With its charming old town, hip cafes and bars, and affordable prices, it’s no wonder that Tallinn in Estonia is becoming 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.
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, and even better 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 district, an area that has recently had many re-vitalisation projects.
Just after the station is Balti Jaama Turg, an excellent outdoor-indoor market, which allows dogs in most areas. 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 in this precinct.
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. Some popular spots near Tallinn where dogs are permitted to swim are listed here, with a map on the Estonian page.
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.
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.
Some of the restaurants that we dined at and recommend:
Cafe Boheem: This relaxed and friendly cafe on the edge of the trendy Kalamaja neighbourhood offers affordable choices from pasta and salads to crepes. We were allowed to dine inside with our dog on a rainy evening.
Von Krahli Baar: If you’re looking for a quiet spot with healthy food in the centre of the Old Town, I recommend heading to Von Krahli Baar. There’s a lovely courtyard where you can sit outside without the noise from the street, especially when the town is packed with cruise ship visitors. It’s perfect for a relaxed lunch – I recommend the Von Krahl bowls.
Kohvik Komeet: At the fourth-floor of the Solaris shopping centre (which allows dogs of all sizes inside), is one of the most popular dog-friendly cafes in Tallinn, Cafe Komeet. This cafe offers a range of hot meals, plus coffee and cake, and has a rooftop terrace with delightful views.
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, just over 50% of hotels were dog-friendly in my survey, ranking Tallinn in 11th 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 Tallinn with a Dog
Despite being part of the European Union, Tallinn and the rest of the Baltic cities aren’t as well connected as many other cities in Central and Western Europe. To find out how to travel to Estonia with your dog, check out my guide covering flights, ferries, and the slow train from Riga.
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About the Author
Shandos Cleaver is the founder of Travelnuity: Dog-Friendly Travel. She has travelled extensively with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, including to 33 countries across Europe, every state and territory of Australia except Tasmania, and 10 of the United States. She’s passionate about providing inspiration and information to others wanting to travel with their dogs, whether close to home or internationally.
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Tallinn seems like a very cool place and great to hear that it’s quite dog-friendly. Even better that you can fly there if you need to! Thanks for detailing all of the options for getting there.
Thanks Riana! We loved our time there and would love to return.
This post is so complete and perfect! Thank you for all the info! Schnitzel is super cute ❤️
Thans Elana!
Hey i have a littel dog that I’m going travel to tallin. I’m from Sweden and here we have Cafe and bars that is specific whit dogs that thy can play and have fun when I’m take a drink or eat. Do thy have something like that in tallin?
Paula – I didn’t come across any when I was in Tallinn, but many of the regular cafes allowed dogs inside (and my dog is getting too old to go to a cafe to play). I recommend asking the locals at dog parks or asking on Facebook.
Can you recommend any in Stockholm?
Riana, thank you for this post, it covers all info I need. I’m relocating to Tallinn and was looking for dog parks etc. for my dog that comes with me. She’s a 30 kg lady, so travelling in cabin is not for us. Other than that Tallinn looks a dog-friendly city.
I hope you enjoy your time in Tallinn!
Nice post. I traveled to Estonia in July 2019 with my senior Westie dog in a doggy stroller. We ate at Cafe Komeet among other restaurants. We then rented a car and drove to the beach in Parnu.
Thanks for sharing!
Just to ward off any nasty surprises: Pirita beach does not in fact allow dogs 🙁 If it’s not beach season, you can probably get away with a quick stroll, but if you prefer to walk the straight and narrow, here are some officially recognised spots for dog dipping in Tallinn: https://www.tallinn.ee/est/lemmikloom/Koeraga-suplema
Thanks for the information Reet, that’s great to know!