The Finnish capital is a fantastic place to visit—compact, coastal, full of culture, and polite to the point of excellence. But even the best city break benefits from a little change of scenery. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to the best day trips from Helsinki.
All these small towns, national parks, and seaside escapes are just an hour or so away, and easily reachable by public transportation. Whether you’re in the mood for cobblestone streets in Porvoo, hiking in Nuuksio, or simply a quiet place to enjoy your cinnamon bun by the water, Southern Finland has a day trip with your name on it.
The best part? These Helsinki day trips are easy, scenic, and refreshingly crowd-free—except maybe Porvoo on a sunny Saturday. No early wake-up calls, no herding around with tour groups. Just hop on a bus, train, or ferry and go.
So go ahead—escape the city for a day. Helsinki will be right where you left it.
Day Trip Tip: You can also fit in a day trip from Helsinki to two of Finland’s other major cities—Turku and Tampere—both reachable in around two hours by train.
1. Porvoo – Fall in Love to Finland’s Prettiest Little Town
Distance from Helsinki: 50 min by bus
This medieval town is famous for its wooden houses, red riverfront warehouses, and cobbled streets that are charming and ankle-testing in equal measure. Pop into antique shops, galleries, and cafés, then reward yourself with a Runeberg torte—a rum-spiked cake named after Finland’s national poet, who lived here of ages.
Porvoo is best visited with comfortable shoes and a fully charged phone (you’ll want photos, plenty of them).
2. Fiskars – From Ironworks to Iconic Design
Distance from Helsinki: About 1.5 hours by bus
Once known for its busy ironworks, Fiskars has reinvented itself as a haven for Finnish design, craft, and creativity. It’s also the birthplace of those famous orange-handled scissors, now found in homes around the world. Today, the village is home to ceramists, textile artists, woodworkers, and even a craft brewery or two. The historic buildings have been repurposed into galleries, workshops, and cafés where the vibe is equal parts rustic and refined. Whether you’re browsing for handmade goods or sipping coffee in a former forge, Fiskars makes for a serene and stylish escape from the city.
In July and August, a tourist bus runs from the Kiasma Museum to Fiskars. Outside the summer season, getting there without a car takes a bit more planning.
3. Tuusulanjärvi – Listen to the Silence of the House of Sibelius
Distance from Helsinki: 30 min by train
Just north of Helsinki, Tuusulanjärvi was once a magnet for Finland’s most celebrated artists and composers. In the early 1900s, it became a creative hub where figures like Jean Sibelius and Pekka Halonen sought inspiration in nature and quiet—after one too many long nights in the capital.
You can visit Ainola, Sibelius’s former home and now a museum. Built in 1904 and named after his wife Aino, the house was designed as a peaceful retreat where, as Sibelius once said, “even the silence speaks.” You’ll also find Halosenniemi, the beautifully crafted log studio-home of painter Halonen—an architectural gem in its own right. A scenic lakeside path connects several of the historic artist homes, making Tuusulanjärvi a perfect destination for a peaceful, culture-filled outing just outside the city.
Come winter, Lake Tuusulanjärvi transforms into a fantastic spot for skating on natural ice—with skate rentals available on site.
4. Nuuksio National Park – Forest Bathing, Finnish Style
Distance from Helsinki: 45–60 min by train + bus
Just outside Helsinki, Nuuksio National Park is packed with lakes, cliffs, spruce trees, and hiking trails ranging from beginner-friendly to moderately challenging. The most popular route, Haukankierros (4 km), offers a compact but classic overview of Finnish nature—think rocky viewpoints, quiet ponds, and mossy forest floors. It’s a great introduction for first-time hikers, though it can get a bit busy on weekends (busy by Finnish standards, that is).
Perfect for mushroom foragers, nature photographers, or anyone who wants to see a pine tree up close without the risk of getting lost. Bonus points if you spot a flying squirrel, although it may just be your own shadow.
5. Loviisa – Small Town, Big Heart
Distance from Helsinki: 1.5 hours by bus
Loviisa is like Porvoo’s quieter cousin—less crowded, equally adorable. You’ll find wooden houses, a seaside promenade, old fortifications, and an antique vibe that pairs perfectly with a slow afternoon. The town comes alive during the last weekend of August, when historic homes open their doors to nosy design lovers (you, probably). The event is called Loviisan Wanhat Talot fair (Old Houses of Loviisa).
6. Hanko – Sun, Sand, and OId-Time Glamour
Distance from Helsinki: 2 hours by train
Finland’s southernmost town, Hanko, is best known for its long sandy beaches, historic wooden villas, and elegant, slightly retro atmosphere. Once a grand 19th-century spa resort, it still carries a hint of that faded glamour—the kind that makes you feel like you’ve wandered into a black-and-white film where someone might serve you smoked fish with a linen napkin.
Hanko is ideal for a summer day trip or weekend getaway. You can rent a bike to explore the coastline, stop at seaside cafés, visit old villas or take a boat to one of the nearby islands. It’s laid-back, scenic, and surprisingly sunny—by Finnish standards, anyway.
7. Tallinn – A Quick Hop Across the Gulf of Finland
Distance from Helsinki: 2 hours by ferry
Looking for an international twist to your Helsinki stay? One of the most unique and rewarding day trips from Helsinki is a visit to Tallinn, the charming capital of Estonia. Just a two-hour ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland, Tallinn offers a taste of medieval Europe with its UNESCO-listed Old Town, cobbled streets, and fairytale-like towers.
Day cruises from Helsinki typically leave in the morning and return by evening, giving you around 4–6 hours to explore the city—just enough time to wander the old city walls, enjoy a hearty lunch in a cozy courtyard restaurant, and maybe pick up a few handmade souvenirs. And the best part? Tickets often cost as little as 20 euros, making it one of the most affordable international getaways you’ll ever take.
8. Söderskär – Visit a Remote Lighthouse
Distance from Helsinki: 2 hours by boat from the Market Square
The remote lighthouse of Söderskär can be reached by boat from Helsinki in summer. Söderskär looks exactly like the kind of lonely lighthouse island you might imagine in a dream. A grey rocky islet rises from the sea like the back of a giant whale, with a tall, upright lighthouse standing proudly at its center, flanked by a couple of small red buildings.
The view is so perfectly picturesque that Söderskär has often been called “Moominpappa’s lighthouse”. It closely resembles the imagery found in Tove Jansson’s beloved moomin stories. In her 1965 book Moominpappa at Sea, the Moomin family, along with Little My, moves to a desolate island where Moominpappa becomes the keeper of an abandoned lighthouse. Instead of bringing the family closer together, the isolation drives them apart, and the story unfolds into a powerful exploration of loneliness. Each character experiences the island in their own unique way.
Cruises to the Söderskär Lighthouse, located on the edge of the Porvoo archipelago, depart from Kauppatori and Vuosaari’s Aurinkolahti.
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