6 best day trips from Helsinki

Day trips compared

The day trips

80 km · About 2 hours each way by ferry

1.Tallinn

Several ferry lines cross the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn, whose medieval Old Town of walls, towers and Town Hall Square is a short walk from the port. A day return gives five or six hours ashore; many travellers stay a night.

Getting there

Ferry from West Harbour or Katajanokka

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Couples

50 km · About 1 hour by bus

2.Porvoo

Finland's second-oldest town has red ochre riverside storehouses, a medieval stone cathedral and cobbled lanes of painted wooden houses in the Old Town. It is known for chocolate shops and cafés, and the home of national poet J.L. Runeberg is a museum.

Getting there

Bus from Kamppi bus station

Best for

Couples, Culture, Quiet stays

35 km · About 1 hour by train and bus

3.Nuuksio National Park

Forest lakes, granite ridges and marked trails from 2 to 7 km make Nuuksio the easiest taste of Finnish wilderness from Helsinki, with campfire sites and blueberries in late summer. The Haltia nature centre at the park edge has exhibitions and a café.

Getting there

Train to Espoo, then bus 245

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Solo travellers

165 km · About 2 hours by train

4.Turku

Finland's oldest city and former capital has a medieval castle at the harbour, a brick cathedral consecrated in 1300, and restaurant boats moored along the Aura river. It is the gateway to the Turku archipelago.

Getting there

Intercity train from Helsinki Central Station

Best for

Culture, Couples

180 km · About 1 hour 40 minutes by train

5.Tampere

A former textile city between two lakes, with red-brick mills along the Tammerkoski rapids, the Moomin Museum in the Tampere Hall and several public saunas, including lakeside Rauhaniemi.

Getting there

Intercity train from Helsinki Central Station

Best for

Families, Culture

30 km · About 40 minutes by car

6.Hvitträsk

The lakeside studio home built in 1903 by architects Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren is a key work of Finnish national-romantic architecture, with log and stone buildings, handmade furniture and forest gardens above Lake Vitträsk.

Getting there

Car is easiest; public transport takes longer

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Commuter trains from the Central Station serve the airport, Tikkurila (for Heureka) and Espoo for Nuuksio.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask