Helsinki
A white cathedral above the harbour market, a sea fortress one ferry away, saunas on the waterfront with a swim in the Baltic, two kitchens with two stars, and a private terminal at Vantaa that never shuts.
- Arrival
- Helsinki Airport · HEL
- To the city
- About 30 minutes to the centre by train or car
- Private jets
- Finavia Business Flight Center at HEL, 24 hours
- Best time
- June to August
The city
Granite, sea and sauna.
Helsinki is a harbour city on the Baltic. The Market Square trades on the harbour below the white steps of the Cathedral on Senate Square, ferries cross to the island fortress of Suomenlinna, and at Löyly, a public sauna on the shore, the custom is to walk straight from the heat into the Baltic. Allas Sea Pool does the same in the centre.
Temppeliaukio church was blasted out of the bedrock, Oodi library wears a curved wooden façade, and twenty-five streets make up the Design District. Palace, on a tenth floor above the harbour, and Grön, cooking from plants and its own ferments, each hold two stars in the 2026 guide.
Arriving
Half an hour from Vantaa.
Helsinki Airport is about twenty kilometres from the centre, at Vantaa. The train takes about thirty minutes to the city, and so does a car.
- Copenhagen 1 h 30
- Prague 2 h 00
- Nice 3 h 10
- Dubai 6 h 10 long-range jet
- Beijing 8 h 30 long-range jet
When to go
June to August.
Dry, cold winters and a short, bright summer at sixty degrees north. June to August brings afternoons of 19 to 21 °C, modest rain and nights that barely darken; the sea warms to 16 °C in August for the sauna swim. From November to March the afternoons stay around or below freezing, with skating rinks and seasonal markets for those who come for the snow.
- -4° J 43
- -3° F 33
- 1° M 35
- 7° A 37
- 15° M 33
- 19° J 42
- 21° J 67
- 20° A 77
- 14° S 73
- 9° O 72
- 3° N 70
- -1° D 58
What to see and do
Days in and around Helsinki.
-
Landmark
Suomenlinna
An island sea fortress on the UNESCO list, a short ferry ride out from the harbour.
-
Landmark
Helsinki Cathedral
The white neoclassical church above Senate Square, seen from all over the harbour.
-
Landmark
Löyly
Smoke and wood-fired saunas on the waterfront, with steps down to the sea for the plunge.
-
Culture
Ateneum Art Museum
Home to Finnish art since 1888, the Ateneum holds the country's oldest and largest collection, from Edelfelt, Gallen-Kallela and Schjerfbeck to Cézanne, Gauguin and van Gogh.
Official site -
Culture
Amos Rex
Opened in August 2018 beneath the Lasipalatsi building, this art museum shows its exhibitions underground and holds one of Finland's largest private collections.
Official site -
Opera & music
Finnish National Opera and Ballet
In its own house on Töölönlahti bay since 1993, the national company stages more than 150 opera and ballet performances a year.
Official site -
Opera & music
Helsinki Music Centre
Both the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra play in the 1,700 seat main hall of this concert house, opened in 2011.
Official site -
Culture
Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
On Seurasaari island, 89 old buildings brought from across Finland show rural life from the 18th to the 20th century.
Official site -
Nature
Nuuksio National Park
More than 30 km of marked trails wind between forested hills, lakes and marshland, starting from the wooden Finnish Nature Centre Haltia.
Official site -
Food & wine
Old Market Hall
Gustaf Nyström's market hall on the harbour has sold cheese, fish, shellfish and truffles since 1889, and its stalls serve salmon soup at lunch.
Official site
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
-
18–19 Nov 2026
Technology & AI
Slush
Annual start-up and venture capital event in Helsinki organised by a non-profit.
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
In 3 weeks
Where to stay
One Key in Kruununhaka.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Two stars twice over.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Palace Two Michelin stars Modern €€€€ Eteläranta, 10th floor
- Grön Two Michelin stars Creative, plant-led €€€€ Albertinkatu
- Olo One Michelin star Modern Finnish €€€€ Pohjoisesplanadi
- Demo One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Ruoholahti, 14th floor
- Finnjävel Salonki One Michelin star Modern Finnish €€€€ Ainonkatu, Kunsthalle
- Boreal One Michelin star Creative, foraged €€€€ Design District
Elsewhere in Finland
More reasons to come.
Flying to Helsinki?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.