Helsinki Introduction Walking Tour, Helsinki

Helsinki Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Helsinki

Helsinki was created as a trading town by Swedish King Gustav I in 1550, but it is believed that Swedish settlers had arrived here in the 1300s. Sometimes called the “Daughter of the Baltic,” Helsinki is a port town through and through. Its close connection to its Baltic neighbors, Sweden and Russia, has shaped its history for better and worse over the last 400 years. Both Finnish and Swedish are official languages, and you will find a statue honoring Russian Tsar Alexander II in the middle of Senate Square.

Helsinki is many things. It is the northernmost city on Earth that has a population of more than a million people. It is the northernmost EU capital, and it is the only metropolis in Finland. In 2012 it was named a World Design Capital, and it is regularly recognized as being one of the world’s most livable cities with one of the highest standards of living anywhere.

Helsinki’s close ties to the Baltic are on clear display for the visitor to the Finnish capital. This city is spread over a large peninsula and 315 islands. Senate Square with the Helsinki Cathedral on it are the city's top attractions. Market Square, another popular site near downtown, lies right on the seafront, and is a spot from where ferries depart to the famous sea fortress of Suomenlinna.

From Market Square, head on to the Old Market Hall to pick up some food for a picnic in the nearby Esplanadi Park. But that’s just the start. You can see all that Helsinki has to offer by taking a self-guided walking tour of this beautiful, friendly, and fabulous Nordic city.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Tpienonen.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Helsinki

Guide Name: Helsinki Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: Finland » Helsinki (See other walking tours in Helsinki)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Helsinki?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Helsinki Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Helsinki?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Helsinki, Finland

Create Your Own Walk in Helsinki

Creating your own self-guided walk in Helsinki is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Seurasaari Island Walking Tour

Seurasaari Island in Helsinki is best known as the home to the popular open-air museum. This venue offers a glimpse into the life of Finland's countryside in various epochs, showcasing old, mainly wooden houses, some of which – once lived in by famous people in Finnish history – were transplanted to the island and thus became part of the museum.

Among the notable attractions here are... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles

Helsinki's Architectural Jewels

Typified by Nordic minimalism and refinement, the architecture of Helsinki is shaped primarily by the early neoclassical style and a regional form of Art Nouveau called Jugendstil. Still, it is the later work by modernist architect, Alvar Aalto, as well as the thriving contemporary designs deeply rooted in nature and local craft that give Helsinki, as well as Finland in general, their current... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

Helsinki's Historical Churches

Because of Finland's former affiliations with neighboring Sweden and Russia, it's no wonder that the religious tapestry of Helsinki is dominated by Lutheran and Orthodox churches. Nonetheless, there are also some beautiful architectural expressions of other Christian denominations like Anglican and Catholic to be found in the city, each holding a special place in its religious narrative.... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Finnish Souvenir Shopping Tour

When in Helsinki, souvenir shopping can be an exciting adventure allowing you to bring home a memorable piece of Finland worth having in your household. Depending on your inclinations, these could include sauna bucket and ladle, traditional Finnish music instruments, hand-woven long-tufted rugs (ryija), Finnish vodka made from Arctic-grown berries, or something else.

Those in the know can give... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

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