Finland's seaside capital: the UNESCO-listed Suomenlinna sea fortress, Senate Square and the white Cathedral, the Temppeliaukio Church carved into rock, Oodi library, and a culture of sauna and cold-sea dips. Summer brings 'white nights' that barely get dark; in winter fly about 1 h 20 min to Lapland (Rovaniemi) for Santa Claus Village, the Northern Lights and husky sledding. Tallinn is about 2 hours away by ferry. No direct flights from UB — connect via MIAT to Frankfurt, or via Seoul or Istanbul. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; for Finland, applications are taken by the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global). Prices are high.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: June, July, August, December
#sauna#Suomenlinna#white nights#Lapland#Santa Claus#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: June, July, August, December.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Suomenlinna sea fortress
CultureIsland free; HSL ferry AB ticket €3.30; Suomenlinna Museum €10Island 24 hours; museum summer 10:00–18:00, otherwise 10:30–16:30
An 18th-century sea fortress built by the Swedish crown across six islands (UNESCO). 15 minutes by HSL ferry from Market Square. Cannons, ramparts, the submarine Vesikko, cafés and walking paths — a good half-day with children.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goFinland has no embassy in Mongolia and is represented by the German Embassy for short-stay visas, so Schengen visas for Finland are taken by the German visa centre (VFS Global) in UB — no need to go to Beijing.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
If Finland is your main destination, book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee of 100,000₮. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days. Long-stay visas and residence permits are handled by the Finnish Embassy in Beijing.
Tip: Finland's honorary consul in UB does not accept visa applications — go straight to VFS.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter; list any Lapland or Tallinn trips in your itinerary. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border (fully live since 10 April 2026); the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityHelsinki-Vantaa Airport has a train station beneath it — the simplest way into the centre.+
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I/P trains to the centre
The I and P trains run from the airport to Helsinki Central station in ~30 minutes, looping in opposite directions — either one reaches the centre. A single ABC-zone ticket is €4.50 (HSL app or machine), €4.80 by contactless card. The airport is in zone C, so an AB ticket is not enough.
Tip: Staying several days? Buy an ABC day ticket at the airport — it also covers the ride back.
If you land in Frankfurt with MIAT, Schengen passport control happens there and you arrive in Helsinki like a domestic flight. Flying Finnair straight from Seoul or Tokyo, passport control is in Helsinki. If you land late at night, use bus 600 or a taxi.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt and Tallinn.
Tip: Rovaniemi has good coverage but the signal weakens in the forest — download Google Maps offline.
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Finnish prepaid SIM
Elisa, DNA and Telia prepaid SIMs are sold at the airport, R-kioski shops and supermarkets; Finnish mobile data is fast and unlimited plans are common. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it also works in Estonia and other European countries.
🚇Getting aroundThe centre is compact, so walk most of it; trams, metro and ferries all use one HSL ticket.+
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HSL tickets
Within the city an AB single ticket is €3.30 (app), valid 80 minutes on trams, metro, buses and the Suomenlinna ferry. An ABC day ticket covering the airport is €12.80, and multi-day tickets are cheaper per day. Buy in the HSL app or with a contactless card.
The HSL ferry from Market Square reaches Suomenlinna in 15 minutes, on a normal HSL ticket. Tallink, Viking Line and Eckerö ferries reach Tallinn in about 2 hours from the West Terminal (Länsiterminaali) or Katajanokka — check which terminal on your ticket and carry your passport.
Fly Finnair to Rovaniemi in about 1 h 20 min, or take VR's Santa Claus Express night train in ~12 hours (sleeper cabins). Around Christmas tickets sell out fast, so book months ahead.
Finland is nearly cashless: Visa, Mastercard, contactless and phone payments work everywhere. Cash is only useful at markets and small stalls. Service is included in prices; tipping is optional.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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An expensive country — how to save
Dinner out is expensive, so go for the weekday 'lounas' lunch buffets, market-hall food and supermarket ready meals. Compare the Helsinki Card, which covers many museums, the Cathedral, Suomenlinna and HSL, with your itinerary.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodFinnish food is simple and clean: fish, berries, rye and reindeer.+
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What to eat
Lohikeitto (creamy salmon soup), karjalanpiirakka (rye pastries filled with rice porridge), fried vendace (muikku), korvapuusti (cinnamon buns), and sautéed reindeer (poronkäristys) in Lapland. Dark rye bread comes with every meal.
Tip: On weekdays between 11:00 and 14:00 restaurants' 'lounas' buffets are far cheaper than dinner.
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Markets and groceries
K-Market, S-Market, Prisma and Lidl for groceries; Hakaniemi and the Old Market Hall for fish and berries. Strong alcohol is sold only in Alko shops, from 18 (from 20 for the strongest drinks).
Ambulance, fire and police — all 112, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent illness, medical advice — 116117. The 112 Suomi app sends your location when you call.
In winter pavements are slippery — shoe spikes, warm boots, a hat and gloves are essential. Only walk on sea ice where it is officially allowed. On Lapland tours wear the warm clothing provided and keep checking children's fingers and cheeks.
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Medicines and pharmacies
Pharmacies (apteekki) have a green cross; some near the Central station stay open late. Many medicines need a prescription, so bring regular medicines with theirs.
Finns value quiet and personal space: don't take loud phone calls on the tram, and take a queue number where there is one. 'Kiitos' (thank you) and 'Moi' (hi) go down well.
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In the sauna
Always shower before the sauna; public saunas are usually single-sex and nude, mixed ones require swimwear — ask the venue's rules. Ask others before throwing water on the stones.
Keep quiet during services and remove hats. Under 'everyman's rights' you may walk freely in forests and pick berries, but leave no litter and only light fires at marked sites.
HSL app — all Helsinki public transport and tickets. VR app — airport and night trains. Uber and Bolt for taxis. Google Maps works very well in the city.
Book Löyly and Allas sauna slots, Linnanmäki wristbands and Tallinn ferry tickets in advance on their official sites. MyHelsinki covers events and the Helsinki Card. Google Translate's camera translates Finnish menus.
The I/P train from Helsinki Central to the airport takes ~30 minutes — buy an ABC ticket. Allow plenty of time for security, the EES exit check and the customs stamp for Tax Free. If you connect to MIAT in Frankfurt, allow for delays — travelling a day early is safest.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Fazer chocolate, Finnish design goods and reindeer hides make good gifts; show Tax Free goods to customs before check-in.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Square free; cathedral €10 Jun–Aug, €8 Sep–Oct; free under 18
Square 24 hours; cathedral usually daily 9:00–18:00 (closed during ceremonies)
The white Lutheran cathedral with green domes (1852) that symbolises the city, above the neoclassical Senate Square. The view from its wide steps is lovely; the Christmas market is held here in December.
Culture€8; free under 18Usually daily 10:00–17:00; changes for services and concerts
A round church dug into solid rock in 1969, under a copper ceiling. The natural stone walls give great acoustics, so concerts are frequent. A 15-minute walk from the centre.
The wave-shaped wooden library built for Finland's centenary. Children's play area, 3D printers, sewing machines, music studios, the top-floor 'Book Heaven' and a balcony. The best place for a family on a rainy or cold day.
Market Square, Old Market Hall and Uspenski Cathedral
FoodMarket free; Uspenski Cathedral €5, free under 18Market hall usually Mon–Sat 8:00–18:00; closed Sundays
The open-air harbourside market: fried vendace, berries, crafts. Next door, the red-brick Old Market Hall (1889) serves fish soup and salmon sandwiches. On the hill above is the red-brick Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe.
RelaxLöyly about €29 for 2 hours; Allas €19–24Daily; book a time slot in advance
The easiest way to try Finnish sauna culture: Löyly is an award-winning wooden seaside sauna where you jump straight from the heat into the Baltic. Allas Sea Pool next to Market Square suits families too, with a heated pool.
Finland's national art museum: Gallen-Kallela's Kalevala paintings, Helene Schjerfbeck, plus Van Gogh and Cézanne. Opposite the Central railway station.
NatureIsland free; museum buildings €14–18, free under 18Museum 15 May–15 Sep, 11:00–17:00; island all year
A wooded island reached by a wooden bridge, with 17th–20th-century farmhouses, a church and mills brought from across Finland. Squirrels and birds are tame; the Midsummer bonfires are lit here.
KidsEntry free; all-rides wristband €53, family-rides wristband €43Late April to early October, usually 11:00–20:00
Finland's biggest amusement park, open since 1950: a 1951 wooden roller coaster, rides for small children and the Sea Life aquarium. Profits go to child-welfare charities. 15 minutes from the centre by tram.
NatureFreeAll year; Haltia nature centre has its own hours
Lakes, rocks and forest near Helsinki: short marked trails, campfire sites, berries and mushrooms in summer. Reached by train and bus; the Haltia nature centre has a Finnish nature exhibition children enjoy.
CityFerry about €20–35 each wayMany sailings a day, from about 7:30 to 23:00
About 2 hours to Estonia's capital on the large Tallink, Viking Line or Eckerö ferries. A UNESCO-listed medieval old town, walls, towers and Toompea hill. Estonia is in Schengen too, so no separate visa is needed.
Rovaniemi — Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle
KidsVillage and meeting Santa free; photos, reindeer and huskies charged separatelyDaily all year
About 1 h 20 min by plane from Helsinki, or by night train: walk across the Arctic Circle line, meet Santa and send a letter from Santa's Main Post Office. In winter, husky sledding, reindeer rides and the Northern Lights from September to March. It can reach −30°C, so warm clothing is essential.
