Helsinki
Nestled on the shores of the Baltic Sea, Helsinki boasts a stunning waterfront, picturesque islands, and a rich cultural heritage. Visitors can explore the architectural marvels of the neoclassical Senate Square, immerse themselves in the city's thriving design scene, and savor Nordic cuisine in trendy restaurants. With its efficient public transportation system, numerous parks, and a welcoming atmosphere, Helsinki offers a perfect getaway for travelers seeking a delightful mix of urban sophistication and natural beauty. Whether you're interested in history, art, or simply enjoying the Finnish way of life, Helsinki has something to offer every traveler.
3 Day Itinerary
This itinerary is for those looking to get a quick European fix, specifically during Christmas, by taking advantage of a cheap flight deal during the off-season. If possible, try to extend your trip to get another full day as this is a whirlwind trip if coming from anywhere outside Europe.
DAY 1: Arrival in Helsinki
Every year once summer starts to wind down in late August/early September, flight deals to Europe will start to come out. We took advantage of a $400 roundtrip flight from Dallas (DFW) to Helsinki (HEL) on Finnair, operated by American Airlines. They’re a nice airline and offer nonstop service between the two cities, making it very efficient for a quick trip.
We departed on a Thursday afternoon from Dallas, and arrived mid-morning on Friday in Helsinki. Since it was December, and due to the northern route this flight takes, we purposely booked seats on the port side of the plane to have a northern view in the air. The reason being…chance for seeing Northern Lights and we were not disappointed.
We arrived in Helsinki and it was what you’d think, a cloudy winters day with snow on the ground, and cold. That only added to the atmosphere though, and we weren’t upset at all. We took a quick Uber into the city, where we booked rooms for $250/night at the top luxury hotel in the city, Hotel Kämp.
Since the main point of the trip was to see Christmas markets, this hotel was perfectly situated in the main center of the city. It is directly facing the Esplanadi, a park lined with shops and restaurants off the waterfront, and just two blocks from Senate Square where the Christmas market is held.
After quickly dropping the bags off in the room, we headed out around the corner to Senate Square to grab a hot chocolate from one of the shops open in the Christmas market. We walked up the steps to Helsinki Cathedral and then down along the waterfront. For lunch, we stopped at the Kauppahalli, and old historic fish market filled with various food shops and even some restaurants. We had salmon soup at the Scandinavian Cafe which was delicious and warmed us up.
We spent the rest of the daylight (sunset is around 3:30pm in the winter) walking south through various neighborhoods and parks towards Kaivopuisto park. It was fun to walk up and down the waterfront here which is lined with parks and hiking trails and even a bridge out to some of the islands where we watched the sun go down.
To warm up after being out in the cold so long, we had drinks in the lobby of the hotel which got really lively. They had some great winter drinks like espresso martinis and a spin on an Irish coffee. We also used the hotels sauna, which is a must do in Finland since it’s where it was invented. Apparently there are more sauna’s than people in Finland. Before going to dinner, we went back to Senate Square and did some shopping and drinking at the Christmas market, which gets much more lively at night.
What may be surprising is how many highly rated restaurants there are in Helsinki. We had reservations at Baskeri & Basso, a French inspired bistro which was incredible. By the time we finished dinner, we were exhausted from jet lag and went back to rest up for our first and only full day in Finland this trip.
DAY 2: Porvoo
With limited time, we wanted to see and experience as much as possible with our only full day. We had researched and heard about a town called Porvoo, which has an old wooden town and supposed to be very charming at Christmas. We booked round trip tickets on one of the regional buses for about $10 each online, then headed to the bus station to catch our ride to Porvoo which is about 45 minutes away. The bus ran on time and was very nice. It was also great to see some of the snow covered countryside on the drive out of Helsinki.
Porvoo absolutely lived up to the way it was described, if not more so. The bus dropped us at an another Christmas market which had a carousel in the town square. The main part of town contains its iconic wooden houses that have been there for centuries. The houses are all converted to shops and restaurants, and are all decorated with Christmas wreaths and lights. A light snow started to fall, and it looked like as much like a stereotypical Christmas town as you can imagine.
We spent hours walking the streets and sipping on glögi, a Finnish version of mulled wine, to stay warm. There are so many great places to stop in for coffee, or pastries, and to buy various Christmas trinkets. Before going back to the bus for the ride back to Helsinki, we walked down to the side of the river that runs through town and had lunch.
For dinner, we had made reservations at one of the Michelin Star restaurants, Ora. The meal took three hours an was one of the best you can have. The food was all so unique and featured local ingredients from the Baltics. After dinner, we went to the Christmas market one more time, and then spent the rest of the night in a pub near the hotel.
DAY 3: Departure
On the morning before your flight, there’s still time to go by the Christmas market one more time and find a good Finnish breakfast. The Helsinki airport is also very nice, and has lots of options if your flight is too early to allow for this. The Uber ride should only take about 20-25 minutes, and there is hardly any traffic (especially if you leave on a Sunday).