Tallinn · Month comparison

March vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs March at #11. Sweet spot of the year: 17 hours of daylight, lilacs in Kadriorg, hotels still under EUR 150, no cruise volume yet.

March Toompea hill view of Tallinn Old Town with mixed snow and bare ground

March

#11 of 12 months

Worth considering

Snowmelt month: slushy cobblestones but daylight returns to 12 hours by month-end and prices stay rock-bottom.

  • Estonian Music Days festival (contemporary classical) late March
  • Tallinn Music Week showcases Estonian acts (~Mar 30)
May lilac blooms framing Tallinn Old Town walls in late spring sunshine

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Sweet spot of the year: 17 hours of daylight, lilacs in Kadriorg, hotels still under EUR 150, no cruise volume yet.

  • Kadriorg lilacs and chestnuts bloom mid-month
  • Sunset at 22:10 enables walking-tour evenings
FactorMarchMay
Weather score
3
8
Value score
9
7
Crowd score
9
6
Events score
5
7
Atmosphere
6
9
Avg high temp2°C15°C
Monthly rain35mm35mm
Daily sunshine4hrs8hrs

March trade-offs

  • Grey-brown slush replaces postcard snow
  • Lakes still frozen; no boat trips
  • Cold winds from Baltic still cut through coats

May trade-offs

  • Baltic still cold for swimming (10C)
  • Pre-summer thunder showers can be heavy
  • Last week sees first cruise ship arrivals — 2,000 day-trippers
Scores compare months within Tallinn. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →