Helsinki, Finland

Location

A city of the sea, Helsinki was built along a series of oddly shaped peninsulas and islands jutting into the Baltic coast along the Gulf of Finland. Streets and avenues curve around bays, bridges reach to nearby islands, and ferries ply among offshore islands.Having grown dramatically since World War II, Helsinki now absorbs more than one-tenth of the Finnish population. The metro area covers 764 square km (474 square miles) and 315 islands. Most sights, hotels, and restaurants cluster on one peninsula, forming a compact central hub. The greater Helsinki metropolitan area, which includes Espoo and Vantaa, has a total population of more than a million people.Helsinki is a relatively young city compared with other European capitals. In the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa of Sweden decided to woo trade from the Estonian city of Tallinn and thus challenge the Hanseatic League's monopoly on Baltic trade. Accordingly, he commanded the people of four Finnish towns to pack up their belongings and relocate to the rapids on the River Vantaa. The new town, founded on June 12, 1550, was named Helsinki.For three centuries, Helsinki (Helsingfors in Swedish) had its ups and downs as a trading town. Turku, to the west, remained Finland's capital and intellectual center. However, Helsinki's fortunes improved when Finland fell under Russian rule as an autonomous grand duchy. Czar Alexander I wanted Finland's political center closer to Russia and, in 1812, selected Helsinki as the new capital. Shortly afterward, Turku suffered a disastrous fire, forcing the university to move to Helsinki. The town's future was secure.Just before the czar's proclamation, a fire destroyed many of Helsinki's traditional wooden structures, precipitating the construction of new buildings suitable for a nation's capital. The German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel was commissioned to rebuild the city, and as a result, Helsinki has some of the purest neoclassical architecture in the world. Add to this foundation the influence of Stockholm and St. Petersburg with the local inspiration of 20th-century Finnish design, and the result is a European capital city that is as architecturally eye-catching as it is distinct from other Scandinavian capitals. You are bound to discover endless engaging details—a grimacing gargoyle; a foursome of males supporting a balcony's weight on their shoulders; a building painted in striking colors with contrasting flowers in the windows. The city's 400 or so parks make it particularly inviting in summer.Today, Helsinki is still a meeting point of eastern and western Europe, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan image, the influx of Russians and Estonians, and generally multilingual population. Outdoor summer bars ("terrassit" as the locals call them) and cafés in the city center are perfect for people watching on a summer afternoon.

Helsinki, Finland Itineraries

81 Nights

Grand Arctic Adventure

Departure Date
29 Jun 26
Cruise Line Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Seven Seas Mariner
Region World-wide
Departure Port New York, New York
Destination Port Barcelona
Itinerary
New York, New York, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Paamiut (Fredrikshaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Isafjørdur, Akureyri, Grundarfjørdur, Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Heimaey Island, Seydisfjørdur, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Killybegs, Douglas, Dun Laoghaire, Liverpool, Holyhead, Waterford, Southampton, Honfleur, Antwerp, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Lysekil, Aarhus, Warnemünde, Liepaja, Visby, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Lysekil, Oslo, Skagen, Mandal, Rosendal, Olden, Kristiansund, Trondheim, Hammerfest, Honningsvåg, Tromsø, Ålesund, Måløy, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Invergordon, Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Porto, Lisbon, Cádiz, Málaga and Barcelona

From £64,679pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

24 Nights

Majestic Northern Seas

Departure Date
30 Jun 26
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Oceania Sirena
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Southampton
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
Southampton, Le Havre, Zeebrugge, IJmuiden, Rosyth, Aberdeen, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Måløy, Ålesund, Stavanger, Arendal, Oslo, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Kiel, Warnemünde, Warnemünde, Rønne, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm

From £6,769pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Copenhagen to Stockholm

Departure Date
01 Jul 26
Cruise Line Silversea
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Silver Dawn
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Copenhagen
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
Copenhagen, Rønne, Gdansk, Liepaja, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm

From £7,800pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

8 Nights

Seven Gems of the Baltic

Departure Date
06 Jul 26
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Legend
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Copenhagen
Destination Port Helsinki
Itinerary
Copenhagen, Bornholm Island, Gdansk, Ventspils, Riga, Stockholm, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki

From £4,561pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Stockholm to Copenhagen

Departure Date
08 Jul 26
Cruise Line Silversea
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Silver Dawn
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Stockholm
Destination Port Copenhagen
Itinerary
Stockholm, Tallinn, Helsinki, Riga, Liepaja, Gdansk, Rønne and Copenhagen

From £7,200pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

11 Nights

Baltic Intensive Cruise: Copenhagen, Helsinki & Stockholm

Departure Date
09 Jul 26
Cruise Line Azamara
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Azamara Journey
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Copenhagen
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
Copenhagen, Gdansk, Gdansk, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Turku, Mariehamn, Stockholm and Stockholm

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

10 Nights

Baltic Sea Discovery

Departure Date
10 Jul 26
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Oceania Marina
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Copenhagen
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
Copenhagen, Lysekil, Aarhus, Kiel, Warnemünde, Warnemünde, Rønne, Klaipeda, Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm

From £3,789pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Scandinavia and Northern Europe

Departure Date
12 Jul 26
Cruise Line Cunard
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Anne
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Southampton
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
Southampton, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Visby, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Kiel, Skagen and Southampton

From £1,919pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

11 Nights

Baltic Brilliance

Departure Date
13 Jul 26
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Oceania Sirena
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Oslo
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
Oslo, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Kiel, Warnemünde, Warnemünde, Rønne, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

9 Nights

Scandinavia and Northern Europe

Departure Date
14 Jul 26
Cruise Line Cunard
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Anne
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Hamburg
Destination Port Kiel
Itinerary
Hamburg, Copenhagen, Visby, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm and Kiel

From £1,799pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

81 Nights

Star Collector: 2026 Grand Europe Adventure

Departure Date
14 Jul 26
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Legend
Region Mediterranean
Departure Port Helsinki
Destination Port Athens
Itinerary
Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Stockholm, Riga, Ventspils, Gdansk, Bornholm Island, Copenhagen, Haugesund, Ålesund, Trondheim, Frøya, Olden, Bergen, Leith, Invergordon, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Portree, Isle of Skye, Oban, Portrush, Douglas, Dun Laoghaire, Belfast, Londonderry, Killybegs, Galway, Dingle, Cobh, Waterford, Rouen, Rouen, Rouen, Honfleur, Saint-Malo, Guernsey, Lorient, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Bilbao, Gijón, Vigo, Leixões, Lisbon, Lisbon, Seville, Seville, Tangier, Málaga, Cartagena, Valencia, Barcelona, Palamós, Sanary-sur-Mer, Monte-Carlo, Cannes, Portofino, Portoferraio, Porto Ercole, Rome, Sorrento, Messina, Gythio, Monemvasía, Athens, Kusadasi, Kavala, Thessaloníki, Thessaloníki, Vólos, Skopelos and Athens

From £32,564pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

8 Nights

Seven Gems of the Baltic

Departure Date
14 Jul 26
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Legend
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Helsinki
Destination Port Copenhagen
Itinerary
Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Stockholm, Riga, Ventspils, Gdansk, Bornholm Island and Copenhagen

From £5,048pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises