Finland Tour: 14 Amazing Places To Visit In Finland (2024)

Finland is the northern European country and lies east of Sweden. The population of Finland is 5.518 million. The four countries Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, form Scandinavia. Major highways connect all these four countries. Denmark shares the border with Germany near Hamburg. Tourists can drive to Germany and then proceed to either Estonia or Sweden using highways. Several Ferries travel between Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia. Thus, one can drive from western and southern Europe to Stockholm, Sweden, or Tallinn Estonia and then take a ferry to Helsinki. Most tourists prefer to travel from Europe to Estonia. The tourist, while driving to Helsinki, can take a break and see several attractive places in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The distance of traveling from Berlin, Germany to Helsinki is 1,600 km or 1,000 miles, and distance can be cover by 24 hours driving.

Touring in Finland

Seven-Day Finland Tour By Train- Many young college students from Europe as well as Russia and Asia come to Finland during July and August. Most travel by train from Helsinki. The 7 to 10 days is split into either eastern Finland and Western Finland. These tours can also be done by car. In most cases, a group of 4 to 6 prefer to travel by car.

1. The Western Finland Tour- The top tour of Western Finland includes the city of Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Vassa, Oulu, Kemi, and Rovaniemi. Most tours of International visitors start at Helsinki. Traveling by train is a lot easier from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Tourist can also load their car on the train. Most tourists who tour Western Finland on car, for their return journey prefer to load cars on the train and save time driving back to Helsinki. The tourist who drives to Rovaniemi can also visit the city of Levi and Lemmenjoki National Park.
2. The Eastern Finland Tour- The top tour of Eastern Finland includes visits to the city of Helsinki, Porvoo, Mikkeli, Savonlinna, Joensuu, Kajaani, and Kuusamo.

Finland Tour: 14 Amazing Places To Visit In Finland

1. Helsinki
   1. Market Square (Kauppatori)
   2. Esplanadi
   3. Uspenski Cathedral
   4. Suomenlinna
   5. Port of Helsinki’s
   6. Musiums: Helsinki
   7. Temppeliaukio Church
2. Tampere
3. Aland Archipelago
4. Kemi
5. Finnish Lakeland
6. Turku
7. Porvoo
8. Savonlinna
9. Vaasa
10. Rovaniemi
11. Oulu
12. Levi
13. Lemmenjoki National Park
14. Northern Lights

1. Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital town of Finland. The population of Helsinki is 631,695. Helsinki is the most favored airport for airlines that travels from Northern America to northern Asian countries. Every year 19 million passengers arrive and depart from Helsinki airport. The majority of these passengers are international travelers who are arriving at Helsinki airport. Over 4 million visitors spend more than two days in Finland. Most tourists come from Russia, Western Europe, Japan, China, and the USA. Helsinki is the most popular place for Russians, Estonians and Latvians.

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Russians prefer to travel to Helsinki by road or sea from St. Petersburg. Helsinki is the focal point of visitors because of the ease of traveling to Helsinki by flight, ferries, trains, and public road transport. Tourists feel safe and comfortable walking through the street in Helsinki. The tourists will be amazed to see the diverse architecture of buildings and museums that are spread around the town. The streets of the city allow tourists to explore the city on foot. Visitors enjoy Finnish lunch, Finnish dinner, and shopping. Most tourists to Finland stay in Helsinki and visit tourist places like Market square, Uspenski Cathedral, and Suomenlinna.

2. Tempere

Tempere is the third-largest city in Finland. The town lies between two lakes that are Näsijärvi, to the north, and Pyhäjärvi, to the south. Tempere was the industrial town in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Most tourists come to Tempere to see Vapriikki Museum and Tampere Cathedral. The museum hosts unusual paintings. The Kaleva Church is also one of the places European visits in large numbers. The fish shaped Kaleva church was built from concrete in 1960. Tourists who visit Tempere also like to see the Orthodox Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky and Saint Nicholas made of bricks and majestic interior decoration. Lars Sonck designed Te Tempere Cathedral. The construction began in 1902 and finished in 1907. The Lutheran church of Tempere is known for its frescoes, painted by the symbolist Hugo Simberg between 1905 and 1906.

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3. Aland Archipelago

Archipelago means a group of islands. Aland Archipelago consists of a few large islands and around 1000 small islands. These groups of Aland Archipelago islands lie in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and the southern section of Finland. Most residents of this autonomous Finnish island speak predominantly Swedish. Sweden surrendered the Aland Archipelago to Russian in 1809. The islands are occupied by 27,500 people. The majority of people, about 11,000 live in the main town known as Mariehamn. The primary industry of the islands is fishing and shipping. Most tourists to Finland come to the island to enjoy the vibrant sound of the sea, to see natural coastal beauty and wonderful landscape. The places to see on the island are Maritime Museum, the Museum Ship Pommern, and the Maritime Quarter. Tourists can experience the example of island farm as of 1890 at Karlsgården open-air museum in Kastelholm.

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4. Kemi

Kemi is a northernmost coastal city to the Baltic Sea. The town is about 950 km from Helsinki. It takes 14 hours of drive to reach Kemi from Helsinki. Kemi is one of the town tourists pick to see the northern light. Kemi is known for its pulp mills. Travelers come to Kemi to see and spend time at the iconic snow castle that is rebuilt every year. Some of the three stories castles are used as a banquet hall to host weddings and other parties. One of the attractions for travel to Finland is a winter tour of the Baltic sea in Sampo Icebreaker Giant Boat. The tour takes passengers around the Baltic sea to see glaciers and icebergs. The Gothic style, Lutheran Church, is a place to spend some time acknowledging the construction of a church in such a difficult place.

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5. Finnish Lakeland

Finland has 187,800 freshwater lakes. The 55,000 lakes are wider than 200 meters. The abundant supply of fresh water around the forest helps to keep the trees green. Most of the lakes are formed following the melting of glaciers. Most of the area known as Lakeland occupies the central and eastern province of Finland. The cities located in the area known as Lakeland are Lappeenranta, Imatra, Joens, Varkaus, Savonlinna, Kuopioand Mikkeli. 25% of the land around these towns are lakes and filled with fresh water. The largest lake is Lake Saimma. The driving distance from Helsinki to Lake Saimma is 359 km, and tourists should expect 4.5 hours of driving time. Visitors to this place in Finland often prefer to stay at a town called Mikkeli and take a day trip to nearby lakes. The distance from Mikkeli town to lake Saimma is 150 km and may take 2.5 hours of drive.

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6. Turku Castle

The small town of Turku is about 170 km from Helsinki in Finland, and it takes 2 hours of drive to reach Turku from Helsinki. Turku is west of Helsinki and the second-largest southern town after Helsinki. The history suggests Swedish Viking arrived in Turku in the 12th century. Visitors to Finland come to Turku to see the traditional medieval village. Most tourists in Finland either stay at Turku or take a day trip from Helsinki. Visitors often are amazed to see a mix of magnificent buildings of modern architecture as well as medieval construction, such as the Sibelius Museum.

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A river surrounds the town. Several riverboats are parked along the river and converted to a restaurant that gives a unique experience of riverside dinner. Tourists like to stay at Turku to visit the riverside, wonderful commercial shopping center known as Kaupatori (market square).

The splendid medieval gothic cathedral across the market square was built during the year 1290. The town has a harbor where several domestic and international travelers park their mid and large size private boats. Next to the harbor is Turku Castle, which was built around 1,300. The Castle was expanded and rebuilt in the 16th to 17th centuries. The Castle is now used as Turku Historical Museum. Turku is the oldest town in Finland and was capital town during the early 19th century. Several historic scholars from all over the world come to Turku to study old architect and culture.

7. Porvoo

Porvoo is the second oldest town and known for its beautiful crafts. The city is 51 km on the east side of Helsinki. The driving time is around 55 minutes. Most visitors prefer to stay at Helsinki and take a day trip to Porvoo. The place to visit in Porvoo is a medieval hilltop cathedral. Cathedral is an example of spectacular construction accomplished in the 15th century. Visit inside the cathedral highlights the art of spectacular wall painting and sculptures. The cathedral is next to the river and market place. Day touring visitors like to spend their time after the visit of the cathedral at the Market Square and coffee shop that is located along the river.

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Tourists interested in the Art Nouveau movement like to visit Edelfelt-Vallgren Museum. Museum has exhibits of furniture, ceramics, and other works of several artists. Tourist would love to see the unique bright, colorful wooden homes. The wooden architecture that was constructed in the early 19th century gives an essence of life during the 13th century.

8. Savonlinna

Savonlinna in Finland is 340 km east of Helsinki. The driving time from Helsinki to Savonlinna is about 41/2 hours. Tourists can take a train and traveling time by train is about 4 hours. The population of Savonlinna is 33,580. The Castle within Savonlinna city was built in 1639, and the later town expanded. Most of the tourists exploring Finland with cars prefer to stay at Savonlinna on the way to northeast Finland. Tourists often spend several hours at Olavinlinna Castle that was built in the 15th century. Castle was called St Olaf’s Castle. Savonlinna and Castle was a controlling landmark for Swedish and Russian Empires. The control of town and Castle had changed several times during the 17th and 18th centuries. The northeast medieval Castle was built of stone and now protected as a national heritage icon in Finland. Castle is open for visitors from 11 am to 6 pm, and guided tours are offered for nominal fees. Tourists often enjoy Steamboat Cruise in July and August. There are several modern hotels available, but young tourists prefer to stay on water cottages. The city of Savonlinna is also a place for tourists to visit the largest wooden church known as Kerimäki Church. The church can accommodate 3000 people at one time.

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9. Vaasa

The town Vaasa is located on the west coast of the middle of Finland. Vaasa is 430 km from Helsinki, and the driving time is about 5 hours. Tourist often takes a west coast tour of 4 to 5 days traveling by train that includes a visit to Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, and Vaasa. The distance between Vaasa and Tampere is about 250 Km and Turku about 330 km. The city of Vaasa was built during Swedish dominance in 1300. The town was burnt down in 1852, and the new village was erected 6 km away in 1854.

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The population in the city is 67,000. One-third of the population speak Swedish and frequently travels to Sweden. The ruins of the old town are now converted to a massive park and are now a major tourist attractions. The other places that tourists like to visit are the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, Ostrobothnian Museum, the Terranova Kvarken Nature Center, the Tikanoja Art Museum, and the Vaasa Maritime Museum. Tourists to Finland like to see Söderfjärden crater that was caused by a meteor, probably a million years ago. Bird watchers and nature lovers spend a day at Kvarken National Park. Vaasa has the sunniest days compared to other cities in Finland and a great place to spend a day at one of several beaches.

10. Rovaniemi

The “Arctic Circle” passes through the city of Rovaniemi. The town is about 860 km from Helsinki, 206 km from Oulu, and 117 km from Kerni. The driving time is approximately 11 hours from Helsinki, 3 hours from Oulu, and 2 hours from Kerni. Most visitors stay awake to look at the sun past midnight. During the month of August, the city never gets dark, and these nights are known as White Night”. The tourist comes to Rovaniemi for water sports that include river fishing, swimming, and canoeing. The other sporting activities visitors can participate at Rovaniemi are hiking and cycling.

The attraction comprises of Santa Claus who welcomes tourists at Santa Claus Village. Visitors get to see reindeer and can visit the reindeer farm.

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Arktikum Science Museum is established to provide information on Lapland culture and Arctic geography. A large number of skiers come to Rovaniemi during the winter season. The lakes are frozen, and tourists can take a dogsled ride in safari at Sami Lake. On top of this, during the night, tourists can enjoy a bright sky filled with amazing northern light. The hospitality at most hotels and restaurants are outstanding. Most hotel accommodation has a room with glass ceilings. The tourist can enjoy widespread northern light relaxing in a warm indoor hotel room.

11. Oulu

Oulu is located on the west coast of Finland. The population of Oulu is just over 200,000. The city is spread between the Oulujoki Riverbank and the northern part of the Baltic Sea, known as the Gulf of Bothnia. The land around the Oulujoki Riverbank that opens into to Gulf is the most spectacular landscape where visitors can spend a few hours either at river banks or coffee shops around the river bank. The city of Oulu is surrounded by several islands on the west side that lies over the bay of the Gulf of Bothnia. Visitors often spend their afternoon and evening at the island of Linnansaari that is situated next to the city of Oulu. The 16th-century castle that was built by King John III of Sweden at the island of Linnansaari is the most popular tourist place in Oulu.

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The places to visit at and near Oulu are waterfront square, Kauppatori, Toripolliisi, Market Square, and Kirkkokatu Cathedral. The cathedral was built in 1770-72. The tour of Ainola island and a visit to the Provincial Museum is worth spending time to understand the life of Finnish citizen in winter and summer. The tourists also visit Tietomaa Science Centre, Oulu Museum Of Art and the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. Visitors who want to stay longer can spend some of their time exploring the northern section of Oulu. Northern section sightseeing includes Botanic Garden, and the island of Hupisaari which includes a visit to a summer theater.

12. Levi

Levi is one of the northernmost towns about 980 km from Helsinki, 390 km from Oulu, and Kittila 21 km. The driving time from Helsinki is about 12 hours, from Oulu it is 5 hours, and from Kittila 30 minutes. Levi is known for winter skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. The province is known as Finnish Lapland. The city is vibrant during the evening and night time because of several active bars and high-quality restaurants. The town is the best place to see northern lights. Most tourists take a day to Kittila town and Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Kattila has a beautiful well maintained wooden church that was built in the 19th century. Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is located northwest of Levi. Tourists can spend 3 to 7 days skiing at Levi and stay at one of the several ski resorts. Some ski resort transport skier by gondola. The ski courses are divided into beginners and expert skiers. Tourists can take a train or flight to Kittila and then drive to Levi by taxi. Visitors to Levi in Finland enjoy joy riding in snowmobile and also cross-country skiing. Levi is also known to host visitors in an ice bar and restaurant.
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13. Northern Lights

Northern light is seen from September to march. Northern light is visible from most northernmost land on the northern hemisphere. The “Northern Lights” are seen from the northern town of Iceland, Finland, Russia, the USA, and Canada. The northern light is seen from most of Finland. The blazing violent colorful blanket spread of lights is amazing to see with naked eyes. There is no better place to see Northern Light than any town north of Helsinki or from city in the northern province of Finland. Tourists can shop around for package deals from hotels situated in the northern region of Finland. The package includes accommodation for three days and meals. The various choices of Northern Light accommodation around town like Rovaniemi offers glass villa, arctic tree houses, and regular hotel rooms. Incredible Northern light is often seen better from Lapland, Saarislka, Yllas, Levi, and Piha. These places are icy from September to March. The cost of accommodation and meals in these place are often higher than in a city like Helsinki.

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14. Lemmenjoki National Park

Lemmenjoki National Park is located in the northernmost section of Finland. The park is 1,274 km from Helsinki, and driving time from Helsinki to Lemmenjoki National Park is about 15 to 16 hours. Some tourists prefer to drive to the park or take their car over the train to the city of Levi, Oulu, and Rovaniemi. Visitors may spend a couple of days in these towns before driving to Lemmenjoki National Park.

The distance between Lemmenjoki National Park and Helsinki is 1128 km, Oulu 520 km, and Kittlia 150 km. The driving time from Helsinki is 13 to 14 hours, Oulu 6 to 7 hours, and Kittlia 2 hrs 30 mins. The distance from Rovaniemi to the park is 350 km, and the driving time is between 4 to 5 hours. Most visitors often stay overnight at one of the hotels near the park.

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Lemmenjoki National Park is the largest park in Finland and covers 2,589 square kilometers. The young tourist and nature lovers come to see the forest and explore different tracks. The tracks extend from 5 miles to over 100 miles. A small and large group of tourist love to spend overnight while exploring the track. Tourists should be careful while walking in the forest and stay away from brown bears, wolves, moose, and reindeer. The forest is the best place to see a golden eye eagle. The highlight of the trip to Lemmenjoki National Park is to see Northern light, skiing at Levi and enjoy the wilderness.