Estonia Multi Day Trips: Islands, Heartland

October 18, 2026

Two routes cover most of what Estonia offers over several days: a loop through the western islands, and a run through the cultural heartland from Tallinn to Tartu and Pärnu. Both are easy to do by public transport or by car. Times and prices below are the published figures in euro.

Western islands loop, 3 to 4 days

Start with the drive from Tallinn to Virtsu, about 135 km and roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. The ferry from Virtsu to Kuivastu crosses in 27 minutes. An adult passenger ticket is €4.30, a bicycle is €1.20 and a passenger car is €12. Cars cost 20 percent more on departures from the mainland after 13:00 on Friday and from the islands after 13:00 on Sunday. Sailings leave about every 35 minutes from 05:00 until about 23:00, with some gaps. Booking is recommended, since up to 70 percent of each sailing is sold online and the rest is first come, first served. The praamid.ee price page has the full tables.

Muhu comes first. The Muhu Museum in Koguva village is open 10:00 to 17:00, with adult tickets from about €5. A causeway, the Väinatamm, joins Muhu to Saaremaa. On Saaremaa, the main stops are the Kaali crater field, Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, Panga cliff (21.3 m high) and the Angla windmills. Kuressaare is about 76 km and 50 minutes from Kuivastu. The Georg Ots Spa Hotel in Kuressaare is open all year, with 92 rooms and pools and saunas included in the rate.

For Hiiumaa, the main route is the ferry from Rohuküla to Heltermaa. It takes 1 hour 15 minutes, with an adult ticket at €4.85 and a car at €14.30. About six sailings run each weekday. Kõpu Lighthouse is visited by advance booking, with adults from about €5 and families from about €12. It dates from 1531 and has been an official lighthouse since 1649. A small, weather-dependent ferry also links Sõru on Hiiumaa with Triigi on Saaremaa. It makes 1 to 4 crossings a day and takes about an hour, so use the mainland ferries as the main route and treat this one as a bonus. Haapsalu is a natural stop on the way back to Tallinn.

Cultural heartland, 4 to 5 days

Begin in Tallinn, then go to Lahemaa for the Viru Bog trail and the Palmse and Sagadi manors. Tartu is the next base. The Tallinn to Tartu express train takes about 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes depending on works on the line. Fares were about €10 online in 2026, with a demand-based maximum of €13.50 reported for the express. Tartu has the National Museum, AHHAA and the Toomemägi hill. In spring or summer, add Soomaa for a bog-shoe or canoe trip.

To reach Pärnu from Tartu, Lux Express runs six departures a day via Viljandi (8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:45, 16:45 and 18:30) from 9 July 2026. Check the timetable for journey times. Pärnu has no passenger trains from Tallinn, and the coach takes about 1 hour 25 minutes to 2 hours.

Seasons and planning

In December and January, daylight lasts only about 6 hours, so keep drives short.
Many manor restaurants cut their hours in winter.
Snow tyres are required on cars from 1 December to 15 March.
The Museum Card costs €75 and gives entry to more than 130 museums, which helps on a heartland route.

For places to stay, search Estonia hotels on Booking.com .