The Ultimate Guide to Helsinki – What to See, Eat, and Do
If Helsinki is your next travel destination then this is an Ultimate Guide to Helsinki which will cover everything about to What to see in Helsinki, What to eat in Helsinki, Where to stay in Helsinki and How to Commute in Helsinki.
This is going to a be a one stop post for you to gather all the details around your travel to Helsinki. We planned our backpacking trip to Scaninavia and Baltic so if you are looking for similar kind of trip then you can check our post One Week in Scandinavia and Baltic – Ultimate Europe Itinerary for Cruisers which will give you all the details around making this possible.
Now the reason why it is backpacking trip because we booked it with the cheapest airlines in Europe using our Tool for Cheap flight booking and without any travel checkin luggage but just with normal cabin luggage.
Finland is a country consisting of thousands of islands and is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Finland has a population of around 5.5 million and is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world. If you’re looking for an escape from hectic city life, Finland should be your destination.
Helsinki is a Baltic Sea coastal city in the Nordics. It has a population of about 600,000 inhabitants and is the capital of Finland.
Helsinki was a small fishing village until a decree from Tsar Alexander I in 1812 transformed it into the new capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland. The Finnish Parliament moved from Turku to Helsinki 100 years later.”
The city offers everything from world-class museums to beautiful natural parks. It is also fairly easy to get around, with plenty of public transportation options and taxis for when you need them. As one of the fastest-growing capitals in Europe, Helsinki is always changing and adapting to meet people’s needs.”
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What Makes Helsinki So Special? Ultimate Guide to Helsinki
Helsinki is a perfect destination for a family vacation. It offers a variety of activities and things to see and do in different seasons.
Helsinki is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, especially among tourists from Russia and China.
How To Get Around in Helsinki
Public transportation in Helsinki is fast and efficient. It enables the people of Helsinki to move around the city no matter what time of day or night. The public transportation system includes trains, buses, trams and ferries. One of the most notable features of public transportation in Helsinki is that it’s free to ride on all modes of transport!
Helsinki Travel Card
No when you are travelling to any of the countries in Europe then you will find an option like travel card for the city so is available for Helsinki as well.
Now let us find out if the Helsinki Travel Card is worth your money or not!
This card offers a unique way to experience the city. Enjoy free public transport, entry to sights and museums, a sightseeing tour (limited timetable 2021), and discounts on dining, shopping, and tours. Choose from 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour validity.
If you are a traveller who really enjoy eating in resturants wants to explore most of the meuseum and use public transport a lot then Helsinki Travel Card will for sure reduce the amount of expenditure here and will be an optimum buy for you.
You can check the availability of the card for your travel date using the tool from our affiliate partner below
Where to stay in Helsinki?
Now if you are a budget planner and looking for a budget trip in Europe then you might wanna book a hostel in Helsinki or maybe use our Travel Resources Accomodation page to find the best stay in Helsinki.
We were travelling as a group in Helsinki so we booked the Cheap Sleep Hotel in Helsinki.
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Top five Budget Places to Stay in Helsinki
All the selection have been made sure that they have more than 8 rating on Booking.com, it doesnt make sense to book a cheap accommodation in the city with lower ratings on booking.
Also just to bring this to your highlight in Helsinki when we were booking there were couple of hostel and hotels which were freshly listed on the website and offer free cancellation and other stuff but once you book them. Their owner would contact you on your phone asking you to send money via a custom generated link. If you encounter something like that then dont fall for that scam and cancel that booking and book a new place on booking.com.
- Cheap Sleep Hostel Helsinki – This do have an option for private accomodation so dont just go by the name of the hostel. This place is 2.7 Km from the city center.
- Hostel Suomenlinna – 3.4 Km from the city center this hostel will cost you around 48 euro per night.
- Eurohostel – 1.6 Km from the city center this is a very good choice if you want to stay in Helsinki on a budget.
- Hostel Diana Park – This hostel right in the city center just around 0.6 km away. So if you are looking for a place to crash in the city center of Helsinki then this is the perfect choice for you.
- Inn Tourist Hotel & Hostel – 1.5 Km from the city center this is another excellent choice to stay in Helsinki.
Top five premium places to live in Helsinki
- Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Helsinki
- Original Sokos Hotel Albert
- Marski By Scandic
- Lapland Hotels Bulevardi
- Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa
Top Things to do in Helsinki
Suomenlinna in Helsinki man made places in Scandinavia
Suomenlinna’s history began in 1748, when Sweden-born King Adolf Frederick ordered the construction of a naval fortress on the island of Suomenlinna. The king wanted to strengthen Sweden’s position in the Baltic Sea and to show that Finland belonged to Sweden.
Located just within Helsinki’s city limits, Suomenlinna is accessible by ferry boat from Market Square or by a 15-minute boat ride from Katajanokka.
Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Finland’s most popular tourist attractions with over 300,000 visitors each year. Visitors can explore the fortress either on foot or by bike, take a tour around the island or visit one of its museums. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes scattered about for those who wish to sit down
If you are planning to visit the Suomenlinna Museum then the entrance ticket cost you for 8 Euro and you can book that online from below link
The Finnish Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History in Finland is one of the most visited museums in the country. It has a collection of more than 700,000 items and has on display about 10,000 specimens.
The museum was founded in 1894 and it has been open for visitors for 120 years since then. Recently it celebrated its 120th anniversary with a series of events that were attended by more than 100,000 visitors.
This museum is an important institution to Finland and its people because it brings natural history closer to them and encourages them to understand their environment better.
National Museum of Finland
The National Museum of Finland is a museum that has a rich history. It was established in 1889 and is located in Helsinki, Finland. The museum has a diverse collection that includes art, archaeology, history, and ethnography from all over the world.
It’s not just a museum to walk through – it also offers educational services for the public as well as outreach to schools and libraries.
The national museum of finland has been around since 1889 with a rich history of art, archaeology, history and ethnography from all over the world.
Temppeliaukio – Rock Church – Helsinki’s most popular tourist attraction!
The Temppeliaukio (rock church) is located in an imposing granite building that was designed by the Finnish architect Timo Penttilä.
The building is popular with tourists for its architecture, its excellent acoustics,and for Easter services in the springtime. Tourists are encouraged to visit the building during off-peak hours because it can get very crowded!
Tourists are encouraged to visit this place during off-peak hours because it can get very crowded with people coming there for sightseeing and other purposes.
The entrance to this church cost you around 4 Euro and you can prebook that from below link
Kamppi Chapel
This is one of the most spectacular churches in the city with a breathtaking interior decoration and architecture. The chapel was built in 1967, and features classic Nordic architectural style. The building consists of two octagon-shaped towers that are connected by an arched corridor.
The Kamppi Chapel is located on the top floor of the Kamppi Center, which is right above Helsinki Central Railway Station. There are many nearby attractions for visitors to explore like Ruumishuone Gallery, Töölönlahti Bay, and Finlandia Hall.
Helsinki Cathedral
The cathedral is the center of Helsinki’s life, and it is even more important to the people in Finland.
The Lutheran Cathedral in Helsinki is the largest church in the country. The church was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel who also designed St. Nicholas Church in Tallinn, Estonia. It was built between 1826-1852.
The Helsinki Cathedral has a cruciform floor plan with two four-sided towers at its eastern end where are placed two pointed arches which are made of copper. The cathedral has a pipe organ which is played for services and concerts regularly throughout the week.
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Kiasma Helsinki
Kiasma Helsinki is a contemporary art museum in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on 18 November 1998, and it is the only Finnish national museum devoted solely to contemporary art.
The word “kiasma” comes from the Finnish language and means “a dream, a vision”.
Atenuem
Ateneum has been a symbol of Helsinki for more than a century. The Ateneum art museum and the adjacent concert hall offer an excellent setting for exhibitions, concerts and performances of all types.
The Ateneum is an art museum in Helsinki, Finland. It is located on the Esplanadi near the University of Helsinki and is best known for its various exhibitions, concerts and performances. The building was designed by architect Carl Ludvig Engel and completed in 1887.
Linnanmäki
Linnanmäki is an amusement park that was opened in 1952. It is located on the eastern side of Helsinki, Finland.
Linnanmäki is one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe. It has more than 60 years of experience and has always had a high level of quality service to its visitors. Linnanmäki offers both Finnish and international cuisine. Visitors can enjoy different activities like go-karting, mini golf, water slides, and many others.
The ticket cost for the amusement park is 42 Euro.
You can also check the availability from below tool
Uspensky Cathedral
The Uspensky Cathedral is an Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland. It was built in 1894 by the Finnish architect Lars Sonck.
The Uspensky Cathedral is the only Orthodox church in Helsinki and is also one of the few buildings left from Tsar Nicholas II’s reign outside Russia.
The Uspensky Cathedral is part of a complex with a seminary and a belfry. It holds services on Sundays and traditional holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Pascha (Easter).
The cathedral was bombed during World War II by Soviet forces because it was used as an anti-aircraft observation post for Nazi Germany.
Market Square
Market Square Helsinki is a mixed-use complex that provides office spaces, shops and restaurants for the public.
The idea was to create a vibrant center of Helsinki where people can meet and exchange ideas, goods and services. The prime location at the heart of the city has been designed to offer the best possible selection of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Market Square Helsinki is not just about shopping or eating out – it’s about meeting with friends, enjoying live music or seeing first-run cinema releases on one of five screens.
Helsinki Central railway station
The Helsinki Central railway station in Helsinki is the busiest train station in Finland. It is located on a man-made island called Mannerheimintie.
This section provides information about how the Helsinki Central railway station works and gives a brief history of it.
The construction of this railway station was overseen by Nikolai von Polier who used the design of a Viennese architect named Otto Wagner. The iconic clock tower in the center was designed by Eliel Saarinen, designer of the Washington Monument and Detroit’s Renaissance Centre.
Design Museum
Design museum Helsinki is the first design museum in Finland. It was created in collaboration with the Finnish National Collections of Art and Architecture. The museum was opened on 8 September 2018, with an exhibition called ‘The Shape of Design’.
The shape of design is an exhibition that showcases some of the world’s most well-known designer’s work, such as Isamu Noguchi, Charles and Ray Eames, and Dieter Rams.
Sibelius-Denkmal
Finland has a proud musical history, and the Sibelius Monument is a tribute to Jean Sibelius.
The monument was erected in 1967, and it celebrates Finland’s most famous composer. It features a statue of Jean Sibelius seated at the piano, and four granite blocks with bronze reliefs depicting aspects of his life. The monument is located on Helsinki’s Esplanadi Park overlooking the Gulf of Finland, which is incidentally called “the Bay of Music” in Finnish.
The Sibelius Monument honors his work as a composer, as well as his contributions to Finland’s independence.
Esplanadi
Esplanadi is a shopping center in Helsinki, Finland. It is located on Esplanadi Park on the banks of the River Aura.
On 18 November 2013, IKEA opened its first store in Finland, which was also the first one outside of Sweden. The store has an area of 4,400 square meters and over 5,000 parking spaces.
The new building is part of a project that includes an extension to the existing shopping center and office space for IKEA employees. The extension includes a new façade with window openings and terraces leading to commercial premises on three floors around the building
SkyWheel Helsinki
SkyWheel is spinning and offers a 360-degree view of the city and its surroundings. The structure is 83 meters tall and consists of 16 capsules, which are arranged in a circle.
The SkyWheel is mainly used by tourists, who want to see the city from an unusual perspective. It has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki.
The ticket cost is roughly around 13 Euro and you can pre book it online from below link
Flying Cinema Tour of Helsinki
Flying Cinema Tour of Helsinki is a Finnish project made by the Helsinki City Museum. The idea of this project is to make an aerial tour of Helsinki and show where most of the important and interesting places in the capital city are.
The video starts with a video projection on a big screen with a voiceover telling us that we are going to be taken on an aerial tour around the city. Then we see some shots from Helsinki, such as people walking in their everyday clothes, kids playing with friends and even some workers at work. We also see some beautiful views from old days when there were no big buildings or cars around in Helsinki. The aerial footage was captured by drones and it shows how different things were when we didn’t have so much pollution inside the city limits.
The cost of taking this tour is around 10.50 Euro
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