12 Fun Things to Do in (and Around) Turku, Finland

Before I first visited Turku, I saw nothing but unanimous love for the city. So, when I finally got the chance to see Finland’s former capital, I was naturally excited. And I’ll be totally honest: I felt underwhelmed for the first few hours I was here. 

But by the end of that visit, which was a day trip from Helsinki, I actually wished we had stayed overnight. Two years later, I got another chance to visit Turku when my girlfriend and I spent our summer holiday exploring the southwest of Finland. 

My truthful opinion? I still think that Turku is overrated. But at the same time, I also believe it’s worth visiting. You’ll find a number of interesting things to do here, along with the surrounding areas. The nearby archipelago is beautiful, in particular. It’s easy to reach from both other parts of Finland and even from Sweden, making it an ideal pit stop as part of a bigger adventure. 

Over my two trips to Turku, I’ve gained enough experience and knowledge to help you plan your own trip there. I’ll share my top recommendations for what to do in Turku—along with its nearby areas. On top of that, I’ll provide some extra information that will help you maximize your visit even further. 

1. Visit Turku Castle

Turku Castle, known as Turun Linna in Finnish and Åbo Slott in Swedish, is by far my favorite attraction in Turku. In my opinion, it’s also the most beautiful castle in Finland. I love the architecture; as a fun fact, it’s the biggest surviving Medieval building in the whole country. 

I visited Turku Castle as part of my first trip to the city, and it was great fun wandering around the castle grounds. You can do so completely for free, and I recommend visiting regardless of whether you’re traveling solo, with your partner, or with kids. 

In addition to wandering around the outside, you can also visit the inside of Turku Castle. Tickets cost €18 for adults and €8 for children aged between 7 and 15. You can get family tickets for two adults and two children, which cost €44. Buying tickets is possible on the castle’s website. 

Getting to Turku Castle 

Turku Castle is just outside the city center. When my girlfriend and I visited, we cycled here; it took us around 15 minutes. You can basically just follow the river all the way down to the castle. 

Buses also stop at Turku Castle. On top of that, you can walk; if you do the latter, it’ll take you 45-50 minutes. If you’re going to pick one option, I would say that you should cycle. 

Address: Linnankatu 80, 20100 Turku

2. Rent Bikes and Explore the City on Two Wheels

That brings us nicely onto my next recommendation for stuff to do while you’re in town. Renting bikes is by far the best way to explore Turku, and the city is very bike-friendly. When you’re here, you’ll notice that cycling is the main mode of transport for many locals during the warmer months. 

Turku has a flat topography and several bike lanes, and you can easily rent bikes when you’re here. We used the yellow Fölläri city bikes, which you’ll see dotted throughout Turku. You can rent these using the Donkey Republic app, which—as a side note—is also handy if you ever happen to visit Copenhagen. 

The Fölläri bikes are available throughout the summer months, and the season for them becoming available starts in April. When you want to return your bikes, you can use the Donkey Republic app to find suitable parking docks for them. 

You can also rent bikes to explore the Turku Archipelago if you’re spending multiple days in and around the city. 

3. Take a Day Trip to Nearby Naantali or Rauma

If you’re visiting Turku for more than a day trip, I strongly recommend getting out of the city to explore some of its nearby towns. You’ll find some of the most pleasant ones in Finland within a few hours; Naantali and Rauma are my top two suggestions. 

Naantali

Naantali is a popular summer town for Finns, and it’s also home to the Moomin World amusement park. The outskirts are quite ugly, if you ask me, but the core of the town is lovely. You’ll find numerous wooden homes here, along with the picturesque Naantali Church. 

When in Naantali, you’ll also find nice views of the town and some pleasant places to eat during the summer months. The waterfront area is really pretty, too. 

It’s very easy to reach Naantali from Turku, with regular bus services. You can buy your tickets in the Föli app; the journey takes around 30 minutes. You should purchase tickets before boarding the bus, but you don’t need to buy them before the day of travel. 

Driving here is also possible; Naantali is just 20 minutes away from Turku. However, I don’t think you need a car unless you’re also going to explore the Turku Archipelago. 

Rauma

I’ve been to Rauma a few times, and it’s one of my favorite towns in Finland. It’s still important for Finland’s shipping industry, and the outskirts are gray and industrial. However, Rauma has lots of charm when you enter the Old Town (Vanha Rauma) itself. 

You’ll find countless cobblestone streets lined with traditional Finnish architecture, along with a lovely church. Rauma has historically been important for Finland’s lace industry, and it still is. When in town, I also recommend going to the main museum (Rauman Museo); it’s super interesting. 

Elsewhere, Villa Tallbo is a nice place for lunch. There’s a nearby beach, too. I’m in the process of writing a full guide to Rauma, which I’ll link in here when it’s ready; in the meantime, you can always reach out to me if you want more tips and information. 🙂

Turku’s main appeal actually lies away from the city itself, if you ask me. The nearby archipelago is beautiful, and it really feels like Finland in a nutshell. You could easily spend a few days exploring these islands, and it’s also common to rent a bike and cycle around them. 

Leonsaari is also a really nice island. Here, you’ll find a boathouse with a nice restaurant called Peterzéns. It’s further away from Turku than Ruissalo, but it’s still worth visiting if you have the time to do so. 

5. Go for a Stroll Along the Aura River

Turku is built along the Aura River, and the waterfront areas here are really pleasant. On a sunny day, going for a stroll along both banks is something I strongly recommend. Besides being a nice activity in general, it’s the easiest way to get around the city. 

Along the riverfront, you’ll find some cool lookout spots for Turku Cathedral. Moreover, you can visit numerous restaurants and bars here during the warmer months. And if you fancy doing nothing for a few hours, there are plenty of places to lounge about and either read a book or watch the world go by. 

You’ll also find one of Turku’s most popular museums along the Aura River: Aboa Vetus Ars Nova. It’s a contemporary art museum and instantly recognizable from the pretty building it’s located in. 

Turku Cathedral is the most iconic building in the city, and you’ve almost certainly seen some photos of it when doing your research. Besides Tuomiokirkko in Helsinki, it’s probably Finland’s most famous church. 

The building itself is beautiful and built in a Medieval style. I would go as far as saying that it’s one of the prettiest buildings in Northern Europe. The interior is closed until 2028 due to renovation, but I still recommend going to see the church itself. 

Turku Cathedral is close to the Sibelius Museum and very easy to find from multiple parts of the city. The square around the church, in addition to the building itself, is also beautiful. 

Address: Tuomiokirkonkatu 1, 20500 Turku

7. Enjoy Dinner at Blanko

Blanko was where we finished our first trip to Turku, and it’s a great place for dinner. You’ll find a decent range of dishes here, including pasta, burgers, starters, and more. Options for vegans are available in addition to a number of meat-based options. 

Besides the indoor seating, you’ll also find some options to sit outside during the summer. I must warn you, though, that the seagulls might want to join the fun. At least, that was the case on the table next to us when we were here. 

You’ll find a number of beers on tap alongside your food, in addition to several wines. It’s a nice place to spend a few hours, and it’s not too far from the River Aura or the city center. Booking a table in advance is a good idea, and you can do this on the website. Select “Pöytävaraus” on the restaurant’s website. 

Address: Aurakatu 1, 20100 Turku

8. Visit Puolalanpuisto

Turku has a handful of small parks. It’s not as green as Helsinki, but the nearby archipelago is one big national park anyway. When in town, though, you should definitely check out Puolalanpuisto if you happen to be nearby. 

We found this park on our first trip to Turku, and conveniently, it decided to hammer it down with rain just as we arrived. Despite this, it was still very nice. You’ll find a handful of benches here, and you can also visit the Turku Art Museum—which itself is in the park. 

Puolalanpuisto is a short walk from the main square in Turku. It’s also very close to the city’s main train station. The walk here is quite hilly, but in my opinion, it’s worthwhile. 

9. Go to Café Qwensel: Turku’s Coziest Café

Finnish cafés are some of the coziest in the Nordic countries. I love the rustic feel that you get in some of the more traditional ones, and besides Porvoo, Turku is my favorite city in Finland for visiting these kinds of places. 

Café Qwensel is the best café in Turku. That’s my opinion, but I’d also go so far as to say that it’s also a fact. It’s tucked away in a courtyard close to the River Aura and is part of the city’s Pharmacy Museum. You can get cakes, savory dishes, and some great coffee here. 

The inside is usually quite busy, but during the summer, outdoor seating is also available. I really liked the quiche we had when we visited, in particular. 

You don’t need to visit the Pharmacy Museum to come to Café Qwensel. As a nice extra bonus, the plates and cutlery’s design will make you feel like you’ve been welcomed into a grandma’s home. 🙂

Address: Läntinen Rantakatu 13 B, 20100 Turku

10. Check Out Picturesque Luostarin Välikatu

I feel like Turku lacks the number of beautiful streets that you’ll find in many other Finnish cities, such as Porvoo and Naantali. However, they do exist if you know where to look. Luostarin Välikatu is the best of those, in my opinion. 

Luostarin Välikatu is very close to Turku Cathedral and tucked away next to some of Turku’s most historical buildings. Photographing this street is surprisingly difficult, if you ask me—but it’s nice to walk down regardless. 

The main activity is walking along the street and admiring the buildings on either side, but you will also find a café here. Despite being relatively small, Luostarin Välikatu is also quite lively during the summer. If you’re going to check out the Old Great Square and Turku Cathedral, you might as well also come here. 

11. Beers and Buffet at Koulu Brewery

One of my favorite things about visiting Finland is the lunch buffets you’ll find in many of the country’s cities. These are a really big deal, and you can often get good food at a solid price. Turku has a number of places offering buffets of this kind, but Koulu Brewery is my top recommendation. 

We went to Koulu Bakery on our first visit to Turku, and it was a good place to fuel up after our train ride from Helsinki. The hall where you eat is in a beautiful old design, and the food itself was pretty good. I liked how we didn’t feel rushed and that the room itself was spacious enough not to feel cramped. 

As this is a brewery, you’ll also find a number of beers on tap. This is actually the biggest brewery restaurant in Finland, and it’s right on one of Turku’s main streets. The buffet changes each day, and you can order at the brewery. 

Koulu Brewery serves its buffet from 11:00 to 14:00 on weekdays. You can still visit on weekends, but the buffet is only on weekdays. On Saturdays, you can order from the gastropub menu from 12:00 to 22:00; the kitchen is closed on Sundays. 

12. Visit the Luostarinmäki Open-Air Museum

I’ve mentioned this in many of my other travel guides, but I love visiting open-air museums and seeing examples of what life used to be like. The Nordics have some excellent places in this respect, and when you’re in Turku, you should make some time to visit Luostarinmäki. 

At Luostarinmäki, you’ll find a number of old-style Finnish houses that highlight what life here used to be like. While Finland is now one of the most prosperous countries on the planet, this was not always the case; Luostarinmäki is a good place to see this. 

All of the houses here were previously part of Turku, and they’re the only ones that survived the Great Fire of 1827. We spent a few hours here, and personally, I really enjoyed wandering around and seeing all the rooms. 

You can buy tickets when you arrive; we weren’t the only people here, but it wasn’t overly crowded. It is, however, also possible to buy tickets in advance if you’d prefer to do so. You can check these, along with opening times, on the website. 

More Useful Information for Your Trip to Turku

Besides giving you a list of things to do in Turku, I also wanted to give you some extra information to help you fully prepare for your trip. 

Day Trip or Overnight: Which Is Better?

You can easily visit Turku on a day trip from Helsinki; the journey takes just over two hours. It’s possible to see most of the city in a day, whether you take a guided tour or book your own train/bus tickets. 

If you only want to see the city’s main sights, one day in Turku is enough. But if you plan to check out some of the museums or visit the archipelago (or Naantali/Rauma), you’re much better off staying overnight. If you do want to see more of the surrounding areas, 1-2 nights is ideal, in my opinion. 

Summer Is the Best Time to Visit Turku, but There Are Things to Do Year-Round

I recommend visiting Turku during the summer partly for the longer daylight hours, but also because all of the big attractions and experiences will be open. Many cafés in the archipelago close for the winter, for example. 

However, Turku is a city that people live in throughout the year. So, even if you visit during the off-season, you’ll still find stuff to do. There’ll still be some restaurants open, and you can also go to many museums within the city. 

Getting to Turku Outside of Finland

Turku is very easy to reach from Helsinki by train or bus, but if you’re arriving from outside Finland, it’s also relatively straightforward. 

Turku has an international airport with flights from Copenhagen, Stockholm, and other cities. While you’ll generally find more flights to Helsinki, I do recommend looking specifically for Turku if you want to explore this part of the country in particular. 

It’s also possible to arrive in Turku from Stockholm via ferry. It takes 10-and-a-half hours, and it’s a great way to see two countries in one trip. If you also plan to visit Stockholm, I used to live there and wrote a full guide on the best things to do in the Swedish capital. 

The overwhelming majority of people in Turku speak Finnish as their first language, but the region has historically also had a lot of Swedish-speaking Finns. Today, around 5% of people speak Swedish as their first language in the city. 

When you’re here, you’ll often see signs in both Finnish and Swedish. Åbo means Turku in Finnish, so if you see that mentioned, then you now know what it means.

If you don’t speak Finnish or Swedish, don’t worry. Pretty much everyone in the city speaks good English, and you’ll have no issues communicating. 

Final Thoughts

Although Turku isn’t my favorite city in Finland, I do still think it’s worth visiting. You’ll find enough to keep you entertained for a day or two, and to be honest, I’d recommend coming here purely for Turku Castle and the archipelago, if nothing else. 

Getting to Turku is very easy from both inside and outside of the country, and it feels less touristy than other parts of Finland. Whether you’re specifically exploring the southwest of the country or going elsewhere, it’s a good place to stop for a little while. 

Now that you’ve read this guide, you should have everything you need to prepare for your trip to Turku. You can always drop a comment if you want more advice on planning your visit.

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