7 Days in Helsinki, Tallinn & Stockholm
This route links three Nordic capitals by ferry, each utterly distinct: Helsinki's brutalist design and saunas, Tallinn's cobbled medieval Old Town, and Stockholm's 14-island waterfront elegance. Perfect for design lovers, foodies, and travellers who want to island-hop without flying.
What to expect
- Uspenski Cathedral: red-brick Byzantine dome overlooking Helsinki's harbour
- Sauna ritual: Finnish tradition in a wood-fired sauna bar or public bathhouse
- Overnight ferry Helsinki–Tallinn: sleep, dine and sail the Baltic
- Tallinn Old Town: Hanseatic merchant houses and 14th-century walls
- Stockholm's Skeppsholmen: galleries, beaches and cafés on an island
- Canal-side dinner in Norrmalm: Nordic fish and local aquavit
Day by day
Arrive; visit Finlandia Hall and the white marble parliament on the harbour.
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (closed Mondays); walk to the Design District's boutiques.
Sauna at Löyly on the waterfront; dinner of rye bread soup and salmon.
Climb Uspenski Cathedral's bell tower; explore the red-brick exterior.
Walk to Suomenlinna fortress island by public ferry; explore gun batteries and museums.
Return and dine at a Michelin-listed casual spot like Grön (vegetables, foraged ingredients).
Stroll Helsinki's Hakaniemi market for berries and smoked fish.
Rest and explore the Kamppi shopping district or Temppeliaukio Church built into rock.
Board the Tallink or Eckerö evening ferry; dine aboard; sleep in a cabin.
Arrive early; climb Toompea Hill for views of the red-tiled Old Town.
Wander Pikk Street's Hanseatic merchant houses; visit St. Olaf Church's tower (124 metres).
Wine bar in an atmospheric stone cellar; eat black bread, herring, and local ales.
Walk the 16th-century town walls; stop at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral's onion domes.
Visit the Kiek in de Kök gun tower museum or relax in a café on Raekoja plats.
Day ferry to Stockholm (departs late afternoon, arrives late evening).
Settle in; explore Gamla Stan's narrow streets and the Royal Palace exterior.
Ferry to Skeppsholmen island; visit the Moderna Museet or just lounge on the rocks.
Dinner in Norrmalm; walk Strandvägen's tree-lined avenue at dusk.
Stockholm City Museum or Fotografiska photo gallery on the waterfront.
Archipelago boat tour (2 hours) through the 30,000 islands.
Depart or stay for a final fika (coffee and pastry) in Södermalm.
Palcation builds the whole plan in seconds: flights, stays, food and a day-by-day itinerary you can share and budget.
Plan this trip free