Things to Do in Estonia: Sauna, Soomaa, Tartu

October 18, 2026

Estonia rewards visitors who pick a season and plan around it. Spring is for flooded-forest canoeing, summer for the coast and the open-air sites, and winter for saunas and museums. Everything is priced in euro, and most places take cards.

Quick picks by season

Spring (March to early May): canoeing in Soomaa’s flood season.
Summer (June to August): coast days, Lottemaa and the Open Air Museum on its summer schedule.
Autumn and winter: smoke saunas, Tartu’s museums, Tallinn’s Seaplane Harbour and the Christmas market, which runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.

Võro smoke sauna

South-east Estonia’s smoke sauna tradition has been on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2014. In a smoke sauna the stove is lit hours before use, and the smoke is let out before people go in.

Mooska farm, Haanja: sessions by advance booking only, at least 3 hours, for up to 8 people, from about €350 per group.
Farm tour: about 1 to 1.5 hours, €10 per person, with three smoke saunas on the farm. Under-age children are free.
Details: mooska.eu .

Soomaa canoes and bog shoes

Canoeing in the fifth season: the Halliste and Raudna rivers flood in spring. Operators’ windows run from about 1 March to early May, usually peaking in late March or early April. It does not happen every year.
Trip length: 2 to 3 hours from the Riisa area.
Prices: only “from” prices exist. A bog-shoe plus canoe trip starts at about €95 to 110, and a canoe trip from about €80 per person for two. Bookings go through Soomaa.com, Riisa Ranch and other operators.
Safety: flood water is cold, which is the main hazard operators mention.

Tartu and Tallinn indoors

Estonian National Museum (Tartu): €16 for all exhibitions, €12 concession, €32 family. Open Tuesday to Sunday. Details at erm.ee .
Seaplane Harbour (Tallinn): €22 adults, €11 for ages 9 to 18, €40 family. From October to April it opens Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00.
KUMU (Tallinn): €16 adults, €11 concession, €32 family, closed Monday.
Tallinn TV Tower: deck €18 to 19. The Edge Walk is €41 and has age and fitness limits, so check teletorn.ee.
Estonian Open Air Museum: winter family ticket €30 (29 September to 22 April, Tuesday to Sunday).

Sindi Rapids

The rapids on the Pärnu River were built in 2020 where a dam came out. Visit Estonia lists them for rafting, kayak slalom and canoeing. You can watch for free at any hour. There are no confirmed operators, so a helmet and life jacket are the minimum if you paddle. See Visit Estonia .

Passes

The Museum Card costs €75 for a new card and €69 to renew, with entry to more than 130 museums. See muuseumikaart.ee . The Tallinn Card costs €45, €65 or €78 for 24, 48 or 72 hours.

Before you go

Look at what is open: Lottemaa and the Tartu cathedral towers are closed for the season, and the Baltic is usually only comfortable for swimming in July and August. To compare tours, see Estonia experiences on Viator .