Things to do in Finland

The 18 best things to do in Finland

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1. 1Helsinki

   Take the ferry to the Suomenlinna sea fortress

   Suomenlinna is a sea fortress spread over a group of islands off Helsinki. Sweden began building it in 1748 as a maritime fortress and base for its Archipelago Fleet, named it Sveaborg, and surrendered it to Russia in 1808. UNESCO listed it in 1991 as an example of 18th century European fortress architecture. The HSL ferry from Market Square takes about 15 minutes and runs all year. From the main pier, the signposted Blue Route leads about 1.5 km past the church, the Great Courtyard, the dry dock and the cannons of Kustaanmiekka to the King's Gate, about 1 to 1.5 hours there and back. The Suomenlinna Museum adds a short film on the fortress's history.

   Tip: Buy your ferry ticket from the pier machines or the HSL app before boarding, since none are sold on board, and wear windproof layers and sturdy shoes for the cobblestones.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Suomenlinna (official, Governing Body of Suomenlinna); Suomenlinna (official, Governing Body of Suomenlinna); Governing Body of Suomenlinna; Suomenlinna (official, Governing Body of Suomenlinna); Ehrensvard Society (suomenlinnatours.com)
2. 2Rovaniemi

   Cross the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village

   Santa Claus Village sits on the Arctic Circle about 8 km north of central Rovaniemi, and the line, at 66°33′45.9″ north, is marked on its central square. Step over it, collect a certificate if you like, then meet Santa Claus in his office, where visitors have been welcome every day of the year for over 30 years. Around the square you find Mrs. Santa Claus' Christmas Cottage, reindeer, souvenir and design shops, cafes and restaurants. The Roosevelt Cottage, the first building at the Arctic Circle, was built in 1950 for Eleanor Roosevelt's visit. Bus 8 takes about 30 minutes from the city center to the Arctic Circle stop.

   Tip: Check the bus 8 timetable for your return, since weekday buses run until the evening but weekend buses run only from late morning to early evening.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Santa Claus Village (santaclausvillage.info); Santa Claus Village (santaclausvillage.info); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi)
3. 3Rovaniemi

   Hunt for the northern lights around Rovaniemi

   In Rovaniemi the aurora can appear from late August until the end of March or early April, and in Finnish Lapland it shows on around 150 nights a year when the weather allows. Green is the most common color; pink, violet and red displays are rarer. You don't have to go far: the Arctic Garden outside Arktikum and the Ounasvaara hill are within walking distance of the center, while the Olkkajärvi lean-to shelter and the Arctic Circle Hiking Area, about 15 and 20 minutes' drive away, have darker skies. Finns call the lights revontulet, fox fires, after a fox said to sweep sparks into the sky with its tail. A guided tour adds transport, local knowledge and a campfire.

   Tip: Use a designated parking area rather than the roadside, stay off frozen rivers and lakes, and carry a spare battery, since the cold drains them fast.

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (official); Visit Rovaniemi (official)
4. 4HelsinkiBook ahead

   Sweat in a seaside public sauna at Löyly

   Sauna is part of everyday life in Finland, and Löyly in the Hernesaari district on Helsinki's southern shore is one of the easiest places to try it. The complex has a traditional smoke sauna and a wood-burning sauna, each holding about 20 bathers, with direct access to an outdoor terrace and the sea for a cooling swim all year, weather permitting. Saunas are mixed, so swimsuits are worn at all times, with separate changing rooms and showers for men and women. Visits are booked in two-hour slots, and the restaurant serves lunch, dinner and a Saturday brunch. Finnish saunas are calm and quiet, usually between 70 and 90°C.

   Tip: Reserve your sauna slot online ahead of time, and bring flip-flops for the wet areas.

   Public sauna, 2 hours: €29 (about $33) · Book a sauna timeFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Sources: Loyly Helsinki; MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); Visit Finland (official)
5. 5Helsinki

   Stand under the copper dome of Temppeliaukio Church

   Temppeliaukio Church, at the end of Fredrikinkatu in central Helsinki, was cut directly into solid bedrock and completed in 1969 to a design by the architect brothers Suomalainen. Inside, rough rock walls rise to a dome lined with 22 km of copper, resting on concrete beams, while 180 skylights let daylight in all year. An ice-age crevice serves as the altarpiece. The acoustics are so good that the church has hosted up to 400 concerts in a single year. It is open for visits on almost every day of the year, and its central location makes it an easy stop between the city's museums and markets.

   Tip: Check the church's opening hours for your day about a week ahead, since services and concerts change them, and buy a day ticket at the door or online.

   Entry: €8 (about $9) · Pay at the door or onlineFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); Temppeliaukio Church (Helsinki parishes)
6. 6Helsinki

   Admire Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral

   Senate Square is Helsinki's Neoclassical showpiece. Four buildings by the architect Carl Ludvig Engel frame it: Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library. The cathedral, completed in 1852 and once called St. Nicholas Church, is the city's best-known landmark, with statues of the twelve apostles on its roof. A statue of Alexander II from 1894 stands in the middle of the square, and the Sederholm House on its southeast corner, Helsinki's oldest stone building, now holds the Helsinki City Museum. Esplanade Park and Market Square are a block away.

   Tip: Be on the square at 5:49 PM to hear the Sound of the Senate Square, a 5-minute glockenspiel-style piece that moves from building to building every day.

   €[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); Helsinki Cathedral Parish (helsingintuomiokirkko.fi)
7. 7Helsinki

   Graze Market Square and the Old Market Hall

   Market Square sits on the South Harbour at the end of Esplanade Park. Its stalls sell traditional market food, handicrafts and souvenirs, and heated cafe tents serve hot coffee even on the coldest winter days. Look for the Stone of the Empress, Helsinki's oldest public memorial, and the Havis Amanda fountain by Ville Vallgren from 1908. The Baltic Herring Market, held here every October since 1743, is one of Finland's oldest continuing events. Beside the square, the Old Market Hall, the city's oldest, sells cheese, fish, shellfish, cakes, spices, coffee and tea. Ferries to Suomenlinna leave from the square.

   Tip: Plan lunch in the Old Market Hall, but expect each vendor to keep its own hours.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); Helsinki City Premises Ltd (vanhakauppahalli.fi); MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki)
8. 8Helsinki

   See the golden domes of Uspenski Cathedral

   Uspenski Cathedral stands on the highest hill of the Katajanokka district, with red brick walls and golden cupolas. It is considered the largest Orthodox church in Northern and Western Europe, and its central cupola rises 33 m. Designed by the Russian architect Aleksei Gornostajev, it was consecrated in 1868, when Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, and its bricks came from the Bomarsund fortress in Åland, destroyed in the Crimean War. Inside, the iconostasis by Pavel Šiltsov mixes classical and Russian-Byzantine motifs.

   Tip: Opening hours change around services and exceptions are posted every Monday, so check the parish's weekly hours before you go.

   Entry: €5 (about $6) · Pay at the doorFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Orthodox Parish of Helsinki (hos.fi); MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki)
9. 9Porvoo

   Day trip to Old Porvoo's red shore houses

   Porvoo is Finland's second oldest city, and its old town is one of the most photographed views in the country. The red ochre shore houses along the Porvoo River, mostly built in the 1760s, once served as storehouses. Behind them, cobbled lanes of colorful wooden houses climb to Porvoo Cathedral, dedicated to Mary, which took its present form at the end of the 15th century. Jokikatu and Välikatu are lined with cafes, chocolate shops and boutiques, and the home of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg is now a museum. Buses leave Helsinki's Kamppi bus station every day and take about an hour.

   Tip: In summer, sail one way on the m/s J.L. Runeberg through the archipelago, about 3 hours, and take the bus for the other leg.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Visit Porvoo (visitporvoo.fi); Visit Porvoo (visitporvoo.fi); Visit Porvoo (visitporvoo.fi); Visit Porvoo (visitporvoo.fi)
10. 10Helsinki to Rovaniemi

    Ride the night train from Helsinki to Lapland

    The Santa Claus Express is the night train from Helsinki or Turku to Rovaniemi, Kolari or Kemijärvi, and it turns the long run north into part of the trip. You choose a seat or your own sleeper cabin, some with a private shower and toilet, eat in the restaurant car, and wake to breakfast as snowy forest slides past the window. The trains have Wi-Fi and power sockets in the cabins. Night trains leave Helsinki in the evening and reach Rovaniemi the next morning, while day InterCity trains take about 8 to 8.5 hours. Rovaniemi station is the first stop of bus 8 to Santa Claus Village.

    Tip: Pick a sleeper cabin when you book if you want to arrive rested, and choose one with its own shower and toilet for more privacy.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: VR (Finnish railways); Fintraffic (rata.digitraffic.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi)
11. 11Rovaniemi

    Learn the Arctic story at Arktikum

    Arktikum, close to Rovaniemi's center, is a science center and museum that makes a good first stop in Lapland. Two exhibitions share the building: the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland explores the Arctic region from above and within, and the Regional Museum of Lapland covers Lapland's history, people, nature and animals. An animation explains the science behind the northern lights. The architecture is an attraction in itself, and the Arctic Garden next door, by the river, is a pleasant walk and one of the town's public spots for aurora watching. The shop sells Lappish handicrafts and books.

    Tip: Opening hours change with the season, so check them first, and consider the Culture Pass, which covers Arktikum and Korundi for 7 days.

    Entry: €22 (about $25) · Buy at the door or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Arktikum Science Centre and Museum (official); Arktikum Science Centre and Museum (official); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (official)
12. 12Helsinki

    Step into rural Finland at Seurasaari

    Seurasaari is a wooded island reached over a white wooden bridge, a short bus or city bike ride from central Helsinki. Its Open-Air Museum, founded in 1909, gathers 89 buildings moved from different parts of Finland to make a 'miniature Finland': smoke cabins, crofts, farmsteads and manors, with the oldest log buildings from the late 17th century. Inside, rooms show everyday rural life in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the newest building, the Summer Cottage, shows Finnish cottage culture. The island also has a cafe, walking paths, friendly squirrels, and Midsummer bonfires each June.

    Tip: The museum buildings open only from 15 May to 15 September, so come in summer for the interiors and guided tours, or for a quiet island walk the rest of the year.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: National Museum of Finland (official); MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki); MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki)
13. 13Helsinki

    Meet Finland's golden age painters at the Ateneum

    The Ateneum, next to Helsinki's main railway station, holds Finland's oldest and largest art collection, nearly 30,000 works tracing Finnish art from 18th century portraits to modernism. Its rooms tell the country's story through painters such as Albert Edelfelt, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Helene Schjerfbeck, Hugo Simberg and Ellen Thesleff, and the international collection includes Cézanne, Chagall, Gauguin and Van Gogh. The building, designed by Theodor Höijer, was completed in 1887 and opened to the public in 1888; it also housed art schools until the 1980s. It is part of the Finnish National Gallery with Kiasma and the Sinebrychoff Art Museum.

    Tip: Famous works are sometimes on loan to other museums, so check the collection pages for a favorite before you go, or buy tickets in advance in the museum's webshop.

    At the ticket office: €23 (about $26) · Buy at the doorFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery; Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery; Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery
14. 14Helsinki

    Read on the Citizens' Balcony at Oodi library

    Helsinki Central Library Oodi opened on 5 December 2018, the eve of Finnish Independence Day, as the city's gift for the 100th anniversary of independence. Designed by ALA Architects in glass, steel and wood, it stands on Kansalaistori square opposite Parliament House, steps from the railway station. Each floor has its own mood: a busy ground floor with a cinema, a second floor of studios, 3D printers, sewing machines and game rooms, and a calm top floor under an undulating ceiling, with books, a cafe and the Citizens' Balcony looking out over the square. It is open seven days a week, from early morning until late evening.

    Tip: Head to the top floor for coffee and the view from the Citizens' Balcony, the calmest part of the building.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Helsinki Central Library Oodi (official); Helsinki City Library (oodihelsinki.fi); Helsinki Central Library Oodi (official); Helsinki Central Library Oodi (official)
15. 15Rovaniemi

    Walk the Ounasvaara nature trail above Rovaniemi

    Ounasvaara is a forested hill about 3 km east of Rovaniemi's center, used all year for sports and outdoor recreation. Its circular nature trail runs 4.9 km past a log lean-to shelter with a campfire site, through pine forest, wetland boardwalks and rocky ground to a viewpoint on the north side, then along the shore of an ancient lake back to the start. Boards explain the forests, plants, Ice Age geology and the history of Rovaniemi. The route is of moderate difficulty with no steep climbs, and it is open in the snow-free season from May to October. In winter the hill has alpine skiing.

    Tip: Wear waterproof shoes in spring and autumn, since the rocks get slippery and some sections stay wet.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi)
16. 16Rovaniemi

    Send a card from Santa Claus' Main Post Office

    Santa Claus' Main Post Office, in Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, is the only official post office of Santa Claus and part of Finland's official postal network. Postal elves serve visitors in several languages every day of the year. Everything sent from here gets the special Arctic Circle postmark, which you can't get anywhere else, and you can leave cards and parcels to be sent just before Christmas. Santa receives more than half a million letters, cards and parcels each year, and some of them are on view. The shelves carry stamps, cards and Christmas gifts.

    Tip: Write your cards in the post office and hand them to the elves, or drop them, stamped, in the yellow postbox by the entrance when it is closed.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Santa Claus Village (santaclausvillage.info)
17. 17Rovaniemi

    Trace Alvar Aalto's plan for Rovaniemi

    Most of Rovaniemi was destroyed in the Second World War, and the architect Alvar Aalto drew its new city plan, called the Reindeer Antler Plan because it resembles a reindeer's head and antlers. His Aalto Centre groups three buildings around a plaza: the City Library from 1965, Lappia Hall from 1975, home of Rovaniemi Theatre and the last building Aalto saw completed, and the City Hall, finished in 1986 to plans completed by his wife Elissa Aalto. Nearby, Korundi House of Culture, a mail truck depot that survived the war, holds the Rovaniemi Art Museum and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra.

    Tip: Pair the Aalto Centre with Korundi and a riverside stroll to the Lumberjack's Candle Bridge for an easy half day on foot.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi); Visit Rovaniemi (visitrovaniemi.fi)
18. 18Helsinki

    Shop Finnish design in the Design District

    The Design District covers about 25 streets across four neighborhoods right by Helsinki's center, and it is the easiest place to see Finnish design in one walk. It began in 2005, Finland's official Year of Design, as a collaboration between shop owners and creatives, and today its members run ceramics and jewelry studios, Finnish fashion labels, concept stores, second-hand shops, galleries and restaurants. Two museums anchor it: the Architecture and Design Museum and Kunsthalle Helsinki. Wander without a fixed route and you will move between independent ateliers and international brands on the same block.

    Tip: Start at the Architecture and Design Museum for context, then wander the side streets, where the smaller studios and galleries sit.

    Free to visit
    Sources: MyHelsinki (Helsinki Partners, City of Helsinki)

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