Helsinki Activities: Ferry, Sauna, Rock Church

For €3.30 you can sail out of Helsinki harbour and walk the bastions of a sea fortress, and that short crossing remains the best-value outing in the city. The rest of the list climbs in price from there. Everything is in euros, and cards or phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, so there is little need for cash.

Under €5: the ferry and the library

The Suomenlinna ferry is an ordinary public boat run by HSL from Market Square (Kauppatori). It takes about 15 minutes and needs an AB ticket, which costs €3.30 in the HSL app or on a card and €3.50 by contactless, valid for 80 minutes. Boats run every 15 to 30 minutes in summer and every 40 to 60 minutes in winter, so look at the timetable on hsl.fi before you plan the return. Walking the islands costs nothing: grassy ramparts, dark artillery tunnels (use your phone torch), the granite King’s Gate and one of the world’s oldest working dry docks. The Suomenlinna site lists the museums and the visitor centre, and if you want a guide, you can browse Suomenlinna tours on GetYourGuide .

Oodi, the central library facing Parliament, is free on all three floors. The top floor has a terrace and a ceiling like a white cloud, and the middle floor is a public workshop with 3D printers and sewing machines. Hours are Monday to Friday 08:00 to 21:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 20:00; see oodihelsinki.fi .

€8 to €16: the rock church and a wood-fired sauna

Temppeliaukio, the church blasted into granite in Töölö, costs €8 at the door. Buying direct avoids the reseller markups that push the price much higher. Its copper dome sits on 180 vertical windows, and the bare rock gives organ concerts a rare resonance. Opening times are on temppeliaukionkirkko.fi .

Kotiharjun Sauna on Harjutorinkatu in Kallio has been heating with wood since 1928 and charges €16. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 14:00 to 20:00 and closed on Mondays. Men and women use separate rooms, and the habit is to cool off outside in a towel between rounds. See kotiharjunsauna.fi .

€19 to €29: the sea pool and Löyly

Allas Sea Pool sits beside Market Square and has a heated pool, a children’s pool, a seawater pool and several saunas. A two-hour ticket is €19 on weekdays and on Friday until 14:00, and €24 from Friday afternoon through Sunday (allaspool.fi ).

Löyly, on the Hernesaari waterfront, is the design sauna: a smoke sauna, a wood-burning sauna and a ladder straight into the Baltic. Two hours cost €29 with a towel included, an extra hour is €12, and booking ahead is recommended (loylyhelsinki.fi ). For a guided evening, see Helsinki sauna experiences on Viator .

Winter sense

From late autumn to early spring, pavements and the steps at Senate Square can hold nearly invisible black ice. Finns call it pääkallokeli. Slip-on studded grips cost about €15 to €25 at pharmacies and supermarkets. A plunge into the sea or an ice hole after a sauna is a cold shock for the body, so use places with staff, enter slowly by the rail and skip alcohol beforehand.

Verdict: spend on Löyly once, and make Kotiharjun your second sauna. For a day plan that strings these together, see the Helsinki sightseeing page .

Tip: tap water in Helsinki is excellent, so carry a bottle and refill it for free.

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