Your Finland travel with kids has to start in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Helsinki may not be like other cities like Paris, Rome, or New York where there are must-see, iconic landmarks. But that doesn’t mean you should just use Helsinki as your base to get to Lapland or a stopover to Sweden or St. Petersburg. Why? Because there are plenty of exciting and fun things to do in Helsinki, with or without your kids.
And that’s the operative word: do. Yes, Helsinki is a beautiful city with great architecture and unique (but not as world-famous) landmarks. But Helsinki is best experienced by doing, not just seeing.
Don’t just take a picture in Senate Square; experience their enchanting Christmas market. Don’t just take a selfie in their iconic churches; attend a service or watch a choir. Don’t just pose inside their beautiful libraries; hang out and read books with the locals. Don’t just read about their saunas; soak yourself in one and even dip in the freezing Baltic Sea!
We spent around five full days in Helsinki as part of our two-week Finland itinerary.
So what are some things to do in Helsinki with your kids? Here’s our top 20 list:
1. Explore on foot
Helsinki is a walkable city, though you do need to take the tram or bus to reach some popular places. Some of the best areas are within walking distance. For example, Senate Square and Market Square are close by and they both pack many of the must-see places in Helsinki. And you absolutely should explore Helsinki on foot. There are free walking tours but you can certainly do this on your own.
2. Ride the trams
Your Helsinki experience is not complete without riding the trams. They’re not just for tourists. This is how most locals commute every day. You can, in fact, do your own city tour by riding the trams, as the lines take a loop around and within Helsinki, passing through many of the famous landmarks. The entire route of trams 2 and 3 is a number-8 shaped loop. However, there are a few places where you still need to take the bus.
3. Relax at Esplanade Park
Esplanadi, or as the Finns call it, Espa, is a pretty park to stroll in and just chill on one of the park benches. It’s probably prettier during spring but it’s very much as lovely in winter. We hang out in the evening when some Christmas decor were lit. It’s a very relaxing place even in the cold of night.
4. Visit the churches
We just love that Helsinki has so many unique and iconic churches, each one so different from another. There’s the Rock Church (Temppeliaukio) that’s literally carved from rock, Uspenksi Cathedral with its bold red brick facade, the Kamppi Chapel of Silence with its award-winning modern wood design, and Helsinki Cathedral which serves as the very face of Helsinki. There are, in fact, many others, but these would be the top four must-visit churches.
5. Shop for Finnish design
Finland is famous for its design. No wonder it’s considered one of the design capitals of the world. Some famous designer brands include Artek, Marimekko, Italla, and Aalto + Aalto. Whether it’s furniture, home decor, glassware, or fashion, Finnish design is modern, clean, sustainable, and classy. You can stroll around the Design District and never tire from window shopping and buying beautiful pieces to bring home.
6. Buy in Stockmann
Stockmann is Finland’s historic and famous department store. Its flagship store in downtown Helsinki is a cultural gem in its own right. You should definitely check it out. And during the Christmas season, you have the added bonus of admiring the window display of charming miniature holiday winter scenes that’s well-loved by Finnish families.
7. Visit the Christmas market
Yet another reason to visit this city is the Helsinki Christmas Market (Tuomaan Markkinat), one of the best in the world. It’s right in Senate Square with the Helsinki Cathedral as an imposing and impressive backdrop. There are over 100 stalls where you can buy handicrafts, design products, Christmas ornaments, and gifts. There is a minimalist, subdued design (nothing loud or gaudy). But it’s also fun and joyful since you can buy grilled sausages and cheese sandwiches, drink hot glögi, and have your kids ride the antique merry-go-round.
8. Stroll along Aleksanterinkatu Christmas Street
Aleksanterinkatu, one of Finland’s most popular shopping streets, turns into the country’s official Christmas Street in winter. You’ll definitely feel the Christmas spirit with shop windows decked in holiday decor, the famous hanging lights with the letter “A” adorn the street, and people are busy shopping for Christmas gifts. With its cobbled streets, old world architecture, and passing trams, there is a nostalgic, festive air in Aleksi.
9. Watch a choir
We visited during the Christmas season and the timing was perfect. We got to watch a concert of a professional choir singing Christmas carols at Rock Church. The acoustics inside the church made the flawless singing even more transcendent. Instead of just doing the touristy thing of taking selfies at the famous church, we experienced a well-loved Christmas tradition with an audience of mostly Finns.
10. Check out the National Library of Finland
Built in the 1840s, Finland’s national library is an architectural, historical, and cultural landmark. The interiors are stunningly beautiful. We went here on a winter night, so there were only a few people. Still, we made sure we were as quiet and discreet as possible while taking photos.
11. Visit Oodi
In sharp contrast to the National Library of Finland, Oodi is Finland’s newest library: stylish, modern, and busy. That’s because it’s meant to be the country’s gift to its citizens to mark Finland’s 101st independence anniversary. When we went there (also on a winter night), there were more Finns browsing and reading books, working on their laptops, chatting, sipping coffee, and just hanging out. Our girls had so much fun reading children’s books at one section of the library reserved for kids.
12. Eat at the market halls
You should definitely not miss eating at one of Helsinki’s food halls. It’s not only to get lunch and sample Finnish delicacies but also to check out the historical buildings. We went to the Old Market Hall (Vanhan Kauppahallin), the oldest one in Helsinki (built in 1888), and enjoyed tasty and rich salmon soup. They say it’s touristy and a bit crowded, but that wasn’t the case when we went, so we enjoyed our experience. The other popular food halls are Hakaniemi Food Hall (1914) and Hietalahti Food Market (1903).
13. Sample traditional Finnish food
While Finland is not famous for its cuisine, trying out traditional food should always be part of your travel experience. We had karjalanpiirakka (rye crust pastry) and ruisleipa (rye bread) at Hotel Helka and Scandic Grand Marina during breakfast buffet; korvapuusti (cinnamon buns) at Cafe Regatta; lihapullat (Finnish meatballs) in Hanna Maria in Porvoo; poronkaristys (sauteed reindeer) at Nili Poro in Levi; and lohikeitto (salmon soup) at Old Market Hall.
14. Hang out at the cafes
Did you know that Finns drink the most cups of coffee per person (1,252 to be exact), making them the number one coffee drinkers in the world? There is definitely a coffee culture in Helsinki, although you won’t see a lot of international chains around (which is actually a good thing). Instead, try kahvi (coffee) in any of the homegrown cafes like the famous and historic Ekberg (since 1852). Their hot meals and desserts are delicious too, so your kids can certainly tag along. We also enjoyed the coffee and cakes in Fazer Café .
15. Visit Café Regatta
Café Regatta deserves its own mention because it’s not just a place to enjoy coffee but it’s the most quaint and charming cafe you’ll ever see. It looks like a tiny Christmas house, especially in winter. And because it was cold, there were hardly any people when we went there (it’s usually packed otherwise). The coffee and cinnabon bun were delish!
16. Eat lots of chocolates
Finland does sweets very well. And Fazer (since 1922) is the iconic chocolate brand you should never leave Finland without. All their variants are yummy but the best has got to be their Geisha chocolate bar with its hazelnut filling. We bought bars of practically everything, including salty toffee crunch, blueberry yogurt crisps, and the classic milk chocolate. Another popular Finnish chocolate brand is Brunberg.
17. Check out famous statues
You don’t have to go out of your way to do this, since they’re all in the same vicinity of must-see places: Aleksanteri II (the statue of the Russian emperor is right smack in Senate Square), Czarina’s Stone (the obelisk in honor of Russian empress Czarina is in the center of Market Square), Mannerheim Statue (the statue of military and political leader Baron Carl Gustav Mannerheim is near the Central Railway Station), and Johan Ludvig Runeberg Statue (the statue of the famous Finnish poet is in Esplanade Park). The only Helsinki monument you have to go out of your way to visit (and it’s totally worth it) is the Sibelius Monument (in honor of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius). But then, Café Regatta is nearby, so you hit two birds with one stone.
18. Experience Finnish sauna
Finland invented the sauna, so how can you not try a Finnish sauna? There are 3 million saunas, or one for every two Finns. There are many options in Helsinki. There’s Kotiharjun Sauna (since 1928), considered the last genuine wood-heated traditional public sauna in Helsinki. There’s Allas Sea, which has three saunas, two warm water pools, and one sea water pool, overlooking the Baltic Sea. It’s actually close by our hotel but we only had time for one sauna place.
We chose Löyly even if it was farther away. A big factor was that we did not have to be naked (everyone has to wear a swimsuit because there are common areas for both genders). Also, kids are allowed (although our kids were the only ones there when we visited, to their dismay). The modern architecture was impressive. And they had a traditional Finnish smoke sauna, wood-heated saunas, a year-round terrace, and a restaurant. Best of all, you can take a dip in the freezing Baltic Sea (which we did, although a lot of screaming was involved).
19. Marvel at the architecture
Helsinki is know as the city of architecture, and it deserves the title. There is no medieval town but the city is rich in Neoclassical (like the buildings in Senate Square), Art Nouveau (like the Central Railway Station and the National Museum), Neo Renaissance (like Ateneum), 1920s Classicism (like Kamppi Chapel), and Modernism (like Finlandia Hall) architecture. Even if you’re not an architect, you will appreciate Helsinki’s beautiful buildings.
20. Visit the museums
We’re not big museum goers, as, given the time constraints, we prefer to explore the city or country and not a museum about the city or country. We did pass by the Finnish Museum of Natural History, which is popular with kids, as well as Amos Rex, where our kids had fun climbing the tiled domes (the museum was underground). I do regret not going to the Design Museum. And if it was open in winter, we probably would have visited the Seurassari Open Air Museum, which gives a glimpse of life in old Finland. If you are into museums though, then you have to see the National Museum of Finland, Ateneum, and Kiasma.
Bonus: Visit Linnanmäki
Another place we missed is Linnanmäki, as it’s closed during winter. It’s Finland’s oldest and most popular amusement park. Built in 1950, it has a nostalgic feel to it. And I would have loved to ride their 1951-built wooden roller-coaster and the 1954-built German carousel. Plus, it’s right next to Sea Life, an international aquarium chain.
There are so many things to do in Helsinki that’s worth spending five days, even a week, in. Yes, there are a lot to see in Helsinki but the best way to appreciate it is to experience the culture and enjoy the city the way the Finns do.
