"Excellent and must do tour when you want to see the other side of Estonia "
I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see the other side of Estonia. It takes you to the Russian side of Estonia, where Russian is the main language and hardly speak Estonian or English. In Narva it feels like you're in a totally different country, you're like in little Russia. Also if you wants to experience how life in Russia could be without want to visit that country at all (which is ofcourse impossible nowadays). Also native Estonians hardly visit that region or even not at all. A lot of history story telling and sightseeing on this tour.
I actually came to see the bridge that connects Russia and read a lot about Narva, but the whole tour, it sightseeings and region in the end is worth it. Even more then 5 stars, ofcourse thanks to the excellent tourguide Johanna ;)
The tour don't go often and after 5 weeks with enough people the tour finally continues I have heard from the guide That's awesome, I came just on the right time ;) Actually people have to do this tour in my opinion, because to really understand Estonia's past, present and future. There is more then Tallinn ;)
"Narva: More Than a Day Trip!"
We went on the trip a few days ago with Johanna. We had a small group which made the trip that much better. Johanna was wonderful, very knowledgeable and accommodating. We explored castle ruins to old Soviet mining towns and stood at the boarder looking into Russia. It’s a great way to see a totally different side of Estonia that most people miss. Highly recommend!!! Thank you Johanna.
"Exploring Estonia’s rust belt and its Soviet past "
It was great to see a different side of Estonia - outside of pretty old town to explore its industrial and mining past. Of course, it was also incredible to see Russia - literally right in front of you and appreciating Estonia’s relationship dealing with a larger neighbour. Highly educational, and enriching, plus a tour guide that shares with you personal stories which made the experience even more thought provoking!
"The most "NARVA-lous" tour ever!"
Cloudy skies and drizzly rain could not dampen our enthusiasm for our tour of Estonia: Narva, Sillamae and the Ghost City! Johanna's knowledge and personality overflowed as she drove the Renault van two hours to Narva and back. She explained the why and when of each location (including military history) of the Hermann Castle and the Ghost City, plus the many “faces” of Simmalie throughout its history. She opened its museum just for us! Her fluency in Russian, Estonian and English were impeccable!
"The most "NARVA-lous" tour ever!"
Cloudy skies and drizzly rain could not dampen our enthusiasm for our tour of Estonia: Narva, Sillamae and the Ghost City! Johanna's knowledge and personality overflowed as she drove the Renault van two hours to Narva and back. She explained the why and when of each location (including military history) of the Hermann Castle and the Ghost City, plus the many “faces” of Simmalie throughout its history. She opened its museum just for us! Her fluency in Russian, Estonian and English were impeccable!
"Narva and Sillamae Eastern Estonia Day trip"
Kerr Oun was our guide and he was fantastic! He knew all about Estonia and the area we traveled to! He was very helpful and the tour is a great way to see a different glance of Estonia from outside Tallinn! I would recommend going on this tour and hope you get Kert!
"Towns, living and abandoned."
I would say this was one of the best tours we have ever done in our travels. Stan, our guide was excellent. His knowledge of history and the area's we visited was extensive and very interesting. He was flexible to stop for photos when we wanted. If you would like to see something different on your visit to Estonia, this comes highly recommended.
"Trip to a city that did not exist"
We enjoyed our private tour with guide George, he tailored our day to our wishes and was knowledgeable and entertaining.
Our first stop was a waterfall and a seashore. Actually, the waterfall ended in the beach, and the mix of both soothing water sounds really made my day (and I put them in a sound loop to create a sleeping sound :-)
My travel compagnion best experience were the different sweet smells of the forests we have been in.
We visited the Narva castle and I had never been so close to the Ru border.
Then we had an excellent lunch in a university building and went for our last stop, Sillamäe. This is a small city with a crazy history. From fishermanstown, to luxury resort, to industrial oil plant, to concentrations camps, to a uranium plant to manufacture a nuclear bomb, and that gave the status of a secret and closed town, wiped off the map. And in recent history everyone can freely enjoy the promenade and seashore. So did we.
"A Grand Tour to Unusual Places"
A fascinating tour to places unfamiliar and out of the ordinary. Eastern Estonia is well worth visiting if you like history and social commentary. Uku provided us with engaging commentary about the past, present, and future. A wonderful day.
"Fantastic tour"
Such a fantastic tour, we got to the Estonian and Russian border, with multiple fascinating stops along the way. Uku was such a knowledgeable tour guide, very friendly and funny. Small group of 7, great number. This tour was one of the highlights of our trip.
"A fascinating day in eastern Estonia"
My family (me, my wife, and two teens) thoroughly enjoyed our tour of eastern Estonia. Each stop was fascinating and our guide was friendly, funny, and informative. Would highly recommend!
"To Narva and Beyond"
We booked this tour as a private one because we wanted the flexibility to potentially see things that weren't described in the trip listing. We were not disappointed! Our guide had arranged a surprise for our group, a meeting the previous mayor of a town on the way to Narva. The tour included interesting sites that you would never see if only visiting Tallinn. Our guide, Sten, was extremely knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor in sharing stories about all the places we visited. It is a long trip, but totally worth it, especially our last stop at the beautiful cliff side waterfall and hike down to the beach on the Baltic sea where we looked for fossils.
"Without Kert you might loose so many places and stories!"
Kert is a wonderful guide with enormous knowledge, who is individually setting places to see, he listens to guest’s interests. He is also a good driver and protective host- everyone is feeling safe during the trip. He’s English is excellent. Highly reccomand!
"Amazing Eastern Estonia / Narva Tour"
Sten was amazing on our private tour. He is so full of knowledge and provided an in-depth history of Estonia and the roles Germany and the Soviet Union and Russia played along the way to Narva. Even in winter, the tour was well worth it.
" worthwhile historical and scenic tour"
Wonderful guide extremely competent ( a history professor!), and a tour bringing some nice touristic sights, but most of its interest comes from the way it makes you understand the reality of Estonia. today, between Baltic states common history and Russian influence
"Amazing tour with an amazing guide"
What an interesting day in Eastern Estonia visiting the part of Estonia, we had never been before. 12 hour tour was really worth experiencing: oil shales, secret city, ghost town etc. Our guide Sten was awesome, we were impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm. We highly recommend this tour, and you'll be so lucky, if it is guided by Sten.
"Sten was the best guide one could hope for! "
I absolutely loved it, the whole tour was quite striking and breathtaking. I got some amazing photos out of it too and the tour guide was incredible!
Thank you :)
"Nice guide nice tour"
Both beauty in architecture and some 'sadness' in environmental destruction to experience.
"Off the tourist trail to Eastern Estonia"
Really enjoyed this off-the-beaten-track tour of eastern Estonia. You really get to see a very different side of the country - a lot of which looks and feels like it is still in the Soviet times. Narva was particularly interesting being so close to Russia, but there are many things to see and we highly appreciate that we were able to tailor our tour as desired. Would highly recommend to others that like a more quirky and unusual experience. Our guide Sten was very good - you could ask him anything and he would know the answer!
"An interesting tour with history rearing spoken off"
I enjoyed the discovers made during the tour. It was interesting to hear about the Soviet empire that we rarely are taught about in the UK. Sten was very informative and knowledgeable about the history. I enjoyed the food from the restaurant too, tasted good and was very filling! You'll enjoy the tour. My highlights were visiting Sillimae and the ghost town
"Back in the USSR"
Some places reminded me of former East Germany.
Good spots of 'Stalin Culture'
Sten was good and entertaining guide, that has a lot of knowledge about every stop we have visited. He explained a lot of Estonia and from the past and today.
"Back in the U.S.S.R."
Maybe especially for a Swede, with all the common history, this is a very interesting and nice tour to take - to visit Narva and see some of the historical sites that is so deeply seated in our history.
But the tour is also of great interest for all people who are interested in getting a glimpse of what life was like in the U.S.S.R. You will even be able to visit a formerly "secret city" that was not marked on the map!
"Estonia Eye Opener"
We didn't know much about Estonia, being Americans and such. To us, it was simply a former Soviet republic that found independence dumped on its lap when the Wall fell. Through JJs personal stories of growing up during these years, along with seeing some of the scars, we got a much better appreciation of the nation and people around us. I feel disappointed for those who travel to Tallinn and only see the Old City. This tour opened our eyes to so much more.
"interesting"
It was very interesting and guide knew everything ja told as lot about eastern Estonia.
"Interesting Tour"
Long tour but definitely worth it and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about the Soviet times. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable.
"Urban exploring, castles and shale bings"
Katlin is a proper history teacher who kept us engaged and enthused as we struck east past storks and an elk (yes! -not guaranteed every day). From Narva we looked at Russia, Lenin, twin forts and the huge Krenholm cotton mill. Mining town Kohtla-Jarve, with garden city origins, shale bings and an Armenian restaurant (try the Georgian green lemonade, looks like absinthe), the model soviet Sullimae, which had some nefarious cold war purpose, and a not-entirely-abandoned mining village (some valiant residents still holding out with neat gardens against adjacent abandonment). Tolse Teutonic castle on the seashore and an interesting (yes) cement works started the day's visits. Be prepared for a long and stimulating day rich in recent and ancient memories. Thank you!
"Very informative"
I really wanted to learn about the Soviet occupation and see cities in the interiors of Estonia. It was a fantastic and informative tour. Our tour guide Kat was really good. Gave us ample information about the medieval history of Estonia and later on about the soviet occupation. We visited cities on the border town. Saw old abandoned castles/forts and some refurbished ones. This tour is not everyones cup of tea but if you are interested, I’d highly recommend it.
"Explore the unexplored"
Katrin tried really hard to accomodate us. She tended to all our needs. I got to see parts of Estonia which I couklld not have seen on my own in a day. Very informative comentry. It is a part of the country that has been neglected and needs more loving. It will not blow your mind, but will give you another perspective of this beautiful country.
"Very interesting tour of a different part of Estonia "
Kerr did a great job showing us a lot near and around Narva. He explained the history well and as we were on a private tour he also adapted the schedule when we asked to visit an additional site. It was a great day!
"Excellent"
Very interesting tour, our guide was excellent and we went to many places. Would have liked to have a bit longer in Narva. It was a long day.
"From old to modern history and from industrial heritage to nature."
I had an excellent tour guide Krislin. Her native town was Kohtla-Järve and she gave us a lot of information about this eastern part of Estonia. Many thanks! The tour is an excellent mixture of old (Toolse fortress, Narva castle+memorial of 1700 battle) and new history (WWII, Soviet era) together with industrial heritage (oil shale mining, Kreenholm factory). A contract of walking in a "ghost town" and in Sillamäe was unbelievable. The distance of 210 km gave me a perspective of a size of Estonia and of her fields and woods which we were passing.
"Great way to see Estonia "
We had a great day with Kert and especially enjoyed the abandoned town, which looked great in the snow! It's a long day but there's plenty to see and it's an excellent way to see a bit more of the country outside Tallinn. Kert was a nice guy and a great driver too!
"Trip back in time to the Soviet era"
This was a very interesting tour, looking back at life in Soviet times and how it has changed. Liine, our guide was very knowledgeable and we learnt so much about the past. Being able to stare into Russia from the very interesting Narva castle was a memorable experience. The trip is long but we stopped regularly in various places, where Liine explained their significant stories.
"The wild northeast of Estonia"
Great solo tour with Kert to the northeast of Estonia. A fascinating day of history both ancient and recent in a beautiful part of Europe. So much to see and do in a land of contrasts. Expect your preconceptions to be challenged, and enjoy a fun day out.
Kert is an exceptional guide - knowledgeable, witty, accommodating and fun.
"Excellent Private Tour"
Narva and the Eastern Bloc Private day tour was a very interesting and enjoyable day. Our guide Laura was very knowledgeable and imparted plenty of information for us. She made the tour enjoyable, informative and full of extra information. We enjoyed walking along the edge of the Narva river which is the border with Russia. We would highly recommend doing this tour, to learn about the countryside and towns out of Tallinn. Well done Laura and thank you!
"Very special tour"
Thank you so much for an amazing journey into the past Soviet history of the country. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.
"Outstanding trip to Narva and Eastern Block Sites"
Kert Oun was the guide for an extremely enjoyable and educational outing from Tallinn to Narva and many sites with buildings from the Soviet era. A history buff, he went in depth on each site and the history of Estonia and it's people. He was also highly respectful of the local people during our visits to various towns. Don't miss this tour if you can manage it, especially if Kert is the guide.
"Narva & The Eastern Bloc tour"
I attended Narva tour and it was a great experience for me! We visited places I would not be able to discover on my own, a spooky abandoned village and a huge former cotton factory, historical soviet buildings, castle on the very boarder with Russia and other cool places where the time has stopped and we could "taste" the forgotten fame from the past.
Kert was a very nice guide with knowledge of the history and explained to us all the interesting background of the places. He was very friendly and together with other tourists, the tour turned to an exciting trip of friends.
"Narva & Eastern Bloc Tour"
Travelling with Kert and Isabel has been a great pleasure. The day-tour has been filled with information about this out-of-the-way part of Estonia - historical as well as modern times have been covered by the profund knowledge of Kert. Both guides were great company (as were the other guest) and I had lots of fun. And thanks for the safe driving.
Thanks again and all the best to you
"Narva tour"
I took the tour to Narva last year with Kert as a tour guide.
What I enjoyed the most was that there was never a rush, unlike most other tours I have been to.
Kert had answers to all my questions. We all got along really well and it felt like I was travelling with a group of friends. Narva tour would be a perfect fit for someone who is interested in soviet era and exploring abandoned places. Everything was excellent!
"Excellent guiding"
We had a private tour with Kert last week from Tallinn to Narva. We enjoyed the full day with excellent guiding to historic places. Ingrid and Claes
"Well done private tour to Narva"
We booked this full-day tour online in advance in order to see something different and spend a day with a local, away from the Capital. We were too sure what to expect, but found the experience well worth our time and the expense. We inquired about changing the date of the booking by a day due to more favorable weather and also asked about changing our final payment from cash to credit card and they effortlessly agreed. Our guide, Kert, was very timely, courteous and accommodating to our requests throughout the day. He provided good and interesting commentary and answered our many questions with plenty of details. Complements to Kert and Tallinn Traveller Tours for a job well done.
"A wonderful day on the Narva tour"
A massive thank you to JJ. I learnt and saw a lot in one day. His local knowledge and anecdotes made it a memorable day. If you want to see the side of Estonia not usually seen by tourists, then this is the tour for you. Also thank you to Marii, for suggesting the tour for me. To sum up; great value, great lunch, great guide and most of all a tour that does exactly what it says. See you next time.
"Väga huvitav ja seiklusrikas päev"
Suur-suur tänu teile suurepärase Ida-Eesti tuuri eest. Oli väga huvitav ja seiklusrikas päev. Suur tänu giid Triinule, kes viis meid huvitavatesse kohtadesse ning puistas hulgaliselt huvitavaid fakte. Soovitan ka teistele ettevõtetel viia oma töötajad hetkeks kontorist välja ning tugevdada seeläbi meeskonna vaimu.
"Highly recommended"
I've had an interesting, very well organized and informative tour to Narva with a wonderful guide Reelika! Before Narva we saw also Kohtla-Jarve, Sillamae, an old train station and a factory, a ghost town, a tank T-34, a lot of industrial things that I like so! I'm Russian but it was very interesting to see this part of a post soviet territory! We were only 5 and Reelika drive us in a car herself. It was a excellent day!!!!
We had a great trip with George on Saturday June 28th to Narva. This was a great experience and George a great guide. We strongly recommend this tour, to all, who wants to understand about estonian history.
"Shall use them again"
I want to thank Jevgeni for a wonderful day tour in Narva. We learned so much- in his calm was of speaking he was able to explain the history and plight of Estonia . He was a real professional, always smiling and accomodating. Highly recommended as was Marii who organized this for us. I shall use their services again for other trips, as I am presently living in Tallinn and want to see and learn as much as posible while here.
"A wonderful day tour in Narva"
I want to thank Jevgeni for a wonderful day tour in Narva.
We learned so much- in his calm was of speaking he was able to explain the history and plight of Estonia . He was a real professional, always smiling and accomodating. Highly recommended as was Marii who organized this for us. I shall use their services again for other trips, as I am presently living in Tallinn and want to see and learn as much as posible while here.
"An absolute adventure"
When I travel, I crave new and different experiences. The only way I can describe Narva & Eastern Bloc Tallinn tour is an absolute adventure. Going to the Russian/Estonian Border seeing relics of the Old Communist Occupation in the east and learning about the immense history of the region were all highlights. The guides were great. I'd go back again in a heartbeat, even if it's just for the herring.
"Very accommodating with a last-minute booking"
A friend and I were thrilled to be taken on one of the first full tours of Narva & the Eastern Bloc from Tallinn. We spent more than 12 hours covering incredible ground with a very wide variety of historical, political and natural sights. Our host was informative and enthusiastic and very accommodating with a last-minute booking. Even if you've got a small group of two or three people interested, it's well worth inquiring about a private tour any day of the week, beyond the standard Saturdays that they suggest.
