"Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November. Except you, you badass. Welcome."

This quote came up a lot while researching the best things to do in Helsinki in November… on several websites… Apparently, it isn't a very popular time of year. Shocking, really, because who wouldn't want to explore in nearly freezing temperatures when it's raining but not quite cold enough to snow yet?

Weather aside, we absolutely loved Helsinki! The temperatures weren't all that bad, and the comfortable Finnish feel warmed you up rather quickly. It's a modern city, partly thanks to all the buildings being torched during WWII, in an old-world country. And the countryside is absolutely stunning, covered in lakes and forests.

We started our trip to Helsinki flying from London and landing just after 3 pm. Let me warn you now, the Helsinki airport isn't the easiest to navigate. We've been through countless airports all over the world, and it took us a good 10 minutes to figure out how to get to baggage claim. We also had the added difficulty of visiting the airport during the last few weeks of construction, so you might have a much easier time now that the new airport is open.

The airport is about 30-35 minutes from the city of Helsinki. We went straight to the hotel to check-in. We stayed at Hotel St. George, a boutique hotel in the heart of Helsinki that also happens to be a Marriott partner (should I repeat it? Points!). The location is excellent for walking around and exploring Helsinki. There also happens to be a popular bakery and bar attached. Don't sleep on the blueberry cardamom buns and cinnamon buns!

After a quick shower and change, we walked to Senate Square where the Helsinki Cathedral, The Government Palace, and a statue of Alexander II are located. It was dark by the time we wandered over there, but Christmas lights lit up the quiet cobblestoned streets. It gets dark around 4 in the afternoon this time of year, and although the weather was quite lovely when the sun was out, it got chilly quickly. Bring your hats and gloves.

After a bit of exploring, we headed to Savotta for dinner. This quaint traditional Finnish restaurant is inspired by the forests of Finland, with wooden tables and chairs, eclectic table settings, and cozy candles lighting the rooms. The menu is also inspired by locally sourced Finnish ingredients, including bear from the eastern border and reindeer from up north. I didn't try these, not quite my cup of tea, but my brother and dad were thoroughly impressed. I had the pumpkin soup and beetroot risotto that was absolutely delicious. If you're up for it, try their shot skis and hot apple cider (also available non-alcoholic). End the night with some of their Finnish French toast.

The following day we woke up, got a pastry and coffee from St. George Bakery down below, and headed to Reindeer Park. We pre-booked a private visit to the park. Group visits are also available. Check out their website here.

The park is about 35 minutes outside of Helsinki in the Espoo area. One of the best parts was the drive because you can see the beautiful Finnish landscape of forests and lakes. Very different from the city. You can take certain busses to the park but if you use a driver, have them stop at the lookout spot by one of the longest lakes in Europe. Even in the misty morning, it was stunning, and you couldn't see the end. The park is located in a beautiful forest just past the Laajalahti Nature Preserve.

At Reindeer Park, you get the chance to feed rescued reindeer. There are no wild reindeer in the south of Finland, near Helsinki, but many up North. Technically, there are no WILD reindeer at all. All the reindeer in Finland are owned by reindeer herders, much like sheep, but are free to roam around. The rescued reindeer at Reindeer park have been found all over. They even have a rare white reindeer who was on the brink of death after losing her mother at a young age. After feeding and spending time with the reindeer, you have the option of roasting fresh buns over an open fire inside a traditional tee-pee style tent and sipping on coffee while you do it. I recommend adding this. It's not as cheesy as it might sound.

After an appetizer of freshly baked buns over the fire, head to Hakaniemi Hall for lunch. This is about a 20-minute walk from St. George Hotel. The hall is currently under construction, but they have built a temporary hall next door to satisfy hungry locals and tourists. There are several food halls over Helsinki, but we were told this is the best, and I was not disappointed. The food hall hosts several markets of meat, fish, jams, pasta, and other non-edible goods. It also has some incredible dine-in and take-away options. We sampled from several stands because we just couldn't decide. However, Finland is known for its salmon soup which sounded perfect on a rainy, chilly day.

Public transport is easily accessible in Helsinki. Since I couldn't convince my dad or brother to walk, we decided to hop on the trolley. You can buy tickets through the HSL app or at some of the stands.

We got off at the closest stop to Uspenski Cathedral. This unique cathedral is set just above the sea, where you can hop on a ferry to Suomenlinna, a sea fortress just off the city's coast. Because it was nearly dark and we wanted to go to the Allas Sea Pool and saunas before it got TOO chilly, we decided to skip the fortress, grab our bathing suits, and go heat up.

Finland is known for its wooden saunas, and there are several public ones in the city. We went with Allas Sea Pool so we could have a quick cold plunge after. It's also very close to the hotel, which we appreciated during our freezing walk home. We pre-bought tickets online but realized this wasn't necessary when we arrived. No reservations are required either. Simply go to the front desk, purchase a ticket, rent a towel, and head to the saunas. There are men and women's separate saunas as well as a mixed sauna. After the sauna, enjoy a plunge into the freezing Finnish sea through their sea pool or head to the heated pool for a nice swim. We did both. It was energizing and felt incredible.

That night we had a reservation at Spis, a popular fine-dining spot in Helsinki, but we aren't the biggest fans of tasting menus, so we pulled an audible and went to Locanda Scappi. This fantastic Italian restaurant was soooo good. Highly recommend.

On our final morning in Helsinki, we woke up early to head to Café Regatta. This lovely lakeside café has stunning views, especially with the morning sunrise (which lasts until about 9 am). It also has a full vegan menu with gluten-free options. I opted for the vegan, gluten-free cinnamon bun and a coffee. They have savory pastries and hot chocolate as well. Everything is outside, so be prepared to bring your jackets, hats, and gloves if visiting in the colder months. There are plenty of tables and a blazing fire to heat up by.

Before heading to the airport, I walked to a health food store recommended to me by a friend. At Ruohnjuuri I loaded up on healthy snacks for the plane ride to our next destination. It was also a lovely sunny morning, and people were out and about. A beautiful way to end the trip.

Sadly, this marked the end of our Helsinki journey. While you probably don't need more than one full day exploring the city, you can definitely spend a few exploring the Finnish countryside. We would love to go back and see Lapland, explore the lakes, and hike through some of the incredible national forests.

For more Helsinki recs check out our Helsinki Travel Guide here.