helsinki tourist card

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Buy Helsinki Card

Discover the capital of finland in 24h/48h/72h.

• Public transport, top museums & attractions
• Suomenlinna Sea Fortress and guided tours
• Validity of 24, 48 or 72 h

Helsinki Card is the city card that gives you the complete sightseeing experience and guides you to all the top attractions and museums in Helsinki. Get your city card now and start to plan your trip – Helsinki Card helps you save both time and money! The card is valid for 24, 48 or 72 h from the first time used.

Helsinki Card 2024: See the list of all Helsinki Card benefits here >>

Choose from different card type options:

Helsinki Card CITY (physical card) includes:

• Public transport and entrance to the top attractions and museums within zones AB (Airport train not included)
• Panorama Sightseeing by bus (Oct - Apr)
• City Sightseeing Hop On-Hop Off by bus ticket valid according to the validity of your Helsinki Card (May-Sep 2024)
• Beautiful Canal Cruise (May-Sep 2024)
• City Highlights Cruise (May-Sep 2024)
• Several discounts on restaurants and shopping

Please note that the Helsinki Card CITY is a physical card. If you buy this card option online, you will receive a voucher. You will exchange your voucher for the actual Helsinki Card, please see "Collect your card bought online" below for more information.

Helsinki Card REGION (physical card) includes: Helsinki Card REGION has all the benefits included in the Helsinki Card CITY plus public transport within zones ABC, including transfer to/from Helsinki Airport with the train.

Please note that the Helsinki Card REGION is a physical card. If you buy this card option online, you will receive a voucher. You will exchange your voucher for the actual Helsinki Card, please see "Collect your card bought online" below for more information.

Helsinki Card (digital card) includes: The digital Helsinki Card includes all the benefits included in the Helsinki Card CITY except for the public transportation.

Please note that when you buy the digital Helsinki Card, you will receive a QR-code which you present at the tours and attractions and it can be bought only online and not in hotels or other sales points.

The Helsinki Card Guidebook includes information on all attractions included in the Helsinki Card. Download the Guidebook in PDF-format here: Helsinki Card Guidebook

Helsinki Card prices Jan 1 - Apr 30, 2024 & Oct 1 - Dec 31, 2024:

Helsinki Card CITY (physical card)

Adults 24h adult 56 € 48h adult 67 € 72h adult 82 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 28 € 48h child 34 € 72h child 41 €

Helsinki Card REGION (physical card)

Adults 24h adult 61 € 48h adult 72 € 72h adult 87 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 31 € 48h child 36 € 72h child 44 €

Helsinki Card (digital card)

Please note: the digital Helsinki Card is only available online, not in other sales points. This option doesn't include public transportation.

Adults 24h adult 46 € 48h adult 56 € 72h adult 66 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 23 € 48h child 28 € 72h child 33 €

Helsinki Card prices May 1 - September 30, 2024:

Adults 24h adult 58 € 48h adult 69 € 72h adult 84 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 29 € 48h child 35 € 72h child 42 €

Adults 24h adult 63 € 48h adult 74 € 72h adult 89 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 32 € 48h child 37 € 72h child 45 €

Adults 24h adult 48 € 48h adult 58 € 72h adult 68 €

Children 7-16 years 24h child 24 € 48h child 29 € 72h child 34 €

Important information: The Helsinki Card is not part of the EU Disability Card program. However, if you have bought a Helsinki Card and also hold an EU Disability Card, your adult assistant can get a free ticket for the Panorama Sightseeing Tour, the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour, the Beautiful Canal Cruise, and the City Highlights Cruise. Simply speak to the ticket sales staff at the starting point of each tour to arrange this. For other museums and attractions covered by the Helsinki Card, please contact each place directly to learn about their policy regarding assistant entrances and tickets.

You can buy both the card Helsinki Card CITY and Helsinki Card REGION at many sales points in Helsinki:

Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre Elielinaukio 5, next to Helsinki Central Railway Station, on the west side

Department store Stockmann Helsinki Stockmann, Service Point 8th floor, Aleksanterinkatu 52

Excess Baggage Airport Services, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Terminal 2, Arrivals Hall

Stromma Sales kiosk at Market Square Market Square, Kolera-allas, Sightseeing by Boat (by the yellow flags) Open in May-Sep, for more information please see here >>

You can also buy the Helsinki Card CITY cards at most hotels in Helsinki .

Please note that the digital Helsinki Card is available only online.

Helsinki Card CITY and Helsinki Card REGION bought online can be collected at:

Excess Baggage Airport Services, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Terminal 2, Arrivals Hall Open Mon-Sun 05:00-22:00

Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre   Elielinaukio 5, next to Helsinki Central Railway Station, on the west side Open 24/7

Department Store Stockmann Service Point Aleksanterinkatu 52 (8th floor), Helsinki Open according to the department strore's opening hours, website >>

Stromma Sales kiosk at Market Square Kolera-allas, Helsinki Sightseeing, by the yellow flags Opening hours: May – September from the first departure to the last departure. Please check timetables here >>

  Please present your email confirmation or Helsinki Card CITY or Helsinki Card REGION voucher when collecting your card.

If you have purchased the digital Helsinki Card, your QR-code is your Helsinki Card. You don't collect any physical Helsinki Card.

See our Weekly Info where we collect information about what's on in Helsinki this week! We have also collected ideas for Things to do in Helsinki to help you plan your visit.

Please always check the opening hours and other important information of each attraction on their own website.

Information on exceptional schedules and routes on the Stromma tours included in the Helsinki Card (as free or discounted beneft):

EXCEPTIONS ON ROUTES & TIMETABLES

Please note! Delays or changes on tour routes and timetables are possible due to public events, road works, etc. 

Helsinki Panorama Sightseeing

Hop On-Hop Off

Beautiful Canal Cruise

City Highlights Cruise

Pizza Cruise & Evening Cruise  

Helsinki Card is perfect for groups too! Whether you're hosting esteemed company guests, engaging conference participants, or simply fostering team camaraderie, our Helsinki Card is your key to unlocking a personalized and seamless exploration of this vibrant city. With the Helsinki Card, everyone has the freedom to choose activities that resonate with their interests and pace.

The Helsinki Card is designed for convenience. Activate the cards only when your guests are ready to embark on their Helsinki journey. This flexibility ensures that the cards can be effortlessly distributed to recipients well in advance, streamlining your event planning.

For larger Helsinki Card orders, please contact our  sales team!

Top tips for your Helsinki visit

Looking for ideas for how to explore Helsinki with your Helsinki Card? Check here for  best ideas of things to do !

Helsinki Practical Information

Looking for information on the everyday services in Helsinki or interested in learning a bit more on the Finnish customs and culture? Check our collection of practical information to make your stay in Helsinki even more succesful!

You might also be interested in

Guided bus tour with the city’s highlights

Beautiful Canal Cruise Helsinki

Guided boat sightseeing tour

Helsinki Hop On-Hop Off bus

Guided tour with City Sightseeing Worldwide

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Visit more and spend less with the Helsinki City Pass

Discover the partner sites of the helsinki city pass, do not miss our offers, subscribe to the helsinki city pass newsletter, do you have questions , ask your questions, your opinion interests us, buy the pass, buy your dematerialized pass online and use it immediately .

CITY PASS 24H

From €23.00

This is the ideal pass to choose when you want to discover Helsinki in 1 day! 

Please choose if you want a Citypass including public transport (HSL) or not. 

Hop-On Hop-Off buses by Citytour

Sightseeing Cruise around Helsinki archipelago

Waterbus to Biennali in Vallisaari

Entrance to several museums

+ discounts to many restaurants and cafes!

CITY PASS 48H

From €27.00

This is the ideal pass to choose when you want to discover Helsinki in 2 days! 

CITY PASS 72H

From €30.00

This is the ideal pass to choose when you want to discover Helsinki in 3 days!  Please choose if you want a Citypass including public transport (HSL) or not. 

They give their opinion

Helsinki Card

On this page you will find all the important information about the Helsinki Card: What services does the City Card offer and who is it suitable for? How long is it valid and where can you buy it?

You can get the City Card from our partner companies. We receive a small commission for the sale.

• 30+ discounts for museums, attractions, tours & restaurants
• Free public transport in Helsinki
• Valid for 1, 2 or 3 days
• Pick up your Helsinki Card in town
• Save money in Helsinki with the card!

How the Helsinki Card works

The Helsinki Card is one of the most important city passes in the Finnish capital. This card is available in three variants and makes travelling much easier. Some advantages of the Helsinki City Card are for example:

• Free use of public transport in the city
• Free admission to approx. 30 attractions and museums
• Free city tour with a hop-on/hop-off or panorama bus
• Two boat trips included in summer

You can buy the card online and then receive a voucher. This must be exchanged for a physical card, which is possible at various points of sale in Helsinki. The local transport ticket is valid for 1, 2 or 3 days. During this time you can use the metro, suburban railway, tram and bus as often as you like. The ferry ride to Suomenlinna Fortress Island is also included.

Who is the Helsinki Card suitable for?

The Helsinki City Card is suitable for travellers who want to explore the city by public transport and visit some museums and sights.

This means that the City Card pays for itself quickly if used regularly during its period of validity.

How much does the Helsinki Card cost?

The price of the Helsinki Card incl. local transport depends on the period of validity.

• 1 day: 58,00 €
• 2 days: 69,00 €
• 3 days: 84,00 €

The card is valid for adults and children from 6 years of age. Children under 6 do not need their own ticket. Children between 7 and 16 can buy the ticket at a reduced price.

Tip: There is also a digital version of the Helskinki Card without local transport. This costs €48 instead of €58. However, it is only available online.

Discounts with the Helsinki Card

The Helsinki Card gives you free admission to many museums and sights. Depending on the period of validity of your card, these can be used within the validity period.

Some of these offers are valid all year round, others only seasonally. Please check in advance whether your desired destination is covered by the Helsinki Card at the relevant time. You can find the relevant information and other free offers here: Advantages Helsinki Card 2024

Free Museums, Attractions & Experiences

The Helsinki Card gives you free admission to the following museums and attractions:

• Guided tour of Suomenlinna
• Suomenlinna Museum
• Temppeliaukio Church
• Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
• Hop-on/hop-off tour or panoramic bus
• Ateneum Art Museum
• Mannerheim Museum
• Canal Cruise" or "City Highlights Cruise" boat trips
• Design Museum
• Wee Gee Exhibition Centre

Tip: In the Helsinki Card Guidebook you will find all the information you need, such as opening hours, entrance requirements, addresses and directions to the city's main attractions: Helsinki Card Guidebook

Here you get discounts on the regular purchase price:

• Korkeasaari Zoo
• SEA Life Helsinki
• Sky Wheel Helsinki
• Various restaurants and bars (-20%)
• Finnish Aviation Museum
• Helsinki Art Gallery
• Flying Cinema Tour of Helsinki
• Waterbus to Suomenlinna

A complete overview of all reductions can be found here: Advantages Helsinki Card 2024

Public transport with the Helsinki Card

With the Helsinki Card you can use all public transport vehicles (metro, tram, suburban train and bus) within zone AB. This should be sufficient for most visitors, as almost all sights are in this zone. The ferry to Suomenlinna is also included.

If the AB zone is not sufficient for you, you can alternatively use the Helsinki Card Region which covers zones ABC. This also covers the airport and the city of Espoo.

Depending on the validity of your Helsinki Card, you can use local transport for 1, 2 or 3 days free of charge.

Is the Helsinki Card worth it?

With the Helsinki Card you can visit numerous sights and museums and take part in sightseeing tours and walking tours. For all these services, the City Card grants free or reduced admission.

The discounts are usually not very high, but there are many attractions that can be visited completely free of charge with the Helsinki Card. If you use public transport and visit some sights, you can easily save money with the City Card.

The following table shows how much you can save, using the 2-day ticket as an example:

You can discover a lot in Helsinki in just two days. As the entrance fees to museums and other attractions are relatively expensive, it is worth buying the City Card for as few as two or three attractions.

The more you use your Helsinki Card, the more it pays off!

Buy & Collect Helsinki Card

You can buy the Helsinki Card online, but you have to pick it up in the city after your arrival. For this you will receive a voucher online, which you can then exchange for the physical card at the following pick-up points:

• Excess Baggage Airport Services, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
• Service Point in the Stockmann department stores' 
• Stromma sales kiosk on the market square (summer)
• Departure point for Panorama Sightseeing in Esplanade Park (winter)

The opening hours of the pick-up points may vary depending on the season.

After collection, the City Card can be used immediately. The validity period of 1, 2 or 3 days starts with the first use of the card in a public transport or attraction.

If your travel plans change, cancellation of the purchase is free of charge up to 24 hours before the start of your visit.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages of the helsinki card.

• You get free entry to many popular attractions and museums.
• You can use public transport free of charge within Helsinki's AB zone.
• Also included are 2 boat trips and city tours by hop-on/hop-off bus/ panoramic bus.
• The value for money is very good: the card pays for itself quickly.

Disadvantages of the Helsinki Card

• The card must be collected after your arrival in Helsinki.
• Outside the high season, some offers are only available to a limited extent.
• The card does not give priority entry to the attractions.

More offers in Helsinki

If you decide against the Helsinki Card, you can also book individual tickets for many sights and tours. We would like to mention some of them here:

• City tour by hop-on/hop-off bus
• Ticket for Temppeliaukio Church
• SkyWheel Helsinki
• Flying Cinema Tour
• Canal tour with audio guide

FAQ about the Helsinki Card

How does the Helsinki Card work?

You buy the Helsinki Card online, receive a voucher and collect the card when you arrive in the city. It allows you to use public transport in Helsinki for 1, 2 or 3 days. You also get free admission to many museums and attractions. There are also discounts at many sights, museums, guided tours and restaurants.

Can I use public transport with the Helsinki Card?

Yes, with the Helsinki Card you can use public transport in Helsinki. This applies to all means of transport such as metro, suburban railway, tram and bus.

Can I cancel the Helsinki Card free of charge?

Yes, if your travel plans change, you can cancel the Helsinki Card free of charge up to 24 hours before the start of your visit.

How is the Helsinki Card activated?

The Helsinki Card is activated the first time you use it on public transport or at an attraction. You can then use it for 1, 2 or 3 consecutive calendar days.

Is the Helsinki Card worth it for families?

In principle, the Helsinki Card is suitable for adults as well as for children and young people aged 7 and over. Children under the age of 7 do not need their own card.

Here writes: Patrick

Patrick has visited various metropolises such as Amsterdam, London, Paris and Barcelona. Here he writes about the most important City Cards. His aim is to present detailed and up-to-date information for the official tourist maps of popular cities.

Helsinki City Card

Planning a visit to Helsinki ? Look no further, the Helsinki City Card is your best travel companion, with which you will discover a world of discounts and convenient access to the city’s most famous museums and attractions.

In this article, we’ll delve into the details of the Helsinki City Card , exploring what it offers, how to get it and whether it’s really worth the investment. Read on to find out more.

What is the Helsinki City Card?

The Helsinki City Card is a card specially prepared for tourists. It is valid for between 1 and 3 days and gives access to a large number of benefits.

It is a great option if you want to enjoy a much easier and more practical trip. In addition, it allows you to save on your visits and trips to the city of Helsinki.

You can discover every corner of Helsinki thanks to free public transport, enjoy discounts in restaurants and shops throughout the city, and visit museums and excursions for free.

What are the benefits of the card?

With the Helsinki Card, you can access the main attractions and museums of the city for free, and use public transport as many times as you want. There are also other benefits and discounts that you can take advantage of.

Here are all the benefits offered by the Helsinki City Card:

• Free sightseeing bus around Helsinki
• Free rides on public transport within the city
• Helsinki guide including maps and detailed information about the city and the activities it offers
• Free panoramic bus tour valued at 32 euros
• Free entry to the main attractions and museums : Ateneum, National Museum of Finland, Kiasma, SeaLife, Amos Rex…
• Tourist bus tour valued at € 30 (between May 1 and September 30)
• Free ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress and guided tour of the island’s museum
• Tourist route by boat valued at 25 euros (only between May 1 and September 30)
• Tallinn Cruise and City Tour
• Activities: SkyWheel Helsinki, Helsinki Zoo, Flying Cinema Tour …
• 35% discount on the journey on Finnair buses
• Up to 20% discount in bars and restaurants in the city
• Shopping in stores
• Discounts on tours and concerts

How can I get it?

The Helsinki City Card has three modalities (24, 48 and 72 hours), so you will have to choose the one that best suits your trip and your needs. Its price starts at 51 euros .

It can be purchased before arriving in the city since the validity period begins after the first use of the card. For this reason, we recommend that you buy it before you arrive and enjoy its benefits from the first moment.

You can acquire the Helsinki City Card by clicking on the following button.

Is the Helsinki City Card worth it?

Determining whether the Helsinki City Card is worthwhile depends on your travel preferences and the activities you plan to do. Here are some factors to consider if you are thinking about whether or not to buy the card:

• Number of sightseeing tours : If you feel like exploring several museums and attractions during your stay, the Helsinki City Card can save you a lot of money. The free admission to museums alone can offset the cost of the card, especially if you plan to visit several cultural attractions.
• Public transport needs : If you intend to use public transport a lot, the unlimited travel option with the Helsinki City Card is very convenient and cost-effective.
• Duration of stay : The longer your stay in Helsinki, the more value you can get from the card. Consider your itinerary and the number of days you plan to spend exploring the city when deciding which type of card best suits your needs.

The Helsinki City Card offers a host of benefits to enhance your Helsinki adventure. From free entry to major museums and attractions to unlimited public transport and exclusive discounts, this card is a traveller’s best friend.

By facilitating access to the city’s cultural treasures, the Helsinki City Card ensures a seamless and enriching experience for visitors. So grab your card, embark on an exploration of Helsinki and immerse yourself in the unique Finnish charm that awaits you.

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Going Awesome Places

Detailed itineraries + travel guides

Ultimate 3 Day Helsinki Itinerary with the Go Helsinki Card

Last Updated March 20, 2023 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Itineraries » Ultimate 3 Day Helsinki Itinerary with the Go Helsinki Card

Helsinki is many things but what you’ll find about the Finnish capital is that it’s 100% friendly and easy to explore. From the boulevards, green spaces, magnificent architecture, and the dotted archipelago that were splashed into the Baltic Sea, this is a city you’ll fall in love with so much that you wish you could stay longer – at least that’s how I felt!

The last time I was in Scandinavia was when I studied in Lund, Sweden and once I stepped off the plane, I felt at home again.  There’s something about being in this part of Europe that is so refreshing.  The only remorse I had with this 3 day Helsinki itinerary was that I wish I had more time before the start of the PING Helsinki conference .

Helsinki is quirky.  Helsinki is pristine.  Helsinki is a haven for design.  Helsinki is naturally beautiful.

Read more about the Nordic countries

• Best free things to do in Copenhagen
• PING Festival experience in Helsinki
• 10 of the most beautiful places in Sweden
• Worthy things to do in Malmo

Where to stay in Helsinki?

• While I was in Helsinki, I stayed at the Forenom aparthotel in the city which was super affordable but later moved to the Clarion Hotel Helsinki which was absolutely amazing. Completely different properties for different budgets.

In This Article

Day 1 – Let’s See What Can Do With A Few Hours

Day 2 – i see a fortress, day 3 – cruising the canals, day 4 – squeezing in a little more, what i loved about the go helsinki card, get the go helsinki card, map of helsinki in 3 days.

In search for a cost-effective way to see all the main sights in the city, I stumbled upon the Go Helsinki Card and the 72 hour pass including transportation to and from the airport with the Region Upgrade .  I’m normally not one to use city passes but it provided access to all the places I wanted to visit.  I made it a mini-challenge for myself when I landed in the city – how much could I see while the card was active and how much money could I save?

What’s the Go Helsinki Card?

It turned out to be way simpler than I ever thought it could be.  It’s a tap-friendly card that once you activate, gives you access to all transit in the city and can be scanned to get you into many of the attractions for free .  For 74 EUR, keep on reading to find out if it was worth it!

The 3 Day Helsinki Itinerary

Here’s a detailed view of what I did in Helsinki and how I managed to squeeze in as much as I did.

Upon arrival in Helsinki’s international airport, I made my way down to the basement level at a place called Airpro.  When ordering my Go Helsinki Card , there were options to mail it but since I had ordered pretty last minute, the pick-up at the airport option made the most sense.  All I had to do was show my printout of my voucher and the attendant was able to find my card all set up and ready to go.

The Helsinki Card also comes with a few books and pamphlets which I know is advertised as freebies but to be honest they’re nothing different from the types of books that you can get at the visitor centre.  That said, it was nice to have it all in hand which allowed to hit the road right away.

Since I landed in Helsinki mid-afternoon, I knew that there wasn’t much time to fit anything but I was determined to not let the day go to waste!

I found my way to the train and since I had added the “ Region Upgrade ” to my card (74 EUR total), I could take the train all the way from the airport since it’s not considered to be in the core Helsinki zone.  I just tapped my card at the little blue machine and my 72 hour clock started.

With my bags with me, my first order of business was to drop them off at the aparthotel I was staying at (more on that below).

Funny thing is that I was all sorts of confused trying to find the Forenom , but I was at first a little confused how to get there because there is a subway and there’s also the tram.  I took the metro to get there but soon learned that the city’s tram system is much more expansive and provided route flexibility than the subway.

Taking a look at all the free activities that are included with the Go Helsinki Card , I spotted that there was one museum that was open late and that turned out to be the museum of contemporary art, the Kiasma ( official website for Kiasma ).

Even though I only had 2 hours to see the whole museum, I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.  I especially loved photographing and filming the foyer that was built to combine the design aspects of light, shadows, lines, and curves.  All of the installations were incredibly captivating and mind boggling at the same time.

I stayed until the museum closed at 8PM and then made my way over to Cafe Bar No. 9 where I had the most unique Pollo Limonello pasta.

  HEADS UP: Once you tap your card for the first time, your card is activated.

  HEADS UP: For tram, metro, or train transit, look out for the tiny kiosk machines.  It’s all honour system in Helsinki so just tap before you get on.

Like what I did there with the header?  See…Sea?  Okay, I tried!

Before coming to Helsinki and doing any research, I had no idea about the history of everything the now-independent country of Finland had gone through through the ages.  My favourite part of the trip was hands down the second day where I got to take a short ferry over to the island of Soumenlinna, often referred to a Sea Fortress.  Of course the ferry ride was just a simple tap and I was on.

Soumenlinna is set on a cluster of islands that are part of Helsinki’s archipelago off its coastline and as I learned from the guided tour and museum that were all free thanks to the Go Helsinki Card, resulted in the building up of Helsinki as a city, and besides Gibraltar is biggest fortress in Europe.

I spent a good 4-5 hours on the island, starting from one end and making my way down all the way to the southern tip which is where the fortifications can be found.  The Soumenlinna official website is handy so take a look before you go.

In the middle of the grounds is the Soumenlinna Museum (8 EUR) which is where I used my card to gain access to the museum that had a well-produced film about its history.  This is also the meeting point for the walking guided tour (11 EUR).  This was a more interactive way to see portions of the island where our English-speaking guide talked us through what life was like on the island centuries ago.

Unfortunately the Military Museum and Submarine Vesikko were closed since it wasn’t quite summer season yet.

Back at Market Square which was filled pop up stalls, I wandered aimlessly and grabbed a ton of great photos of harbour including the ferris wheel.

The one thing I remarked was just how so many Finns were out in the sun, grabbing a coffee or sipping on wine on, picnicking, sunbathing, or swimming in the Allas Sea Pool.  You’d think it was 30 degrees C out there but it was only 16 degrees C.  They sure take advantage of warmer weather like it’s nobody business.

As the sun continued to stay hovered above the sky with the already long days of May, I walked over to Senate Square to sit on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral, to watch all the people come and go in the square.

To try something a little different,  I took the tram up to BLINIt , a restaurant specializing in Russian crepes called Blini which was remarkably good.

  HEADS UP: I couldn’t believe how long the days were in May.  Sunrise was easily before 5AM and the sun lingered to around 10:30PM which is great because it gives you a lot of time to explore the city.

One of the bigger valued items that is included in the Go Helsinki Card is the Canal Route Cruise by Helsinki Sightseeing so I planned around making it to the 10:30AM departure time.

In an hour and a half, this boat cruise takes you on a loop that passes through more islands that make up the archipelago.  Going beyond Soumenlinna, it was incredible to see how you could literally go from the city to islands of wilderness and islands made up of cottage properties and sail boats.  The other highlight was seeing the icebreakers stationed in Helsinki.  Turns out, the Finns have made this a niche of sorts and build many of the world’s icebreakers.

The only problem was that it was insanely windy and cold up at the top.  I toughed it out for the whole cruise but I was definitely not prepared for the teeth cutting wind.

With this being my last full day on my own, I still had so many other spots I wanted to hit up so after returning from the cruise, I jumped on the Hop On Hop Off bus (30 EUR) at the stop near Market Square.

Like everything else, everyone knew what to do with the Go Helsinki Card.  When I boarded the bus, the driver pulled out his mini barcode scanner, scanned my card, and that was it!

With Hop On Hop Off, I was able to visit the beautiful neighbourhood of Eira , the Rock Church , the Bad Bad Boy statue/fountain, and Sibelius Monument .  This was actually the first time I’ve ever done one of these busses but I have to say, it was super convenient to see all of these things in the span of 4 hours.  It gets you to all the things you want to see without having to figure out all the different trams you have to connect to make it work.

The most impressive out of all of these sights was definitely the Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Church) (3 EUR).  I’m normally not that easily impressed by churches but this one dug out of solid rock and its copper dome, exposed rocks, and concrete beams is truly an architectural marvel.

I closed my day at the Design Museum (12 EUR).  Despite only having one hour before closing time, there museum wasn’t overwhelmingly large so I had plenty of time to see all the various exhibits.  For me, the Design Museum reinforced Helsinki and Finland as a leader in modern design where I learned that almost all the iconic contemporary minimalist furniture that I can conjure up all originated here.  Oh and I also had no idea that those orange scissors by Fiskars that I grew up with at school were also created in Finland.

For dinner, I tried the “In-N-Out of Finland”, Friends & Brgrs ( check out their menu ).  My honest opinion is that the burgers were very good but they still have a bit of work to do with their fries which were a bit over-fried.

  HEADS UP: My only gripe with Hop On Hop Off is that it was sometimes hard to find the pick up spots especially if you weren’t dropped off there in the first place.  So for instance if you get dropped off at Stop 5 and decide that it’ll be a good idea to walk to Stop 6 to see something along the way, it might be hard to figure out where to exactly go.  I probably should’ve had the map with me but even having data was no use because they don’t show up on Google Maps.

HEADS UP:  If you’re borderline near the end of bus operation for the day, it is hard to tell when the last bus will hit each stop.  I ran into a situation where I had finished at Bad Bad Boy and waited at the stop for 15 minutes before making the realization that the last bus may have gone by.  There was no way to confirm this and so I decided to make it on foot to the Design Museum.

I originally had the crazy plan to do the Panorama Sightseeing Bus Tour to really maximize the value of the card but I had second thoughts because 1) I wanted to sleep in and 2) I didn’t think I’d see anything new on this sightseeing bus tour.

Instead, for they final day of my 3 day Helsinki itinerary, I took the tram to see the other contemporary religious building called the Chapel of Silence .  It’s an odd-shaped chapel that is entirely made of wood and curved like an egg that stands at the edge of an urban square.  Amidst the urban clamour, anyone can enter in to concentrate on the natural elements of its cocoon and be at peace in the silence that echoes off the fir walls.

A perfect way to end the 72 hours would’ve been with a ride back up to the airport but since PING Festival was next, I used the Go Helsinki Card to move my luggage over to the Clarion Hotel .  No regrets though because the 7.50 EUR single ride from the airport in the city more than made up for the extra cost of the Region upgrade which was an extra 6 EUR.

TIP: When planning your trip, know that all museums are closed on Monday.  As a result, plan to spend Mondays doing non-museum attractions.

I’ll be honest, I was a little apprehensive at first about the Go Helsinki Card because I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to use.  I was half expecting to explain how the card works to vendors or have to deal with really annoying redemption processes but after using it myself, I have to say that they’ve set up quite the perfect little operation.

What made the card great:

• Easy pick up at the airport
• Truly tap and go
• Transit system recognizes the card and doesn’t require a separate card
• All attractions have their own barcode scanner for seamless entry
• Eliminates the hassle of having to buy tickets at each attraction and in many cases you can bypass all lines
• Can easily see the whole city with the card if you plan it strategically

How much money did I save?

So how much money did I end up saving?  The Go Helsinki Card with Region Upgrade cost 74 EUR but I easily got 130.40 EUR in value from the card.

Yes that’s right, that means I saved 56.40 EUR thanks to the card!

Explaining the Region Upgrade

I was a little confused at first as to whether I needed this or not so let’s explain what this upgrade is for.

• All the activities and attractions in the city are located in the “Helsinki Region”.
• The airport is located in the “Vantaa Region”.
• The standard Go Helsinki Card only works in the “Helsinki Region” so if you want to include the train into the city you basically need the Region upgrade.
• This is worth it because the upgrade is only 6 EUR and the train ride into the city is 7.50 EUR
• The Region upgrade also gives you access to Espoo and Kauniainen regions although the truth is that you’ll unlikely head over there.

Now don’t be confused with this map like I was.  If you look at the dotted lines, you’d think it’s just a cute heart but it’s actually the lines for the train into the city.  It’s merely saying that train starts at the airport in Vantaa and ends up in Helsinki.

Where Did I Stay?

During my 3 day Helsinki itinerary, I had the opportunity to stay at two contrasting properties.  While I was in the city leveraging the Go Helsinki Card, I opted for a budget accommodation and for the conference, I was put up at the Clarion Helsinki.

FORENOM HOSTEL HELSINKI MERIHAKA

It may be labelled a hostel but it’s far from your typical hostel.  It’s closer to an apartment hotel but since it’s a shared bathroom, you probably couldn’t call it that either.  True to Scandinavian standards, the private room I had for one was incredibly clean and so too were the bathrooms.  The unique thing here is that it’s totally for the anti-social person.  It’s not like a hostel because there are no social activities and there is no front desk.  You get a code to access the building and your room so it is all self-serve which I loved.  A brilliant idea!

Booking.com

CLARION HELSINKI HOTEL

The epitome of a posh hotel.  Somehow, Clarion managed to convince the city to build its tallest building and as a result, this hotel has the best views of the entire city.  Up on the top floor the bar and beautiful pool offer amazing panoramas that I recommend going to for sunrise or sunset.  I was highly impressed by the rooms as well which are decked out in expensive modern furniture like the iconic Eames Lounge Chair.  It’s clean, modern, spacious, and very comfortable.

TripAdvisor

As you plan your trip to Finland, make sure you order your Go Helsinki Card ahead of time so it’s ready for you when you land.

Get The Card

I have marked all of the important pins of places covered by this 3 day Helsinki itinerary.  If you have data when you’re travelling there, you can use this with the Google Map app. Simply maximize this map and create a copy to your account.

What you should read next

• PING Festival – Influencer Conference in Helsinki – My Thoughts and Wrap Up
• Conrad Maldives Preparation Excitement
• Google Flights Explore
• Austria 7 Day Itinerary – Best of Vienna, Salzburg & Innsbruck

About William Tang

William Tang is the Chief of Awesome behind the award-winning Going Awesome Places which is focused on outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring photography and videos, and writing detailed itineraries and travel guides. He is a member of Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and Travel Massive. He has also been featured in publications such as Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur, Men's Journal, and Haute Living. Make sure to learn more about William Tang to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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Where is Helsinki says

June 18, 2022 at 9:19 AM

Great post! I was in Helsinki a few years back and loved it. It is such a beautiful city. I was there in the winter, so it was rather cold and some of the outdoor activities were closed. I would love to go back in the spring and experience everything the city has to offer.

Christian says

July 22, 2018 at 5:09 AM

Great blog!

A word of interest concerning the Helsinki Card (and any timed travel card). Once activated, you have unlimited travel within the chosen region(s) and time limit. This means that, after the first activation, you do NOT have to tap the Helsinki Card again when taking public transport (except buses). It makes no difference to the card. If ticket inspectors are checking tickets (and they randomly do), the card will show them that it’s valid. The only thing gained by tapping the card meters is to show YOU that the card is active, and for how much longer. This is the reason not many people tap the readers when they get on the metro, trams, and trains (and ferry) – they have time-period travel cards. :)

Also, if you’re stuck without a hop-on-hop-off bus, download one of the many Helsinki public transport apps, use your current location and add the one you want to go to. It’ll tell you what public transport to take (including a map of where you are and where the stops are), and your Helsinki Card covers all the cost.

Will Tang says

July 22, 2018 at 2:25 PM

Thanks Christian! That is a good tip! Then do you know if for Helsinki since I was taking the tram, is that in the “bus” category of having to tap? This saves me time from tapping everytime I’m going on and off as you might’ve seen in the video haha! That does explain why it looked like nobody else was tapping like a fool like I was haha!

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Finding the Universe

Travel tales, photography and a dash of humor

Helsinki Card Review – Is the Helsinki Card Worth Buying?

Last updated: April 7, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 3 Comments

If your travels are taking you to Helsinki Finland, we recommend that you take a look at getting a Helsinki Card.

This is a sight-seeing card that offers free and discounted entry to a number of attractions across the city, as well as travel on all the local public transport options in the city.

We’ve used the Helsinki Card on various trips to Helsinki, and based on our experiences using the card, we wanted to share a full Helsinki Card review so you can decide if the Helsinki Card is worth buying.

We’re going to go through everything you need to know, including the benefits of the card, where to buy a Helsinki Card, how much the Helsinki Card costs, and our experiences buying and using the Helsinki Card ourselves.

What is the Helsinki Card?

The Helsinki Card is a sightseeing pass for Helsinki that gives you free entry to more than 30 of the most popular attractions in Helsinki.

It also includes discounts for a number of other attractions and restaurants, as well as unlimited public transport within the city limits, a free sight-seeing bus tour, a Hop of Hop off bus tour (seasonal), and a free guidebook to the city.

What’s Included on the Helsinki Card?

The Helsinki Card includes over 20 of the major attractions in (and around) the city. Some of the top attractions which are included are as follows:

• Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
• Hop on Hop off Bus Sightseeing Tour
• Canal Route Cruise
• Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church)
• Finnish Nature Centre Haltia
• HAM Helsinki Art Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
• National Museum of Finland

As you can see, this list has a lot of different attractions, from sight-seeing tours to museum entry.

The card also includes unlimited public transport inside the Helsinki city limits and various discounts on other major attractions in the city.

These discounts are varied, but cover a great many excellent activities and sights. These include the Tallink ferry to Estonia (a great day trip from Helsinki), discounts on the Helsinki Skywheel, Zoo and aviation museum, and discounts at a number of restaurants and shops.

You can see a complete list of included attractions and discounts, plus buy your Helsinki Card on GetYourGuide here .

What’s Not Included on the Helsinki Card?

The Helsinki Card includes a lot, but it doesn’t cover everything. For example, whilst it offers discounts to the Skywheel and the Korkeasaari Zoo, these are not free with the card.

In addition, while the Helsinki Card does include many of the city’s museums, there are some notable exceptions, like the Botanical Gardens and the Natural History Museum .

It’s also worth bearing in mind that not all Helsinki attractions are open year-round. For example the Hop on Hop off bus tour and Canal cruise only operate from May – September, and a number of the museums in Helsinki, especially those on Suomenlinna island, are not open in winter either.

In addition, whilst this isn’t relevant to the card inclusions, it’s worth being aware that many museums in Helsinki, and Finland in general, are closed on Mondays.

We have used the Helsinki Card in both winter and summer, and found it to have value at both times, but it is definitely worth being aware of which attractions are operational when, so you can make a decision for yourself.

We recommend taking a look at our detailed guide to things to do in Helsinki , which also has information on which things are open when.

Types of Helsinki Card

The Helsinki Card is offered in a number of different versions, which cover the age of the user and the duration of the card. There’s also an option to increase the region covered by the public transport part of the cart. I’ll walk you through the options.

The main thing you have to choose is how long you want the card to be valid for, with cards available in 1 day, 2 day and 3 day durations.

There is also an adult (age 17+) and child (age 7 to 16) version of each pass available. Children under age 7 travel for free within Helsinki using public transport, and many attractions are also free for children under 7.

The standard Helsinki card includes public transport in Helsinki city, which includes Trams, Buses, the Metro, local trains and the ferry to Suomenlinna.

It does not include transport from the airport, but in our experience, unless you plan on visiting a lot of sights outside the city, it will suffice for most journeys.

There’s also the option to purchase a Helsinki Card Region. This upgrades the transport part of the pass. It covers all the same attractions, but includes public transport to and from the airport, as well as public transport in the Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa regions.

All the variants of the Helsinki Card offer the same attractions, discounts, and other benefits, the only difference is the duration of the card, age of the user and area covered by the transport component.

How Much Does the Helsinki Card Cost?

The price of the Helsinki Card varies depending on the duration of the card.  The latest pricing (as of January 2024) is as follows, but you can check the latest prices online here .

• 1 Day Pass: €56 for adults, €28 for children
• 2 Day Pass: €67 for adults, €34 for children
• 3 Day Pass: €82 for adults, €41 for children

The regional version of the card can be bought online on GetYourGuide here , or in person at various locations across the city. Pricing (as of April 2023) is as follows.

• 1 Day Pass: €61 for adults, €31 for children
• 2 Day Pass: €72 for adults, €36 for children
• 3 Day Pass: €87 for adults, €44 for children

Honestly, we think most travellers will be fine with the standard card as it covers the majority of the city.

Where to Buy the Helsinki Card?

The easiest place, and our recommended way for buying the Helsinki Card City, is on the GetYourGuide website, where you can choose between the Helsinki Card City version here and the Helsinki Card Region version here .

It’s always worth comparing the price between the official site and GetYourGuide as sometimes one is better value than the other. We usually recommend GetYourGuide as it includes free cancellation up to 24 hours before you are due to collect the card, however it is of course up to you.

When you buy, you can choose to pick it up at one of four locations in Helsinki. The city centre Holiday Inn location is open 24 hours.

The collection points for the Helsinki Card are as follows:

Excess Baggage Airport Services Address: Helsinki Airport, Terminal 2, Arrivals Hall Opening hours: Mon-Sun 6am – 9pm

Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki Elielinaukio 5, Opening hours: 24 hours/7 days a week

Department store Stockmann Helsinki Address: Stockmann, Service Point 8th floor, Aleksanterinkatu 52 Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00 Closed: Tue 25 Dec, 2018

Stromma Sales kiosk at Market Square Address: Market Square, Kolera-allas, Sightseeing by Boat by the yellow flags. Opening hours: May – September from the first departure to the last departure.

You can also buy your card from a number of locations across Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. All of the above collection points sell the cards, plus there are over 30 retail locations, including on the Tallink ferry.

Whilst we do suggest buying your card online prior to arriving into Helsinki so that it is done (cards can be purchased up to a year before activation), there are plenty of options in the city for in-person purchase as well.

How Much Money Will You Save With the Helsinki Card?

Obviously, this is not a straightforward question to answer as the amount you can save will vary depending on which attractions you visit and how many attractions you visit.

In our experience, it is possible to make some significant savings with the Helsinki Card, especially for the two and three day versions of the card.

All the prices are valid as of April 2023, and we will endeavor to keep this post updated as prices change. Please do always check the official websites for the latest pricing information.

Note, for all the comparisons below we’ve chosen the Helsinki Card City. We feel that most users won’t benefit from the additional transport included with the Helsinki Card Region, but it is up to you as to whether you feel it is worth the slightly higher cost.

1 Day in Helsinki with the Helsinki Card City

Helsinki has a lot of attractions, and 1 day will not be enough to see everything. However, we think you’d be able to see a number of attractions in the city in 1 day.

Note that these attractions will vary depending on if you visit in winter or summer, so we have put together a different itinerary so you can see the different options.

1 Day in Helsinki in Winter

• Suomenlinna Island (€26.2 if you visit all open museums and take tour, including boat ride to island)
• Amos Rex Art Museum (€20)
• National Museum of Finland (€18)
• Temppeliaukio (Rock Church) (€5)
• Three rides on public transport (€9 for day ticket)

This would make for a fairly easy day of sight-seeing in Helsinki, with the morning spent exploring Suomenlinna Island, and the afternoon seeing some sights in Helsinki.

I wanted to put together a barebones itinerary to show how quickly the Helsinki Card starts saving you money, and as you can see, even with only four attractions visited (plus transport), the total entry fee would be €78.2 without the Helsinki Card.

The 1 day Helsinki Card is €54, so you are already saving €24.2! Plus you may have time left in the day for another attraction or two.

1 Day in Helsinki in Summer

• Suomenlinna Island (€34.2 if you do all museums and take tour, including boat ride)
• Canal Route Cruise (€26)
• Rock Church (€5)
• Hop on Hop off Bus tour (€32)

In summer I’ve replaced the public transport with the hop on hop off tour as this will take you around the city and the audioguide will tell you a lot about what you are seeing.

There are also more museums open on Suomenlinna in the summer, and the Canal Route Cruise is a really worthwhile experience.

Overall, the day would cost you €115.2 for individual tickets, meaning that with a 1 day Helsinki Card you would save €61.2.

2 Days in Helsinki with the Helsinki Card

2 days in helsinki in winter.

• Suomenlinna Island (€26.2 if you visit all open museums and take tour, including boat ride)
• Four rides on public transport (€13.5 for a two day ticket)
• Museum of Photography (€12)
• Hotel and Restaurant Museum (€12)
• Theatre Museum (€12)
• Panorama Sightseeing bus tour (€32)

With an extra day, you can fit a lot more in. The Museum of Photography, Hotel and Restaurant Museum and Theatre Museum are all in the same building over three floors, so visiting them all together makes sense.

We also think you could fit in the year-round panorama sight-seeing bus tour, which runs once or twice a day depending on the time of year.

Overall you’d be looking at €150.7 in costs for this Helsinki itinerary in winter. The 2 day Helsinki Card is €66, so you’d save €84.7 on this trip.

2 Days in Helsinki in Summer

• Tamminiemi / Urho-Kekkonen Museum (€12)
• Seurasaari Open-Air Museum (€10)

In summer, we suggest you head to the open-air museum Seurasaari. This is found on a little island a few kilometres by public transport from the city centre, and is home to over 80 buildings from different regions of Finland, spanning four centuries of living.

It’s a great place to learn about rural life in Finland, and makes for a lovely day out from the city centre.

It’s also close to the Tamminiemi museum, former residence of three Finnish prime ministers. Note that these two items aren’t on the hop on hop off bus route, so I’ve included public transport in the costs as well.

Doing all the above would cost you €159.6 without a Helsinki Card. The 2-day Helsinki Card is €63, so you’d save €96.6 on this itinerary.

3 Days in Helsinki with the Helsinki Card

3 days in helsinki in winter.

• Day trip to Tallinn (card saves you 20%)

With three days in Helsinki, we’ve added on a day trip to Tallinn in Estonia. This is only a 2 hour ferry ride away from Helsinki, and the Helsinki Card saves you 20% on the ferry ride. We’ve done this trip in winter from Helsinki, and loved that we got to explore a whole new city.

Of course, there are lots of other things to do in Helsinki too, so if you’d prefer to stay in the city you could visit the Zoo, the Aquarium, or one of the many other museums.

If you stick to our suggestions, you’d be looking at a total price of €150.7, then whatever you save on the ferry as well. A 3-day Helsinki Card costs €78, so excluding your ferry saving you’d be saving €72.7.

3 Days in Helsinki in Summer

• Four rides on public transport (€13.5 for a two-day ticket)

With our suggestions, the total price you’d be looking at would be €170.7 excluding the ferry to Tallinn.

With the Helsinki Card, you’d be looking at €78 for the three day card, So a total saving of €92.7, plus whatever you save on the ferry.

Note if you do decide to do the ferry trip, do compare the saving of the ferry ride versus the cost of the extra day on the Helsinki card. A 2 day Helsinki Card costs €66 and a 3 day Helsinki Card costs €78.

So if your ferry saving is less than the €12 difference between the 2 day card and the 3 day card (plus the cost of public transport to the centrally located ferry terminal), you might be better off investing in a 2 day Helsinki Card instead.

Conclusion on Saving Money with the Helsinki Card

As you can see, all three of our itineraries will save you money if you use the Helsinki Card, even if you only visit a relatively small number of attractions.

Attractions in Helsinki are, for the most part, quite expensive. Even visiting two or three museums can quickly add up, and we think that once you factor in the other benefits like the easy to use travel card and sightseeing bus, the Helsinki Card is fantastic value.

What to do in Helsinki with your Helsinki Card

There’s a lot to do in Helsinki with attractions ranging from art museums to UNESCO world heritage sites.

We would definitely suggest having a visit to Suomenlinna Island near the top of your to-do list. The Helsinki Card gets you a free boat ride to the island, as well as access to all the museums on the island and a free guided tour.

It is worth bearing in mind that other than the boat ride though, you can visit Suomenlinna Island without paying anything as access to the island itself is free. But we would suggest visiting the main Suomenlinna Museum at the least, as this explains the history of the island a little bit.

If you’re visiting Helsinki in summer, a Canal cruise is a lot of fun. These last for around two hours and will let you see a different side of the city. It’s relaxing, and you can even enjoy a drink or snack onboard.

There are lots of other highlights of the city. Art lovers will love all the art museums, plus there are loads of other museums you can visit – seemingly on every topic! From photography to hotels to architecture to Moomins, Helsinki really has you covered.

Obviously, you’ll want to try some local Finnish cuisine whilst you’re in Helsinki, and the Helsinki Card can help you with that as well, as it offers discounts at some of the cities popular restaurants and cafes – don’t forget to take advantage of these during your stay!

We can also recommend a trip to the unique rock church, aquarium, and the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum. However long you visit for and at whatever time of year, we don’t think you’ll run out of things to see and do in Helsinki!

Tips for Using your Helsinki Card

To make the most out of your Helsinki Card, you will want to do some forward planning.

• Look up opening hours for attractions. We’d suggest figuring out which attractions are important to you, and looking up their opening times. Many attractions are not open on Mondays for example, and opening times vary through the week for many attractions, with closing times varying from 5pm to 8pm in our experience.
• Visit Suomenlinna Island. One attraction we definitely recommend is a visit to Suomenlinna Island . The Helsinki Card gets you a free boat ride to and from the island, free entry to all the museums on the island – and a free guided walking tour – make sure to take advantage of all of these to make the most of your card!
• Be aware of limited opening hours. Some attractions in Helsinki are only open for very short periods of time. This is not commonplace, but is worth being aware of. Others might not be open in Winter, or have different hours in winter compared to summer.
• Use the guidebook. The Helsinki Guidebook that comes with your Helsinki Card lists all the attraction opening times as well as tips on nearby public transport routes.
• Don’t forget to show your Helsinki Card. Some attractions in Helsinki have extra bonuses if you show your Helsinki Card. For example, some museums will give you a free postcard if you show your Helsinki Card.
• Plan your days effectively . Whilst Helsinki is not huge, and the public transport is very efficient, you will still want to spend more time sight-seeing and less time on public transport. We suggest using a tool like Google Maps , and/or a paper map , and planning an overview of your route so you are efficient with your time, and visit attractions near to each other.
• Remember the Helsinki Card activates on a 24 hour basis. An advantage of the Helsinki Card over many other city passes is that it activates on a 24-hour basis. So if you arrive in the afternoon, you can still do some sightseeing without losing a whole day as you might with other cards. It also means that if you buy the Region version of the card, you can use it for transport from the airport without losing a whole day.
• Save time with public transport. If you opt for the version of the card with public transport, make sure to use it to make getting around Helsinki easier and fit more in to your day. Whilst most parts of Helsinki are very walkable, there are loads of public transport options, and riding them is easy with your card.
• Make sure to scan your card on public transport. It’s really important to scan your card each time. You have unlimited rides, so there’s no reason not to, and if you don’t, you’ll technically be riding without a ticket. When you board the vehicle, find the scanner and hold your card near it. A green tick will appear on the screen to show you have a valid ticket.
• Take advantage of the extra discounts. Don’t forget to check all the discounts and offers that come with the Helsinki Card to take advantage of all the savings. You can see all of these on the official site here .

Our Experience Using the Helsinki Card in Helsinki

We have used the Helsinki Card on a number of trips to Helsinki, including in summer and winter. Most recently we used the card on a trip in winter, where we spent three days exploring the city.

Whilst some things were closed, we still found lots to do in Helsinki in winter. The city is home to a great many museums and indoor attractions, which is ideal in winter especially as it can be quite cold – so indoor attractions are perfect!

We ordered our card online prior to our trip , and picked it up in town. The collection point was easy to find, being directly across from the main train station, and near to where the Finnair airport bus terminates in the city. It’s also open 24 hours a day.

Our first port of call was the Suomenlinna Fortress, which required a boat ride to visit. The boat journey was included with our Helsinki Card (we just had to scan the reader).

Whilst the island itself was free to visit, the museums are not. We visited the military museum and the main Suomenlinna museum, which gave us a full run down of the history of the island. We also explored the whole island ourselves.

From here, we visited the following:

• Helsinki Skywheel (€2 discount with Helsinki Card)
• Uspenski Cathedral , Helsinki Cathedral (free)
• Helsinki City Museum (free)
• Museum of Finnish Architecture (€10, free with Helsinki Card)
• Museum of Finnish Design (€15, free with Helsinki Card)

Our second day looked as follows:

• Helsinki Art Museum (€16, free with Helsinki Card)
• Amos Rex (€20, free with Helsinki Card)
• Hakasalmi Villa (€14, free with Helsinki Card)
• National Museum of Finland (€18, free with Helsinki Card)

Finally, on our third day we visited a few attractions a little further out of town

• Tram museum (free)
• Sibelius Monument (free)
• Tamminiemi Museum (€12, free with Helsinki Card)
• Technology Museum (€12, free with Helsinki Card)
• Old Market Hall (free)

Having visited Helsinki before we didn’t do absolutely everything, and we definitely could have fit more in had we wanted to, but we saw lots of things we’d not seen before and had a great time. We also took advantage of the public transport every day.

Overall, without the Helsinki Card, our costs would have been €159.2 for the attraction entry, including an €18 three-day travel card.

With the Helsinki Card, we spent €78 on the card itself, and then €10 for the discounted Skywheel, totalling €88. So our saving was an impressive €71.2. Definitely worth it in our case!

Should you Buy a Helsinki Card?

This will depend on your plans, but we would say that for most visitors to Helsinki who want to visit at least a few of the city’s many attractions, we think the Helsinki Card will save them money.

Of course, if you have no intention of visiting any attractions in Helsinki, or just visiting one or two, then the Helsinki Card is probably not for you.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that Suomenlinna Island is free to visit, and it’s only if you want to take a tour or visit the museums on the island that you have to pay.

We think these are worth it for getting an understanding of the island, but it’s up to you of course!

If you agree with us and are planning a trip to Helsinki in the coming year, then click here to buy your card online here .

Further Reading

We’ve visited Helsinki and Finland a number of times, and from those visits we’ve put together a number of posts to help you plan your own trip. We’re always adding to these, so do sign up to stay up to date with latest posts!

• We have a guide to what to do for a day in Helsinki , as well as a detailed list of things to do in Helsinki
• Our guide to  visiting Finland in Winter , plus  what to pack for winter in Finland
• Our guide to taking a day trip to Porvoo from Helsinki
• A guide to some of the fun summer activities you can get up to in Finland
• Our experience Husky Sledding in the Arctic Circle
• We also have some more cities and towns for you to read about. Check out  our guide to visiting Rauma  in winter, and our  guide to visiting Oulu in winter  for inspiration for your Finland trip.
• Check out our post on taking a  day trip to Tallinn from Helsinki,  which is a great option if you want to add Estonia to your list
• The  official Helsinki Tourism website , which has lots of information on what to do as well as upcoming events and festivals.
• The Lonely Planet guide to Finland

And that’s it for our review of the Helsinki Card! We hope you found it useful. As always, if you have any comments or feedback, let us know in the comments below!

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16th December 2022 at 12:43 am

Hi Laurence,

Thank you so much for your advises and valuable information. It helps me a lot.

So, I will buy the card when arrived in Helsinki airport.

Merry Christmas.

Cheers, Lam

15th December 2022 at 12:53 am

I am planning to visit Helsinki in the coming year. I find there are Helsinki Card and Go Helsinki Card too.

I am a bit confused about these two cards. Are they the same? Helsinki Card is a paper card, while Go Helsinki Card is a downloaded app? These two are the same things and same functions?

Can I buy the Helsinki Card when arrived Helsinki airport? Either I need to buy the card in advance before my trip?

Laurence Norah says

15th December 2022 at 12:05 pm

This is a great question. So the Go Helsinki Card and the Helsinki Card are the same product. It was originally called the Helsinki Card, and then it was branded as the Go Helsinki Card, but many places use the names interchangeably. It is a physical card (the images on the Go Helsinki Card website just show the order confirmation on the app I believe, you do need to pick the card up on arrival.

You don’t need to buy the card in advance, you can buy it on arrival if you prefer 🙂 The cost is the same, although there are sometimes discounts on the website from time to time.

Have a great time in Helsinki, let me know if you have any more questions!

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Helsinki Card

Get discounts on your sightseeings around in Helsinki.

Helsinki Card is a city card with a number of benefits that will help you to discover and experience Helsinki plus save money.

Examples like free public transportation in the city, free guidebook and free entry to top attractions.

Where to buy Helsinki Card

If you don`t want to buy your discount card with the benefits online in advance, you can buy the card on arrival the airport, ferry terminals, Railway Station, hotel receptions, tourist information and at the Tickets & Tours by Strömma.

Information

Highlights Included in Helsinki Card

Sea Life Helsinki

Design Museum in Helsinki

Linnanmäki Amusement Park

Helsinki Zoo

Ateneum Art Museum

Seurasaari Open-Air Museum

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress

Temppeliaukio Church

The National Museum in Finland

Explore more.

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Design District Helsinki

The Tram route 6

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• Inspiration
• Heritage & Culture
• Nature & Activities
• Design & Shopping
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Photo Helsingin matkailu ja kohdepalvelut -yksikkö

Helsinki Tourist Information

Helsinki Tourist Information Office provides free information about the city, main attractions, events, and services. The Tourist Information provides tips and advice for making the most of your holiday. At the same time you can pick up brochures and maps.

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Day tickets

A day ticket is a good option if you make several journeys during one day or several days. Day tickets are valid for 1 to 13 days. Read more

Tips for using a day ticket

How to validate a disposable card.

You can buy single and day tickets in advance at some ticket machines and kiosks as well as at other sales points and service points. The tickets are loaded on disposable cardboard cards.

When you start your first journey, show the card to a card reader on a bus, tram or train, or to a card reader at the top of escalators to the metro platform area. You only need to show the card to a card reader, you do not need to press any buttons. The reader makes a beep sound and the display shows the ticket information. You can check the expiry time of the ticket at any time by holding your card on the reading area.

The tickets are valid from the time you show the card to a card reader at the start of your first journey. After the first journey, you only need to show the ticket on buses. On trains and trams and on the metro, you only need to show your ticket if a conductor or ticket inspector asks you to do so.

Single and day tickets for groups

If you need more than 50 tickets for a group, you have to order the tickets in advance. You can order single and day tickets.

See the order form for detailed instructions and terms and conditions:

• Order form, tickets on disposable cards (Word)
• Order forms, tickets on the HSL app (Word)

If you are travelling with a small group and the group stays together throughout the journey, you can buy tickets for the entire group using the HSL app on your phone. Buy the tickets one by one. You can see the tickets on the ‘Your tickets’ tab.

Helsinki Card

The Helsinki Card is a city card with a number of benefits, including free entry to various museums and attractions as well as discounts on services and shopping. Moreover, the card entitles you to unlimited travel on HSL public transport for one to three days. Helsinki Card City is valid for zones A and B, while Helsinki Card Region is valid for zones A, B and C.

Helsinki Cards are produced by Strömma Finland > .

Day tickets on your phone

You can buy day tickets conveniently using the free HSL app.

Service points and ticket machines

You can buy tickets for 1–7 days from sales and service points and from ticket machines.