Day trips from Helsinki: Porvoo, Nuuksio and Turku
Leave Helsinki and you quickly find what Finland is known for: wooden towns on rivers, forest lakes and a coast of rocks and islands. These four trips work without a car, and the forecast decides which one to choose: Porvoo and Turku are fine in any weather, while Nuuksio and Hanko are at their best on a dry day.
Porvoo: old wooden town on the river
Photo: Audrey Bory / Pexels, Pexels License
about 1 hRegular express buses from Kamppi bus station
about 45 min
Porvoo is one of the oldest towns in Finland and the classic day out from Helsinki. Its old town climbs a hill above the Porvoonjoki river: cobbled lanes, low wooden houses painted ochre, red and blue, and at the top a medieval stone cathedral, rebuilt after an arson attack in 2006. The postcard view is from the bridge, across the water to the row of red wooden warehouses along the bank.
The national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg lived here, and his home is now a museum. Spend the morning in the old town's craft shops and cafés, eat by the river and walk up to the cathedral in the afternoon.
Tip: Wear good shoes for the steep cobbles, and try a Runeberg torte in one of the old-town cafés. Bus connections and timetables are on Visit Porvoo.
59 min to 1 h 2 minTrain E or U to Espoo, then bus 245 to Haltia
about 41 min
Barely an hour from the centre, Nuuksio is a landscape of spruce forest, granite ridges and small lakes, with marked trails from a few kilometres to a full day. Start at Haltia, the Finnish Nature Centre, which has an exhibition on Finland's nature, a restaurant and trailheads at the door. With luck you may see signs of the flying squirrel, the park's symbol.
Tip: Go on a dry day and take water and snacks; there are few places to buy food on the trails. The national park's transport page explains the bus connections.
2 h to 2 h 6 minDirect H train, or an IC or S train with a change at Karjaa
about 2 h 1 min
Hanko is Finland's southernmost town, on a sandy peninsula pushing out into the Baltic. In the late 19th century it was a spa resort for wealthy Russians, and their wooden villas with towers and verandas still line the seafront. Today it is a sailing town with long beaches, and in summer the harbour is full of yachts. Climb the water tower for a view over the whole peninsula.
Tip: Hanko is above all a summer town and very quiet out of season. Arrival options are on Visit Hanko.
about 2 hTrains every hour from the Central Railway Station
about 2 h 3 min
Turku was Finland's capital until 1812 and is its oldest city. Its two great landmarks stand at either end of the Aura river: the medieval cathedral and the castle by the harbour, which has been rebuilt many times since the 13th century. Between them, cafés and restaurant boats line the riverbanks.
Tip: At around two hours each way it makes a long day, so leave early. Travel options are on Visit Turku.
