24 Hours In Helsinki, Finland

Ahhh Helsinki. It’s a funny old city. Mainly because it doesn’t really feel like a city at all.

A whopping third of the city is devoted to parks and green spaces and you won’t see any high-rise buildings here. It’s surrounded by 330 islands in the archipelago of Helsinki, and culturally has a real focus on being outside. Something you expect from warmer countries like Australia, but not necessarily Scandinavia!

So actually it feels quite suburban. Visiting in balmy June, it felt more like an outdoorsy adventure rather than a city break!

I visited as part of my multi-stop Europe trip, so I was limited on time. I spent two nights there, staying at The Yard hostel (read the full review here), but arrived in the afternoon on the first day and left early on the last day. So really we only had one full day in the city.

Granted it would have been nicer to have another day in Helsinki, rather than trying to pack in loads of sights and activities, but it definitely gave me a taster of this city. And actually, with the daily ferries from Tallinn, I think it’s common to just have a day here.

So here you go, everything I got up to in this leafy slice of Scandi chic.

24 Hours in Helsinki

Senate Square

I like to start off my exploration of a city somewhere iconic. I like to feel like I’m really in the city I’ve been excited to visit, y’know?

So Senate Square was definitely the place to start off in Helsinki. It’s fairly quiet for a city’s main square, at least compared to places like Prague or Tallinn where their main squares are one of the busiest parts of the city. But that’s a good thing because it means you can get lovely photos of the Helsinki Cathedral.

The cathedral is one of the few recognisable landmarks in the city and looks impressive all in white with its domes and columns. Climb the steps up to it for a nice view of the square. Definitely worth a look, pal.

It’s also the starting point for the Hop On Hop Off bus…

Hop On Hop Off City Tour

With limited time in Helsinki, I decided to get around using the Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus. This is something I haven’t actually ever done before, despite always seeing the big red buses from City Sightseeing in most cities. I’m usually just committed to walking everywhere. But we just had the one day, and I was a couple of months pregnant at the time, so figured this could be a good way to get around.

And y’know what, it was actually really useful. The audio guide onboard points out all of the best things to do and gives you a bit of history about the city. And you can just jump off when something sounds cool.

We knew we wanted to do this and also wanted to pack loads into one day, so we decided to go for the 24 hours My Helsinki Card. It sounds pricey at €48 but included the sightseeing bus (usually €30 alone), loads of attractions we wanted to go to, as well as free public transport (which helped when we needed to get to the ferry terminal the next day). So it worked out pretty good value for money in the end.

Löyly Sauna

One of the first stops on the bus was the trendy public sauna, Löyly Sauna. Alas, I was pretty pissed off because I had just found out that pregnant women are not allowed to have saunas (something about raising your body temperature too high), so I was devastated that I wouldn’t be able to have a sauna in Finland. Something that was at the top of my bucketlist for this trip.

But Löyly Sauna is a cool place to visit regardless. The building is really edgy with geometric Scandi architecture. And you can enjoy a drink or lunch on their outdoor terrace. It’s so nice to sit on their roof with an Aperol Spritz a lemonade, overlooking the sea on a sunny day. I totally recommend it, even if you don’t fancy the sauna itself.

It’s also around here that you can see the ritual of locals hanging their rugs out on wooden decks on the sea. Apparently this is to air them out in the summertime! I mean, it’s totally random but cool to see a local traditional in action!

Hietalahti Flea Market

Something I didn’t know about before visiting, and discovered on the bus tour, was the Hietalahti Flea Market. As a lover of vintage clothes and antique furniture I’m a sucker for a flea market, so had to check it out.

The rows of tables outside were nice to wander but nothing really took my fancy, it had boot-sale vibes y’know? Less vintage gems, more selling off old ornaments.

But inside Hietalahti Market Hall, I was pleasantly surprised by wooden kiosks selling food! You get locals buying fresh fruit and veg in here, but there are also cool cafes offering a wide range of breakfast and lunch options. I spotted Asian Buddha Bowls and Portuguese Pastel de Nata amongst others. So it’s worth a look.

Apparently they also do live music and tasting menus on a Saturday night which sounds cool!

Cafe Regatta & Sibelius Monument

The next stop on the bus was Sibelius Park. The highlight of this park is the Sibelius Monument, which often makes the ‘top things to see in Helsinki’ lists. But it’s a bit meh. It’s a sculpture. I guess it’s cool to look at. But unless you’re an art/sculpture nerd, I’d skip it.

The real reason I got off at this stop was to go to Cafe Regatta. I’ve already told you about this super-cute cafe and the beautiful landscape that surrounds it in my Helsinki Cheap Eats blog post. So definitely go read about it if you haven’t already. But seriously, it was one of my favourite places in Helsinki so it’s definitely essential to stop by!

Linnanmäki amusement park

After missing out on Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen (it was closed for the winter when I visited), I was keen to get a slice of Scandinavian amusement park goodness on this trip at Linnanmäki!

The theme park is free to enter and you just pay for any rides you want to go on. It’s actually pretty impressive and has lots of different kinds of rides, retro fun fair games and food kiosks (get a hotdog from Richie’s).

But the best part is the free panorama sightseeing tower. This revolving platform gives you a 360 degree view of the city from quite high up! (53 metres) Although it is a bit worrying when you see the ride next to you. It’s about the same height but is one of those rides where they drop you from high up! So you get a bit nervous when you see it fall…

Oh and remember if you get the My Helsinki Card, you do get 9 free rides for children at Linnanmäki – good to know if you’re travelling as a family.

Sunset Boat Cruise

I was fully intending on visiting Suomenlinna whilst in Helsinki – it’s an island with a large sea fortress and is meant to be a nice place to chill with a picnic. Oh and it’s free with the My Helsinki Card. But I spent too much time at the theme park because I am 5 lol.

So instead we decided to do a sunset boat ride around the islands with Helsinki Sightseeing (Also free with the My Helsinki Card just FYI). So we got to see Suomenlinna from the sea, as well as lots of other sights like Korkeasaari Zoo, the icebreaker fleet and Degerö Canal. Although I would say that it was getting a bit chilly and we had to go inside half way through the cruise. It’s comfy in there with blankets and a bar though, so it’s a nice experience if a little long (a couple of hours from memory).

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Helsinki. Like I said, it doesn’t feel like any other city I’ve been too, it’s so quiet with so much greenery. I did feel like it was missing something I have to admit, maybe a bit of hustle and bustle, but nevertheless I’m glad I went. And I really enjoyed our little whistlestop tour of the city.

But I am keen to see a bit of rural Finland if I get a chance. I think that’s really where you get to see the real culture of the Finnish people and more of the Scandi chic vibe I love so much! Maybe it’s an idea for 2019, who knows…

What do you think – would you visit Helsinki?

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Total Blogger Transparency: I enjoyed complimentary My Helsinki Cards as part of my trip but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.