In recent years, Helsinki has become an exciting new travel destination for many travellers. With influences from several cultures, its architecture, excellent museums, scenic waterways and own unique relaxed atmosphere, it has something different to other European cities. But Helsinki is not a true representation of Finland , and it’s best to get out of the capital to see some of the real Finland .
Some places that can be visited in 1 day:
- Porvoo
- A beautiful old medieval city with the old town built on a small hill next to a river. This is one of the most popular destinations for a day trip from Helsinki and you can get there by bus or by steamship (although the steamship is very slow!). Unfortunately, because it is very popular it is also crowded during the high season.
- Turku
- The original capital and oldest city in Finland with the beautiful river Aura flowing though it. There is a lot of history in Turku, you can visit places like the cathedral, castle, archeology museum, and the outdoor folk museum. Turku is also a university town, and has a lot of café’s and unique pubs that are worth a visit.
- Sibelius’s Home
- Jean Sibelius was Finland ’s most important composer, and wrote pieces such as Finlandia. Nowadays his Villa ‘Ainola’ on the shore of Lake Tuusula is an excellent place to visit for a day trip.
There are 2 companies that offer day/half day tours at least to Porvoo and Turku and Sibelius’s Home:
Rudolf’s City Experience offers full day tours to Porvoo and Turku in the summer, and Turku in the winter. Using a local guide, their style is to give you an entertaining day out, telling about Finland and the Finnish way of life as well as a little History e.t.c. On their full Day tours they not only go to the main destinations, but take you to places that are not normally accessible to the average tourist. The also offer shorter tours in summer, and their tours seem to be only in English. www.rudolfcity.com
Helsinki Expert offers half day tours to both Porvoo and Sibelius’s Villa in the summer. When it comes to their tours, they have a traditional style, where you will get a lot of information about the destination’s History e.t.c with a Guide that has years of training. They can handle many different languages and also offer tours to other destinations in the summer months, but have no day tours in the winter. www.helsinkiexpert.com.
Other day trips:
Several boat companies operate cruises around Helsinki, which take you through the archipelago. While the Helsinki archipelago is admittedly not as stunning as the Turku archipelago, it is still unique and has large numbers of beautiful islands.
If you are in Finland for slightly longer, you should consider taking a trip to Tallinn. It is a beautiful city and can be comfortably visited in one day with a boat or a helicopter. Boat cruises start at about 25 euros both ways (special offers), helicopter rides about 45.