Dog-Friendly Tallinn: Visiting Tallinn with a Dog

With its charming old town, hip cafes and bars, and affordable prices, it’s no wonder that Tallinn in Estonia an increasingly popular European destination over the summer months. And after spending a delightful week there with our dog, I’m happy to report it’s a very dog-friendly destination and perfect for a getaway with your pup.

Find out more about what to see and do in Tallinn with a dog, plus how to travel to Estonia with a dog, including taking pets on the trains and ferries available.

Dog-Friendly Sightseeing in Tallinn

Not sure what to do in Tallinn with your dog? Consider these options for your visit. Also feel free to ask nicely at places that generally don’t allow pets – one museum in the centre of Tallinn allowed us inside with our dog carried in our arms.

#1 Explore the Old Town

Tallinn is home to one of the best preserved medieval old towns I’ve come across in Europe. I highly recommend wandering the streets of the old town, including heading up to Toompea Hill and taking in the panorama from some of the viewpoints.

Much of the original city walls have also been preserved and one of the best places to view them is at Toom Park, just to the west of the Old Town. This park is a welcome green oasis on hot days. Even better, it also has an off-leash area!

#2 Hang Out in Telliskivi

If you want to escape the crowds, especially in the summer cruise season, continue west from Toom park and past the train station, to the Telliskivi Creative City district, a former industrial area that has been revitalised in recent years.

Just after the station is Balti Jaama Turg, an excellent outdoor-indoor market, which allowed dogs in most areas when I visited. Further along, many of the former railway buildings now house a variety of funky cafes. There’s also food trucks and lots of street art.

Dining out is already affordable in Tallinn compared to Scandinavia, but your euros will stretch even further at the cafes, restaurants and bars in this precinct.

I’ve also recently found out that the Fotografiska Museum in the district welcomes well-behaved dogs. This contemporary museum of photography, art and culture is open daily, including late nights on Fridays. It’s recommend though to skip taking dogs on the guided tours.

#3 Hit the Beaches

I regret not finding time to head to the beaches around Tallinn with my pup. (Although I must admit he’s a terrible swimmer, so he’s not that keen on entering the water!)

In Tallinn, dogs are allowed to swim on all stretches of the sea shore and all lakes where this isn’t a public beach and there are no signs prohibiting it.

Two dog-friendly beaches near Tallinn are the strip of beach to the east of the Russalka Memorial and the promenade of the Kopli Lines. More details and a map are provided at the bottom of this page (only in Estonian).

Dog-Friendly Parks in Tallinn

While in Tallinn, all dogs should remain on a leash in public areas, except if they are in a fenced dog park. Luckily, there are a number of such parks in Tallinn, as listed here (only in Estonian).

The closest off-leash dog park to the Old Town is Toom Park, just next to the old city walls and containing the only remains of the old moat. Another great looking dog park is Tiigiveski Park, to the south of the Old Town. It includes some agility equipment for dogs.

Dogs on Public Transport in Tallinn

If you stay close in to the town centre of Tallinn, like we did, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to take public transport. But if you do find yourself catching the trams, trolleys or buses, you’ll be happy to know that dogs travel for free. Note however that if your dog isn’t in a carrier bag that it should wear a muzzle.

Dog-Friendly Dining in Tallinn

We had no problem finding restaurants that allowed our dog to join us in Tallinn, whether inside or out. However, keep an eye out for the below dog-friendly sticker at the door or ask the staff before entering. If you get stuck in summer time, there are plenty of outdoor dining terraces, such as in the Town Square.

One of our favourite cafes was Cafe Boheem. This relaxed and friendly cafe on the edge of the trendy Kalamaja neighbourhood has affordable options from pasta and salads to crepes. We were even allowed to dine inside with our dog on a rainy evening. Unfortunately,, some of the other dog-friendly places we visited have since closed.

I also recommend heading to the Telliskivi Creative City district on the edge of the Tallinn, which has multiple restaurants with outdoor dining areas plus food trucks.

Dog-Friendly Accommodation in Tallinn

You shouldn’t have any issues finding dog-friendly accommodation in Tallinn. If you’re wanting to stay in a hotel, 46% of hotels were dog-friendly in my survey, ranking Tallinn in 14th place out of the European cities I investigated.

Many Airbnbs are also dog-friendly, and quite affordable. We enjoyed staying in this Airbnb in the Kalamaja neighbourhood, a predominantly student district next to the Old Town with many traditional wooden houses.

Travelling to Estonia with a Dog

Despite being part of the European Union, Estonia and the rest of the Baltic countries aren’t as well connected as many other cities in Central and Western Europe. Estonia can be a difficult spot to reach by public transport with a dog. These are the options available if you aren’t driving a car.

Flying to Estonia with a Dog

The easiest and quickest way to travel to Estonia from elsewhere in Europe with a dog is by flying. There are many European airlines that will fly your dog in the cabin to Estonia.

Note that Nordica, formerly the Estonian flag-carrier, has now ceased operations, but there are still multiple dog-friendly airlines to choose from.

Are Dogs Allowed on Buses to Estonia?

Generally, the most popular method of public transport to and between the Baltic states is bus. However, after checking the details of every bus company in the region I could find, none of them mentioned allowing dogs. There is a chance your dog will be allowed onboard, but I didn’t want to rely on the drive.

Let me know if you find a pet-friendly bus company operating to Estonia!

Taking a Train to Estonia with a Dog

The Baltic states don’t have the best train connections to Central and Western Europe. Traditionally, the train lines have led to Moscow. There is a project to connect the Baltic states with Poland by rail, Rail Baltica, but it isn’t due to be completed until 2030.

If you are travelling within the Baltic states, there are a couple of slow train services connecting Riga and Vilnius to Tallinn, with a simple change at the border town of Valga in Estonia. Even better, in recent years the trains have been coordinated and a second daily service has been added. For the latest timetable, see Man in Seat 61.

On the smart, modern trains in Estonia, the rules for travelling with pets state they are only allowed in the train’s C area (the vestibule) in second class (where seating is unassigned). (Although I believe we were allowed in the main part of the carriage with our small dog in a carrier.) Dogs need to be in a carrier or wearing a leash and muzzle. No pet ticket is required.

We travelled on a much older Latvian train after changing at Valga, but the entire service from Vilinius to Valga via Riga is now on the modern trains run by the LTG-Link (Lithuanian Railways).

Between Riga and Valga the rules of Vivi (Latvian Railways) likely apply, with a generous limit of 10 dogs per wagon! Larger dogs not in a carrier bag need to wear a muzzle and be on a short leash and you need to carry your dog’s papers. There is a fee for dogs, depending on the distance.

On the rest of the journey operated by LTG-Link, their pet rules apply. See the notes about socialisation and comfort of dogs. Small dogs under 8kg in a carrier travel for free, while larger dogs or dogs not in a carrier have a 50% ticket. Pets cannot travel in first class.

Taking a Ferry from Helsinki with a Dog

From Helsinki, the southern capital of Finland, it’s just a short ferry crossing to Tallinn in Estonia, with multiple ferry companies making the quick crossing. We travelled with Tallink Silja Line. The crossing onboard the MyStar or Megastar takes only two hours.

Since our voyage, it is now possible to transport pets in a carrier bag or crate alongside you in the passenger indoor areas on these ships, as long as you stay outside the kid’s zone, restaurant, pub and bar areas.

There is also option to leave your pet in your vehicle, book a kennel or book a pet-friendly kennel. Pets travelling in vehicles travel for free, while there is a €9 charge for pets in a carrier bag, crate or kennel, or a €15 surcharge for pet-friendly cabins.

As there wasn’t yet the option to carry Schnitzel onboard in his carrier, we booked a kennel for the trip. We found the kennels to be of an excellent quality, including a sand pit for your dog to do their business. There is also now a sandpit outside on deck 10.

Taking a Ferry from Stockholm with a Dog

There are also longer ferries that can transport yourself and your pets from Stockholm to Tallin. Generally this longer trip is an overnight voyage.

We took a similar overnight ferry operated by Tallink Silja Line from Stockholm to Helsinki, staying in a pet-friendly cabin, and were impressed with the fun, pet-friendly experience. Read more about our experience.

Depending on the ship, generally both pet-friendly cabins and kennels are available. I recommend the pet-friendly cabins if available for this longer voyage, and booking in well in advance.

Head Next To

• Dog-Friendly Riga
• Dog-Friendly Lithuania
• Dog-Friendly Finland

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