I had a 36-hour layover in Helsinki, Finland’s capital city, on the way to Rovaniemi in Lapland. It wasn’t nearly enough time to properly explore this charming, walkable port city on the Baltic Sea.
Helsinki is compact, very family-friendly and easy to get around. My group managed to squeeze two-or three-days’ worth of activities into the two days we were there and still didn’t get to see as much as we wanted.
I don’t recommend our pace or our short stay. Slowing down and spending three to five days in this city will give you time to linger in its many cozy cafés, wander through neighborhoods filled with fairy-tale-inspired Art-Nouveau buildings, and revive your tired tourist feet in one of its ubiquitous saunas.
Here is what we did, what to prioritize on a short visit and what to add to a longer stay in Helsinki, Finland. I also recommend some kid-friendly hotels and fun places to eat.
5 Helsinki Hotels For Families
In general, it’s easy to find family-friendly hotels in Europe. Breakfast buffets are standard and usually good. Bypass any hotel that doesn’t include one in the room rate.
The Historic Hotel Katajanokka
We stayed in the Hotel Katajanokka, in a historic building that used to be the local prison.
Its past is evident in the central staircases that lead to the upstairs rooms, the heavy doors on each room, and the cell-like shape of the bathrooms. (I stayed in a former sanitarium this year, too.)
The novelty factor aside, the hotel has stylish and comfortable rooms, an ideal location and large breakfast buffet with fruit smoothies, fresh pastries, eggs, smoked fish and cold cuts, among other things.
The complementary toiletries included bath salts, an unusual and nice touch that I absolutely made use of after walking my feet off seeing the city.
My standard room would have been okay with a toddler, but that’s about it. With older kids and teens I would absolutely stay in one of the hotel’s bigger family rooms for families.
A lot of teens would get a kick out of the hotel’s dark past. Younger kids might be a little unsettled. Whether you show your kids the prison cells still left in the basement is up to you.
You can reserve the hotel sauna by the hour and enjoy an outdoor patio if you catch a warm day.
The Family Friendly Scandic Grand Marina
The Scandic Grand Marina, in the same neighborhood, is my choice with small kids because of its indoor play area and kids’ activities on school holidays.
The family rooms have sofa-beds and this hotel also has both a breakfast buffet and a sauna. It shares a former warehouse building with several other restaurants and shops, which makes it easy to find a place for an early dinner after a long day of sightseeing.
If you want a hotel with a pool, try the Hotel St. George, the Original Sokos Hotel Presidentti or the Hilton Helsinki Strand. They’re all fairly central, but rates are higher than the two boutique hotels in Katajanokka.
More Europe Travel Ideas:
• Take Your Kids to Lapland in the Fall
• The Best Things To Do In Amsterdam With Kids
• What To See & Do With Kids in Prague
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The Best Things To Do in Helsinki With Kids
Explore Helsinki’s Water Front
The Market Square waterfront area is the best place to start exploring the city. Sightseeing boats leave from here, as do ferries to Suomenlinna and the zoo (more on those down below).
Most days you’ll find a tourist-oriented crafts market and outdoor green market in the center of the square.
Buy a container of whatever berries are in season; especially if you see local specialties like lingonberries and cloudberries, or tiny wild blueberries, which are quite different from the farm-grown ones sold in American supermarkets.
The market is a handy place to shop for hand-knit hats, mittens and scarves, as well as birch-wood and reindeer products from Lapland. I bought handmade penguin earrings for Tween Traveler.
Look at a few stalls before you buy anything and be discerning. The quality and authenticity vary a bit.
For example, the birch-wood items, particularly the small-handled cups that all Laplanders own, are attractive and will come in handy back home. Some are wood and some are plastic. You can only tell the difference by feeling them. The wood is more authentic, but the plastic is dishwasher-safe. Your call.
At the fried-fish stalls look for tiny freshwater fish that they flour and fry in batches when the weather turns colder. If you ask, they might let you sample.
Aside from the fresh fried fish, skip the prepared food at the outdoor market and head over to the attractive striped building along the right side of the harbor.
This is the Old Market Hall (Vanha kauppahalli), built in 1889. Inside you’ll find edible souvenirs, including cloudberry jam, reindeer jerky and smoked fish. Jam is a good way to enjoy cloudberries because they have a lot of seeds otherwise.
The food stands and small restaurants provide good options for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon treat.
On the opposite side of the harbor, you can’t miss the giant Skywheel, which will give you nice views of the city, harbor and nearby islands, and especially of two cathedrals that perch on hills above the city.
The Flying Cinema next to the Ferris wheel offers a 15-minute aerial “tour” of Helsinki and Finland.
I didn’t get to try this, but if you’ve done Soarin’ at a Disney park you’ll have an idea of what to expect: You’re fastened into seats that rise and tilt toward a large, curved screen which creates the effect of flying over real scenery.
Climb the Cathedral Steps
One block back from the harbor in Senate Square, the Lutheran Helsinki Cathedral towers over the city, visible from everywhere. It’s fairly plain inside. But you’ll want to climb the steps for the great city views you have from the top.
Go to the Library
From the cathedral you can walk or take a tram to one of the city’s architectural sensations, the giant Oodi Central Library. It’s one of a few large modern buildings on a cultural campus next to the train station.
It’s a huge glass and metal building with clean, swooping lines that you don’t need to be an architecture buff to appreciate.
Inside, those big windows provide lots of light and potted trees give it a peaceful feel. The second floor has tiered, carpeted seating where tweens and teens congregate to talk, do homework and take advantage of the free, fast Wi-Fi.
The third floor has a large carpeted play area and dozens of picture books for the baby and preschool set. There is a nice first-floor café and smaller coffee bar upstairs, too.
Skateboarders like the open pavement just out front and the bike path that cuts across the campus is busy. There’s an adventure “playground” that’s built for tweens and teens to clamber around on. Tween Traveler would have been all over it.
I saw some little kids amusing themselves here, but it’s really for the older set.
This cultural campus also includes the glassed-in Kiasma contemporary art museum, the Helsinki Music Center, the pale pink Hakasalmi Villa city museum and, a bit further on, the Kansallis Museo, the National Museum of Finland.
Check their websites to see what these places have going on that’s kid-friendly and accessible in English.
Go Shopping
On your way from Market Square to the library, pop into Stockmann’s, one of the oldest and biggest department stores in the Nordic countries. The original Art-Nouveau store was built in 1930 and has since expanded to include most of the block it sits on.
Inside, stop by the visitor’s center for a 10%-off voucher for tourists, then explore. You’ll see familiar high-end brands and prices will probably be high relative to the U.S.
Still, make a point of checking out the kids’ department. European kids’ clothes are usually cut better and hold up longer than their American counterparts, especially girls’ clothes. If your child is either very tall or very slim, you’ll find they fit better, too.
Pass through the grocery department downstairs, too. The gourmet shop is famous for its quality and there might be some good samples to try.
Go Island Hopping
• When Helsinkians need a break from city life, they catch a ferry to one of the many islands that surround them. One of the most accessible and charming is Suomenlinna.
Some 800 people live on this island, which lies ten minutes from Market Square. It’s been home to a sea fortress and various communities since the 18th century and has some charming houses and historic military buildings.
If you don’t mind paths that can be a little uneven here and there, it’s a great place to explore by bike (rent on the mainland). The Visitor’s Center, in the middle of the island, offers walking tours, which I recommend.
There’s a small supermarket next to the ferry landing where you can stock up for an island picnic. But don’t buy dessert!
After you’ve explored the fortress and had your picnic, find your way to the small Toy Museum, hidden away on the far side of the island. Its collection of toys is extensive and ranges from popular and charming to obscure and amusing.
But for me the real draw to the museum is the Café Samovarbar, Order the fresh cinnamon rolls or any of the other baked goods the owner makes each morning, along with hot cocoa or coffee. Then settle into the cozy parlor space with couches, tables and lamps.
Tip: Many of the island’s offerings, including its museums, are seasonal. If you’re visiting between late fall and early spring, check to see what’s open. Taking an organized tour will definitely help you to appreciate the island more, but you can have an enjoyable time just wandering and enjoying the quiet.
• One of our tour guide highly recommended a visit to Seurasaari Island. It’s home to the Open Air Museum, which has a collection of traditional wooden houses and buildings from across Finland. It’s an interactive museum where kids can roam and explore pretty freely.
Guides in period clothes offer tours in English during the summer. Head to the museum café for a light lunch or look for food kiosks around the island for snacks and drinks.
Seurasaari has a popular beach that’s co-ed two days a week. At other times, men and women each have their own section and bathing suits are optional.
Discreet nudity is part and parcel of Finnish culture, which brings me too…
Enjoy The Public Pools & Saunas
Sauna-going is an adult experience in the U.S. but in Finland it’s both a communal and family activity. Most families have a sauna in their homes. And most hotels will have one, too, even if they don’t have a pool. If you’re lucky, you might even find a sauna in your room!
MyHelsinki has a list of public saunas. Expect a visit to cost about as much as a night at the movies.
Rules vary from one sauna to the next. Some require bathing suits and others don’t allow them at all. Generally, when the sauna is nude or clothing optional, it has either separate areas for each gender or specified hours for each.
Some also have specific co-ed hours, which will be the most family-friendly. They’ll have all their practices, hours and prices on their websites.
Tip: The saunas are generally places for relaxation, not partying. Bring a towel to wrap around you and another for showering after. Be discreet. And leave your cell phone in the changing room; this is not the time for selfies!
The Allas pool complex, next to the Skywheel on Market Square, is your best bet for a kid-friendly experience.
It has two heated outdoor pools —one with lanes for lap-swimming and one for families— plus an unheated sea-water pool that will test your mettle on most days. It also has three saunas, fitness classes and places to lounge.
Things To Do If You Have More Time
Linnanmaki Amusement Park
If your family are fans of old-style amusement parks, spend an evening at Linnanmaki. It was built in the 1950s to provide a treat to the generation of kids who had missed out on a lot of childhood fun because of World War II.
There’s a wooden coaster, but overall the park doesn’t have that old, creaky feel that small amusement parks sometimes do. It’s modern and was busy on the fall weeknight when we were there.
Little kids will like the antique carousel, play areas, horses on a track, and a chance to make their own cotton candy. Teens will like the modern roller coaster, flume and other thrill rides. The whole family can chase each other around on the bumper cars and watch 4D movies.
Look for seasonal activities like a Carnival of Light in October and a Scarefest in September.
You can walk around the park for free, but you need a wristband for the rides.
You can buy a discounted wristband for the three evening hours before the park closes at 9:00. This is plenty of time to enjoy all the rides you want and it will fit around your other sightseeing.
There are also less-expensive wristbands for families who just want to do the mild rides. And there are nine little-kid rides and play area that are free.
Take a Walking Tour
Helsinki is known for its wide range of noteworthy architecture.
Hyper-modern structures include the underground Amos Rex Museum with its Seussian windows (also popular with skateboarders). And the nearby Church of Silence, which resembles the prow of a ship.
You can hark back to Art-Deco masterpieces like the Central Train Station and the National Museum, or explore the fairy-tale-inspired buildings in neighborhoods like Katajanokka, which is a stone’s throw from Market Square.
Frescoes just inside the museum depict the Finnish stories that inspired these colorful apartment buildings.
The Church of the Rock, a round, modern church built into a large boulder, is simply unusual. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Central Station. After you’ve admired the church, it’s okay to let your kids climb up the boulder above it.
If you have time, I highly recommend an architecture-focused walking tour that takes you past these and other noteworthy buildings. It’s the kind of tour that’s best done with very little ones in carriers or strollers, or with tweens and teens.
If you can’t manage a tour, at least keep your eye out for some of these stand-out buildings while you’re exploring. You’ll find apps to help guide you in both the Apple and Google stores.
Have a chocolate day
Fazer is Finland’s national chocolate maker and you’ll encounter it everywhere. Small chocolate nuggets wrapped in blue foil often accompany a cup of coffee and supermarkets have many shelves devoted to Fazer chocolate bars. There are even Fazer cafés around Helsinki.
To learn more about this local treat, head to the Fazer Experience Visitors Center, 17 Kilometers from Market Square for an hour-long tour in English.
You’ll visit a greenhouse that grows the fruits and herbs that find their way into the chocolate, learn how their chocolate is made and, of course, eat some samples.
It’s a kid-friendly and different way to get insight into modern Finnish culture. It’s also a good indoor activity that will please adults and kids of different ages.
If you have time to leave Helsinki for a night or two, Finland has lovely national parks and other opportunities to explore nature.
Helsinki With Very Small Kids
Take a Ferry to the Zoo
Helsinki families love the Korkesaari Zoo. It’s a small local zoo that I recommend if you’re traveling with kids 6YO or younger and need something easy that you know they’ll like.
Korkesaari’s best attribute is that it’s on an island. From May to September, ferries run to the zoo from Market Square and on a nice day it’s a really lovely ride through the harbor.
Kids reliably love Restaurant Karhu. It offers your standard zoo café, food, but it has large picture windows overlooking the brown bears’ habitat. You’re almost certain to see a bear amble by while you’re dining on local soups, French fries and ice cream.
There is a nice playground and sand-play area just outside the restaurant where kids can play while you linger over coffee, too.
Korkesaari Zoo is open year-round. All of its outdoor animals thrive in Finland’s cold climate, so there’s no need to bring them inside and out of sight for the winter. If you aren’t going to Lapland, it’s your opportunity to see reindeer and other Arctic animals.
Tip: You can use your Helsinki metro card to take the bus to or from the zoo, but the ferry is a separate ticket. You can arrive by one and return by the other if you want to.
Kid-Friendly Helsinki Restaurants
I wasn’t in Helsinki long enough to get a comprehensive view of the dining scene, but I had a few good meals and can recommend places to look out for.
• We headed to the Old Market for lunch one day, and sat down at Story, which specialized in salmon and potato chowder, a popular Finnish dish. Our bowls were large with big chunks of fish and potato and a healthy dash of dill.
Options in the market abound though. Walking around, I spotted a soup stall that was popular and a few places to buy prepared seafood and sandwiches.
I regretted having to walk past a sign that offered a reindeer and local beer tasting. After lunch, look for fresh doughnuts and huge, pastel-striped meringues for dessert.
• There’s a large outdoor food market in Plaza Narinkka near the Church of Silence and the Amos Rex. We found everything from Bavarian sausage and pretzels to Spanish paella to burgers made from crickets (the offer samples).
• We needed a quick, cheap dinner one night and were happy to find Fafa, a quick-service restaurant with a few locations around the city.
It serves falafal, haloumi cheese, kebabs and merguez sausage in sandwiches and on salads. The fried cauliflower appetizer is a good way to get your kids to eat some veggies. They also serve beer and hard cider. Nothing is more than €16 and they have kids plates.
• For something familiar and easy, head to the Woolshed is an Australian gastropub near the train station. Burgers, chicken tenders and fish ‘n’ chips will please the kids, while you can tuck into craft beers, salads and steak or fish entrées.
• If you want to treat your family to an upscale meal, Salutorget, just off Market Square, serves upscale, nicely plated Finnish food for lunch and dinner in a beautiful space that used to be a bank.
The dinner entrées and desserts are good. I particularly enjoyed a cocktail made with fresh rhubarb. They will do half portions for half price for kids. Whether your kids will find something they like on the smallish menu depends on how adventurous they are. The pan-fried fish dishes are the best bet, and the meatballs, when they have them.
The restaurant also does an afternoon tea with small sandwiches, savory tarts, scones, cookies and cake. This is the most kid-friendly way to have a meal in this beautiful space.
Basic Information For Traveling to Helsinki
What Language Do Finns Speak?
Finns speak Suomi and most signs are also in Swedish. Menus, public signs and museum labels are usually not translated into English. Everyone speaks very good English, so don’t hesitate to ask questions. You can also use the Google Translate app.
2 Money-Saving Cards To Buy
The Helsinki Card gets you into 25 museums and attractions, including several listed in this post. It includes the Hop-On-Hop-Off sightseeing bus and unlimited travel on the city’s buses, trams and trains and the Suomelinna ferry.
Upgrading the card will get you to and from the airport, too. You can buy a card for one, two or three days. Prices start at €78 for adults and €58 for kids. Admission alone to the included attractions is €15-€30. If you use it to get to and from the airport and see just a few sights it’s a good deal.
The Museum Card, which gives you entry to a few hundred museums, exhibits and events across Finland, is a good resource for longer stays.
Tip: Children in strollers ride public transportation for free and so does the adult riding with them. Keep this in mind when you’re deciding what type of card to buy.
A tip for cellular service
Whenever I travel outside the US these days, I download an Airalo eSim card. These virtual SIM cards allow me to access a local cellular network without having to replace my physical SIM card.
It’s a data-only plan but I can make calls on WhatsApp. In addition I pay about $5/phone/week for enough data to use maps, apps and social media as much I want. My carrier charges $10/day in roaming fees, so this saves me a lot.
Flights to Finland
Helsinki is a seven-hour flight from New York City and there’s a seven-hour time difference.
I try to arrive in the late afternoon or evening on flights to Europe now. I lose a day of sightseeing, but landing and going almost straight to bed eliminates jet lag and I can hit the ground running at day two.
Finnair flies from NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles.
Tip: Look for the family line at Helsinki airport’s security gate. It will be shorter and the workers on this line usually make a point of being patient and friendly. There’s also a nice play area near Gate 16 if your kids have energy to burn before the flight.
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* Disclosure: I was sponsored by Visit Finland, My Helsinki on this trip. I did not agree to provide any particular coverage of the trip in exchange for the visit. My opinions are always my own.
* All images by Eileen Gunn© except Stockmann’s (Visit Finland) and the Open Air Museum (the museum).