With kids · Helsinki · Finland
Helsinki with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Helsinki is relaxed and practical for families: trams are pushchair-friendly, parks and playgrounds are everywhere, and island trips, the zoo and Linnanmäki keep children busy in summer. Indoor options such as Heureka and Oodi cover rainy and winter days. Top picks: Suomenlinna sea fortress, Korkeasaari Zoo and Linnanmäki amusement park. Families usually base themselves in Töölö.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Töölö
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- July
Best things to do with kids
Historic site · Suomenlinna
1.Suomenlinna sea fortress
Built by the Swedish crown from 1748 across six linked islands, Suomenlinna is a UNESCO-listed sea fortress with bastions, tunnels, cannons, a dry dock and about 800 year-round residents. Several small museums cover its history, and in summer the WWII submarine Vesikko can be boarded. Grassy ramparts on the southern islands are popular for picnics and sea views.
Take the HSL ferry from Market Square on a regular public-transport ticket and walk the blue route from the main quay to the King's Gate on the far side.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Views
- Photo spot
Zoo · Korkeasaari
2.Korkeasaari Zoo
Helsinki Zoo, founded in 1889, occupies a rocky island east of the centre and specialises in northern and mountain species such as snow leopards, wolverines and lynx, with tropical houses for warmer climates. Paths climb over the granite outcrops with sea views, and the island is reached by footbridge or by summer waterbus.
Take the summer waterbus from Market Square one way and walk back over the bridges via Mustikkamaa.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Theme park · Alppila
3.Linnanmäki amusement park
Finland's oldest amusement park opened in 1950 on a hill just north of Kallio and is run by a children's welfare foundation. Entry to the grounds is free and you pay for rides with a wristband or tickets; the wooden roller coaster dates from 1951. It operates from spring to autumn.
Even if you skip the coasters, walk the hilltop grounds for views over Kallio and Töölö bay.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Active
- Views
Museum · Seurasaari
4.Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
A footbridge leads to Seurasaari island, where farmsteads, manor houses and a 17th-century wooden church have been moved from around Finland. The buildings open with guides in summer, while the forested island itself is free year-round and known for tame red squirrels. It hosts Helsinki's largest Midsummer bonfire celebration.
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
Museum · Vantaa
5.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. Trains from Helsinki Central reach Tikkurila in about 15 minutes, so it fits well before or after an airport run.
Check the planetarium film times when you arrive and plan the rest of the visit around them.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Architecture · Kluuvi
6.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. The lower floors have 3D printers, sewing machines, recording studios and game rooms that anyone can book.
Go up to the top floor for the terrace view, then use the free toilets and Wi-Fi as a mid-day break.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
Park · Ullanlinna
7.Kaivopuisto park and seafront
Helsinki's oldest park slopes down to the sea at the southern tip of the peninsula, with seaside paths, rocky coves, outdoor cafés such as Café Ursula and views of Suomenlinna and passing ferries. It is the scene of the city's biggest May Day picnic on 1 May.
Walk the shore from Kaivopuisto west to Eira and Hernesaari, ending with a sauna at Löyly.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Oodi Central Library — Go up to the top floor for the terrace view, then use the free toilets and Wi-Fi as a mid-day break.
- Heureka science centre — Check the planetarium film times when you arrive and plan the rest of the visit around them.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and culture
Töölö
Töölö stretches north-west from the Parliament House around Töölönlahti bay, with the Temppeliaukio Church, the Olympic Stadium, Sibelius Park and Hietaniemi beach. Its 1920s apartment blocks and broad parks make it a calm base for families and longer stays, and trams 1, 2 and 4 run into the centre in about ten minutes.
- Good
- Parks, seaside paths and a beach; Quieter and better value than the centre; Good tram links
- Watch out
- Fewer restaurants in the evenings; A tram ride from the harbour sights
- Nearby
- Temppeliaukio Church, Sibelius Monument, Hietaniemi beach, Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Family travel tips
- Children under 7 travel free on HSL services, and an adult with a child in a pushchair rides buses and trams free.
- Oodi has a large children's section and play areas, and baby-changing facilities are standard in public buildings.
- Suomenlinna's ramparts have steep drops without railings; keep young children close.
- Many restaurants have children's menus and high chairs, and lunch buffets often charge reduced prices for children.
- Sea and lake swimming is shallow and calm at Hietaniemi and Aurinkolahti beaches.
Day trips for families
- 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.
- 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–September. July is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Helsinki good for kids?
Helsinki is relaxed and practical for families: trams are pushchair-friendly, parks and playgrounds are everywhere, and island trips, the zoo and Linnanmäki keep children busy in summer. Indoor options such as Heureka and Oodi cover rainy and winter days.
+What can kids do in Helsinki?
Suomenlinna sea fortress, Korkeasaari Zoo, Linnanmäki amusement park, Seurasaari Open-Air Museum and Heureka science centre.
+Where should families stay in Helsinki?
Töölö: Leafy residential district of parks, Sibelius Monument, the Rock Church and a city beach.