What I did during my 6 days in Helsinki!
When I was planning my itinerary for helsinki or finland in general, I couldn’t really find anything helpful online because I was travelling in May which was a lull period for Finland, so I hope this helps!
📍Helsinki and Uspenki Cathedral
Both churches are really pretty from the outside. I didn’t try to enter into Helsinki Cathedral but Uspenki Cathedral had an entrance fee of 5 euros per person, which i unfortunately didn’t think was worth because the church is really small.
📍Kanseineimi Botanic Garden
A rare find that I chanced upon on tiktok! it was such a cute place with pretty flowers, and they didn’t have an entrance fee to the park itself.
📍Huvilakatu street
A cute street with pastel buildings ! Nothing much but still pretty to visit :)
📍St John’s Church
A nice church located opposite the art museum! Entrance inside is free and the church had really nice vibes!
📍Porvoo
Genuinely I would give this a miss.. Tickets there were about 10 euros, and the town is really pretty small with little to do. The only attraction was the river houses which were pretty but nothing impressive. The souvenir shops also look the same as the ones in helsinki, and food options were limited.
📍Tallinn
This is a day trip that I would strongly recommend ! Its only a short 2 hour cruise away, which has wifi and shops. There’s also quite a lot of things to do here and the food is good as well~ Will be making a separate post for this
📍Esplanadi Park
A really nice park to walk around and there are often people busking or events happening here ! the Amanda Havis statue is also located here :)
📍Suomenlinna
A unesco site! I would say that the views are indeed pretty but there’s not much to see here other than trees and rocks and the sea.
📍 Aleksanterinkatu
I heard that the LV here has one of the best prices! But the range here was only the classics and not the newer range so be prepared for that
📍Old Market Hall
A cozy market hall with many food stores, from dessert to salmon soup and caviar ! The salmon soup that I had here was really flavourful and the salmon was fresh as well!
📍Loyly Sauna
I actually really wanted to try to go for a sauna here but they needed a reservation which I didn’t have :( The food here was really good though!
📍Helsinki Market Square
I didn’t take a picture of this, but this was a market square beside the waterfront and the food smelt really good! They had pretty cute souvenirs too
📍Muikku Photo Studio
Not really a tourist spot, but this was a very cute photobooth that i liked ! it was 8 euros for the strips and additional 4 euros if you want the soft copy:)
I stayed at 📍 VALO Hotel & Work Helsinki, which was honestly a pretty comfortable stay and had most things. It was about SGD$153/night with breakfast included, which was very cheap for Helsinki hotels, but this was also very far from the city center. Also didn’t have a fridge and was a bit small!
I got around helsinki by using the HSL app. I generally purchased single route tickets (3.50 euros/trip for 90 minutes) and I didn’t think the day pass was worth it. The app is generally easy to navigate!
Some places I didn’t get to see:
- Temppeliaukio Church: a really famous church but I completely forgot about it..
- National Library of Finland: they had some event on the day that I was visiting
- Oodi Central Library: I didn’t really want to visit this
- Cafe Regatta: Was too far out from the city center
Traveling to Helsinki in May offers a unique experience as it's a quieter time before the summer rush, allowing you to explore attractions like the Kansaineimi Botanic Garden peacefully. Having visited myself, I found that public transport is very efficient—using the HSL app made hopping across the city easy and cost-effective. Purchasing single trip tickets rather than day passes can save money if your itinerary is well planned. While many visitors flock to the Helsinki Cathedral, I appreciated the charm of the nearby Uspenski Cathedral despite its small size and entrance fee. For relaxation, the Esplanadi Park is a lovely spot where locals and tourists alike enjoy street performances and events, making it a vibrant place to unwind. Though Porvoo is often recommended, I found the town quite small with limited activities compared to Helsinki. Instead, I highly recommend the Tallinn day trip — the short cruise over the Baltic Sea offers great views, onboard amenities, and a charming city to explore with excellent food options. For food lovers, the Old Market Hall is a must-visit to taste fresh Finnish specialties like salmon soup and caviar. Although I missed out on a sauna experience at Loyly due to a lack of reservation, the restaurant there served delicious meals that captured the essence of Finnish cuisine. Additionally, Helsinki has fascinating lesser-known spots like St John's Church, which is free to enter and exudes peaceful vibes, perfect for those seeking quieter moments. Accommodation-wise, I stayed at VALO Hotel & Work Helsinki, which offered comfort and breakfast included at a reasonable price, although it's a bit far from the city center and lacks amenities like a fridge. Before you visit, remember some famous spots such as the Temppeliaukio Church are worth planning ahead for to avoid missing out. Helsinki’s blend of modernity, history, and natural beauty makes it a memorable destination, especially if you embrace the local slower pace in May.
Upvote for Loyly Suana!! 😌