What to expect at the Tallinn Christmas Market (2026)

Last updated on December 28th, 2025

Visiting Tallinn, Estonia during Christmas time? This guide covers everything you can expect to experience at the Tallinn Christmas Market!

For years we dreamt of visiting Christmas Markets in Europe. And in 2023 we finally made it a reality! After exploring several Christmas Markets in Munich, we headed to Helsinki, Finland, where we hopped onto a ferry and took a day trip to Tallinn. And not only is Tallinn a destination in its own right, the Tallinn Christmas Market was one of our favorites of the entire trip!

Crowned the best Christmas Market in Europe in 2019, the Tallinn Christmas Market may not get the attention that Germany, France, and other popular European countries get, but the vibe of this market, plus lack of major crowds, is tough to beat.

Tucked into the picturesque Town Hall Square in Tallinn’s medieval Old Town, you’ll find rows of wooden stalls, cobblestone streets, and festive lights. You can’t help but be filled with the Christmas spirit! Plus, many of the things you’ll find at the Tallinn Christmas Market are unique to Estonia.

In this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know to visit the Tallinn Christmas Market in 2026. Including the must-try foods, what types of stands you’ll encounter, entertainment, and more!

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Tallinn Christmas Market at a glance

Location

The Tallinn Christmas Market is located in Town Hall Square, right in the heart of Old Town. It’s hard to miss!

Cost

The market is FREE to attend! Although you will want to spend some money on foods, drinks, and gifts.

Dates & Hours

While most European Christmas markets end just before Christmas, the Tallinn Christmas Market goes past the holidays. During our visit in 2023, it ran until early January, but it appears the market now ends in December.

Dates: Check the official Tallinn Christmas Market website for exact dates this year.

Hours: It is open everyday from 10:00 until 20:00.

Best time to go: While it’s a fun time any day of the week, it’s even livelier on weekends with more vendors and live performances.

Things to do

There is lots to see and do here, but here are a few of the can’t miss things to do at the Tallinn Christmas Market:

Take a photo with the Christmas Tree
Say hello to Santa Claus
Sing along with the holiday tunes and festivities
Explore all the craft and food stalls
If you have the time, try to experience the market in the day and night time. Both offer a different Christmas vibe!

Must try foods

Be sure to arrive at the market with a large appetite. Estonian food is very hearty and there are lots of dishes to try. If you’re visiting with someone we recommend splitting dishes so you can try as many as possible.

We’ll cover these more in depth later on in the guide, but here are a handful of the must try foods and drinks at the Tallinn Christmas Market:

Verivorst – Estonia’s national dish!
Glögg or glögi – hot mulled wine or the non-alcoholic version
Roasted potatoes and pork
Gingerbread items

How long do you need?

The Tallinn Christmas Market isn’t super large and can easily be experienced in one afternoon or evening. While it would probably only take an hour to walk around and scope out the stalls, we’d suggest dedicating at least two hours to give yourself time (and stomach space) to try different foods. If you’re visiting during the winter it makes for the perfect end to a day trip to Tallinn from Helsinki.

What to see and do at the Tallinn Christmas Market

Christmas Tree

Before we delve into what makes this market wonderful, we must first shed some light on the centerpiece! At the heart of the market is a beautiful 14 meter (46 foot) tall Christmas tree. You may be thinking, “doesn’t every market have a Christmas tree?” That is true, but Tallinn first put up a Christmas tree in their Town Hall Square back in 1441, making it one of the oldest Christmas tree traditions in Europe!

Live performances

One thing you’ll notice at the Tallinn Christmas Market is that there is a stage. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays the stage will be used by performers and folk groups singing and performing carols and dances.

On our visit we saw a few performances of flamenco dancers and a latin show troupe, all led by Santa Claus Äffy. This was fun to experience, especially since shockingly hardly any of the other Christmas markets we visited had live performances. It really adds to the vibe!

See Gingerbread Mania (winter)

It isn’t Christmas time in Estonia without gingerbread. And Tallinn has an annual art exhibition during the holidays called Gingerbread Mania. While not technically in the Tallinn Christmas Market, it is still worth checking out if you visit during the holidays.

There are around 100 artists that participate and the only rule is that everything must be made out of gingerbread.

The event typically runs from the beginning of December through the beginning of January at the Design and Architecture Gallery. Be sure to check the website for exact dates and location for this year’s event.

Gingerbread workshops

Besides just viewing gingerbread creations, you can also make your own gingerbread! Gingerbread Mania also hosts gingerbread workshops, where you’ll learn how to make gingerbread and create a tasty souvenir.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus arrives on the first day of Advent (December 1, 2024) and opens the door of his cottage to visitors from 12:00-18:00. We heard from some elves that if you can recite a poem or sing a song to Santa Claus, you’ll get a treat!

This is something that is special about a smaller market like the Tallinn Christmas Market. At the larger markets you’d likely wait for hours to sit and talk with Santa Claus, but here it’s only a short wait!

Merry-go-round and carousels

We visited over half a dozen Christmas markets, but the Tallinn Christmas Market was the first that we went to with rides! During our visit they had a carousel and a few other rides, which were unfortunately just meant for children.

What to eat at the Tallinn Christmas Market

No visit to a Christmas market is considered a success if you aren’t forced to unbutton your pants as you leave. And at the Tallinn Christmas Market you’ll have no shortage of delicious foods to enjoy!

The market has some of the popular Christmas market items, like candies, baked goods, and cookies. As well as vegan and vegetarian options. But there are also some unique and more traditional Estonian items that we would suggest giving a try!

Verivorst

Verivorst is Estonia’s national dish! This is Estonian blood sausage made of meat, blood, barley, onions, and spices like allspice and marjoram. It is often served with a plate of potatoes, sauerkraut, pumpkin, and lingonberry or cranberry jam.

While blood sausage can be a bit daunting to try, we really enjoyed this dish! Even Kathryn, who can be a bit picky. The flavor is delicious! But if you can’t get yourself to try it, they also have less adventurous meats to try as well.

Verivorst is very popular around the holidays and you will have no issue finding it at the Tallinn Christmas Market. Just look for the large stands with huge pans full of potatoes and meat over the stove!

GlögG

Another must try item is glögg! This is a spiced mulled wine similar to the German gluhwein, with warm spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. But one thing that makes the Estonian version of the holiday drink different is the higher alcohol content. You can also top off your mug with a spoonful of nuts and dried fruits!

If you’re interested in the non-alcoholic version, you can find various berry juices at the glögg stands. This drink is a little different from the kinderpunsch at German Christmas markets, with different berries used. It was delicious!

You’ll find both glögg and non-alcoholic juices all over the market, so keeping your hand warmed by the mug won’t be a difficult task!

Estonian Gingerbread Cookies

As we mentioned above, gingerbread is a very important holiday treat in Estonia, so getting some gingerbread at the Tallinn Christmas Market is a must. The most common type will be the very decorated, frosted versions. But for a more simple and authentic treat, look for the Metsaoru gingerbread stand.

This gingerbread is made according to a medieval recipe and is SO good. And we aren’t even huge gingerbread fans! We loved how light, crisp, yet soft these cookies were. And the flavor was nice and spicy!

Other popular items to look out for

Küüslauguleib, which is Estonian garlic bread.
Dried meat sticks and sausages.
Soup! We saw a delicious soup stand that would’ve been perfect for a cold evening.

What to buy at the Tallinn Christmas Market

The Tallinn Christmas Market has no shortage of souvenirs and handicrafts for sale. You’ll find ornaments (our favorite type of souvenir!), handmade clothing, locally made goods, and more to take home. It is the perfect place to polish off your Christmas shopping list!

Things to know when visiting the Tallinn Christmas Market

Carry cash

While some stalls accept credit cards, it’s a good idea to carry cash here, especially for any food that has a deposit (more on that in second). There are ATMs in and around the market if you forget.

A+K tip: If you’re visiting Europe from the US and don’t already have a bank card that waives ATM fees, we highly recommend looking into a Charles Schwab card. And to see the travel credit cards we use, check out this post!

Bathrooms can be hard to find

Maybe it’s just us, but we really struggled to find a public bathroom close to the Tallinn Christmas Market. We even went to the tourism office to ask where to find one and ended up walking quite a bit. So if you visit a cafe or restaurant, make sure to use theirs! It’s also good to carry cash to use the toilets, which is common all around Europe.

It’s a bit more affordable

One thing that you’ll notice at the Tallinn Christmas Market is that prices are a bit more affordable than other popular European Christmas markets. Everything from food to crafts are all a tad cheaper than we saw at other markets! Cha-ching!

Eco-conscious

The Tallinn Christmas Market (similar to other European Christmas Markets) places a big emphasis on sustainability and reducing waste. Because of this, most stalls use reusable plates and cups. When paying for your food item you’ll be charged an extra couple Euros as a deposit. And when you return your dishes, you’ll get that money back.

Looking for more things to do in Tallinn?

Between sipping on glögg and snacking on Estonian food, explore the city of Tallinn itself! We share some of the best things to do in Tallinn if you have a day trip (or longer) in this guide. Including Olde Hansa Restaurant, Nunnadetagune Torn, and RØST Bakery!