Exploring Helsinki, Finland: What to see, where to eat, what to do

For seven consecutive years, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world, and summer is the brightest, cheeriest season to visit its capital. At its peak, Helsinki basks in nearly 19 hours of daylight, which is more than enough time to explore the stunning architecture of the new central library, browse treasure-filled shops in the Design District, sweat in a wood-burning sauna, sip cocktails on a schooner and trek across islands in the surrounding archipelago. Meanwhile, ongoing construction along the waterfront continues to transform industrial zones into livable, residential neighborhoods in this progressive, design-focused city.
ITINERARY
Friday 
4pm | See contemporary sites 
Many arrive in Helsinki via the central railway station, which is also an ideal spot to begin a tour of the city’s contemporary architecture. But first, stop to admire the station’s Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, facade, clad in Finnish granite and designed by Eliel Saarinen with a tall clock tower and stern statues flanking the main entrance. From there, it’s mere steps to Oodi, the new central library in a monumental, three-story, curved-wood building. Head to the top floor — an open-plan, glass-enclosed reading space nicknamed book heaven. There, a wide balcony overlooks Kansalaistori Square, a grassy plaza surrounded by other architectural landmarks: the curvilinear Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, the boxy glass Musiikkitalo concert hall and, farther away, the Alvar Aalto-designed Finlandia Hall (under renovation).
5pm | Mix architecture and art 
Continue the tour at Amos Rex, a new museum (known as the Amos Anderson Art Museum before it moved to its present location) that opened in a functionalist building from the 1930s on Lasipalatsi Square. Today the square is dominated by futuristic, undulating domes — each with a spherical skylight for the museum’s subterranean galleries below — and a free temporary exhibition of giant, moss-green elfin figures by the Finnish sculptor Kim Simonsson (through Oct 20). Inside the museum (admission 20 euros, or about US$22), current exhibitions include post-Impressionist paintings by the Finnish artist Magnus Enckell and an experiential installation with beds and silicone “wombs” by the European artist collective Keiken. Visitors this fall should also stop at the nearby HAM Helsinki Art Museum to see “Paradise,” an unprecedented exhibition of Tove Jansson’s large-scale public paintings, which is part of the 80th anniversary celebration of the Moomins, the whimsical, hippo-like trolls that Jansson created (Oct 25 through April 6, 2025; 18 euros). The museum also holds a small permanent collection of her murals.
7.30pm | Sample creative chaos 
Fun might not be listed on the menu, but it’s always included with dinner at Luovuus Kukkii Kaaoksesta, which translates to “creativity blooms from chaos.” This downtown restaurant opened in 2022 with eclectic decor foraged from second-hand shops, a colourful mural of sea creatures and a menu of inventive small plates that changes with the seasons. Ask for a table in the main dining room, where owner Samu Rasnen charms diners with his delightful banter and fantastic wine pairings. A recent meal also included fresh scallop sashimi with pink sesame seeds and nectarine slivers, white asparagus beneath a frothy tomato-spiked bearnaise sauce (both 13 euros), and a hibiscus-flavored “tuttifrutti parfait” (10 euros).
10pm | Sweat it out in the sauna 
After dinner, socialise as Finns do, in the sauna. Sompasauna is a popular, no-frills option in an industrial zone north of the city centre with three mixed-gender, clothing-optional saunas steps from the Baltic Sea. There’s no admission fee (or staff) at this community-run locale, so users are expected to pitch in, either by donation or by helping with chores, like chopping firewood. Bring your own towel and a lock to secure your belongings. For a late-night sweat session with more amenities, try Uusi Sauna, which recently opened in Jatkasaari, a new residential neighborhood along the western harbor that had been a cargo port until 2008. At this modern complex, the saunas are single-gender (admission, 18 euros; towel rental, 5 euros), and there’s an on-site bar serving Nordic craft beers beside an outdoor courtyard where sauna-goers cool off between rounds.
Saturday
10am | Buy edible souvenirs 
Vanha Kauppahalli, the 19th-century Old Market Hall, is a natural first stop for many visitors disembarking from the hulking cruise ships that dock along the bustling harbourfront. But for a less touristy atmosphere, hop on a tram to Kallio, a residential neighborhood just to the north, where Hakaniemen Kauppahalli, the Hakaniemi Market Hall, reopened last year after a long restoration. Inside the two-storey, red-brick building, which first opened in 1914, stroll the airy aisles where vendors sell fresh fish and meats, seasonal vegetables, delectable cakes and pastries, hearty rye loaves and edible souvenirs including smoked reindeer, salty licorice candies and bags of locally roasted coffee beans.
11.30am | Brunch with locals 
It’s a short walk from the market to Way Bakery, an all-day cafe and artisan bakery with minimalist design and sunny sidewalk tables where locals linger over granola bowls (7 euros) and thick focaccia squares topped with burrata (11.50 euros). For brunch, consider the ever-changing selection of special pastries displayed on the stainless-steel counter, which recently included frosted rhubarb-strawberry financiers and raspberry-and-mascarpone-filled maritozzi buns (from 6.50 euros). Or order my go-to: The bread plate with chewy sourdough, thinly sliced cheese, a generous schmear of salted butter and a jammy soft-boiled egg (11 euros).
1pm | Sail into the archipelago
On a sunny summer afternoon, you won’t be the only one lining up on the harbourfront to board a boat headed to one of the more than 300 islands that make up Helsinki’s archipelago. One of the most popular islands, Suomenlinna, is a former sea fortress (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) to which crowded ferries depart as often as every 15 minutes. For a more tranquil island escape, instead hop on a boat to Vallisaari, a small island that opened to the public in 2016 after serving as a military area since the 18th century (13.90 euros round-trip). It’s a breezy, 20-minute ride to this idyllic island, where an easy, two-mile nature trail loops past mossy woodlands, a glittering lake, grazing sheep and military fortifications with spectacular views across the archipelago.
4pm | View the Design District 
Back on the mainland, meander through the Design District, which has grown to encompass not only shops and galleries but also design-minded hotels, restaurants and museums. Find up-and-coming Finnish fashion designs at Liike, a boutique stocked with shimmering flower-print coats from the Turku-based designer Miia Halmesmaa and hand-crocheted hair clips from a local brand called the Finnish National Romance Museum. Several blocks south, scoop up Finnish antiques, including ceramic plates by Arabia and glassware by Iittala, at Fasaani Antiikki, a maze-like second-hand emporium. Then peek inside nearby Salakauppa, a tiny shop filled with fanciful, hand-crafted treasures such as Russian matryoshka figurines shaped like root vegetables, and hand-painted Japanese kokeshi dolls.
7.30pm | Share small plates 
Southwest of the city center, BasBas Kulma is the new sibling restaurant of Baskeri and Basso — a beloved bistro locals call BasBas — that opened in a sprawling space with brick walls, exposed pipes and a laid-back vibe. Reserve a table in advance to join the jolly crowd feasting on charcoal-grilled skewers of octopus with spicy ’nduja sausage (14 euros) and charred spring cabbage smothered in peanut-chile sauce (12 euros). Other standouts from the menu of shareable small plates might include a crisp kohlrabi-and-pear salad with crumbled goat cheese and rhubarb vinaigrette (11 euros); a delicious pile of tiny Baltic shrimp, tender potatoes and foamy horseradish cream (11 euros); and for dessert, a warm Belgian waffle with apricot jam and white-chocolate mousse (9 euros).
10pm | Toast on a boat 
After dinner, you could walk two blocks to Bob’s Laundry, a kitschy laundromat-themed cocktail bar serving drinks like the Rum’N’Soap, a tiki-inspired highball with rum, pineapple, lychee, orange and coconut (14 euros). Or hop on a tram to SalamaNation, a beer bar in the downtown Kamppi neighbourhood, to sample Finnish craft brews like the Neo-Elektro, a hazy IPA from Salama Brewing. Or head across town to the city’s quintessential summer bar: The Old Man & the Sí!, a seasonal pop-up on an old three-masted wooden schooner docked in the harbor beside the northeastern Kruununhaka district, where you can lounge on the poop deck with a Bitter Paloma (tequila, pink grapefruit, hibiscus, lime and tonic; 15 euros) as the sky dims but never fully darkens.
Sunday
10am | Steep yourself in design 
Could coffee be the key to happiness? Finns are among the world’s top consumers of coffee per capita, so it’s certainly part of the equation. To test this theory, step inside Rams Roasters, a busy little coffee shop on a quiet street in the southern Ullanlinna neighborhood. Order a shot of espresso (4.50 euros) or a light-roast coffee made with beans from Sweden’s Koppi Roasters (3.50 euros), and don’t sleep on the outstanding baked goods, particularly the buttery cinnamon buns in the Finnish style: Oversize and topped with pearl sugar (5.20 euros).
Noon | Admire all things Aalto
The Aalto House is a modest, two-stoery home that the world-renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto and his first wife, Aino, also an architect, built for themselves in the mid-1930s. Today the well-preserved building in the suburban Munkkiniemi neighbourhood, a half-hour north of the city center by tram, is a museum open to the public on engaging, small guided tours (tickets, 30 euros). The timeless home was a family residence and an office, with a sliding partition separating the wings, both furnished in the midcentury modern style that the Aaltos pioneered. If you’re left wanting more after the hourlong tour, it’s only a seven-minute walk to Studio Aalto, a separate office that Alvar Aalto designed to accommodate the growing architecture firm in the 1950s (guided tour, 20 euros).
The Hotel Maria opened in December in the harbourside Kruununhaka neighbourhood, has 117 luxurious, cream-coloured rooms and suites along with an on-site restaurant, spa and chandelier-lit bar. Rooms start at around 425 euros, or US$464.
The Hobo Helsinki has 183 cosy, colourful rooms and a daily breakfast buffet, fitness centre and a popular terrace bar. Rooms start at around 180 euros.
Scandic Helsinki Hub has more than 350 modern, spacious guest rooms and amenities that include an ample breakfast buffet (included), a gym, sauna and a large co-working lounge. Rooms start at around 150 euros.
Look for a short-term rental in Punavuori, a cool neighbourhood in the southwestern part of central Helsinki with many great restaurants, bars, cafes, parks and coffee shops.
By Ingrid K. Williams © The New York Times
This article originally appeared in The New York Times