Helsinki at Christmas: Family-friendly activities
We’ve been traveling to European capitals for the past decade, but Helsinki only recently popped up on our radar. And it seems we’re not alone; the 2024 Helsinki Christmas Market hosted 600,000 people in just 3 weeks. Helsinki is a great gateway to Finnish Lapland and the city of Rovaniemi (which is the home base of Santa Claus). So we decided that this was the perfect place to take our 5-year-old for our first winter break abroad.
We landed in Helsinki on December 19 so that we could enjoy the Helsinki Christmas markets before heading north to Finnish Lapland.
Everyone always says that the Nordic countries are expensive, but we found Helsinki to be very reasonably priced. We spent a wonderful 48 hours in Helsinki.
Senate Square, Helsinki
Helsinki Christmas Market
Visiting Helsinki Christmas Markets
Helsinki’s Christmas Markets are mostly in one area: Senate Square. You can walk here from Helsinki Central Station. You need to visit before Christmas in order to enjoy these; the markets closed on December 22 this year.
All Christmas markets are known for shopping, eating, and drinking. And Helsinki is no exception. There is no entry fee for the market, so stopped by on our way to and from other activities.
Drink: honey + apple cider (for kids) or classic gluhwein (alcoholic)
Eat: waffle with nutella and whipped cream or brie + fig sandwich or try the famous rice porridge
Ride the carousel (it’s free for children and kids at heart!)
visit with Santa and snap a photo
Tip: If you want markets that are open later, take the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. The markets in Tallinn are open until New Year’s. We took a day trip to Tallinn via the ferry that leaves from Helsinki.
Where to stay in Helsinki at Christmas
When we visit European cities, we try to stay as close to the center of the city as possible. Being near a train station and being able to walk downtown is important. We used Booking.com to book the Scandic Grand Central Helsinki, which was a surprisingly affordable and beautiful hotel.
Cost per night: $200 (USD)/ € 197
Distance from train station: 3 minute walk
Distance from Senate Square Christmas Market: 10 minute walk
Hotel Perks: large, free buffet breakfast and comfortable lobby and sitting areas
Scandic Grand Central Helsinki
Scandic Grand Central Helsinki
Winter Swimming and Sauna: Allas Pools
Sauna culture is alive and well in Helsinki, and very accessible. We visited the Allas Sea Pools between breakfast and lunch one morning. Here you have access to:
A warm water lap pool that is always set to 27 C (80 F) year round
5 saunas (2 in the main building and 3 outside/ on the pool level)
seawater pool (ranges from 0-20 C)
a view of Helsinki’s Skywheel while you swim
For those who are feeling adventurous, you can walk from the heated pool to the sea pools and then finish up in the sauna. All of this is outside of course, and while we scurried from one location to another, the more experienced winter swimmers walk slowly and deliberately from one place to another.
You can walk in and purchase a pass to access the entire area, which includes the saunas and pools and a cafe. We did not purchase tickets in advance, and had no issue visiting. While is was chilly out in December, we found that we could still swim laps and enjoy the pools. If you have a reluctant swimmer, or are chronically cold, then this might not be for you. Our daughter is a fairly resilient 5-year-old, who will play in any ocean in the summer, and a strong swimmer and she was comfortable.
Allas Sea Pools
Allas Sea Pools
Children’s Town (Free Museum)
Children’s Town is a free, hand’s on museum for kids to explore how people lived in Finland. Children can dress up, pretend to make shoes, and explore what life what like through the 18th to 20th centuries.
This was the perfect stop for a chilly and rainy morning in December and is right next to Senate Square where the Christmas Markets are held. Everything that is on display can be touched, making this museum friendly for toddlers to children.
If you’re traveling with a stroller, you can park it outside. Inside, there is plenty of room for storing coats, hats, boots. and backpacks.
Children’s Town, Helsinki
Children’s Town, Helsinki
We’ve been dreaming of visiting a European Christmas market for years. If you live in North America and cannot make it across the pond yet, then we highly recommend visiting Quebec City for their German Christmas Markets. It’s a beautiful, walkable city, and our daughter’s favorite place. Read more about our trip on Baby Can Travel and our review of our favorite hotel, The Fairmont Frontenac, here. Quebec City is the North American alternative to Europe.
