12 days in Helsinki, Turku & Oulu Itinerary

Finland's largest and most populated metropolis, the maritime town of Helsinki boasts varied architecture, a lively cafe culture, and plethora of picturesque natural delights.

Popular historic sites such as Sea Fortress Suomenlinna and Temppeliaukio Church are in your itinerary. Get a sense of the local culture at Linden Esplanade and Kamppi Chapel of Silence. Get out of town with these interesting Helsinki side-trips: Hiidenkirnut (in Askola), Sipoonkorven Kansallispuisto (in Vantaa) and Nuuksio National Park (in Espoo). The adventure continues: get a dose of the wild on a nature and wildlife tour, take in the spiritual surroundings of Uspenskin Cathedral (Uspenskin Katedraali), visit Katajanokka, and buy something for everyone on your list at Kamppi Shopping Centre.

Plan trip to Helsinki with our itinerary maker to find out where to go and what to do.

London, UK to Helsinki is an approximately 6.5-hour flight. You can also do a combination of car and train; or do a combination of car and ferry. The time zone changes from Greenwich Mean Time to Eastern European Standard Time, which is usually a 2 hour difference. Plan for slightly colder temperatures traveling from London in March, with highs in Helsinki at 3°C and lows at -5°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 18th (Thu) early enough to go by car to Turku.

Sitting at the mouth of the Aura River, Turku is one of Finland's quaintest and most historically rich towns.

Take a break from the city and head to Ispoinen Beach and Sauna and Bike Rental - by Carfield. Appreciate the collections at Turku Castle and Luostarinmaen Kasityolaismuseo. Next up on the itinerary: trek along The Archipelago Trail, contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Turku Cathedral, take a tour by water with Boat Tours & Water Sports, and browse the different shops at Turun Kauppahalli.

To see other places to visit, more things to do, where to stay, and more tourist information, go to the Turku road trip planning tool.

You can drive from Helsinki to Turku in 2 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or fly. In March, daytime highs in Turku are 3°C, while nighttime lows are -5°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 21st (Sun) to allow time to travel to Oulu.

Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Start off your visit on the 22nd (Mon): make a trip to Kauppahalli, appreciate the history behind Toripolliisi, then enjoy the sand and surf at Nallikari Beach, and finally engage your brain at Tietomaa. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: see the interesting displays at Pohjois-Pohjanmaan museo, then walk around Hupisaaret Park, then grab your bike and head to Outdoors Oulu Oy, and finally examine the collection at Turkansaaren Ulkomuseo.

For more things to do, reviews, where to stay, and tourist information, you can read our Oulu travel planner.

You can do a combination of train and flight from Turku to Oulu in 5 hours. Other options are to fly; or drive. Prepare for slightly colder weather when traveling from Turku in March: high temperatures in Oulu hover around 0°C and lows are around -8°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 23rd (Tue) early enough to travel back home.