Helsinki City Card with Museums, Tours and Public Transport

Public transport and the Suomenlinna ferry

The card works as a travel pass on the whole public transport network in zones A and B, which covers central Helsinki and most of the city. Green trams are the classic way to move between sights, the metro runs east to west, and local trains link the centre with the suburbs. The airport lies in zone C, so the airport train is not covered by this card. Remember that the card must be printed to be valid on public transport.

The best ride of all is the city ferry from Market Square to Suomenlinna, about 15 minutes across the harbour. Built from 1748 on a group of islands to defend the coast, the sea fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ramparts, tunnels, cannons and a small village. With the card you enter the Suomenlinna Museum, the military museum and, in summer, the submarine Vesikko, and you can join a guided walk of the fortress.

Ateneum, Kiasma and Amos Rex: Helsinki art museums

Three of the most visited art museums in Helsinki are free with the card. The Ateneum, Finland's national gallery, fills a grand building of 1887 opposite the Central Railway Station with Finnish paintings from the Golden Age of national art alongside European masters. A short walk away, the curved white Kiasma museum of contemporary art shows bold modern exhibitions, while Amos Rex lies underground beneath a 1930s building, with playful domed skylights rising from the square above.

Also included are HAM Helsinki Art Museum, the Sinebrychoff Art Museum with its old masters, the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Design and Architecture museums, perfect for anyone curious about Finnish design. Many museums are closed on Mondays and public holidays, so plan your card days around them. Helsinki museum tickets add up quickly, which is why the card is good value for visitors who like to see several in a day.

Temppeliaukio Church and quiet places

Temppeliaukio Church, also called the Rock Church, is one of the most unusual buildings in Helsinki. Opened in 1969, it was carved directly into a mound of solid granite in the Töölö district, so its inner walls are raw rock. A huge copper dome rests on a ring of skylights that floods the space with daylight, and the acoustics are so good that concerts are held here. Entry is free with the card, so you skip buying separate Temppeliaukio Church tickets.

For a moment of silence in the busy centre, the card also covers the Kamppi Chapel, a curved wooden chapel next to a shopping street, open to everyone for quiet reflection. Outside the centre you can reach the Haltia Finnish Nature Centre and other sights listed with the card, so it suits both city sightseeing and an easy half day closer to nature.

Seasonal tours, Seurasaari and how to use the card

From May to September the card includes a hop-on hop-off bus, a canal sightseeing cruise, a city highlights boat and an evening cruise among the islands; from October to April a panorama bus tour takes their place. In summer, from June to August, the card also opens the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, an island of old wooden farmhouses, a church and manor buildings moved here from across Finland, linked to the mainland by a white wooden bridge.

After booking, you redeem your voucher code online and receive the card as a PDF to print. Printing is free at the Helsinki Tourist Information office on Aleksanterinkatu 24. The card becomes valid at first use and runs for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Show it at museum desks, on tours and to ticket inspectors on public transport. Is the Helsinki card worth it? If you plan two or three museums and some trips by tram or ferry, usually yes.