Shopping · Helsinki · Finland
Shopping in Helsinki
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Mikkoau, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Helsinki is a design city: Marimekko textiles, Iittala glass, Artek furniture and young Finnish labels are the main draw, along with vintage and secondhand shops. Most shops open on Sundays, though with shorter hours. Best souvenirs: Marimekko textiles, Iittala glass and Moomin items.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 4
- Top souvenir
- Marimekko textiles
Where to shop
Pohjoisesplanadi and Aleksanterinkatu
Flagship stores of Finnish design brands and the Stockmann department store.
Design District
Independent designers, jewellers, vintage furniture and galleries around Fredrikinkatu, Uudenmaankatu and Annankatu.
Kamppi
A large shopping centre over the bus station, plus chain stores along Mannerheimintie.
Kallio
Secondhand, vintage and record shops at lower prices.
Markets
Market Square
Open-air harbourside market with food stalls, berries in summer and crafts.
Old Market Hall
Restored 1889 brick hall with fish, meat, cheese and deli counters.
Hakaniemi Market Hall
Renovated market hall in Kallio with food on the ground floor and textiles and crafts upstairs.
Hietalahti flea market
Open-air flea market on Hietalahti square in the warmer months, next to an indoor market hall with food stalls.
What to buy
Marimekko textiles
Bold printed fabric, bags and homeware, including the Unikko poppy pattern first produced in 1964.
Iittala glass
Aalto vases, Kastehelmi glassware and Birds by Toikka from Finland's best-known glassworks.
Moomin items
Mugs, books and toys featuring Tove Jansson's characters, sold in design and gift shops.
Fazer chocolate and salmiakki
Fazer Blue milk chocolate and salty liquorice, both sold in every supermarket.
Sauna accessories
Wooden buckets, ladles and linen towels for a home sauna.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Kruununhaka
Market Square and Old Market Hall
Kauppatori, on the South Harbour, is an open-air market of food stalls and souvenir tents beside the Suomenlinna ferry pier, selling fried vendace, salmon soup and, in summer, berries and new potatoes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Iconic
- Shopping
Park · Kaartinkaupunki
Esplanadi park
The tree-lined Esplanadi runs from Market Square, where the Havis Amanda fountain stands, to the Swedish Theatre, flanked by Pohjoisesplanadi's design flagships and the Stockmann department store at the far end.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Shopping
- Couples
Neighbourhood · Punavuori
Design District and Design Museum
Around 200 design shops, studios, galleries and restaurants carry the Design District sticker in the streets of Punavuori, Ullanlinna, Kaartinkaupunki and Kamppi.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Shopping
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Karelian pie, Cinnamon bun, Rye bread and Runeberg torte. Every bakery, supermarket and café; market halls often sell them warm. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Kamppi | $$$ | Transport hub with the shopping centre, bus station and the Chapel of Silence |
| Punavuori and the Design District | $$$ | Design shops, galleries and bars along Iso Roobertinkatu and Fredrikinkatu |
| Kallio | $ | Former workers' district with dive bars, cheap eats, Kallio Church and the Hakaniemi market |
| Eira and Ullanlinna | $$$$ | Seaside Art Nouveau villas, Kaivopuisto park and the city's smartest addresses |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EUR. Tipping is not expected; service is included. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good table service is appreciated but optional.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February; the busiest months are July.
- April: Vappu Eve — students cap the Havis Amanda statue on Market Square (30 April)
- August: Flow Festival — music and arts festival in Suvilahti (usually mid-August)
- August: Helsinki Festival and the Night of the Arts (late August to early September)
- October: Baltic Herring Market — fishermen sell herring from boats on Market Square (usually early October)
- November: Christmas Street lights switched on along Aleksanterinkatu (usually late November)
- December: St Thomas Christmas Market on Senate Square (December)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, budget and solo travellers
Kamppi
Transport hub with the shopping centre, bus station and the Chapel of Silence
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Helsinki?
Marimekko textiles, Iittala glass, Moomin items and Fazer chocolate and salmiakki.
+Where is the best shopping in Helsinki?
Pohjoisesplanadi and Aleksanterinkatu: Flagship stores of Finnish design brands and the Stockmann department store.
+What are the best markets in Helsinki?
Market Square, Old Market Hall, Hakaniemi Market Hall and Hietalahti flea market.