Season guide · Helsinki · Finland
Helsinki in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Simbe, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Snow, frozen sea, short days and long sauna evenings, with Christmas markets and light festivals. Expect highs up to 1°C (34°F) and lows around -7°C (19°F), with about 32 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -7°C (19°F) to 1°C (34°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 32
- Sea
- 0°C (32°F) to 3°C (37°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1°C (30°F) | -6°C (21°F) | 11 | 6.6 h | 1/5 |
| February | -2°C (28°F) | -7°C (19°F) | 9 | 9 h | 1/5 |
| December | 1°C (34°F) | -3°C (27°F) | 12 | 5.9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of -1°C (30°F) against a yearly 10°C (50°F), and 32 of the year's roughly 111 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Lux Helsinki — light-art installations around the centre (usually early January)
- February: Runeberg's Day — cafés sell Runeberg tortes (5 February)
- December: St Thomas Christmas Market on Senate Square (December)
- December: Independence Day — students' torchlight procession and candles in windows (6 December)
Good choices for winter
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
Museum · Vantaa
Heureka science centre
Finland's science centre, next to Tikkurila station in Vantaa, has hands-on halls on physics, the human body and nature, a planetarium dome and outdoor science exhibits.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Religious site · Töölö
Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church)
Look for a lunchtime or evening concert listing; hearing music in the rock hall is the best way to experience it.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Gallery · Kluuvi
Ateneum Art Museum
Opposite the Central Station, the Ateneum holds Finland's national collection of art from the 1750s to the 1950s, including the Golden Age paintings of Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Albert Edelfelt, portraits by Helene Schjerfbeck and Hugo Simberg's The Wounded Angel.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
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
Day trips in winter
- Turku (About 2 hours by train) — 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.
- Tampere (About 1 hour 40 minutes by train) — 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.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Helsinki?
It is a trade-off: Snow, frozen sea, short days and long sauna evenings, with Christmas markets and light festivals. The best months overall are May–September.
+What is the weather like in Helsinki in winter?
Highs of up to 1°C (34°F) and lows around -7°C (19°F), with about 32 rainy days over the season.