Is Helsinki Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Helsinki is one of the safest cities worldwide you could choose to visit. Crime rates, especially violent crimes, are exceptionally low compared to other major cities. Around the city, precautions are just as you would at home. Be vigilant of your belongings, and avoid unlit areas during darker hours. Public transportation, hotels, shopping areas are all safe and well-maintained. People here generally speak English and are usually more than willing to assist tourists. Emergency services are also swift and effective in Finland, should you need them.

Safety rating

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How safe is Helsinki?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Very safe

Helsinki is considered to be very safe for solo female travelers, even during night time. The city is well-lit, and public places are usually crowded until late hours. The presence of regular police patrols also adds to the sense of safety. However, as with any location, it's always best to stay alert and follow basic safety measures.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Very safe

Public transportation in Helsinki is considered extremely safe, even for solo female travellers. Controls and regulations are strictly adhered to providing a high sense of security. The extensive network of trams, buses, trains, and ferries are efficient, reliable and well-maintained. The locations are well-lit and have security measures in place. The culture of respect towards women further enhances the safety quotient. Timely services and excellent passenger information system further ensure a stress-free and safe travel experience.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Very low

Helsinki is one of the safest cities when it comes to street harassment for solo female travelers. The locals are very respectful and most people maintain personal boundaries. Although occasional unsolicited remarks can never be fully ruled out in any city in the world, such instances are extremely rare in Helsinki. Always trust your intuition and stay alert, but overall Helsinki provides a very comfortable and safe environment.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Very low

Helsinki is reported to be quite safe with a minimal risk of petty crimes. Instances such as pickpocketing or bag snatching are relatively low, especially when compared with many other major cities around the world. As with any location, vigilance and common sense significantly lower the risk of falling victim to such crimes.

Is Helsinki worth visiting?

Overall rating

4 /5

based on 17 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

3.6/5

Safety

4.6/5

Food

3.5/5

Budget-friendly

3.3/5
Duma

Duma

Indonesia

Solo travel

Helsinki is totaly safe and easy to connect. Also the public transportation is connecting, bus, metro, train. I had a lovely experience visit museum, market and sauna. Sauna one of the local things do almost every day

Posted: August 26, 2024Experienced: October, 2018
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Group travel

When I arrived Helsinki this time it’s so cold but all of people has good energy, beautiful smile. I love it Helsinki. I felt I’m in my hometown. Everything was perfect. (Food, people, hostel..) different atmosphere.

Posted: July 25, 2024
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Solo travel

I felt extremely safe during my trip. The city and public transportation are well organized. I really enjoyed mu time there. However, the city was quite pricey comparing to other european cities. I stayed at a hostel for like 8 days and it was comfortable as well but if you have the budget I would recommend staying at a hotel or an airbnb.

Posted: May 22, 2024
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Solo travel

Helsinki and Finland in general is a totally safe place to visit alone as a woman. I had no problems at all and it is one of the safest places I have ever been to. It is a very expensive city and Finland in general as well. The cheapest cup of coffee can cost you around 5/6 euros and an average meal can go around 25/30 euros per dish. I recommend you to visit helsinki's public library which is very very interesting to discover and it also has an affordable cafe and buffet (13 euros)

Posted: April 7, 2024Experienced: March, 2024
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Bisan

Bisan

Israel

Solo travel

I had a great time, it was my first solo trip and I really enjoyed it. I felt safe all the time. Finnish people are so welcoming and kind. The food was good, transportation is cheap (in general Helsinki isn’t that expensive).

Posted: February 26, 2024Experienced: April, 2023
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Solo travel

A very beautiful, interesting and safe city. The people are quite reserved but very respectful and speak English very very well. This is a lot to do and see (like museums, sightseeing, concerts and parties).

Posted: November 3, 2023Experienced: August, 2023
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Solo travel

Beautiful city, would love to visit in summer, as it was very cold in February, and there was therefore not much to do at the time. There are boat trips to several islands, which is good fun, and interesting, but again very cold and icy, so you need to come prepared!

Posted: August 5, 2023
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Solo travel

I went to Helsinki on vacation last year and I really enjoyed it there. I would definitely recommend a day trip to Tallinn, as it's very easy to get there by ferry (I think the trip takes about 2 hours). My favorite thing to do in Helsinki was using the saunas. Overall, I had a great time there and felt very safe.

Posted: July 27, 2023
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Angeliki

Angeliki

Greece

Solo travel

I have been to Helsinki twice, for a week each time. Winter and late autumn. The weather was a bit cold of course but nothing too bad. I love this city for its simplicity, calmness and scandi style! Also for the museums and food. I visited Kiasma, the national Finnish museum (this is a must!), the design museum and the art museum, all were great! Also don't miss the old food market. If you like hiking, I definitely recommend Nuuksio national park. I spent a whole day there and made some great memories!

Posted: July 16, 2023Experienced: October, 2022
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Solo travel

I took my solo trip to Helsinki last summer. I love this city. It's peaceful, safe, and easy to navigate. As an English speaker, I found that it's easy for me to communicate and travel. I recommend the salmon soup, I love it.

Posted: April 23, 2023
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Is Helsinki safe for women?

Safety index

4.4 /5

Based on 28 local experiences

Crime index

1.1 /5

Based on 28 local experiences

Helsinki in general is a very safe city. I want to start off that I personally live in one of the more “restless” areas that is known to have a lot of drug users and if something violent happens it’s most likely here. With that being said I’m still not scared to walk around alone during the night or don’t have to worry about someone assaulting me. Those types of incidents most often occur between the drug users themselves. Never had a case of pickpocketing happen and the locals are very respectful of personal space. The overall proficiency of English is very good and people are very willing to help. From the safety point of view I’d definitely recommend Helsinki!

Posted: October 22, 2024
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I feel myself safely all the time. I walk with the dog at 10pm-1am and nothing was ever happened. Have been living in the city around 10y Also sexual harassment is nonsense here. Public transport is safe and secure, because bus driver has alarm button to call police whenever you are. So it is safe and I didn’t hear any stories about harassment or any other crimes in the city last time.

Posted: October 19, 2024
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Meet locals in Helsinki

Chiara

Chiara

About Me

I'm an Italian woman. I'm a quiet and nice person who loves meeting new people especially from different countries and I also like to travel, discover new cultures and learn new languages. Especially I love Japan, it's culture and language and I hope to visit it soon. I also love cooking, baking, watching movies, tv series and figure skating.

Speaking

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Shalinka

Shalinka

About Me

I'm a simple, friendly girl who likes to travel and share travel experiences 😊

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Helsinki

Shalinka

Shalinka

Helsinki

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I'm a simple, friendly girl who likes to travel and share travel experiences 😊

Speaking

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Chiara

Chiara

Helsinki

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I'm an Italian woman. I'm a quiet and nice person who loves meeting new people especially from different countries and I also like to travel, discover new cultures and learn new languages. Especially I love Japan, it's culture and language and I hope to visit it soon. I also love cooking, baking, watching movies, tv series and figure skating.

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Helsinki

Hannah

Hannah

About Me

Hey, I'm Hannah from the US. Been living abroad for 11 years now, in South Korea, Czechia, and Croatia. I love to travel, read, hike, and testing the waters for new hobbies!

Speaking

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Safety in Finland