Hello
We are in the early stages of planning a 5 week trip from Australia to Europe in Dec 2025/Jan 2026 and will be flying in and out of Helsinki. We will probably have 3-4 nights in Helsinki either at the beginning or end of the trip (mid-December or mid January). I would love to hear suggestions of things to do at this time of the year. We are interested in history, art, architecture and music. We also intend to spend 3 nights in Turku.
Thank you.
If yours is a museum-heavy itinerary (likely, given Finland's winter weather), it's possible the Finnish museum card would save you money. It's valid for a year, and I found it covered a very large percentage of the museums I wanted to see. You'd need to check entry prices to see whether it would be financially advantageous; it's an incredible bargain for museum lovers spending a good bit of time in the country. https://museot.fi/museumcard
My pre-trip notes for Helsinki follow. They focus on art and Art Nouveau architecture (of which Helsinki has an impressive amount). They're organized more by geography than by priority. I didn't manage to see all these places.
I didn't have time for Suomenlinna, the sea-fortress island, and I have no idea whether things out there are open in the winter.
I found the Helsinki City Museum not particularly interesting: It's popular with local families.
Running out of room so I'll do a separate post for Turku.
I enjoyed Turku, but I agree with Rick that there's a lot more to see in Helsinki. Unless you have a special reason for going to Turku, you might take a look at the way you're splitting your time; the cities aren't really comparable for most tourists. I was very glad to see the three art museums.
Aboa Vetus – Ars Nova: Combination museum of history/archeology and contemporary art. Check on current art exhibitions; I saw good ones in 2022 and 2023.
Turku Art Museum: Much modern art.
Turku Castle, Linnankatu 80: 13C-16C history.
Turum Tuomiokirkko (Turku Cathedral): Fine Gothic (13C).
Forum Marinum (Maritime Museum): Called “excellent” by a local. (I don't care for maritime museums, so I skipped this.)
Waino Aaltonen Museum of Art (WAM): Contemporary art museum
The Turku Archipelago is spectacular, but I don't know whether there's a good way to see it in the winter if one isn't arriving by ferry.
Thank you for your detailed response. This certainly gives me some things to consider.
That time of year is great for experiencing Finnish sauna culture. I really enjoyed Loyly in Helsinki in November of last year, including dips in the Baltic in the snow in between sauna sessions! Try the salmon soup to warm up afterward.
The Alvar Aalto house and factory tours were fantastic for someone with an interest in architecture and design. If you had to choose one I would pick the house, but both were great. Easily accessible from the city centre by tram.
