Season guide · Helsinki · Finland
Helsinki in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Vadelmavene, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
White nights, island hopping, sea swimming and festivals; peak season, with many locals away in July. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 11°C (52°F), with about 26 rainy days across June–August. June–August are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 11°C (52°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 26
- Sea
- 13°C (55°F) to 18°C (64°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 19°C (66°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 8 | 18.9 h | 4/5 |
| July | 22°C (72°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 8 | 18.1 h | 5/5 |
| August | 21°C (70°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 10 | 15.6 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 21°C (70°F) against a yearly 10°C (50°F), and 26 of the year's roughly 111 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- June: Helsinki Day — free events across the city (12 June)
- June: Midsummer bonfires on Seurasaari (around 20–26 June)
- June: Helsinki Pride (usually late June)
- 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)
Good choices for summer
Gallery · Kamppi
Amos Rex
Even if you skip the exhibition, walk over the skylight domes and look down into the galleries.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Architecture · Kluuvi
Oodi Central Library
Oodi opened in December 2018 opposite the Parliament House, a wave of spruce and glass with a free top-floor reading room under a cloud-like white ceiling and a terrace overlooking Kansalaistori square.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Seurasaari
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
Bring nuts for the squirrels and walk the coastal path around the island.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
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
Architecture · Kamppi
Kamppi Chapel of Silence
Step in for a few minutes between Kamppi and the Central Station; photography is discouraged inside.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Day trips in summer
- Porvoo (About 1 hour by bus) — 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.
- Nuuksio National Park (About 1 hour by train and bus) — 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.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Helsinki?
Yes: June–August are among the best months. White nights, island hopping, sea swimming and festivals; peak season, with many locals away in July.
+What is the weather like in Helsinki in summer?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 11°C (52°F), with about 26 rainy days over the season.