Rummu Tallinn: Getting to the Quarry by Bus, Car or Van

• Top choice Rummu, Cliffs & Waterfall from US$144 Duration6 hours^[3]Group sizeLimited to 7 participants^[3]Rating4.76 from 133 reviews^[3]GuideLive tour guide in English^[3]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[3] Check availability
• Paldiski Sights & Rummu from US$127 Duration7 hours^[5]Group sizeLimited to 8 participants^[5]Rating4.15 from 6 reviews^[5]GuideLive tour guide in English^[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[5] See this tour
• Jägala Waterfall & Harju from US$135 Duration4 hours^[6]Group sizeLimited to 7 participants^[6]Rating4.86 from 114 reviews^[6]GuideLive tour guide in English^[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[6] See this tour

How to Get to Rummu Quarry from Tallinn

Rummu Quarry lies west of Tallinn, out along the coast beyond Paldiski, where the city's edges give way to pine forest, limestone and open sea. Three realistic options get you there: a guided van day that strings the coast's main sights together, a scheduled coach service that runs to Rummu itself, and your own car. Which one suits you depends on whether you want the quarry alone or the whole coastal run, and on how much you enjoy sorting out timetables. What follows is the practical picture for each option, with the numbers that matter for planning.

The quarry is the headline, but it is not the only thing worth seeing out here. The coast road passes a waterfall, a Soviet-era town, a lighthouse and cliffs that drop straight into the Baltic. Covering all of that in one day without a car takes planning, which is where an organised van run earns its keep. If you simply want to stand on the quarry shore and look at the buildings rising out of the water, the bus or your own car will do the job.

Distance and Drive Time to Rummu Quarry

Daytrip lists the road transfer from Rummu Quarry and Prison to Tallinn at a total distance of 45 km and an estimated time of 50 min.^[1] That is a short run by most standards, done in one direction inside an hour when the roads are clear. The route heads west out of the city and spends much of its length among forest and small settlements rather than motorway. Think of the drive as part of the day out rather than dead time between two places.

Once you arrive, the site's own hours set the shape of your day. Rummu Quarry is open all year round every day from 10:00 to 20:00.^[4] Winter daylight is short, and an early start gives you the best of the light and room to walk the shoreline at your own pace. If you would rather not drive back the same evening, Rummu Caravan Park sits in the quarry and takes motorhomes, caravans and tents.^[9]

Half-submerged quarry buildings, still standing in turquoise water.

Rummu Quarry Bus from Tallinn

The Tallinn to Rummu Quarry bus service is FlixBus, which runs 2 rides each day between Tallinn and Rummu.^[2] Two rides a day is workable, but it fixes your day around departure times. Check the current timetable against your dates before you commit, and work out the last stretch from the stop to the quarry itself in advance, so that the final part of the journey is not a surprise.

A bus day is naturally a quarry day. Keila Waterfall, Paldiski, the lighthouse and the coastal cliffs are spread out along the same shore, and reaching each of them under your own steam takes time. If the full circuit is what you came for, a van tour covers it in one pass with someone else doing the driving. If the submerged quarry alone is the draw, the bus gets you close and keeps the day simple.

The Guided Van Tour from Tallinn

The tour booked from this site is Tallinn: Rummu Quarry, Coastal Cliffs and Keila Waterfall, a small group day trip limited to 7 participants, with a live tour guide in English and a duration of 6 hours.^[3] It runs as a van day, and the listed stops are Suurupi, Keila Waterfall, Paldiski, Pakri Lighthouse and Rummu Quarry, with the van covering each leg in between.^[3] From-prices start at US$144, and you can reserve now and pay later.^[3]

Other guided options cover similar ground in different ways. Paldiski Soviet Era Sights and Rummu Quarry runs 7 hours, in a small group limited to 8 participants, from US$127.^[5] Jägala Waterfall and Harju County Tour takes a line inland, lasting 4 hours in a group limited to 7 participants, from US$135.^[6] Read the stops on each listing carefully before you book, because the same name can hide a very different day on the coast.

Rummu Quarry: The Submerged Quarry

The story here is industrial and strange. The quarry was worked for limestone, and once the prison closed after 1991 the pumps that had kept the quarry and the prison dry were shut down, causing water to fill the quarry.^[10] What is left is a lake with a maximum depth of 14 metres, holding the shells of buildings, walls and machinery that were never taken away.^[11] From the shore you look down into clear water at staircases and concrete frames, all of it framed by pale quarry walls.

The quarry is an unofficial and unguarded place for swimming or diving, where locals usually come to swim in summer.^[7] Summer water temperature at the quarry is 15.0 to 20.0 °C.^[8] Divers are well served: Rummu Diving and WaterSports organizes weekly dives for certified divers, open water dives for those whose courses are incomplete, and full OWD courses.^[12] Above the water line, Paekalda Holiday Center by the quarry lake offers sauna rituals.^[13] In winter the skating rink ticket includes access to the quarry, the prison and an audio guide.^[14]

Keila Waterfall, Paldiski and the Cliffs

Keila Waterfall is 6 metres high^[15], and the guided day trip calls there between Suurupi and Paldiski.^[3] It is a wide curtain of water over a limestone ledge, with paths and trees on either side. Paldiski, further west, is a town of Soviet-era blocks and a harbour, and the Pakri Lighthouse stands on the cliff edge above the sea. The light out here is enormous, especially in the long evenings of early summer.

Vasalemma limestone is a detritic limestone with a marble-like structure and texture, and it is easy to process. Locally it is also known as Vasalemma marble.^[16] On the coast, expect pale rock faces, boulders on the beach below and pine woods above. Bring shoes with grip for the cliff paths, a windproof layer for the exposed stretches, and a camera you do not mind carrying over sand.

Booking, Cancellation and Timing

The guided day trip can be reserved now and paid later, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.^[3] That is a generous amount of flexibility for a day tour, and it lets you hold a date while you watch the forecast. The group is limited to 7 participants, which is worth remembering when you pick a date, and the same limit applies to the Jägala tour.^[3][6]

The trip runs 6 hours, and the listed route opens with a van leg before the first stop at Suurupi.^[3] Starting times are shown when you check availability for your date. If your plans are still loose, reserving now and paying later lets you hold a place without committing straight away. Should you decide to stay out west instead of heading back, Rummu Caravan Park takes motorhomes, caravans and tents at the quarry itself.^[9]

Getting there step by step

1. Work out your route

   Decide between the guided day trip, the FlixBus service from Tallinn and driving yourself.

2. Book the guided van

   Pick a date, reserve now and pay later, and keep the free cancellation window of 24 hours in mind.^[3]

3. Set off from Tallinn

   The listed route opens with a van leg before the first stop at Suurupi.^[3]

4. Coast and quarry

   The day runs 6 hours and takes in Suurupi, Keila Waterfall, Paldiski, Pakri Lighthouse and Rummu Quarry.^[3]

5. Stay longer if you like

   Rummu Caravan Park takes motorhomes, caravans and tents at the quarry.^[9]

Common questions