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Free Helsinki Walking Tours

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This post provides information about the best free walking tours in Helsinki. 

There are also details about some paid tours that you might want to consider.


Overview

There aren’t a lot of free walking tours currently available in Helsinki, but if you’re looking to save some money, we will cover a few of the best options in this post.

These are pay-what-you-wish walking tours, which means that at the end of your trip, you get to decide how much the experience was worth. 

Most people will tip their tour guide around €10 - €15.

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Most of the free tours offered at the moment only cover the city center, so if you’re looking for an outing that will visit other neighborhoods in Helsinki, you might want to consider a paid tour instead.

Another option is to take a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

In addition to providing a decent overview of the city, these services are also a good way to get around, because they make frequent stops at all the major sites and landmarks in Helsinki.

You may also want to consider a trip to Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just off the coast of Helsinki. 

This sea fortress is one of the most historic locations in the area, and definitely worth experiencing in person.


Free Walking Tours of Helsinki City Center

This section will cover each of the pay-what-you-want walking tours available that cover Helsinki’s city center. 

We’ll include details about when each tour is offered and how long the outing typically lasts.

Here are a few of the most common locations visited on these free walking tours of Helsinki:

  • Market Square
  • Senate Square
  • Helsinki Cathedral
  • University of Helsinki
  • House of Estates
  • And more!

If you’re interested in visiting any of these locations and learning more about them, consider one of the following options.


Red Umbrella Tours

Much like their competition, this company also provides pay-what-you-want walking tours of Helsinki’s city center. 

In addition to all the major sites, they also visit locations such as the National Library of Finland, Holy Trinity Church, and the Port of Helsinki.

This free walking tour is offered daily (starting in April 2023) at 11 am, and it is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes in length. 

Unfortunately, this tour is currently only provided in English, and there are not any Spanish tour guides available.

If you’re looking for a tour you can take on Tuesday or Thursday, this is an excellent option. As the name implies, you can find your tour guide by looking for the red umbrella!

Book this tour or learn more.



Alternative Helsinki Tours

The following section provides details about alternative tours in Helsinki. 

Most of these outings are paid tours, but there is at least one pay-what-you-wish walking tour.


Kallio Neighborhood Tour

This pay-what-you-want walking tour covers the Helsinki neighborhood of Kallio, giving you a chance to learn about a different side of the city. 

You can expect to visit a variety of locations such as the Kallio Church and the Hakaniemi Market.

You can take this 2-hour free walking tour on Saturday and Sunday at 14:00 (2 pm), and it is currently only available in English.

This tour is unfortunately no longer available as of February 2023.


Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours

Although this isn’t a free tour, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for an easy way to get around Helsinki and learn about the history of this city. 

This service makes frequent stops at a lot of the locations visited on free walking tours, including Senate Square, which is actually the starting point for at least one pay-what-you-wish outing.

In addition to those sites, you can also expect to visit and learn about the following attractions:

  • Market Square
  • Compass Square
  • Swedish Theatre
  • Sibelius Monument
  • Olympic Stadium
  • Finnish National Opera
  • National Museum
  • Ateneum Art Museum
  • Botanic Garden
  • And more!

Tickets are just €46 for adults and €23 for children, and they are active for 2 days. 

This service includes an audio tour covering each of the landmarks you’ll see along the way. 

Purchase tickets or learn more.


Suomenlinna Tours

This attraction is located just off the coast of Helsinki, and there is a ferry that will take you to the site. 

Suomenlinna is a sea fortress that is important to the history of this region and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ferry tickets to Suomenlinna cost approximately €2.80 per person, and there is no ticket required to enter the site. 

That said, there are museums on the island that are ticketed, so you might want to bring a little extra money for those locations.

Alternatively, you can also take a guided tour of Suomenlinna which includes admission to the Ehrensvärd Museum for as little as €12 per person.

Although it’s not free to visit this attraction, it is relatively affordable, and we definitely recommend setting aside some time to see this historic location. 

The ferry departs from Market Square throughout the year.

And much, much more

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