Solo Female Travel & Backpacking in Helsinki

Local experience

Helsinki is all about being next to the sea, and you have numerous islands around you where you can walk for a picnic (e.g. Seurasaari, Tervasaari, Mustikkasaari) or take a ferry (normal public transport fees). You can move around with city bikes, and in the city centre everything is walkable. City centre tips: Walk around Market square and the design stores Go explore Katajannokka for Architecture Walk in Punavuori and explore tiny boutique shops and some real good cafeterias (e.g. Andante) take a ferry to Suomenlinna, an old fortress island where you can walk on the rocks and old trenches Go to little wooden red cafe "Regatta" by the seaside to have coffee & Finnish style cinnamon roll try public saunas Löyly or Allas Outside Helsinki: If you have time for a day trip, take a bus to the idyllic Porvoo, one of my favourites, spend the day there and come back by steamboat. If you into nature, you can go to the Nuuksio National Park with a train and a bus for either a day trip (bring your own food!) or camp a night (all safe if you're comfortable in a forest). No dangerous animals or so there to harm you. In general, in the Nordics, the tiny villages are the cutest and the nature has the most to offer. You can freely camp everywhere (also to reduce costs). When in the city, my tip is to have an accommodation with kitchenette to prepare some meals by yourself, unless your restaurant eating budget is, well, huge.

Things to do: - Amusement Park Linnanmäki - Finnish Science Centre Heurika - Sibelius Monument - Töölö Park Safety: I felt incredibly safe solo traveling in Helsinki. Recommendations: Helsinki is a relatively small and young city. It's also very expensive and it’s better to visit it in summer.

Things to do: - The Market Square - The Chapel of Silence - Helsinki City Museum - Suomenlinna Safety: Helsinki is probably one of the safest capitals in the world. Recommendations: Helsinki is worth visiting and I did find it nice and pretty, but it's probably my least favorite Nordic capital that I've seen.

Things to do: - Suomenlinna - Temppeliaukion Church - Helsinki Cathedral - Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma - Uspenski Cathedral - Market Square - Sibelius Monument - Ateneum - Linnanmaki Safety: Helsinki is extremely safe, so no need to worry. Recommendations: Helsinki is a great city but pretty expensive, especially restaurants and anything alcohol related.

Local experience

A few things to do in Helsinki: Suomenlinna fortress right outside of Helsinki, you can take a ferry from the market square (Kauppatori). Also by the market square there’s a Ferris wheel and Allas Seapool, a spa with saunas. There’s another sauna by the sea called Löyly where you can swim in the sea as well, and it has a nice restaurant too. Temppeliaukion kirkko is a church built into solid rock. Hotel Torni has a rooftop bar with great views also from the ladies room. Restaurant Zetor has traditional Finnish food and very eclectic decor, including a tractor. Hotel Clarion has a roof top pool.

Local experience

Helsinki is perfect for solo travel. Very safe and lots of people wandering around on their own so you’d fit right in/not feel out of place. Everyone speaks English. And you can take a ferry to Estonia and explore Tallinn in a half day to a day while there as well if you wanted.