Tallinn · Month comparison

October vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs October at #4. Sweet spot of the year: 17 hours of daylight, lilacs in Kadriorg, hotels still under EUR 150, no cruise volume yet.

October golden autumn leaves in Kadriorg Park with palace facade

October

#4 of 12 months

Best match

Foliage peak in Kadriorg week 2, then a sharp cold turn — last cruise ships dock and the city resets.

  • Kadriorg Park golden chestnuts and oaks peak week 2
  • PÖFF (Black Nights Film Festival) lineup announced — buy tickets
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
FactorOctoberMay
Weather score
5
8
Value score
9
7
Crowd score
9
6
Events score
4
7
Atmosphere
8
9
Avg high temp10°C15°C
Monthly rain80mm35mm
Daily sunshine3hrs8hrs

October trade-offs

  • Persistent drizzle and grey skies
  • Darkness back to 16:30 sunset by month-end
  • Many seasonal restaurants close after Oct 31

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 →