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If you’re traveling to Finland, I highly suggest visiting Porvoo – it is one of my favorite cities in Finland, and not only is it stunning, but there are also a plethora of things to do that you can easily do in half a day! One of my favorite things in Porvoo is walking around its lovely streets, checking out second-hand stores, and sipping coffee in one of its few cutesy cafes! And while at it, get one of the city’s famous Finnish desserts – Runeberg cake!
A charming city located in the Uusimaa region of Finland and situated on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. With its picturesque old town filled with colorful wooden houses, quaint cobbled streets, and beautiful harbor views, Porvoo is a perfect destination for those looking to experience a truly unique cultural experience.
As you wander through the ancient city walls and narrow lanes of Porvoo, you can get lost in its history by visiting some of the medieval buildings that remain. Visit the Old Town Hall, built in 1764, and explore its large galleries full of artifacts from centuries past. Stop by Porvoo Cathedral, constructed during the 14th century, or take a leisurely stroll along the main street and take in all the delightful sights – from merchants plying their wares to churches boasting impressive spires.
What’s more, if you’re looking for something to do outside of sightseeing, there are plenty of activities to keep you entertained, such as fishing trips out into the bay or exploring one of many nature trails around Porvoo. You could even visit some museums that focus on local culture or make your way over to Aulanko Park, where visitors can find eco-friendly wildlife habitats and a range of other attractions like golf courses and cafes.
Overall, whether you’re looking for an enlightening day trip or an exciting week-long vacation, there’s something for everyone in this charming northern city! So experience Porvoo’s rich heritage and discover its captivating beauty first-hand!
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
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What to do in Porvoo? Here‘s a cool tour from Helsinki to save time!
Where to stay in Porvoo?
I personally would suggest you book a hotel in Helsinki and do a day tour of Porvoo from Helsinki as it is what most people would do and what I have done in the past. However, if you want to see Porvoo to its fullest, staying there for a night or two is the way to go.
Here are my top three hotel recommendations for your stay in Porvoo (and in Helsinki):
- RUNO Hotel Porvoo (Porvoo) is a quaint hotel with a beautiful interior only 300m from the Porvoobus station. A full Finnish breakfast is included in your stay as an opportunity to experience a real Finnish sauna!
- Hotel Klaus K (Helsinki) – the Finnish capital is just about an hour away from Porvoo, making it an amazing spot to stay for the night. Klaus K is a stylish boutique hotel located in the heart of Helsinki that gives you access to some of the top sights of the city and as well not far off from the train and bus station, which is convenient if you want to visit Porvoo.
- Lapland Hotels Bulevardi (Helsinki) – A highly rated hotel in the heart of Helsinki boasting a stunning interior, superb service, and delicious Finnish breakfast. Lapland Hotel is just a few strides from the bus station, making it an excellent hotel if you want to make a day trip to Porvoo!
How do you Get To Porvoo from Helsinki by Bus?
The most convenient way to get around Porvoo is probably by bus. The Helsinki to Porvoo bus takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes and charges up to €10 – €14. The Bus network is pretty good and reliable here. Be sure to check bus schedules and timetables online. Also, opt for Finland Bus Pass if you are about to take plenty of bus rides in Finland.
Getting around by other means
By Boat – You can take a steamboat to Porvoo from Helsinki. The cruise is available every day. Steamboats sail in the morning from Helsinki and return by the afternoon. It takes around 3 hours for the one-way trip. You can also book your boat ride online.
By Bicycle – For some scenery and workout, cycle along the route of King’s Road and get to Porvoo from Helsinki. One-way distance is around 39 miles (62 km). On this historical route, keep cycling to Russia for a week.
By train – Porvoo has a train station but lacks regularly scheduled trains. However, classic trains are used on train trips in summer to accommodate tourists. Check the current train timing at Porvoo Railway Museum.
Experiences and top things to do in Porvoo
Explore the Old Porvoo
Old Porvoo should be the first in your itinerary for Porvoo sightseeing. It is one of the most beautiful small towns in the country, and a walk along its Old Town is one of the best things to do on a Porvoo day trip.
If you are visiting Porvoo in winter, the weather usually remains cloudy. The town is quite compact, and the Porvoo Old Town area is even smaller. Therefore, you can easily cover it on foot as a self-guided tour.
Pick a free map and brochures at the Porvoo City Tourist office or visit their official website to download them. You can also go on a guided walking tour if you want to learn more about the history of sites in Old Town before you explore yourself.
Guided group tours start in the summer every afternoon, but you can also book non-summer and private tours in advance by booking your tickets online.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
Visit Organic Farm
Bosgård organic farm and manor are located around 14km east of Porvoo. Here you can be introduced to the traditional Finnish farm, which has been working along the extensive nature trails of the manor (i.e., 400m, 1.5 km, and 4 km). The tracks have detailed information boards written in Finnish, but translation booklets are available in English, Swedish, and Russian.
Some topics covered here are Charolais organic cattle, the manor’s preservation of non-clear forestry, and traditional heritage landscapes. The nature trails remain open all the year-round and are free. If the manor shop is closed, the mailbox has a map in English. You can find two picnic tables on nature walks.
The main manor house is a serene yellow building offering meetup facilities, and you can book in advance if you are coming in groups. The organic farm breeds Charolais beef on tranquil wild pastures. The farm has a café, grill, store, and three nature walks, allowing visitors to tour Bosgard independently and explore the beef cattle and its functions.
The farm also hosts concerts, parties, and weddings on-premises, and their catering is purely based on their produce and local ingredients. The cows here graze wild pastures, which help secure endangered habitats and biodiversity. There is also a restaurant and deli outside.
Bosgård organic farm and manor information
- Address: Bosgårdintie 68, 06200, Porvoo
- Website: https://bosgard.com/
- Opening hours: Wed to Sat 11-18 and Su 11-16
- Admission: You have to fill out their inquiry form regarding the number of attendees. They’ll come back to you with prices
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Visit Haikko Manor
It is a historic manor house and spa hotel located by the sea. The hotel is located just 6 km from the heart of Porvoo. This pristine manor house has 24 well-finished romantic rooms. The spa hotel houses 199 modern and cozy suites. Breakfast is included in the accommodation and the entrance to the manor house and spa section.
The Haikko Manor has been awarded as the best conference hotel in Finland 10 times for offering the best quality selection of meeting premises and function venues for different needs.
Haikko has grand social events, small family occasions, and everything. You can arrange your birthday party or wedding at the seaside manor. The Manor Park of nightingales and an eclectic archipelago villa has 20 meeting rooms in the conference center for 10 to 400 people. The saunas, spa, and gym are available for guests to use after the meeting.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Interested to stay at Haikko Manor? You can book your stay here!
What are my favorite travel must-haves?
As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!
- Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
- Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
- Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
- Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
- Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.
Visit Iso Linnamäki Fortress
Located north of Old Porvoo town, you will find some hills, which serve as valuable ancient archeological attractions and clear viewpoints. The Great Castle Hill (Iso Linnamäki) is the larger hill, which houses one of the largest medieval fortresses in the country, and the smaller hill, Lesser Castle Hill (Pikku Linnamäki) houses a burial site dating back from Iron Age.
You can also take different paths to get here while crossing former moats and wooden bridges. It is a great short hike and an ideal place to get a great view of the river and Old Porvoo Town. This view would also be depicted in the painting ‘Porvoo: Seen from Linnamäki’ by a local painter Albert Edelfelt.
It is the best way to capture the natural surroundings, and the view is very captivating to feast your eyes.
Iso Linnanmäki Fortress tourist information:
- Address: Pappilankuja 2, 06100 Porvoo
- Opening hours: 24/7
- Admission fee: FREE
- How to get here? By walking, Iso Linnanmäki is 1km from Porvoo’s bus station!
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Go on a boat tour around the archipelago
One thing that would surprise you is that you can find almost every activity in Porvoo, from skiing to kayaking, according to the season. You can enjoy cycling and hiking all year round as you can download many maps of well-marked routes or get them from the Porvoo City tourist office.
You can enjoy biking, hiking, or getting along the river at the National Urban Park, which starts in the Porvoo city center. During the summer and late spring, you can enjoy kayaking, boat rides, stand-up paddleboarding, and canoeing in the area, and these are also the best thing to do in Porvoo.
You can check about the town’s kayak, bike, and paddleboard rentals, which are usually available in summer only. In winter, you could see ski slopes facing Porvoo. You can enjoy cross-country, downhill skiing, and ski lessons at the Kokoniemi Ski Centre.
You may also witness the locals skiing, skating, ice fishing, and even walking on the river when it is frozen in winter. You can find many winter activities but check ice conditions before. If you have some more time, it is advised to visit Pillinki Archipelago to enjoy a lot of cultural and adventure activities.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Hike the Ekudden Nature Trail
The Ekudden nature trail is a 1.5 km long stretch placed well in a nature reserve just around 2 km south of the town center. The nature trail starts from Tarkkinen playfield. It revolves around the field to the area of serene lime and oak trees.
The trail passes through mixed woods and a covered grove between the rocky tracks and shore. You will also see notice boards along the path giving information on wildlife and vegetation.
You can also view reed and meadow birds on a bird-watching tower. The notice boards are available in English, Finnish, and Swedish.
The terrain is straightforward along the path. There are wooden plank walkways in the damper areas so you can easily cross the trail. The conservation regulations laws protect the protected regions here.
Ekudden Nature Trail tourist information:
- Address: Tarkkistentie 155, 06200 Porvoo
- Trail distance: 1.5km
- How to get here? Ekudden is 3km from the southern part of Porvoo. You can take bus 1 from Piispankatu and go down to Aurinkomäentie L. The trail entrance is about 12 mins walk from this bus stop. The whole journey takes about 25mins. Alternatively, you can walk that 3km since the trail is pretty short.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?
Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!
The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.
I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.
Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.
Treat yourself to a nice meal at one of Porvoo’s local restaurants
Over the years, it is believed that people traveled to visit the cafes and restaurants in Porvoo from Helsinki. Also, it is agreeable. If you want to have some delicious meals, Zum Beispiel is the best place. It is one of the best restaurants at the edge of Old Town. Its relaxed ambiance and fresh ingredients make you go crazy and never leave.
After having delightful meals, be sure to walk along with the local café. You can find a lot of quaint cafes here, which are hard to rate 5-star anyone.
No matter which café you pick, order the famous Runeberg torte, Porvoo’s specialty. It is a Finnish pastry flavored with almonds and rum. According to legend, the torte is named after Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who loved the torte for breakfast.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Check out Porvoo Cathedral
This Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral was built in the 15th century, and some parts date back to the 13th century. So, the Porvoo Cathedral is undoubtedly one of the oldest Finnish churches. On this site, another church has been there since the 11th century and serves as the seat of the Swedish-speaking diocese in Finland, the Diocese of Borga.
The Diet of Porvoo was also signed here in 1809 when Finland was declared a Grand Principality of Russia instead of being ruled by Sweden.
It was a significant event on the way to Finnish independence, which took place in 1917. Many activities have damaged or threatened the church over the years, and a case of arson was the most recent disaster in 2006, when the entire roof was destroyed and burned. However, the church is still alive and is free to visit.
Porvoo Cathedral tourist information:
- Address: Kirkkotori 1, 06100 Porvoo
- Opening hours: Mon closed, Tues to Fri 10 am-2 pm and Sat to Sun 2 pm-16 pm
- Admission fee: €8 for adults and €6 for seniors, students, and the unemployed. Free admission for anyone under 18 years of age.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
If you visit in the summer, rent a kayak or go paddleboarding!
Stand-up paddling is among the rapidly growing sports worldwide. It is a fun and easy way to exercise. It is a prevalent form of workout to stay fit as it improves core stability. Even better, it is a fun and exciting activity for everyone.
You can go for paddleboarding as Erimover arranges paddleboarding courses, yoga, paddling excursions, and sessions. You can even order a group SUP yoga course or paddling trip. During summers, you can rent equipment from Jokikatu 35 b.
For kayaking, Bikepark/Kokonniemi Ski Center is the best place to rent a kayak. Explore the city from a different angle with a kayak. The equipment also comes in handy on board. You can access the kayak rental by checking to time.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
If you’re visiting in winter, explore the neighboring towns by cross-country skiing!
Porvoo has lighted ski trails, which stretch around 32 km, including Humla (7 km), Kokonniemi (5 km), Haikkoo (2 km), and Joonaammaki (3 km). There are five illuminated slopes at the Kokonniemi ski center. There is a 55m height difference, and 400m is the longest slope. There is also a street/half pipe, five ski lifts, a kids’ slope, a restaurant, a skiing school, and a ski track for enjoying cross-country skiing.
Located next to Porvoo downtown (around 50km from Helsinki), Kokonniemi is a ski center to start. There are six slopes in the ski area and a ski rental where you can rent skis and snowboards and buy ski passes for lifts.
You can also visit Holmopupu restaurant next to the ski rental, where you can relax with hot chocolate or dine. If you love cross-country skiing, you can find many tracks around the downhill area and rent packages if you don’t have your gear.
Where to stay in Porvoo? Find an awesome deal and book your hotel here!
Find great tours and book unforgettable experiences here.
Do you need help planning your trip to Finland? Here are my top tips!
- The Best Finland Travel Guide – My Finland overview, you’ll find everything you’d need to know about Finland.
- When is the best time to visit Finland for northern lights
- When is the best time to visit Finland – Monthly breakdown
- BEST Places to Visit in Finland and Best Cities in Finland – Cities, and towns you must not miss!
- Things to do in Finland, Finland Holidays to Experience, Tourist Attractions in Finland – Touristy stuff, but still worth reading! Finland, in general, offers pretty cool experiences regardless of how “hyped” it is.
- If you’re staying in Helsinki, you can book your hotel stay in Helsinki or near Helsinki airport.
- Cities to visit during a short visit: Helsinki, Porvoo, Tampere, Turku, Ålands, Hanko, and Vaasa.
- When to visit? Summer, Autumn, Spring, and Winter – Decide when to come and then base your activities on that!
- How to dress for winter in Finland – Always dress according to the weather. It will make your experience much better!
- Top tips and important info: Supermarkets in Finland, Budgeting tips for Finland, Tipping in Finland, What to wear in Sauna, Sauna etiquette, Public Saunas in Helsinki
- Finnish culture introductions: How to say hello, Finnish food and cuisine, Facts about Finland, Finnish Breakfast Guide, Finnish drinks
Where to stay in Porvoo
Booking.comTours to do in Porvoo
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