Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, is enjoying a rapid rise in popularity amongst travellers to Europe. Visitors are drawn in their thousands by the city’s rich history, medieval streets and stunning sunsets. However, for those with a bit more time on their hands, Tallinn can also be used as a base to take the ferry and explore Finland’s capital Helsinki.
We did precisely this during our recent trip to Estonia, where we spent the best part of a week exploring Tallinn and beyond. We are always keen to add more places to our itineraries – therefore, a trip on the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki was on the cards. Here’s how we did it and why we think it’s well worth the journey!
The logistics: How to take the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki
There are three companies operating ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki:
Between them, the ferry companies operate at least 12 ferries per day. The journey time between Tallinn and Helsinki is similar across all three ferry companies – a journey should take 2 – 2.5 hours.
In Tallinn, all three ferry lines depart from neighbouring terminals which are located a 15-minute walk from Tallinn’s old town.
However, the ferry terminals in Helsinki are more spread out. Where price and timings are similar across the providers, we think this distance is the deciding factor. We’d recommend choosing a ferry sailing that arrives and departs Helsinki from Katajanokka terminal, as it is close to the main sights and offers the best views from the water as you arrive or depart. This (we feel) is the best option for short-term visits – Viking Line operates three services a day to and from Katajanokka.
We found DirectFerries a handy site to compare the different options and bag your tickets (one leg of the journey worked out cheaper than booking directly with the ferry company!).
Top 5 reasons to visit Helsinki from Tallinn
From stunning views to delicious salmon soup, here our five reasons why you should visit Helsinki on the ferry from Tallinn.
1: The views from the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki are stunning
One of the absolute best things about the whole trip between Tallinn and Helsinki has got to be the stunning views from the ferry. The terminals in both cities are ideally located to get incredible vistas of the main sights as they fade in and out of view.
The ferry offers a unique perspective on both cities. In the case of Tallinn, leaving by sea lends new appreciation to just how small the famous old town is, especially when compared to the rest of the city. For Helsinki, arriving by ferry is the best way to see the Finnish capital’s many islands.
We’d recommend heading up onto deck at the start and end of the ferry crossing to make sure you don’t miss anything. However, make sure you wrap up warm; those baltic winds can be freezing!
2: The Tallinn to Helsinki Ferry is an authentically ‘local’ experience
We were pretty surprised by how few tourists there were on our ferry. In fact, we’re not sure whether we heard any other English speakers on either crossing. The ferry between Tallinn and Helsinki is very much the realm of locals – whether on holiday with family and friends or simply stocking up on cheap alcohol to take back home. The latter is serious business on these ferries – we lost count of the number of industrial-sized trolleys wheeled along, laden with bargain booze.
Once on the ferry, a considerable number of folk seemed to have favourite spots. It was often a sprint to see who could grab the coveted corner sofa next to the window, or the front-row seat at the confusingly popular bingo.
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3: You can easily explore the main sights of Helsinki in one day from Tallinn
Helsinki is undoubtedly a city worth spending a good chunk of time in. However, if you’re super short on holiday hours and need to make a rapid return to Tallinn, then it’s possible to get a good feel for the city centre in a few busy hours.
Ideally, you’ll have chosen a ferry that will take you in and out of the Katajanokka terminal, where a short walk will take you down to the hustle and bustle of the waterfront at Kauppatori. Here, you can grab a bird’s eye view of Helsinki on the sky wheel, or take a quick boat tour to the magnificent Suomenlinna island fortress.
Once back on dry land, you’ll barely work up a sweat as you hop over to the grand Helsinki Cathedral before joining the locals for a picnic lunch in Esplanadi park. When you’re ready to explore more of Helsinki – from its waterfront to its unique cathedrals and exquisite library (seriously, this building is mind-blowingly good!), then a reliable network of trams will speed you around. However, if you fancy the wind in your hair, you can always grab yourself a Lime or Bolt e-scooter and whizz around the streets.
4: The Salmon Soup in Helsinki is amazing
Eating out in Helsinki – and, indeed, the rest of Scandinavia – is notoriously expensive. There’s just no getting away from it – this is not a destination that lends itself to effortless ‘budget friendly’ travel.
However, that’s not to say that there aren’t some good options if you want to sample classic Finnish dishes. Thankfully, you don’t have to look too far to find an alternative that is reasonably cheap, delicious, and quick (very important, if you are doing a day trip!).
Down by the waterfront, Kauppatori will typically have a range of market stalls open during the day, including a great selection of street food. This covers anything from burgers to vegan dishes and beyond.
Our choice and recommendation would be the absolute classic – Salmon Soup. The traditional Finnish dish will satisfy a lunchtime craving and only set you back somewhere between 6 and 8 euros. You will typically order the soup from the counter (paying with cash or cash). Wait close to the counter until the soup is ready, then take your meal to a table inside the tent.
5: The contrast between Helsinki and Tallinn makes for a great change of scene
Both these capitals are fantastic cities in their own right, and it’s well worth experiencing them on the same trip. A typical visitor to Tallinn will probably stay mainly in and around the confines of the medieval city walls, enjoying the undoubted beauty of the cobbled streets and quirky buildings.
Of course, Tallinn is not without its share of modern architecture. Indeed, you don’t need to venture far from the old town to see flash new quarters springing up. However, the process of journeying to an entirely different city will deliver some brilliant contrasts.
Helsinki feels like it’s on a different scale to Tallinn. As a visitor to Helsinki, you can easily blend into the streets as you explore and enjoy a relative feeling of anonymity, forgetting for a second that you are a tourist in the city. No such luxury is granted in Tallinn, where the Old Town tends to hold a monopolistic grip on tourist footfall – not without good reason.
Ultimately, both are brilliant capitals well worth exploring in their own right. Tallinn and Helsinki should undoubtedly be considered a ‘day trip’ option – and the ferry is the perfect way to travel between the two cities.
This sounds like an epic trip. What an adventure to go across the Baltic like that? Always wanted to visit both Talinn and Helsinki but never realised it could be done this way, worth noting for future planning. Nice post.
Thank you! It was a brilliant trip, and so straightforward – it could be done in a day trip if anyone’s short on time. Glad you’ve found it useful!
Thanks! I wondered about going by ferry to Helsinki and now I have an answer 🙂
Great to hear it and thank you for reading! 😁🙏
I have never really considered Finland a place I would end up going to but after reading this it looks fab!
Thanks Amber! Would definitely recommend it – a really fun place. Make sure your bank balance is ready for the hit though!