Activities in Finland
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Helsinki Sightseeing Tour
105 minutes (Departs Helsinki, Finland)
by Viator
See the beauty of this stunning Nordic city on an introductory sightseeing tour with live commentary from your knowledgable guide. A great way to get orientated…Not LP reviewed
from USD$38.88 - All activities
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Särkänniemi
On the northern edge of town, this promontory amusement park is a large complex with several attractions, including a good art gallery and an aquarium. There’s a bewildering system of entry tickets and opening times depending on what your interest is, and it is cheaper to book online. A day pass is valid for all sights and unlimited rides, while €8 will get you up the observation tower, and into the gallery and farm zoo. To get to Särkänniemi, take bus 4 from the train station.
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Pyynikki Ridge
Pyynikki Ridge, rising between the two lakes, is a forested area of walking trails with fine views on both sides. There's an observation tower (adult/child €1/0.50; h09:00-20:00) on the ridge, which also has a great café serving Tampere's best doughnuts.
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Cycling & Cycling Paths
One of Oulu's best features is the extensive network of wonderful bicycle paths - routinely praised as the best local cycling routes in Finland. Nowhere is the Finns' love of two-wheeled transport more obvious than here in summer. Bike paths cross bridges, waterways and islands and can take you all the way out to surrounding villages.
A good easy ride is from the kauppatori (market square), across the bridge to Pikisaari and across another bridge to Nallikari where there's a good beach facing the Gulf of Bothnia.
Bikes can be hired from the train station, and bikes and rollerblades can be hired from shop 24 at the kauppatori. Nallikari Camping rents out bikes but only to…
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Ruka Fell
There are 28 downhill ski slopes and 18 lifts on Ruka fell. The vertical drop is 201m and the longest run is 1300m - not bad averages at all for Finland, where hills are small and slope gently. Ruka also boasts cross-country trails totalling 250km. There are special areas for snowboarders.
The ski season runs from early November to mid-May, depending on snowfalls. During holiday periods such as Christmas, February and Easter, it seems that almost the entire population of Finland can be seen on Ruka's slopes.
Rates are slightly lower in the shoulder seasons. Alpine skis, including poles and boots, are available for rent and ski lessons are available in all disciplines.
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Lake Cruises
During summer there are daily departures for several different types of lake cruises. Standard two-hour cruises from the harbour depart hourly from 11:00 to 18:00. Special theme cruises include dinner and dancing, wine tasting or a trip to a local berry farm. There are also canal cruises and a monastery cruise to Valamo.
There are cruises to Rauhalahti tourist centre Tuesday to Saturday in summer (and Sunday in July); the best one is the smoke-sauna cruise on Tuesday and Thursday at 17:45 and 20:30.
Tickets for all cruises are available at the passenger harbour. Schedules are available at the harbour or from the tourist office.
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M/S Lily Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The M/S Lily cruises out to Vepsa island three times daily from mid-June to mid-August (one hour each way) and as far as Maisaari on Friday and Sunday evening (four hours total). In May and September, cruises are Friday to Sunday only. Rosita also has cruises to Bengtskär island aboard the MS Anna on scheduled Saturdays in May, June and August. The full-day return cruise includes guide fees and entry to the island.
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Kamisak
Kamisak, run by Eija and Reijo Järvinen, is about 5km south of Ivalo and open year-round. There's a good little café, plenty of knowledgeable chat about all things canine, and you can take an informal tour of the husky enclosures and meet the dogs; a boardwalk points out some of the area's typical berries and plants. In winter, from around November to April, they run safaris weekly.
These range from a half-day trip with a two-person sled and full-day safaris (30km) to three- and five-day safaris, where participants get their own sleds and are taught how to drive and care for their own team of five to eight dogs.
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Trekking
Almost all Trekking trails start from Njurgulahti, including a 4km marked nature trail suitable for families with children. The majority of the trekking routes are within the relatively small area between the rivers Lemmenjoki and Vaskojoki. An 18km loop between Kultala and Ravadasjärvi huts takes you to some of the most interesting gold-panning areas.
As you can do this in two days, many trekkers head over Ladnjoaivi Fell to Vaskojoki hut and back, which extends the trek to four to five days. For any serious trekking, you will need the 1:100,000 Lemmenjoki map, available at the Lemmenjoki Nature Centre.
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Rauhalahti
Rauhalahti is an estate converted into a year-round family park. The whole area is full of activities for families including boating, cycling, tennis and minigolf in summer, and skating, ice-fishing, snowmobile safaris and a snow castle in winter. You can rent bikes (per day from €10), rowing boats, canoes, in-line skates and even Icelandic ponies for gentle trail rides. Take bus 7 from the town centre or a ferry from the passenger harbour in summer (adult/child return €12/6, 30 minutes, five daily Monday to Saturday from early June to early August). There’s also a variety of accommodation here.
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SS Ukkopekka Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The historic steamship SS Ukkopekka cruises to Naantali (daily, early June to late August). The trip takes 1¾ hours and you can have lunch on board. If you'd rather party on board, there's an evening dinner-dance cruise, departing at 19:00 Monday to Saturday from mid-May to late August. The meals (starters plus buffet) are served on dry land - on the island of Loistokari.
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Kaustinen Folk Music Festival
The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is one of the most beloved of summer festivals in Finland, attracting huge crowds. It's the place to be if you're interested in Finnish folk music and dance, since some 300 Finnish bands (and many international acts) perform more than 250 concerts during the week in mid-July. At any time between 10:00 and 03:00 there are several official concerts and half a dozen impromptu jam sessions going on.
Folk dance performances are also an integral part of the festival, with everything from Celtic and Latin dancing alongside Finnish dance.
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Lake & Snow
There are daily cruises run by Lake & Snow on Inarijärvi from mid-June (as soon as the ice melts) to late August. Departures are at 14:00 daily, with an additional departure in July at 18:00. Boats leave from the wharf at the Siida car park. The destination is Ukko Island (Sámi: Äjjih), sacred to the Sámi. During the brief (20-minute) stop, most people climb to the top of the island, but there are also cave formations at the island's northern end.
The same company also organises fishing trips and snowmobile safaris.
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Sampo Tours
The highlight of a visit to Kemi in winter is a trip aboard the Sampo, the only Arctic icebreaker in the world that accepts passengers. The four-hour cruise includes ice swimming in special drysuits, as well as a walk on the ice - a remarkable experience.
The best time to go is when the ice is thickest, which is usually in March. Contact Sampo Tours. Departures are from Ajos Harbour, 15km south of Kemi, where you'll also find the Sampo out to pasture in summer, when it operates as a restaurant.
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Vuoksen Kalastuspuisto
Vuoksen Kalastuspuisto is a stocked salmon pond on Varpasaari in Mansikkala. As well as the guaranteed catch of pike or salmon from the ponds, you can also purchase licences (per day/week €6/10) for the surrounding waters as fish suitable for smoking can be caught in the river here. They also rent bikes (per day €12), row boats and kayaks (per day 30), plus there’s a good traditional sauna (per group €115). Accommodation is comfy camping for fisherfolk with basic tent sites and good-sized cabins.
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Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna
Jätkänkämppä Smoke Sauna is by the lakeside near Rauhalahti resort south of town. The 60-person, mixed sauna is heated 24 hours in advance with a large wood fire (ie there’s no sauna stove). Guests are given towels to wear, but bring a swimsuit for a dip in the lake. Sweat it out for a while, cool off in the lake, then repeat the process several times – devoted sauna-goers do so even when the lake is covered with ice. Then buy a beer and relax, looking over the lake in Nordic peace.
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Ruunaan Koskikierros
Around the river system, and over two beautiful suspension bridges, runs Ruunaan Koskikierros, a marked 29km loop along good pitkospuu paths. If you have more time, there are another 20km of side trips you can take. If you start at the Naarajoki bridge, you will have to walk 5km along the Bear's Trail to reach the Ruunaan koskikierros trail. Another 3.3km brings you to the Neitikoski, where you'll find commercial services. Neitikoski also has road access and a parking area.
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Helsinki Tour Expert
Organises city tours and specialises in travel around Finland and to Tallinn and St Petersburg. There's a desk at the city tourist office and the train station. It also runs worthwhile 1½-hour city bus tours in summer on the hour from 10:00 to 14:00 (11:00 and 13:00 in May & September, 11:00 in winter). Ask which tours are free with the Helsinki Card. They depart from the Esplanade Park, near the tourist office, and taped commentary (in 11 languages) comes via a headset.
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Santapark
This Christmas-theme amusement park is built inside a cavern in the mountain and features an army of elves baking gingerbread, a magic sleigh ride, a Christmas carousel, an ice-bar, a theatre, a restaurant and, of course, Santa Claus himself. The most intriguing section is the gallery of ice sculpture, though it costs an extra €10 per person. It’s great fun for kids in winter but lacks a bit of atmosphere in the summer season.
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Poet's Way Lake Cruise
The SS Tarjanne, a steam ship, departs from Mustalahti quay. The route, from Tampere to Ruovesi and Virrat, is known as the Poet's Way and is one of the finest lake cruises in Finland. For an additional charge per person, you can sleep in this old boat before or after your trip, and get free day-use of the cabin. Bicycles can be taken on board for a small fee. You can book a day-trip to Virrat or Ruovesi, with one of the legs made by bus.
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Karelia Expert
Nurmes offers a well-organized schedule of tours with daily departures - dog-sledding, snowmobiling, ice-fishing and cross-country skiing from January to the end of March, and canoeing, rapids-shooting (at Ruunaa) and farmhouse tours from June to the end of August.
Contact Karelia Expert for an updated schedule, pricing information and other details. Bookings at least 24 hours in advance are often required for the tours.
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M/S Rudolfina Cruises
Archipelago cruises are a popular activity in Turku during summer. There are day trips around the islands as well as evening dinner-and-dance cruises. Most departures are from the quay at Martinsilta bridge.
The M/S Rudolfina runs 90-minute lunch and dinner cruises, including a buffet meal. More leisurely are the evening cruises, departing at 19:00 from Monday to Saturday and taking three hours to Naantali Bay and back.
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Naantalin Kylpylä
Naantali’s spa traditions date from 1723, when people took health-giving waters from a spring in Viluluoto. Naantalin Kylpylä, the town’s top-class spa hotel, allows nonguests to use its fantastic facilities – including several pools and a Turkish bath – during the day. The huge range of spa, massage and beauty treatments are popular with mothers who don’t want to go to Muumimaailma so book ahead in summer.
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M/Y Marilyn
From mid-June to the end of August, several boats offer day cruises to the island of Bengtskär, all departing from East Harbour. The cruises include lunch and entrance to the islandM/Y Marilyn operates from July to mid-August, departing at 10:00. The cruises last between four and a half (the Marilyn) and seven (the Anna) hours.
All cruises should be booked in advance with the company or the tourist office.
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Cruise
In summer, a couple of local boat services Cruise the Lemmenjoki valley, from Njurgulahti village to the Kultahamina wilderness hut at Kultasatama (Gold Harbour). A 20km marked trail also follows the course of the river, so you can take the boat one way, then hike back. You can also get on or off the boat at other jetties along the route. There are at least two departures a day from mid-June to mid-September.
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Rajaportin Sauna
Traditional Rajaportin Sauna is Finland’s oldest operating public sauna. It’s a great chance to experience the softer steam from a traditionally heated sauna rather than the harsher electric ones. It’s a couple of kilometres west of the centre; buses 1, 13, 18, 19 and 26 head out there. There’s a cafe onsite, and massages can be arranged. Take a towel or rent one there.
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