Best places to visit in Finland in 2026

Finland at a glance

1. Helsinki — a design city with a fortress in the harbour

Helsinki is small enough to cover on foot and its best things are cheap or free. Suomenlinna, the UNESCO-listed sea fortress spread over several islands, is free to walk — you only pay the HSL ferry, €3.30 on a standard ticket. The Ateneum (€23) holds the national art collection; Temppeliaukio, the church blasted out of solid granite, and the Oodi central library are both essential and one of them costs nothing.

Helsinki Cathedral, the Market Square and the Old Market Hall are free. Book a public sauna for an evening — it is the single most Finnish thing you can do.

• Best for: design, islands, saunas, an easy short break with no car.
• Less ideal if: you want Lapland — that is a separate flight and a separate trip.

• Helsinki — things to do and 2026 prices

2–4. Rovaniemi, Tampere and Turku

Rovaniemi sits on the Arctic Circle and is the practical capital of Lapland: husky and reindeer sledding, snowmobiling, glass igloos, the Santa Claus Village, and aurora from roughly September to March. Tampere is between two lakes, has the world’s only Moomin museum and a serious sauna culture. Turku is the former capital, with a medieval castle on the river and the gateway to Finland’s vast archipelago.

• Rovaniemi
• Tampere
• Turku

FAQ

Does Finland use the euro?

Yes. Finland is the only Nordic country in the eurozone — Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland all keep their own kronor/krónur.

Do you need to pay to visit Suomenlinna?

No. The sea fortress islands are free to walk around; you only pay for the ferry across, which is a standard HSL public-transport fare of about €3.30. Some individual museums on the islands charge separately.

When should you go to Lapland?

December to March for snow, husky sledding and the northern lights, with December the busiest and most expensive because of Santa. Late August to September gives you aurora with autumn colour and far fewer people, and June to July brings the midnight sun with no darkness at all.