Discovering Helsinki

Discover the best things to do in Helsinki

An ideal holiday destination for both for lovers of the arts and those who relish its exciting and vibrant nightlife, Helsinki is also a child-friendly city perfect for family vacations. Packed with excellent cultural attractions and events, a fascinating blend of architectural styles, and an incredible amount of open and green spaces, Finland’s modern and cosmopolitan capital is an exciting and fun city to stay in. Here are a selection of the best things to do in Helsinki this summer and autumn!

Popular Tourist Attractions

Helsinki’s main Market Square is one of the more famous landmarks, but recent years have seen the adjacent site in Katajanokka developed with a number of fine attractions and things to do. Allas Sea Pool is an oasis in the Helsinki harbour with a large outdoor pool deck and traditional Finnish saunas offering views over the Baltic Sea. Their sea water and heated pools are open every day all year round, with the heated kiddies pool open in the summer and under the supervision of a lifeguard.

Maritime Helsinki also offers visitors a range of wonderful experiences to choose from: scenic lunch cruises through the archipelago; ferry trips to and from Korkeasaari Zoo which is uniquely located on an island in the Baltic, only a short distance from Helsinki city centre. Korkeasaari Zoo is home to over 150 animal species from the Himalayan slopes to the African deserts, and from the northern coniferous forests to the Amazon jungle. For families with children, nature lovers and outdoorsy types of all ages Korkeasaari is an ideal day out, as it is for couples and groups of friends.

SEA LIFE Helsinki transports you into an amazing underwater world. Be wowed by the beautiful and fascinating creatures of the deep sea, and prepare for astonishingly close views. Take a magical journey through the world’s oceans, experienced with more amazing sea creatures like sharks, turtles, rays and seahorses! The SEA LIFE aquarium is located next to Linnanmäki Amusement Park.

Helsinki’s Cultural Gems

With over 50 museums in and around Helsinki, Finland’s capital city has something for every culture vulture.

The Sinebrychoff Art Museum is the only museum in Finland which specialises in the artworks from the 14th century to the 1850s, and holds some of the most important paintings from the old European masters in the country. The first floor and the basement are reserved for changing exhibitions, while the second floor houses the permanent collections of the house museum.

The Ateneum Art Museum is Finland’s most renowned art museum. ​​The Ateneum’s collection spans from the 18th century to Modernism. The collection includes nearly 30,000 national treasures in total. ​The highly popular exhibitions of the museum showcase both international and Finnish artists. Paired with the museum’s topical research activities, the exhibitions provide new information and perspectives to the visitors.

Day Trips From Helsinki

Located just 30 km west of Helsinki centre, Kirkkonummi is an interesting destination packed with fascinating cultural sites and nature attractions, an ideal day trip for all where there’s plenty to see and do, even for longer visits.

At Kirkkonummi, you can relax while enjoying wonderful nature experiences. Kirkkonummi offers visitors the opportunity to breathe in the fresh forest air, or to travel to the seaside to admire the rocky beaches and experience the authentic island atmosphere.

Located less than an hour away from Helsinki city centre, Lake Tuusula was once home to one of Finland’s most prestigious group of artists, and the homes they once lived in still dot the lakeside paths, providing visitors with a chance to step back in time to the Golden Age of Finnish Art. These include Ainola – the home of Sibelius; Halosenniemi – the wilderness studio of painter Pekka Halonen; Suviranta – the former studio residence of painter Eero Järnefelt; Erkkola – home of poet J. H. Erkko; and the Aleksis Kivi Memorial Cottage.

You can also take Baltic Sea cruises with Tallink Silja. One of Helsinki’s most appealing aspects for visitors is the easy access to other capitals around the Baltic Sea, with numerous daily cruises to Tallinn and daily overnight cruises to Stockholm via Åland Islands