7 tips for Christmas in Helsinki with the kids
Walking with the elves and forest animals on snowy island paths. Meeting the one and only Santa and riding a wooden horse roundabout. Having picnic in a winter garden decorated with Christmas flowers and lights. Sledding down a hill or ice-skating for the first time. Helsinki is full of christmassy adventures for kids of all ages!
We listed seven tips for spending Christmas with the little – and not so little – loved ones in Helsinki. Read on!
1. Walk along Seurasaari Island Christmas Path
One of the most-awaited seasonal highlights must be Seurasaari Island’s Christmas Path (Joulupolku. This traditional, volunteer-run (free!) event for families with children offers a peek into the world of old-time Finnish Christmas and a message of the first Christmas. In fact, there are several events along the Christmas Path, including horse cart driving, a whip sled and a straw labyrinth. Animals of the forest walk around the Christmas Path handing out gingerbread while Father Christmas and Old Lady Christmas listen to the children’s gift wishes.
If the winter is snowless, you may want to bring along a flashlight. This can help light up the wonders of the forest. Be sure to bundle up warmly too as it can get quite chilly. Food is served in the island restaurant Seurasaaren Juhlatalo, charming Café Mieritz and the little Seurasaari Kiosk. At the Jusupoff Square visitors can also buy sausages and glögi (mulled wine). There are also some nice places for eating your own packed lunch all around the island.
NOTE: Bus 24 takes visitors to Seurasaari on the day of the event. The bus runs every 10 minutes. Please check Reittiopas route planner for more information.
2. See magical stories come alive in iconic Christmas windows
Stockmann department store‘s Christmas windows at Aleksanterinkatu 52 are a long-standing tradition, with the first ones appearing around 1949. Each year, a new Christmas fairytale or story is created for the windows, often incorporating familiar characters and new elements to bring the story to life. These days, the displays are known for their innovative use of technology, including holograms, projections, and augmented reality (AR) elements that enhance the storytelling and magic. Who would have guessed, seventy years back?
The magical windows are usually unveiled in early November, with hundreds of people gathering to watch the lights turn on and the show to begin!
3. Go ice-skating like the Helsinkians – or the Moomins!
To get an even better feeling of winter and Christmas, visit one of the several ice-skating rinks in the city, where you can have some fun. Right on the spot, you can rent the skates, so no need to worry about not having the right gear. City-run artificial ice-skating fields are all free and opened annually in November or December, depending on the weather.
The colder it is the sooner they open! Current information on the condition of the ice is available at ulkoliikunta.fi/en.
4. Ride a wooden carousel and meet Santa
Go to the legendary Helsinki Christmas Market on Senate Square and let the kids hop on the amazing Merry-go-round there. It is free for children! Organised since the mid-1990s, Helsinki Christmas Market is the most traditional outdoor Christmas market in Helsinki.
The old-fashioned wooden carousel is just as beautiful as the whole outdoor market itself – full of lights and muffled sounds. If lucky, you will be surrounded by snow too. The majestic Cathedral standing on the background of it all makes the experience even more remarkable. And wait till you meet Father Christmas! He is usually around on the Opening Day (1 December) and each Saturday until Christmas. Talk about magical childhood memories.
5. Wonder in the Winter Garden
Pack a picnic (!) and wonder off to the magical Helsinki City Winter Garden. Since 1893, when the Winter Garden was founded, it has been a popular meeting place for Helsinkians. During Christmas time, the indoor gardens are decorated with traditional Christmas flowers such as azaleas, amaryllises and hyacinths, as well as the 130-year old camellia tree’s flowers. Stay a while and you might just see Santa’s little helpers peek from behind the exotic plants and flowers! The Winter Garden is free of charge and entirely accessible. It is open every day from 10am to 4pm, except on Fridays (that is the day the plants and fish need some tender care and rest).
Pst! You can also visit Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden in November and December – under 7s go free!
…or summer?
Winter?
6. Hop on a ferry to island adventures
Suomenlinna Sea Fortress is usually known as a must-see summer destination. What many don’t know is that the island is open year round and the quieter winter months allow for a very different view of this special place.
During Christmas-time the fortress island’s paths are decorated with criss-crossing lights. The old houses’ windows are full of candles and cute little shops sell local artisans’ produce. Cozy cafes and warm restaurants open their doors, inviting you in for a mug of hot glögi and ginger bread cookies or traditional plum pastries. Many museums have special programs and extend their opening hours and Suomenlinna church – also a lighthouse! – hosts many Christmas events and concerts. But what children will love the most is the Lighthouse Keeper’s Route! This self-guided tour takes children and the young at heart on a memorable tour around the mysterious island.
Reaching Suomenlinna Island is a 15-minute ferry ride through the cold sea – often full of ice, broken by the majestic ice-breakers – an adventure in itself!
7. Go sledding on the hills around town
Last but not least…Go sledding down the hills of Helsinki! This, of course, is only possible when there is snow. The only official Helsinki sledding hill is in Paloheinä up North, but unofficial hills are everywhere. Most well-known place to take the plunge are the steps from Helsinki Cathedral down to Senate Square. Then come the iconic Kaivopuisto Park and Sinebrychoff Park hills for daredevils. Note that it is entirely at your own risk to try these, but many many Helsinkians do so. Snow makes us wild!
For more tips: Sledding Hills in Helsinki
…or just follow the crowd and see what else is there
Those were just seven tips for spending Christmas-time in Helsinki with children. Of course, there are many (many!) other things to do in the wintery city around Christmas-time. For one, Helsinki is very well-known for its kid-friendly museums.
Most museums are open throughout November and until Christmas, including a fun Pippi Longstocking exhibition at the Media Museum and Archives. The world’s strongest little girl turns 80 in 2025 – as does our national hero Moomintroll. To see him and the extended Moomin family visit the Architecture and Design Museum‘s amazing Escape to Moominvalley exhibition! Children’s Town in the Helsinki City Museum is always worth a visit too.
If all the hulabaloo makes you and the little ones tired, you can always head to one of Helsinki’s many libraries and snuggle up in their kids’ section. Kallio library‘s Vintti, for example, is a great place for relaxation and taking time off. Oodi Helsinki Central Library also has a large section dedicated to children only (with a cozy storytelling room) – and perhaps the city’s most child-friendly restaurant.
