaam), Parnu is 130 km south, Narva is 210 km east on the E20, and Lahemaa National Park begins about 50 km east along the same road. Ferries from the D-Terminal reach Naissaar and Aegna in summer only, and Viimsi is 15 minutes by bus 1A or 174 from Viru terminal.
How many nights in Tallinn and a first-timer itinerary
Three nights is the honest minimum for Tallinn alone: one day for Vanalinn and Toompea (Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Kiek in de Kök, the viewpoints at Kohtuotsa and Patkuli), one for Kalamaja and Telliskivi with the Seaplane Harbour museum, and one for Kadriorg palace and the KUMU art museum, ending at Pirita beach. Two nights works if you skip the museums, but you will miss the district that most people end up liking best.
Five nights lets you add a day trip: Lahemaa by bus or tour, Tartu by train, or Helsinki by the 2-hour Tallink ferry from D-Terminal. A week justifies going further — Parnu for the beach in July, Haapsalu for the wooden resort architecture, Narva for the castle standoff with Ivangorod, or the summer-only ferries to Naissaar and Aegna. Beyond seven nights you are effectively basing yourself in Tallinn and touring Estonia, which is a reasonable plan given the country is 350 km wide.