Top 15 Boat Trips in Finland

1.Sightseeing Canal Cruise with Audio Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,299 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $33Our pick

Spend 90 minutes cruising Helsinki’s shoreline and island waters from Market Square. You’ll pass Suomenlinna, Korkeasaari Zoo, Suomenlinna, icebreakers, and the Degerö Canal, with commentary in four languages and booklets in eight more. Indoor and outdoor seating, toilets, blankets, coffee, drinks, and Eromanga pastries make this an easy, weather-flexible outing.

“Weather was great so we did enjoy this cruise very much! All well organized. Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Helsinki to Tallinn Guided Tour -cruise ticket & pick up included

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 485 reviews · 13 to 14 hours (approx.) · from $150

Travel from Helsinki to Tallinn by a 2-hour-15-minute ferry, then follow an English-speaking guide through the UNESCO-listed Old Town. You’ll see Viru Gates, St. Catherine’s Passage, Toompea, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and Kohtuotsa viewpoint, with three hours left for lunch, shopping, and photos. Hotel pickup and return transfer are included.

“Excellent, very well organised day tour of Tallin Old Town. Pick up was on time and boarding ferry was easy. We were met at the ferry Terminal by the excellent guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Evening Archipelago Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 468 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $30

You’ll cruise from Market Square through Helsinki’s 300-plus islands and 130 kilometers of shoreline, passing Suomenlinna and seaside neighborhoods. Royal Line provides Wi-Fi, restrooms, indoor seating, and an outdoor sundeck. Food is extra, and the buffet requires advance table reservation by email.

“A wonderful, peaceful way to see the stunning and enormous archipelago. Especially recommended the evening cruise if the weather is good, the sunset was spectacular.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Helsinki Archipelago: Sightseeing Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 436 reviews · 1 day · from $33

From Helsinki’s Market Square, Royal Line’s 90-minute sightseeing cruise circles the city’s shoreline and nearby islands. You’ll see Suomenlinna, icebreakers, Korkeasaari Zoo, Eira, Katajanokka, and Kruununhaka. English and Finnish commentary plays over speakers, while an app offers additional languages. Food and drinks cost extra.

“Beautiful way to see Helsinki and the surrounding archipelago!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.City Highlights 1.5-Hour Archipelago Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 387 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $33

Cruise Helsinki’s urban shoreline for 1.5 hours, passing Kaivopuisto, Suomenlinna, Korkeasaari Zoo, Eira’s Jugend buildings, ice breakers, and modern districts. Recorded commentary is offered in four languages, with written information in 12. Bring a layer and choose the sun deck or large-windowed cabin.

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Helsinki Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 289 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $34

Set out from Market Square on Strömma’s 90-minute Helsinki Beautiful Canal Route. You’ll pass Suomenlinna, Helsinki Zoo, island homes, icebreakers, and Degerö Canal while onboard commentary plays in English and several other languages. Choose the indoor cabin or outdoor deck, with drinks, snacks, WiFi, and restrooms available.

“In several different languages. People kept talking whole narrator was speaking. Therefore, difficult to understand the narrator.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Explore Tallinn: Self-Guided Day Cruise from Helsinki

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 212 reviews · 8 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $65

This self-guided day trip links Helsinki and Tallinn by Tallink’s MyStar or Megastar ferries. You get a round-trip ticket, WiFi, seating, and roughly two hours on each crossing, with a choice of four or seven hours in Tallinn. Walk from Terminal D to the UNESCO-listed Old Town, or save time with a taxi.

“It’s a little chaotic getting off and on the ferry. Otherwise the process was easy, the ferry clean and plenty of seating. Staff was friendly and helpful. Would definitely go again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Cruise in Puumala by Lake Saimaa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $96Top rated

Join guide Arto for a gentle three-hour evening cruise on Lake Saimaa from Okkola Holiday Cottages and Restaurant Niinipuu in Puumala. The small group, limited to 10 people, makes it easy to ask questions about the lake and Saimaa ringed seals. Coffee, tea, afternoon tea, and live entertainment are included, but seal sightings are never guaranteed.

“We did not see any seals, despite the fact, that conditions were almost ideal: early June, sunny weather. The main reason for that failure is probably the nature of the boat- it is a slow Eco-Boat with a small range such that we were looking for the seals at only one spot where usually only two seals live. The guide was nice and knowledgeable. The landscape was really beautiful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Helsinki by Bus and Boat 24-Hour Combo Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 121 reviews · 1 day · from $58

Combine a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket with a 1.5-hour canal cruise. Ride past Senate Square, the Sibelius Monument, and Temppeliaukio Church, then see Suomenlinna, Korkeasaari, and Degerö Canal from the water. Audio commentary is offered in several languages, with free Wi-Fi and a rain cover on the bus.

“We had a nice time on the boat cruise and on the bus. The boat was relaxing and enjoyable. The bus took us to all the interesting places.. We take many hop on, hop off buses in different cities, and this one was just as good!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Overnight Cruise to Stockholm with Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 102 reviews · from $107

Travel overnight from Helsinki to Stockholm aboard a Tallink Silja Line ship. You get a private sea-view cabin, breakfast buffet, onboard entertainment, restaurants, shops, a sauna, and Baltic Sea views. The 17-hour crossing saves one hotel night, though the older ship has notably small cabins.

“Overall a very pleasant experience. Enjoyed it with family 👍”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Sightseeing Cruise in Archipelago of Helsinki

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 100 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $33

Board Royal Line near Helsinki’s Market Square for a scenic cruise past the Market Hall, Eira’s Jugend houses, Suomenlinna, island cottages, the zoo, and old harbor districts. Expect English and Finnish announcements, plus an audio guide in 28 languages through your phone. The longer cruise runs May to September.

“Some absolutely amazing scenery and some interesting information of the sites you will see. Worth the price.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Lake Saimaa Small-Group Cruise with Stories and Music

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42

Join a small group of up to 10 people for a 90-minute cruise through Puumala’s Saimaa archipelago. Guide Arto shares Finnish culture, plays music, shows photos and videos, and points out the 800-meter Puumala bridge and strait. Coffee, tea, WiFi, and an English presentation are included.

“It was our first trip to Finland. Our boat guide Arto was knowledgeable and friendly. He shared interesting information about Finland. A very pleasant experience”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.City and Outer Islands Guided RIB Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $159

Meet the crew at Café Marina Bay for a 1.5-hour English-guided RIB ride along Helsinki’s waterfront and outer islands. You’ll see Suomenlinna, Löyly, summer cottages, military islands, and Finnish icebreakers. Full-body floatation suits, jackets, and goggles are provided, making this a practical choice in cool or rainy weather.

“Vielen Dank für diese fantastische Tour :) Wir empfehlen dieses Erlebnis zu 100% weiter. Eine Tour mit dem RIB-Boot darf bei einem Helsinki-Besuch auf keinen Fall fehlen =) Kiitos!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.3-Day Return Cruise to Stockholm & Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 57 reviews · from $147

Take a 2.5-day Tallink Silja Line mini cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm and back. Your private sea-view cabin sleeps up to four, and breakfast is included on both mornings. You get about six hours in Stockholm, plus onboard restaurants, shops, evening shows, karaoke, a pub, and sauna facilities. Dinner is optional.

“Amazing value for money, for two nights in a private sea view cabin and 2 buffet breakfasts, a stop off in Stockholm and free entertainment on the ship. The cabin was big in itself, very warm and the shower was lovely :) would definitely do again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus and Sightseeing Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 51 reviews · 1 day · from $58

Pair a Helsinki hop-on hop-off bus tour with a 1.5-hour cruise from Market Square. Use the bus to choose your own stops, then see the capital from the water. English audio is included, buses and boats depart from the historic center, and the tour is wheelchair accessible.

Check availability →Read our full review