Day trips in Finnish nature from Helsinki

25.06.2025

In Finland, nature is never far away, even if you were staying in Finland’s capital Helsinki. Besides green parks and beautiful seaside, ancient forests, blue lakes and preserved national parks wait for you in just a day trip away. In this blog, we have collected some of Avis Finland’s favourite places. We hope you like them just as much as we do!

1.  Nuuksio National Park

In Nuuksio National Park, only 35 km from city centre, visitors can explore representative natural features of Southern Finland. And don’t miss Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, where you can learn about Finnish nature and visit interesting exhibitions. There are more than 50 km of marked trails in the National Park and its immediate vicinity, most of which are reasonably easy. https://www.luontoon.fi/en/destinations/nuuksio-national-park

For a beginner, we recommend Punarinnankierros trail which is 2.4 km long. The sights along the trail include the beautiful dry heath forests of Nuuksio and small lakes. A café operates at the hiking centre Haukanpesä (Hawk’s Nest) on the route in summertime. You can also rent canoes, rowing boats and bicycles there. For this trail, head to Haukkalampi parking lot (Haukkalammentie 32, 02820 Espoo). https://www.luontoon.fi/en/trails/punarinnankierros-trail-espoo-12545-en 

2. Sipoonkorpi National Park

Sipoonkorpi National Park is located only 30 km east of Helsinki. Six actual trails and several connecting trails crisscross this large area featuring a mosaic of forests, low-lying mires and steep rocky outcrops. The traditional rural landscapes in the northern part of the park and the small lakes on different sides of the park add variety to the views. https://www.luontoon.fi/en/destinations/sipoonkorpi-national-park

In Sipoonkorpi, we recommend a 4-km long Knuters trail. It includes representative spruce forests, barren pine forests and rock walls. The Bakunkärr campfire site located on a cliff provides the opportunity to eat your packed lunch in a cooking shelter in the middle of the forest. For this trail, head to Knuters parking lot (Knutersintie 667, 00890 Sipoo).  https://www.luontoon.fi/en/trails/knuters-trail-vantaa-191732-en  

3. Melkuttimet Lakes

The clear water the two Melkutin lakes will take your breath away. This Highlands area is of national importance both for its biodiversity and its representative ridge and furrow nature. For hikers, the area provides a beautiful environment that is easy to walk around. The trails run through ridge forests, along the banks of ponds and through sheltered bogs.

The Melkuttimet area is an excellent day trip destination for the youngest members of the family. Easy-to-navigate ridges and lakes with very clear water invite you to hike in a landscape shaped by the Ice Age. There are good swimming opportunities at almost every lake in the area. Near the shallow natural beach at the eastern end of Iso-Melkutin Lake you can enjoy campfire. Please note though that there is no formal, supervised swimming beach in the area. For this trail, the parking lot is available at Tauluntie 146, 12820 Räyskälä https://www.luontoon.fi/en/destinations/melkuttimet-loppi-617172-en   

4. Porkkalanniemi

For a unique seaside experience 50 km west of Helsinki, visit Porkkalanniemi or Porkkala cape. This narrow cape stretches far out to the sea, offering you a great selection of rocky shores, pine forest, and beautiful outlooks onto the sea. It is also one of the best places to watch arctic birds migrating. Seabirds thrive in the area due to its rich and diverse habitat. Porkkala has a considerable population of common eiders and is also an important resting area for long-tailed ducks. Lucky visitors may even spot moose or white-tailed deer in Porkkala.

There are many trails in the Porkkala area, including three marked routes. We recommend the Pampskatanin pisto trail which leads to the rocky shores at the southern end of the recreation area. To reach this beautiful seaside nature escape take Helsinki-Hanko road (number 51), then turn to Porkkalanniemi and drive along Porkkalantie for approximately 19 kilometres. After the public road ends, follow the signposts for Porkkalanniemen virkistysalueet. Enter ”Tullandintie 187, 02480 Kirkkonummi” in your navigator for a parking area close to the trail. https://uuvi.fi/en/area/porkkalanniemi/    

Looking for a nature trip close to Helsinki? For easy access, rent a car at www.avis.fi or www.budget.fi