Are you a fan of nature travel? Would you like to escape busy city life and go into the wild to camp or hunt for mushrooms? If the answer is yes, book your next adventurous trip to Finland. Regardless of short the summertime or long, cold winter, Finland has a wide range of sights and activities to offer. It is literally the country of thousands of lakes. Explore this green Nordic nation with me through these top 4 must-see destinations in Finland.
Rovaniemi - the land of Santa Claus and Northern Lights
Well-known for being the hometown of Santa Claus in the Lapland region, Rovaniemi is the magical land of northern lights and Christmas. The city attracts thousands of tourists every winter to experience a stay in an ice hotel, ride snowmobiles, dog sled, ski or even swim in the ice cold water after a sauna. Here you can try some of the most exotic experiences of snow sports and leisure activities for the winter, or you can simply relax in Santa Claus Village like a child. In Rovaniemi you’ll find various local souvenir shops that sell Lappish products made of wood or fur, and SantaPark, which is an underground amusement park – a Disneyland in the north. Santa Claus Village can be reach by bus from Rovaniemi city centre within about 20 minutes.
Helsinki - the green capital
The bilingual Finnish capital with over 600,000 inhabitants speaking both Finnish and Swedish is one of the few harbour cities of southern Finland. Like most parts of Finland, Helsinki is a well surrounded by a green environment with lot of parks (Esplanadi, Kaivopuisto, Töölönlahti, Keskuspuisto (Central Park), Lauttasaari, Linnanmäki, Kaisaniemi, etc.) and clean lakes (such as Nuuksio Forest Lake) all over the city. Make sure you take a day trip to Nuuksio National Park to indulge yourself in lots of lakes, hills and trees. You can also experience a night camping here and join mushroom-hunting activities, some of which are organized by a university student association in Helsinki. Suomenlinna Island with some remaining parts of the old sea fortress is a must-visit destination. You can also spend a day having a picnic or fishing under the sun. There are frequent public ferry connections between Esplanadi and Suomenlinna. From three out of four harbours of Helsinki, you can take a boat to multiple destinations including Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg. It’s worth it to experience spending the night lounging around different floors, dining in restaurants, drinking or watching live shows in bars, dancing in discos, shopping tax-free alcohols and partying with friends in a private cabin.
Turku - the city for sport lovers
Known as the prior capital of Finland and one of the largest cities in Finland, Turku has great natural beauty and a long history. Walk along the beautiful banks of the Aura River (Aurajoki), passing through the city centre towards the Turku Castle. For sport lovers, rent a bike to cycle through the bike route map offered by the city’s tourist office. You can also view the landscapes across the Aura River by taking the free Röri ferry shuttle across the 78 metre (roughly 256 feet) wide river. There’s also a ferry connection between Stockholm and Turku. The Port of Turku is easily accessible by bus from the Market Square (Kauppatori). About 6 kilometres (3.72 mi) from Kauppatori, there’s a beautiful national park called Ruissalo.
You might be interested in these Airbnbs!
Tampere - the city of lakes
Another large important city of Finland to keep in mind is Tampere – the biggest inland town of the Nordic region. The city lies on an isthmus between Lake Näsijärvi and Lake Pyhäjärvi. There are 200 lakes and ponds in the region, surrounded by various parks (e.g. Duck Park, Hantanpää Arboretum, Koskipuisto park, Näsi Park, Southern Park and Viinikka Park). In the winter, outdoor sports including hiking, ice walking and even ice swimming are popular. Do not miss the experience of drilling a hole into the ice on a lake and hop in after sauna. Just be sure that this experience is supervised for your safety. Tampere is easily accessible via Tampere-Pirkkala Airport with cheap flights from carriers such as Ryanair and Norwegian Air.
Finland Tour Guide
Ann Travel Finland (Anna Siukola)
Hi, my name is Ann, and I offer author’s Helsinki and Southern Finland tours in English to individual travelers, families, friend groups, and large groups. My style is educative and entertaining, so you will have a lot of facts presented in an easy, fun, and friendly manner. I am knowledgeable in various fields, but my tours are not boring history lessons. Instead, we will have a lively narrative and discussion, and I promise you will WANT to know more! I conduct all sorts of tours: sightseeing-, thematic-, tailored-for-your-interests, customized tours; walking and biking tours, and tours with the use of public and private transport. You name it! Whatever you select, I can assure you that you will have great memories when you are back home!18 years ago, I moved from one beautiful city to another – from St. Petersburg to Helsinki. Back in St. Petersburg, I worked as a tourist guide, and following my passion for this profession, I studied for and received the authorized tourist guiding diploma in Helsinki as well. Through these years, my knowledge of modern life in Finland, the language, people’s mentality, traditions, culture, etc. has naturally deepened. All curiosities which make up Finnish culture, have become part of me, and Finland has become my dear, beloved home. As an international person living in Finland myself and having an international family (at home, we speak English, Finnish, and Russian), I would like to offer you a tour where I am going to tell you about Helsinki, its history and traditions, its modern vibe and the international diversity of it before and today. What is the place of Finland in this fast-changing world? Let’s talk about it, and compare it to your home country if you will.My customers love the way I connect historical facts about Finland and the neighboring country - Russia. Having been an authorized St. Petersburg guide as well, I always find it fascinating to bring up some historical connections. Well, well… Finland was part of Tsarist Russia for a century, so there are loads of connections here. Now, due to the current situation, people don’t travel to St. Petersburg, but many, from my experience, are interested to know about the current state of affairs out there. Through my tours, you can get a touch of it too. Just IF you want.My other occupation is a multidisciplinary artist, which is why on my tours I love to point out architectural details and all the man-made beauty of Helsinki. As a person who is very passionate about history, art, architecture, and overall – beauty around us and a person who loves to share her knowledge and inspiration, I also love to meet other cultures and exchange our knowledge about this beautiful and diverse world. So, come to have fun with me on my tour and get a touch of the old and modern sides of the atmospheric Helsinki city!Contact me and let's plan your visit to Helsinki together!
When and how to visit Finland?
Finland is easily accessible via Helsinki Vantaa Airport, by train from Russia or by boat cruise (Tallink or Silja Lines) from Sweden, Estonia or Russia. The national train company, VR, and bus, Matkahuolto, provide good connections between the main cities in the country. The warmest time to visit the country is between June and August with July being the warmest. High school graduation and the beginning of summer are celebrated on May 1, with thousands of people showing up at the Helsinki Senate Square with their white graduation caps. On this day, people throughout Finland drink and party a lot from noon until late night, followed by a picnic in public parks the following morning. One of the best times to visit Finland is in mid June, when Midsummer’s Eve is celebrated among family members that gather and go together to their summer cottage for sauna, swimming and grilling food.
History
Get Trip101 in your inbox
Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data
-
-
-
-
Top 6 Things To Do In Ivalo, Finland - Updated 2024Rienz Althron -
-
What To Buy In FinlandJames
Create an account to