Master Guide to Scandinavia & the Baltics

Stunning harbors, quaint market squares, opulent palaces, and welcoming people

Why Trust This Guide

This guide, like all of our content, is tried and true. We conducted extensive research to uncover the essential sites so that you return home confident that you’ve seen it all. It is important to know that we actually followed this exact program in real life. Traveling with our itinerary means that you can minimize the legwork and maximize your time away.

Know Before You Go

• This itinerary starts in Helsinki and ends in Copenhagen. No rental car is needed, but train and plane tickets are required. In particular, we suggest (1) flying from Helsinki to Oslo; (2) riding the high-speed train from Oslo to Stockholm; and (3) flying from Stockholm to Copenhagen.

• The day trip to Tallinn is accomplished by sailing aboard a massive ferry. We recommend buying tickets in advance from Tallink. There are private cabins available, but they are not necessary for the journey.

• Assuming you want to ride a boat through the canals of Copenhagen, we suggest making reservations in advance.

• Certainly, if you can secure a reservation to Noma … do.

Day One - Welcome to Helsinki

• Arrive to Helsinki by mid-afternoon and drop your bags at the Hotel Kamp or elsewhere nearby.

• Walk to Market Square and purchase tickets at the kiosk for the public ferry to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ferry ride is a short 15 minutes and departs regularly all day. 6 minute walk

• Explore the Sea Fortress at your leisure before returning by ferry to Market Square. Don’t miss Suomenlinna Church, the King’s Gate, or the island’s theater.

• Take in the stalls in Old Market Hall and grab a bite to eat at Cafe Story. 3 minute walk

• Retire to the hotel and enjoy the sauna. 5 minute walk

Day Two - Dive Deeper in Helsinki

• Grab a cup of coffee on your way to Senate Square. While there, visit the Government Palace and Helsinki Cathedral. 7 minute walk

• Stop by the classical facade of the National Library of Finland. 2 minute walk

• Make your way to the hilltop Uspenski Cathedral and view its Byzantine interior. 9 minute walk

• Return to Old Market Hall and Market Square for some lunch al fresco. 6 minute walk

• Stop into the Design Museum and its sister Architecture Museum. While there, search out the work of famed Finn, Eero Saarinen. 8 minute walk

• Tour the Ateneum (or the Finnish National Gallery), which holds a treasure trove of Finnish art in its Neo-Renaissance building. 7 minute walk

• Visit Helsinki’s famous Art Deco Central Station. 4 minute walk

• Pop into the Oodi Library for its stunning modern architecture before heading next door to the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. 6 minute walk

• Pause for a moment of reflection in the surreal Kamppi Chapel. 5 minute walk

• Grab a taxi to the Temppeliaukio Church, a circular worship space hewn into the rock. 9 minute drive

• Walk along the greenway to the Sibelius Monument, which resembles a sound wave in honor of its namesake composer. 17 minute walk

• If interested, visit the Olympic Stadium and its iconic concrete tower, erected for the 1952 Games. 14 minute walk

• Return to central Helsinki for dinner at Bardot, Naughty Brgr, or Putte Bar and Pizza. 2-10 minutes from hotel

• Grab a chocolate bar at Finland’s national chocolatier, Fazer, for dessert. 1 minute walk from hotel

• Before turning in for the night, remember to arrange a car for the early morning drive to the Estonia-bound ferry.