
DURATION
4 nights
LOCATION
Estonia
ANNUAL LEAVE
4 days off work
SEASON
Dec-Mar
GROUP SIZE
Up to 14 people
MEETING POINT
Tallinn City Centre
ACCOMMODATION
Comfort
Hotel · Spa Hotel
OVERALL RATING
0.0
DIFFICULTY
Easy
This trip is open to anyone with basic fitness levels, but come prepared for possible sub-zero temperatures
Explore fairytale Tallinn and hike through the winter wonderland of Lahemaa National Park by night with lanterns
Experience the best of Estonian winter fun – ploughing through snowy forest trails on fat bikes and kicksleds
Let off steam as you hop between hot tubs, ice holes and traditional smoke saunas – a UNESCO-listed experience
Bed down in a cosy 16th-century manor, one of the most characterful historic hotels in Europe on the icy banks of the Mustoja River
Day 1
Tallinn winter magic
Touch down in Tallinn Airport, then make your way to your central hotel. If you arrive on an early flight, your guide will meet you in the afternoon to guide you around the UNESCO-listed Old Town and show you the best panoramic spots. Tallinn is always a magical place, but it is in the winter that the city looks even more like it was plucked from the pages of a fairytale. Exploring it on foot is unbelievably picturesque and if you feel a bit cold, a traditional glühwein will warm you up and help you get into the winter mood. If you arrive on an evening flight, you can head straight to bed and meet your group on Day 2. Your adventure in the snow starts tomorrow!
Day 2
Fat biking, igloo sauna and ice dipping
Cycling
2hrs · 8km
Hiking
2hrs · 5km
Wave goodbye to the city lights and head out to Lahemaa National Park, one of the biggest and most important forest reserves in Europe. You'll stop en route at the Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve for an exhilarating fat bike ride through snowy forest trails. The tracks are relatively flat and well-marked, making it ideal even you've never fat-biked before. You'll then enjoy a unique igloo-sauna experience on the lake – followed by an icy dip for those who are feeling brave! The next two nights will be spent in a cosy, luxurious manor house with spa, nestled between frosty fields and slow-clad trees. Get a taster of this winter wonderland tonight as you head out on a short lantern-lit walk through the forest.
Day 3
Frozen meadows, kicksledding and a smoke sauna
Hiking
3hrs · 8km · 50m up · 50m down
Bogs and marshes are the true treasures of Estonia, being the oldest organic landscape in the country – some of which are up to 10,000 years old. This unique environment is remarkable throughout the year, but exploring them in the wintertime makes it eerily beautiful. Spot wildlife tracks left in the snow with the help of your experienced guide and if you are lucky, you may even come across elusive moose, lynx and foxes. This afternoon, you'll experience two other favourite Estonian winter pastimes: plough silently through the snow on kicksleds, then hit the rejuvenating, UNESCO-listed experience of the smoke sauna, covering yourself in honey and 'whisking' your skin with birch branches. Top off this authentic wellness experience with a relaxing dip in the hot tub, then drive back to your comfortable hotel for the night.
Day 4
Winter hiking and frozen waterfalls
Snowshoeing
3-4hrs · 8-10km
Start the day with an optional reinvigorating hot sauna or spa treatment at the hotel, then don your snowshoes and head deep into the wilderness of Lahemaa National Park. Snowshoe through silent, snow-blanketed forests – eyes peeled for elk, wolf and moose tracks. Stop in a pristine, scenic spot and warm up with a hot meal and drinks cooked on a campfire. This afternoon, you'll head back to Tallinn, stopping for a visit to the striking Jägala Waterfall en route. At approximately eight metres high and more than 50 metres wide, this is the widest natural waterfall in Estonia – and it's a true spectacle in winter, when the fall partially freezes and forms huge icy stalactites. Back in the city, you'll have time to freshen up before heading out for a final celebratory farewell dinner and night in Tallinn – locals say the vodka tasting is a must!
Day 5
Goodbye Estonia!
After four days of adventure and relaxation, it’s time to head home refreshed and revitalised. If you depart later today and you missed the visit to Tallinn Old Town on Day 1, your guide will be on hand to show you around. Alternatively, you can also opt to hit one of the great city saunas, such as the Iglupark, Kalma Sauna or Tallinn Sauna (the oldest in the city). If you leave today, it's time to say nägemiseni (see you soon!) and make your way to the airport, just a short tram journey away.
Included
Guides
Expert, English-speaking nature guide
Accommodation
2 nights in central Tallinn hotel, and 2 nights in luxury manor house with a spa
Meals
All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 1 dinner
Transfers
All transfers between the activities (transfers to and from the airport are not included)
Equipment
All equipment for the included winter activities
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Tips for your guides
Some meals as described
Visas where required
Travel to and from the start point
Day 1
Hotel · Twin share
Day 2 – Day 3
Spa Hotel · Twin share
Day 4
Hotel · Twin share
Day 5
What is the food like?
Traditional Estonian food and drinks are linked to the history of the Baltic States and many dishes can be traced back to medieval times. As a result, Estonian food is hearty, wholesome and packed with seasonal flavours. In winter, warming stews, roasts and soups are always on the menu. There is no food quite as quintessentially Estonian as rye bread: rye has been cultivated in Estonia for more than a thousand years and is a central part of the nation's traditional agriculture. The other national dish, verivorst, is typically a winter meal and comprises barley, onions, allspice, marjoram and blood sausage, often alongside roasted pork and potatoes and served with sour cream, sauerkraut or seasonal berries. We are talking serious comfort food! Mulled wine, vodka and craft beer are especially popular in winter, to help bear the cold.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for, but please note that options may be limited – please just request on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Tallinn
The first and last nights of the trip will be spent in Tallinn – usually at the Hotel St Barbara, which is located in a quiet street within walking distance of the Old Town and the city's main sights. The hotel was designed in the early 1900s and today, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful limestone buildings in Estonia's capital. Accommodation will be on a twin-share basis in cosy rooms, equipped with a flat-screen TV, personal safe, complimentary Wifi and private bathrooms with underfloor heating. The hotel also includes a charming old German-style cellar restaurant, with a great selection of a la carte meals and beer.
Lahemaa National Park
You'll spend two nights at the exclusive, 4-star Vihula Manor Country Club & Spa – the first full-service manor resort in the Baltic countries. The manor, which is undoubtedly one of the most amazing places to stay in Estonia, was also awarded the title of Historic Hotel of Europe 2020. Set alongside the Mustoja River in the Lahemaa National Park, the property comprises a charming 16th-century estate with two main manor house buildings, 25 other historical buildings where rooms are allocated, and 50 hectares of beautiful parkland. Guests can enjoy free access to the impressive swimming pool and eco-sauna, featuring a 15-metre pool with massage seats, four types of saunas, a jacuzzi and an outdoor hot tub.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Tallinn City Centre
16:00 on Day 1
Ends
Tallinn City Centre
Any time on Day 5
Transfers
Airport transfers are not included in the trip, but it's easy to make your way to/from Tallinn city centre by public transport. Tram no. 4 takes you directly from the airport to the city centre in approximately 20-25 minutes. It runs daily from 05:30 until 00:45. The tram stop (Lennujaam) is located right next to the terminal and tickets can be bought with a contactless payment card on board (€2) or the ticket machine at the airport (€2). The stop is only a 2-minute walk from the St Barbara Hotel.
You can arrive any time on Day 1, but if you wish to join the walking tour with your guide we recommend checking in at the hotel by 15:30 at the latest.
On Day 5, you can depart at any time. If you prefer to arrange a pick-up or drop-off at the airport by private transfer, or to extend your stay in Tallinn, your host can arrange this for a fee – please check the Optional Extras for more info.
Travel options
There are usually direct flights connecting London to Tallinn on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when this trip runs. These are operated by Wizzair and Air Baltic. Indirect flights are available from the rest of the UK and on days of the week.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
All the snowshoeing, fat biking and kick-sledding equipment you'll need
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Soft overnight duffel bag or luggage
- Daypack (20-30 litres)
- Waterproof liner for rucksack, or drybags
CLOTHES
- Waterproof and windproof top and bottom
- Down jacket
- Warm fleece or sweater
- Thermal top and bottom
- Snow gloves
- Warm hat and/or balaclava
- Neck gaiter or scarf
- Multiple pairs of wool or synthetic socks
- Warm, waterproof boots
- Swimsuit
OTHER
- Universal travel plug adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel insurance documents
- Ear plugs
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Alcohol hand-gel
- Headtorch or torch
- Reusable water bottle x1 litre (or x2)
- Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
Additional Night in Tallinn Twin/Double/Single Room
Payable Before Departure
Additional Night in Tallinn Twin/Double/Single Room
…
Optional Private Rooom Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Rooom Upgrade
…
Private Arrival Transfer Tallinn Airport - City Centre
Payable Before Departure
Private Arrival Transfer Tallinn Airport - City Centre
…
Private Departure Transfer City Centre -Tallinn Airport
Payable Before Departure
Private Departure Transfer City Centre -Tallinn Airport
…
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 189kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
This trip is suitable for anyone with basic fitness levels. None of the activities are hugely demanding and no previous experience or technical skills are required. You won't be exerting yourself for more than two or three hours at a time, and there is also plenty of relaxation and wellness time built into the trip. With two hours of private group sauna booked on Days 2 and 3, plus free access to the wellness centre at Vihula Manor, you'll balance the active time in the cold with plenty of pampering in the heat. To get the most out of the trip you should enjoy being out in the cold during the winter, and also come prepared with adequate warm clothing – see the kit list for guidance.
The trip includes snowshoeing, fat biking and kicksledding. All activities will be suitable for first-timers and conducted at a leisurely pace.
Fat bikes have extra fat, knobbly tyres that are designed for riding on soft surfaces like sand and snow, and they have little or no suspension. The super-fat tyres distribute the rider’s mass across a larger area, so you don’t sink in and do gain more traction than you would with a standard tyre size. You can ride easily and with stability, even over firm snow and ice. You won't be riding very far, so anyone who can ride a bike at a basic level will enjoy fat biking though the picturesque forest tracks.
Snowshoeing is a type of hiking that uses a special type of footwear – a snowshoe – to spread your weight over a larger area, allowing you to move easily across powdery, snow-covered terrain. Snowshoeing is incredibly easy, comfortable and safe. You simply clip the snowshoe to the outside of your hiking boot and off you go. You'll be in the hands of local, experienced, and trained guides who know the area intimately and will guide you safely throughout the hike.
Kicksledding is an extremely fun winter activity that every Estonian loves. Originating from the Scandinavian countries, the kicksled includes a chair (for an optional carried passenger) mounted on a pair of flexible metal runners that extend backwards to about twice the chair's length. The sled is propelled by kicking and it works best on icy snow conditions and marked tracks.
The sauna tradition is an important part of the country's identity – in many ways, life in Estonia revolves around the sauna. Although sauna may seem like a winter activity, Estonians actually go all year round – family gatherings and birthdays are often celebrated with sauna.
The steam generated by pouring water onto hot rocks in a sauna is believed to have many benefits: it cleanses the skin and increases heart rate, and the heat does its magic by expanding your bronchi and relaxing the joints. The ritual also includes light 'whisking' with birch branches, which acts like a massage.
After you heat up, it's time to cool down. Saunas are often built next to the sea, a river, a lake, or a pond so that during winter, brave sauna-goers will cut a hole in the ice before taking a dip or even rolling around in the snow. The rapid temperature change stimulates blood flow and strengthens the immune system. If that sounds too bracing, you can stand in the cold air outside the sauna while enjoying a cool drink.
Two private group sauna sessions are booked on Days 2 and 3 of the trip. The first will take place in the igloo saunas of Sportland Kõrvemaa, which are 100% hand- crafted and covered with spruce chips from the outside, and aspen chips from the inside. The heat is equally distributed, which makes the sauna nicely humid. The sauna comes with a steam room, a spacious anteroom, and a toilet and shower room so you can alternate time in the heat with socialising in the common room and even an ice dip outside.
On Day 3 you'll get the chance to try an authentic smoke sauna. Like a traditional sauna, the Estonian smoke sauna usually consists of a small house heated with wood in a brick oven. However, the smoke sauna has no chimney through which the smoke can escape. Instead, it circulates inside the room while the sauna is heating. In 2014, UNESCO included the smoke sauna phenomenon in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The smoke sauna ritual consists of many stages which must be followed carefully. You'll enter the sacred hot room, where you are met by the heady aroma of burning wood. You'll then rub yourself with ground plants and salt, followed by the 'whisking', gently beating your body with birch branches to exfoliate skin and stimulate circulation. Then, you'll plunge into the icy waters nearby to cool down, rinse off and feel new again!
Other sauna sessions can be booked for free at the luxurious sauna centre of the Vihula Manor Hotel & Spa.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. The amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
The tap water in Estonia is safe to drink. Please bring along your own reusable water bottle to fill up at the hotels to avoid buying single use plastic bottles.
Winter in Estonia lasts from late November until late March, with temperatures ranging from mild (above freezing) to as low as -30°C, although temperatures just below 0°C are far more common. Snow usually falls as early as late November but it is most common in the months of December to March, when this trip runs.
Mother Nature is unpredictable so snow can never be 100% guaranteed on every departure. However, recent reports show a very high chance of snow between the months of December and March. Winter hiking and fat biking without snow will be equally spectacular and enjoyable, and your hosts will do their best to suggest the best alternative activities according to the local weather conditions in this situation.
Yes, you can leave your luggage in Tallinn or with your host on Day 1, as you'll be returning there for the last night of your trip.
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
Overall, the choice of the route, distance and activity duration is always decided by your local guide taking into consideration group's fitness and weather conditions, so small alterations may take place with your safety in mind. In case the snow conditions on a certain day are not ideal for the scheduled activity (i.e. terrain is too icy for fat biking, snow too soft for kicksledding, etc), your host will offer alternative suitable activities locally, whenever possible, or may suggest to carry these out in alternative areas nearby.
No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small daysack to carry personal items during each day of the activities.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
Pay In Installments
You can choose to pay for this trip in as many installments as you like, with no interest or fees.
Full Financial Protection
Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.