Tallinn, Estonia July 2025
Day One
On arrival at Heathrow Airport Terminal Two, I had checked in online so therefore did not have to go and queue to check in. We proceeded to the Special Assistance area where we were greeted by a member of staff. I was offered the use of a wheelchair, but I declined. I was happy to walk with my communicator guide and with the assistance of staff to help with our hand luggage.
The member of staff informed us that she was not meant to assist with baggage but would help when out of sight of her manager, which she did. We proceeded with special assistance to security, skipping the queue.
Once through the security checks, we were assisted to where the gate was so that we knew where to go after brekkie. It was important that we had a substantial breakfast as we had a day of travelling ahead, due to having a connecting flight in Warsaw, Poland.
After a wholesome breakfast at ‘Big Smoke Tap House & Kitchen’, we headed to gate 23. This was the gate number in which special assistance had advised, however there was nothing showing on the board which indicated our flight was from this gate.
After half an hour crept past and no information of our flight shown from this gate, we headed to find someone to advise us. We found an airport staff member who was able to look up our flight on his device. He was very helpful, informing us that our plane had not arrived yet and that we should wait at gate 16. He assisted us to wait right by the boarding area for our flight. We felt confident that we were now in the correct place for departure.
Heathrow Airport is all fully accessible with lifts, escalators and disabled toilets. There is also priority seating for disabled passengers throughout the terminal.
Boarding LOT Polish Airlines, was very smooth. They allowed us on board first, via a flat walkway, onto the plane. Then another member of staff from special assistance helped place our luggage into the overhead compartments, which was much easier.
When seated, a member of cabin crew came over to show me personally the evacuation procedure. This enabled me to feel the oxygen mask, the seatbelt and where the life-jacket was stored- under the seat. The member of cabin crew was at eye-level when explaining this to me which demonstrated inclusivity.
After a fairly smooth two hour flight, we landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Here we were greeted by special assistance. As our flight had been delayed this meant that the change over time for this connecting flight was now limited. We had to rush through the airport, through passport control and then security.
Warsaw Chopin Airport is Poland’s busiest hub and is quite a large airport with lots of shops and restaurants. Admittedly, we were rushing through, but it looked really nice, clean and with lots of amenities.
We arrived at the gate for boarding onto the Tallinn flight, which was gate number 45. We were assisted onto the plane via a vehicle with a lift. We had to wait about fifteen minutes for the vehicle to arrive, to lift us up onto the gangway to the plane. There were steep steps to navigate otherwise.
All the passengers had boarded and seated, which meant we were last onto the plane. This was more awkward with guiding and steering / placing the hand luggage in the overhead compartment.
The flight from Warsaw to Tallinn was an hour and twenty minutes and very smooth. LOT Polish Airlines provided refreshments and a small snack which were complimentary.
On landing at Tallinn Airport, we were greeted by special assistance. They kindly wheeled the suitcases too, which made it much smoother. We were whizzed through passport control and escorted to the taxi rank outside the airport. The taxi to our hotel in Tallinn took about fifteen minutes and cost 25euro.
On arrival at Kreutzwald Hotel; I had booked this hotel as it was modern and I believed it was accessible, but unfortunately it wasn’t. There were eleven steps up to the main lobby area, but it had adequate lighting and a lift to all five floors of the hotel.
We checked in and my comm guide and I were allocated separate rooms both on the ground floor. The rooms had all the amenities expected upon booking. They were of a large size and consisted of a wall mounted large TV, coffee machine with coffee pods, a kettle, fridge and a safe.
The rooms were equipped with air conditioning but unfortunately there was a problem with the system, therefore fans were provided for the rooms whilst the maintenance team fixed the air-con.
The bathroom had adequate lighting and was spacious with a large sink and a hot tub / bath and shower in one. However, there were no grab rails to assist getting in and out of the bath. It was also quite steep when exiting the bath.
Later that evening, we met for dinner and decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. This was accessible via an out-side terrace area, which was down eleven steps to the street level, then round to the restaurant. There was a good handrail for support on the steps, then a very short walk down to the outside decking where the restaurant was allocated. There was also an option to eat inside of the restaurant which was the same room where breakfast was served, which was accessed from the decking down 3 steps or from inside the hotel lobby area.
Day Two
After an uncomfortable night’s sleep, and a bit of tossing-and-turning as I wasn’t used to the bed, morning arrived.
We met for breakfast at the agreed time. Breakfast in the hotel was served from 7:00am –10:00am. The breakfast area was down sixteen steps with no lift access. Breakfast consisted of a buffet and I had the cooked version of scrambled eggs, ham, baked beans and meatballs, with plenty of coffee! There were also fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads, continental cheeses, salads and hard boiled eggs provided.
After breakfast and contemplating my room situation, we went to reception to ask if I could change my room, due to the fact that I struggled to get in and out of the bathtub, as there were no grab rails for support. The staffs were happy to allocate me to a room with a shower, which was on the fourth floor.
We went back to my previously allocated room to pack up and move to the fourth floor, which was via a lift. This room was more accessible but smaller and compact, especially the bathroom. However, there was no fridge or coffee machine but it had a kettle. The shower room was much easier for me with a small step over to enter the cubicle. The doors were a bit tricky as they opened outwards and inwards. The main issue was the size of the sink which was a lot smaller and awkward to use.
After the changeover, it was time to explore Tallinn and we set off for the Old Town which was roughly a twenty- minute walk. This was mostly flat pavements with pedestrian crossings which were step / kerb free or posed a slight step. As we arrived at the Old Town, pavements were quite narrow with cobbled streets.
We visited the Niguliste Church and Tower which was built in the 13th century and housed large paintings, sculptures and tombstones.
Access to this building was down two steps and then a step over through the door. A member of staff helped us through another door into the main area. There was a ramp for wheelchair users to access a small section. This attraction also had a lift taking visitors up to the tower, which had amazing panoramic views of the city. There were benches at the top were visitors were able to sit and admire the stunning views.
Once we had taken in the scenery, we headed back down via the glass lift. This lift is a very unusual architectural design in an old building and quite unique. It was now time for some lunch at a nearby café. We sat outside as it was more accessible and was a warmish day. Due to the historical nature of Tallinn, most restaurants and cafés in the Old Town have a few steps up to enter with toilets downstairs.
Later that afternoon, we explored the Old Town further, checked out a couple of shops, which had steps to enter and then headed back to the hotel for a rest.
In the evening, we met in the lobby for dinner at the hotel restaurant. We sat at our outside designated table and watched the sun go down.
Day Three
After a hearty breakfast, it was time for some more sightseeing with Toompea Castle first on the itinerary. This attraction is around twenty minutes’ walk from the hotel and is up a fairly steep hill. This Baroque castle, with the Tall Hermann Tower was built between 1767 and 1773. The blue, black and white flag flying at the Tall Hermann Tower is one of the most important symbols of the independence of the Republic of Estonia. The Tower was built in three stages, and the construction work lasted from the mid-14th century to the beginning of the 16th century.
We then attempted to check out the Government building, without realising that this is restricted to the public and it is only the Kuberneri (Governors) Gardens which are accessible. These were however beautiful with stunning roses and views throughout. It was a glorious day which made it even more pretty. The gardens were accessible despite walking on a grainy surface.
We then went to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which is one of the most iconic looking buildings in Estonia. The rooftops reminded me of ‘iced gems’, which was truly stunning to look at. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the Cathedral. There were about fifteen stone steps to enter the building and they had a handrail. However, the steps were square therefore this had to be navigated carefully.
This Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral built between 1894 – 1900. It is in a typical Russian Revival style, richly decorated with eleven cast iron bells. The Cathedral is built on Toompea Hill and located directly opposite the government building. The five ‘onion’ domes are referred to as onions due to having layered metal type petals as their roof tiles.
Afterwards, we visited the Danish Kings Garden where three Monks statues were situated. This was located a short walk from the Cathedral. The park name comes from the Danish reign, which prevailed for more than a hundred years around the 13th century.
Due to the park being etched in medieval history, access was rather uneven with cobbled paths; it was a struggle for me to walk around.
After a refreshing cold drink and a nourishing salad for lunch in Freedom Square, we then went to check out the nearby St John’s Church (Jaani kirik). This neo-gothic church, which was completed in1867, is painted on the exterior a stylish yellow colour. This church is fully accessible and to our delight there was classical music orchestra in session. It was so beautiful, that I got a bit emotional and began to tear up. Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
We then headed back to the hotel for a rest. The weather was beautiful, quite warm, so it was good to rest and freshen up before meeting for dinner.
We chose to head back to the Old Town for an Estonian Dinner as the old town is very beautiful and atmospheric. We hadn’t planned where to go, however we found the most amazing authentic Estonian restaurant. Here they served the traditional cuisine of Estonia. The flavours of the dishes were incredible and the presentation was of Michelin star quality. The restaurant was called Madre Terra.
I had fish soup to start, then for the main course I had lamb that was served with pumpkin puree and fondant potatoes. I didn’t have room for desert, but had an Estonian coffee with Vana Liqueur. It was delicious!
As this restaurant is located in the old town, it isn’t wheelchair accessible. There were a few steps up with no handrail and a flight of stairs down to the toilet facilities. As it was a rather warm evening, we sat outside, just off the cobblestone streets of Tallinn.
Day Four
After doing a bit of research on where to visit we discovered Kadriorg Park. As the weather was so lovely, we thought that heading out of Tallinn centre would give us some tranquillity.
We had the usual hearty breakfast then booked a Bolt taxi to Kadriorg Park. It was approximately fifteen minutes in the taxi and cost 8 euro. I would highly recommend downloading the Bolt App and using Bolt instead of taxis as this is a much cheaper option. For safety reasons, I selected to pay by cash as I was hesitant to upload my bank card details. This is tip worth considering.
On arrival at Kadriorg Park we were blown away by its beauty. The gardens were immaculately manicured and the presidents’ house and surrounding buildings were of castle status.
The gardens were fully accessible and had a sensory trail which you could walk around. There was various fountains and stunning floral displays. It was really looked after well considering it was open to the public. The main building had a small café that served home- made pastries and cakes as well as a selection of hot and cold beverages. The price was reasonable considering they had the monopoly. We had a light lunch here then headed to explore the other building/ museums on the site.
There were two buildings adjacent to the manor house. One was a museum all about milliners and the history of hat making. This building was not accessible as there were five steps up to enter.
The second building housed an art exhibition that was titled ‘Addiction’. It was a private art collection which was diverse with choice. It portrayed how easily something can become an addiction. This collection belonged to Johannes Mikkel (1907-2006), and he was one of the most prominent art collectors in Estonia. He was honest in the fact that he was addicted to collecting art. It was very eclectic and interesting.
Despite having two small steps to enter, this building contained an accessible disabled toilet and they did not charge me to look around. There was no lift however and the stairs were quite steep. It was an old building but luckily it was very quiet with tourists therefore I was able to navigate it easily.
We then went to the main house, known as Kadriorg Palace. This was as expected inside and very regal. It was accessible with a lift and there were many tactile objects for a sensory experience.
We then walked around the gardens at explore the President of Estonia’s house, which was located at the rear of the Palace house.
Unbelievably, we were able to walk right past the front door. Admittedly there were two guards on duty but can you imagine this ever being the case in the UK or the USA!
After a walk around the grounds we stopped for tea and home-made cake. The weather was wonderful as was the scenery and the company!
We booked a Bolt to take us back to the hotel. The car picked us up right outside the entrance and dropped us back at the hotel. This was an easy, cheap process and highly recommended.
We had a quick rest then met up for dinner in the hotel restaurant as it had been a busy day we didn’t want to head out again.
The restaurant adjacent to the hotel was small but had a relatively good choice. It did specialise in Pizzas as it had a pizza oven, the Caesar salads were very good too.
Day Five
After our last breakfast in the hotel, we packed, checked out and headed into the old town for the last time. The hotel stored our luggage safely.
Upon reaching the Old Town, we headed for the Town Hall. This was really disappointing as it wasn’t disability friendly, therefore we would have only been able to access the ground floor and they insisted on charging myself and comm guide full entry price. When queried, they reduced my price but still insisted that my comm guide pay full price. We declined and left the building. This did not happen elsewhere so we were very disappointed by their attitude and awareness of disabilities and inclusion in the town hall building.
We walked around the adjacent square and did some shopping. We sat in the town square and had drinks watching the tourists and culture of the Estonians.
We then headed to the oldest part of the town named Viru Gate. This is where the original old wall of the town and town gate would have been. There are still some remnants of the stone wall and historic information plaques available to read. This is now a flower market, which has an array of fresh flower stalls that are stunning to observe.
Unfortunately, it was time to head back to the hotel for a late lunch before our journey home. This time we both had pizzas which were very scrumptious.
After a hearty late lunch, we booked the good old reliable Bolt again to take us to the airport. This trip was so much cheaper than the journey from the airport.
On arrival at the airport we went to the special assistance area. We had already checked in online. Two hunks came to assist us which pleased my comm guide very much!
They assisted us through security and passport check. We were then able to locate the gate unassisted as it was a small airport and we wanted to get a drink.
We headed to the gate and spoke to the airline staffs who informed us that they would allow us to board first. This happened in due time and once seated on the plane the flight was smooth and hassle free. We did have to connect in Warsaw. We didn’t have to go through passport control this time as we were flying from an EU country. We were given a complimentary snack and drink on the flight.
On arrival at Heathrow, we were met by special assistance again. This time the two ladies had a buggy and whizzed us from the terminal through passport control and out of the arrival area. We had ‘left the building’ in record time!
Tallinn is a very beautiful city and in my opinion worth visiting. However, it is a very old city and access to attractions can be limiting.