Best places to visit in Finland - My top tips!
Are you planning a trip to Finland? Great! I wish I could come too!
Check my top tips of Finnish places to see and experience, when in Finland.
Whether you are on a short trip or several weeks vacation, there is a lot to see!
This list contains my personal favorites and some are not in any public top lists, because they are special gems and secret!
On many "Things to see in Finland" lists you see always the same things.. I hope to build this page so that it covers more of the unbeaten track of Helsinki and gives you a great experience in Finland.
I will be updating this page.. those links take time to add! 😅
Let's start with Finland's capital, Helsinki, also my home town, and most visited city in Finland.
What to see in Helsinki metropolitan area?
Helsinki: Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
Well, naturally I recommend this, even when it's on every tourist guide, because Suomenlinna islands are the place where I'm originally from.
Beautiful old fortress island invites you for a nice stroll or a picnic in the summertime. A bonus! You get a nice ferry or boat ride from City center.
Public transportation ticket is valid for ferry, boat ticket costs is extra but will get you in the middle of the islands, and sometimes you get to see the outer side of islands too if you are lucky on the way back!
This place is perfect also with kids. You can go into several tunnels too! There are no lights so use your phone flash light. Note: Wintertime can be really cold and windy!
📍 Check Map- The ferry (public transport ticket) ) goes from here: Map
- The boat goes from he other end of the Market square: Map
- Secret tip: Go off the beaten track, here (from the sports field towards the sea, go via the portal) and turn left. Continue the small beautiful path close to the sea. After a few turns you'll find the best sunbathing spots and later the small beach. Around the islands there are several swimming stairs. Note: Don't jump into the sea, there are rocks and it might not be deep!
Helsinki: Hakaniemi Market Hall
is the authentic and cozy old local market hall, very different from the touristy Market hall in the Helsinki port.
There are some very nice shops.. you can find the best postcards to send your family, old traditional products made of birchbark, and everything from to spices to buttons and upcycled classic fabrics and of course, Finnish special foods! (check all the stores here)
This market hall is near the city center, just take the tram or you can walk too, less than 1 km from the railway station. On the way there is a nice Kaisaniemi park.
A tip: Visit the second floor, half of the stores are there!
Another tip: Outside is the Hakaniemi Market Square (open 9 AM-4 PM Mon-Sat) has a special Farmer's market on first Sunday of every month (info)
📍 Check mapHelsinki: Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden
A wonderful, peaceful place with outside gardens and greenhouses.
Helsinki: Kakkugalleria
The place to be if you are into cakes! They have an all-you can eat cake buffet, gorgeous cakes and pastries, sooo yummy! I definitely recommend visiting this.
📍 Check mapHelsinki, Yrjönkatu Swimming hall
My favorite place for sauna and swimming is nostalgic and beautiful, with separate visiting days for men and women. Several different saunas (the wood one is big and awesome!) You can also swim naked. Currently they are under renovations now, opening again in 2026.
Helsinki, Kulttuurisauna
Peaceful, almost zen-like minimalist and modern sauna and then some swimming in the sea? Oh yes, here you can do it! Bring your own swimming suit, towel, towel to sit on, slippers and plastic water bottle. There is a bar. Separate areas for men and women. You'll need to make a reservation on their page, here.
Helsinki, Tamminiemi
Next to Seurasaari outdoor museum there is a special house which is like going back in time to the classy 1970's, filled with classic design furniture and decoration items! This beautiful Jugend-style villa was the home of legendary president of Finland, Urho Kekkonen. Check his sauna, awesome! You can buy a combined ticket to Seurasaari island to visit both.
Helsinki, Design museum
I've always been a fan of beaufitul and practical design. This museum has a great collection of wonderful pieces that can take you back in time! Great place also for learning more about Finnish design. There are also very good special themed exhibitions.
Helsinki, Finnish Museum of Natural History
This was my favorite museum as a child. Awesome place to learn about Finnish nature and enjoy the beautiful building, and it's also very near the city center. Tip: Check the free entrance days here (bottom of the page)
📍 Where?
Helsinki, Kaivopuisto park
Go by tram, Buy an ice-cream here (I recommend the traditional vanilla cylinder stick!) This ice-cream booth is owned by over a 100 year old local small ice cream factory in Helsinki and stroll along the coastline back to the city center, enjoying the sea view.
You might spot some traditional rugs washing or drying around here (there is a very nice terrace to enjoy some refreshments by the sea!)
📍 Where?
Helsinki: My favorite café, Jugendsali
Everybody's going next door to Restaurant Kappeli (which is awesome too) but I like the old Jugend design and atmosphere of this cafe even more.
Helsinki, Oodi Library
This is very modern, an awesome library. Finns love the free libraries and this one is very special, with 3D printers and Virtual Reality rooms. You'll need to check the view from the top floor terrace! Right next to the railway station.
📍 Where?
Helsinki, Cinema Orion
The most beautiful movie theater of Helsinki has a wonderful art deco style and wonderful atmosphere. The place was opened in 1927, so almost a hundred years of cinema already! I have seen dozens of movies here! They also show classic and vintage movies, check the program here.
Note: Movies in Finland are always with original language, with Finnish and Swedish subtitles (in cinema and TV too)
There are also very nice restaurants and bars nearby. And the prices are more affordable than in the other cinemas. Perfect rainy day activity!
📍 Where?
Espoo: Nuuksio
This National Park is perfect for forest hiking, especially in autumn to see the beautiful ruska colors and pick some berries or mushrooms!
- 📍 Park for example here: Map and go around Haukkalampi small lake. Check also many marked hiking route suggestions e.g. here: https://nuuksioon.fi/en/korpinkierros-circle-trail-from-siikaniemi
Nuuksio: Reindeer park
When in Nuuksio, I recommend a visit to Reindeer park where you can see the reindeers very close and even feed them! Wonderful experience, very recommendable.
Finnish design super affordably? Are you kidding me?
If you are traveling on a budget but would like to buy some Finnish design, remember that Finns are big recyclers!
Your best bet is to go to the big recycling centers or a flea market to find second-hand e.g. glassware, dinnerware, and Finnish home decoration items.
Most Finnish homes are already filled with Iittala, Aarikka, Arabia, Finlayson, Marimekko and so on, so you can make really good finds! Don't stick to the "take these free" items, look for quality items.
In addition to dinnerware, I always check e.g. fabrics, curtains, sheets and those old terry towels that last a lifetime.
Check for example these:
- Espoo: Recycling center Finnoo: Where?
- Espoo: Recycling center Nihtisilta Where?
- Espoo: Recycling Center Iso Omena, easy access with metro Where?
- Vantaa: Recycling Center Porttipuisto Where?
- Find even more drift stores via this link, they are really popular nowadays! https://kirpputorit24.fi/city/kirpputori-helsinki/ (check also for other cities from down left corner)
How to move around in Helsinki?
My favorite transportation in Helsinki is the tram. Sure metro and busses work nicely but in a tram you can see so much more of the city!
You can check the public transportation timetables and routes for the whole Helsinki Metropolitan area (also Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa (and airport) from this handy public transportation website, already before the trip here: https://www.hsl.fi/en
Note: In Finland public transportation is famous for being on schedule!
For airport transport I recommend taking the train, there is a direct connection below the airport for train. Same link for the timetables.
Note: You will always need to have the ticket before taking the public transportation, that is when entering train, bus, tram or metro station.
I recommend the several days ticket with unlimited journeys. Check all ticket options here: https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares You can download a mobile app to store your ticket. In trams, trains and metro there is free wi-fi available.
How to stay online in Finland? Is using mobile phone expensive?
If you are worried about the phone roaming costs, worry no more. Use the Whatsapp or other data calls instead of normal phone calls.
Go to the nearest R-kioski (the most common kiosk) and buy a prepaid SIM card with unlimited data. Unlimited means really unlimited, you can surf as many gigas as you wish.
Check options here (in Finnish) My favorite is DNA Rajaton Prepaid 4G. It's less than 1€ in a day! You can put the prepaid SIM to your old mobile phone and share the network to your phone. (Remember to temporarily disable those mobile network and roaming options from your foreign mobile)
Additionally, all public transport and metro stations have free wi-Fi, and also in Helsinki City Center there is free wi-Fi outside, you just need to connect to it. And of course, airport has one too.
What to see Southern Finland?
Salo: Design Hill
The best outlet store for Finnish design for home! If you are travelling by car from Turku to Helsinki or other way around, you'll need to stop here!
📍 Where?
Turku,The Castle
Turku is the old capital of Finland and the tour to the over 700 year old castle is awesome! Those prisons.. A must when going to Turku!
📍 Where?
Turku, Aboa Vetus Ars Nova
I was really surprised by this place! Great museum, and what makes it so special is that you can experience the interesting underground archeological ruins - how the Turku town was a long long time ago.
📍 Where?
Heinola: Heila
Lovely and tasty local products market and a nice restaurant with Finnish food! Next door (same space as the gas station ABC) there is also Nanso outlet for Finnish clothes!
📍 Where?
Åland Islands (Ahvenanmaa in Finnish)
If you want to see the beautiful island routes and small towns between Finland and Sweden, check this! Even the biggest island is only 50 km (31 miles) wide! You can go by car, but it's a popular biking route as well.
You can move from island to another with ferries. Check this map: https://www.rengastie.fi/saariston-ympari-reitti/ Note that this trip requires some planning, because some of the ferries require pre-booking for a car.
You can also take a Turku-Långnäs ferry or if traveling without a car, I recommend Turku-Mariehamn ferry (Viking line or Tallink Silja line) then you can get to Mariehamn, the capital of Åland directly.
Note: Don't try to test your Finnish skills here, in Åland the language is Swedish.
A tip: The roads are beautifully reddish color because of granite rock that Åland islands have plenty of and they used it for the roads.
📍 Where?
What to see in Finnish Lapland?
Inari: Siida museum
This museum in Eastern Lapland reveals the life of Sami people and the nature in Lapland. This very interesting and memorable museum has been selected to be the European museum of year 2024!
- 📍 Map
Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village
This is where the Santa Claus (Joulupukki) lives in Finland! So much things to see there!
- 📍 Map
Western Lapland, My car trip tip!
If you are going with car and have a few days (e.g. you can take your car to the night train to Kolari, the most Northern railway station) and drive 2 hours to Enontekiö. Remember to stop for the most northern Alko if you like wine or alcohol, everything is more expensive in Norway.. supermarkets in Finland don't sell strong alcohol, only beer strength. Norwegians come there for shopping!
Then drive more north, along the Finland-Sweden border that has a beautiful river, when you reach Kilpisjärvi in 2-2 1/2 hours, you'll see mountain pieak of Saana (1029 meters).
The highest peak of Finland, Halti (1324 m) is difficult to reach, there is a marked trail from Kilpisjärvi, but it is demanding, with a need to cross rivers and rocks, and for experienced hiker it takes 3-7 days (check this route hiking experience)
When you are already there in Kilpisjärvi, I recommend driving 2 1/2 hours more to reach Tromsö in Norway, a beautiful small university town on an island. Those Norwegian mountains are also gorgeous on the way too!
