Over the years, Childrens Day Foundation has donated over 120 million euros to this important cause. You will visit most must-not-miss spots, and in the afternoon you will take a round-trip ferry to Suomenlinna, the sea fortress of Finland. It is located in the city center and is easy to reach on foot and with all public transport. Although I usually skip visitor centres, Id highly recommend a stop here on your way around the island. Love this? You will book a time with a guide that soon will become your new friend in a foreign city. This will incur a mooring fee, you can check details here. A return transfer is included in this tour, we will pick you up from the hotel at the agreed time before departure. On the way back there are beautiful locations and this captain happens to love taking pictures if requested! Maybe an interactive play etc could brighten the whole tour up. The operator whose product is featured here may pay Viator more. - Walking tour lets you get to know the city on foot. See more Virtual Experiences around the globe. As Suomenlinna fortress is an island, the only way you can access it is overseas. To help you explore Suomenlinna island easily, theres a blue tourist route you can follow that lets you pass along the main sights of the island. Get the most out of your time in Helsinki by combining a city sightseeing tour with a ferry ride and a walking tour of Suomenlinna Island. But, its good to note that some of these are closed off in winter. Get to know Helsinki on this city sightseeing tour. Some of the artillery banks and walkways are quite steep, rocky, and can be slippy, especially with ice! But, there is the option to sit on top and take in the wonderful views. If youre feeling peckish or need to warm up they have a lovely caf that sells fresh filter coffee and yummy locally made cakes. So, lets go! Duration: 25 min. Enjoy a walk in the Esplanade Park and marvel at the architecture of Uspenski Cathedral, Oodi library and The Parliament of Finland . On the first day of arrival, your guide will pick you up and take you to the deluxe accommodation by car. You will have a cosy and relaxing stay in Helsinki for 3 days / 2 nights. This private tour is perfect for travelers with limited time in Finland. This ferry is run by HSL (Helsinki Regional Traffic) and so if you have a Helsinki transport cardor have purchased a Helsinki Card that allows you to use public transport and enter attractions too, you can board the ferry for free. Comment sent successfully! Learn about the years of the construction works, life in the naval base, role of the fortress in conflicts, to the struggles of the Civil War and life thereafter. Save your favorites. A guided tour while walking through the cobbled streets in Helsinki Senate square, visit the Helsinki Market Square, the Helsinki Cathedral the symbol of the city of Helsinki. Originally called Sveaborg - literally "fortress of Sweden" - the fortress was commissioned by the Swedish government in 1748 to protect the country against Russian expansionism, it was renamed Suomenlinna in 1918, coinciding with the declaration of independence of Finland from Russia. People from all over Finland and the world make a day trip here, so I would recommend getting here early in the summer. The Suomenlinna Museum is devoted to the history of the UNESCO World Heritage site it's named after. Discover Helsinki as you take in the historic landmarks dotted around the city and observe the modern art pieces at the Kiasma contemporary art museum. You have the chance to fire up the barbecue with wood and when the dancing flames turn to embers you are ready to grill some tasty food! Its too little time really to see everything but it can be done if youre really stuck for time. I arrived at 9 am and it was deserted! Suomenlinna's is one fortress built on a path that exceeds two kilometers. Suomenlinna actually comprises of six islands and each of them has something different to discover! Its a beautiful historic fortress and we want to keep it that way for years to come. Book your hop-on hop-off bus tour of Helsinki! . Helsinki is a city of islands and this Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) tour is the perfect way to see the sights. Audio Video Visit to Suomenlinna, Helsinki: How to get there, prices and advice, Christmas 2021 in Rovaniemi: Offers, program and tips, Getting around in Helsinki: info, costs and advice, What to see in Helsinki and surroundings in 7 days, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Historical notes, curiosities and practical info: what to know in brief, every day from 10:00 to 18:00 during the summer season (2 May - 30 September). Travel by tram, foot, and ferry as your guide takes you around the citys landmarks, sharing information about Finlands history and culture. It was renamed Peter the Greats Naval Fortress. It melted in the mouth! Vehicles on Suomenlinna island are a car-free zone and are really strictly for service vehicles. Click here to book! You dont want to fall off into the sea now. The history of Suomenlinna fortress is important to Finns, 3. So, dont sweat too much in the off or shoulder seasons about the crowds. I came on the ferry with over 50 people and by the time I left the main pier to explore, it was like they vanished into thin air. Orig Visit some of the highlights of Helsinki including a local market with food tasting and guided visit to Suomenlinna island. The ferries run all times of day around four times an hour and you can check their timetables here. If theres one spot you need to add to your list of places to visit in Helsinki, its Suomenlinna fortress! On the first day, you will visit the most highlight spots in Helsinki with a guided tour by tram. On the last day, you will have some own free time to explore Helsinki city a bit more before the departure. These are only valid for the Suomenlinna ferry and cannot be used for any other ferries or transport that day. Youll find traditional Scandinavian wooden houses on the lake, big canons on the artillery banks, and a church that used to be Russian Orthodox and is now a lighthouse. Suomenlinna is a sea fortress built on an archipelago of six islands off the coast of Helsinki. Explore Helsinki in accordance with the citys eco-friendly values on this guided tour of the Finnish capital. Explore Helsinki at your own pace and save money as you sightsee with the great-value Helsinki Card or Helsinki Card Region. People normally club together Linnanmaki Amusement Park and Esplanade Park while planning their visit to Suomenlinna. Suomenlinna C 40, 00190 Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki City Museum Or Helsingin Kaupunginmuseo. Its effortlessly serene, full of important history and picture-perfect to boot. I did this on the way back and although it was (quite literally) Baltic, seeing the city skyline as we pulled in was lovely and an awesome photo opportunity. It is located in Helsinki, Finland. Wow, how cool would it be to live on this island?! This post may contain affiliate links. Obviously, its within limits, you wouldnt see someone swimming in your back garden or anything! On the second day, you will have a guided walking tour in the Helsinki Design District in the morning, and visit Suomenlinna, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the afternoon. Learn about the underground Temppeliaukio Church and other landmarks from an audio guide, and perhaps hop off to visit the bustling food stalls of Market Square. Although this wont affect your visit in any way, its important to be mindful of residents living on the island. Add a free audio city tour (limited timetable), a digital guidebook, plus valuable savings on tours, meals and other experiences, and its an excellent way to make the most of Helsinki. Get in touch with the Nordic wildlife in Nuuksio Reindeer Park and explore Helsinki on a guided sightseeing tour. This is open from May September and you can moor overnight there too. Please check the opening hours and exceptions at: Suomenlinna Museum, Adults 8 , students and pensioners 5 , children 7-17 years 4 , Free entry with: Museum Card, Helsinki Card, Ehrensvrd Seura Ry Tickets each way are 2.80 Euros with the HSL ferry but you can purchase a Suomenlinna ticket for 5 Euros return which allows you 12 hours on Suomenlinna fortress. You must use the HSL ticket machines located at the ferry dock. You will arrive and check-in at a 3-star hotel in the very centre of Helsinki city on your own. In April, when I visited, it was relatively quiet the whole time I was there. See the best sights of Helsinki and hop on and hop off as you please at any of the 22 stops on the itinerary. The great thing about this option is you have the choice to be dropped off at the Kings gate too on the route! So, take your time to have a look around. No stress, no waiting, just one click and its done. There are picnic areas for this, just remember to clean up after to protect the site. Then there are cannons, walls, an Orthodox church and even one of the submarines which patrolled the Baltic last century, which can be visited in the summer. On the second day, you will meet the guide at bus station and take inter-city bus to Porvoo, the medieval town in the Southern Finland. I loved getting this ferry. Along the way you will come across old barracks, officers' quarters and the various garrisons, now museums, restaurants, shops and homes. Its a wooden building that was made in 1928 and is as cute as a button. The temporary exhibition of the museum introduces current themes. So first up, what is Suomenlinna fortress exactly? Located off the coast of Helsinki, it offers insights into the events that shaped local history, as well as the daily lives of people who lived and worked in this centuries-old former fortress. Explore Helsinki and the Suomenlinna fortress on a private tour that takes you around the city capital and discover the history of the sea fortress. Tickets are 8 Euros and have a small introductory film with interactive displays. The permanent exhibition of the Suomenlinna Museum unveils the history of the fortress from the 18th century to the present day, through the Swedish, Russian and Finnish eras. Join this guided tour to see the cultural landmarks of Helsinki and enjoy a guided visit of Suomenlinna, listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today they are a charming change of scenery for the locals and a real attraction for the tourist. Discover this 18th-century sea fortress and learn about several historic events that has shaped the fortress over the years with a guided walking tour. Suomenlinna Fortress is part of the archipelago of Helsinki and Suomenlinna comprises of six islands, 2. Its a residential area with 800 peopleand has 400 localsworking on it so its really accessible and boats run from early morning until around 2 am in the summer months. Spread over six islands in the Helsinki archipelago, Suomenlinna Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular destination for picnicking and leisure activities. In 1917 Finland finally gained its independence and a year later they released the fortress from Russian rule.