FI
Helsinki
A compact seaside capital of design, saunas and islands, with a sea fortress a short ferry ride away
A compact seaside capital of design, saunas and islands, with a sea fortress a short ferry ride away
An 18th-century sea fortress spread over several islands, built under Swedish rule and listed by UNESCO in 1991. Public ferries from the Market Square take about 15–20 minutes.
Use a regular public transport ticket for the ferry.
Photo: Игорь Гордеев, CC BY-SA 4.0
A church carved into solid rock and topped with a copper dome, completed in 1969, famous for its acoustics.
Photo: Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0
The striking central library opened in 2018, with free workspaces, 3D printers, sewing machines and a top-floor reading room.
Photo: Leonhard Lenz, CC0
The harbourside market near the Presidential Palace and Senate Square, with stalls selling food and crafts and the departure point for island ferries.
Photo: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try salmon soup, Karelian pies, reindeer, rye bread and cinnamon buns (korvapuusti).
The Old Market Hall by the harbour and the Hakaniemi market hall are good for local food.
Helsinki Airport is about 17km north of the centre; trains reach the Central Station in about 30 minutes. Trams, the metro and ferries are covered by one ticket system. Ferries to Tallinn take about two hours.
Finland is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Helsinki is expensive, though less so than Oslo or Copenhagen.
Islands, design and saunas.
Visit Senate Square and the Cathedral, the Market Square and Esplanadi park, then Oodi and the Kiasma museum.
Take the ferry to Suomenlinna and spend the day exploring the fortress islands.
Explore the Design District and Temppeliaukio Church, then end the day at a seaside public sauna.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Finland is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Finnish sauna culture is on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list; try a public sauna and a dip in the sea or lake.
Weekday lunch buffets are much cheaper than dinner.
Dress warmly in winter, and wear shoes with good grip on icy streets.
Tallinn is an easy day trip by ferry.
Quick answers for planning time in Helsinki.
Yes, Finland uses the euro.
By train to Central Station, in about 30 minutes.
Yes, the UNESCO-listed sea fortress is one of Helsinki’s highlights and a short ferry ride away.
About two hours.
June to August, for long days and mild weather.
Finnish and Swedish are official; English is very widely spoken.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Finland travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.