Stand on the Hakkila Stone Bridge and you can watch the Keravanjoki run under a stone arch laid in 1898, with the old church village a short way downstream. Vantaa is not a city that presents itself all at once; it rewards a visitor who moves between the river, the museums and the outdoors.
It suits travellers who land at Helsinki Airport and want more than a transfer, families with children who like to touch and test things, and anyone interested in saunas, churches and quiet farmland at the edge of a capital region. This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Vantaa
1. Heureka
Heureka is an interactive science museum with exhibitions on technology, physics, chemistry, medicine and astronomy. It is genuinely engaging for children interested in science, and the format invites you to try things rather than read labels.
It sits near Tikkurila railway station, so it combines easily with the Vantaa City museum and the rest of central Tikkurila. Allow several hours if you are visiting with children.
2. Church of St. Lawrence
The Church of St. Lawrence is a medieval stone church from the 15th century in the southern part of Vantaa, and quite probably the city's oldest standing building. It is the centrepiece of the district Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä, a cluster of wooden houses some of which date back to the 18th century, which makes this the old town of Vantaa.
Pair it with the adjacent Chapel of St. Lawrence, a modern building used for funerals and concerts. The churchyard and village reward a slow walk rather than a quick stop.
3. Kuusijärvi Smoke Sauna
This traditional smoke sauna sits beside a lake in the Kuusijärvi Outdoor Centre and is widely regarded as one of the best traditional saunas in the capital region. It was rebuilt in 2011.
Take your swim gear, as the smoke sauna is mixed-sex. It is easy to reach from Helsinki Railway Station, and the wider Kuusijärvi recreation ground adds open-air swimming, a beach and nature trails.
4. Finnish Aviation museum
The Suomen Ilmailumuseo holds over 70 aircraft, both civilian and military, along with plane parts, equipment and photographs. It is the obvious choice for anyone with an interest in flight, and it sits near Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
Because of its location by the airport, it works well as a first or last stop on a trip rather than something to squeeze into the middle of a day in Tikkurila.
5. Vantaankoski Dam
The Vantaankoski Dam is a popular vantage point for the roaring rapids of the Vantaa River. It is a short, focused stop rather than a full outing.
It lies along the Ring III road, which makes it convenient if you are driving between other sights in western Vantaa.
6. Vantaa City museum
The Vantaa City museum explains how Vantaa grew from a countryside parish into the city it is today. It is a compact introduction to the place and a useful counterweight to the science and aviation collections elsewhere.
It is in Tikkurila, close to Heureka and the Tikkurila church, so the three fit naturally into one afternoon.
7. Fazer Experience Visitor Centre
Finland's largest candy manufacturer and bakery runs a visitor centre that can be visited on a guided tour. You do not need a ticket to visit the shop and café in the building.
If you only want to browse and have coffee, the shop and café are open to you without booking a tour.
8. Flamingo Entertainment Center
Flamingo is a large entertainment complex near the airport, next to the shopping mall Jumbo. Its main draws are Flamingo Spa & Wellness, with waterpark slides and a range of relaxation pools, jacuzzis and saunas, and Hohtogolf West Coast, a glow-in-the-dark 15-hole miniature golf course with mechanised effects and a horror section.
There is also a small casino, a 3D movie theatre, pubs, restaurants, specialist shops and a large hotel. It is cheesy but fun, especially after a drink from the bar, and buses run here from Helsinki Railway Station and from Tikkurila Station.
9. Sipoonkorpi National Park
Sipoonkorpi is, along with Nuuksio in Espoo, one of the national parks quickly reachable from Helsinki, and as its name suggests it also extends into Sipoo. Paths allow access to a lake, a small camping place and scenic cliff walks.
Combine it with the farmland of Sotunki, which has multiple access points to the national park.
10. Sotunki
Sotunki is a farmland-dominated area at the eastern edge of Vantaa, where sheep and cows graze between the fields. In summer it is a pleasant area for biking along the unpaved roads.
Use it as a gentler approach to Sipoonkorpi National Park, or as a half-day of cycling away from the built-up centre.
11. Hakkila Stone Bridge
The Hakkila Stone Bridge is a stone arch bridge from 1898 crossing the Keravanjoki, between the Hakkila and Jokiniemi districts. It is a small thing, but a good anchor for a riverside walk.
Nearby Honkanummi Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in Finland, has two chapels, a crematorium, an office, a flower shop and a lunch restaurant, so the two can be visited together.
12. Honkanummi Cemetery
Honkanummi Cemetery covers approximately 76 hectares in the Hakkila district. Beyond its function as a burial ground, it holds two chapels, a crematorium, an office, a flower shop and a lunch restaurant.
The lunch restaurant makes it a practical stop if you are walking or cycling in the Hakkila area.
13. Viherpaja
Viherpaja is not just a plant and gardening store but a 3,500 m² garden, with an indoor desert where cacti grow and a Japanese garden that mimics the climate of Tokyo year round. It is in the Koivuhaka district, just east of the airport.
Buses 574 and 623 serve it. It pairs well with a visit to the Finnish Aviation museum, which is also near the airport.
14. Katrineberg Pks4H Petting Zoo
At Katrineberg you will find several different domestic animals such as sheep, and children can hug the animals. It is a straightforward outing for families with young children.
Buses 576, 444, 445 and 446 stop nearby.
15. Ankkapuisto Park
Ankkapuisto is a city park in the Korso district with a long narrow pond and walking trails. It is a simple place for an unhurried walk.
It suits a quiet hour if you are already in northeastern Vantaa rather than a special journey across the city.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Heureka near Tikkurila railway station, where the interactive exhibitions can absorb a full morning. If you have time before or after, the Vantaa City museum is in Tikkurila and fills in the city's background.
Afternoon. Move on to the Church of St. Lawrence and the surrounding wooden houses of Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä, the old town of Vantaa, and step into the adjacent Chapel of St. Lawrence. If you are travelling with children and prefer an indoor stop, the Finnish Aviation museum near the airport is the alternative.
Evening. Finish at Kuusijärvi Smoke Sauna beside the lake, taking your swim gear for the mixed-sex sauna, or at Flamingo Entertainment Center for the waterpark, the glow-in-the-dark miniature golf and a meal.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Vantaa from Helsinki?
Vantaa lies north of Helsinki and is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Tikkurila railway station is the transport hub for Heureka and the Vantaa City museum, and buses connect Helsinki Railway Station to Flamingo Entertainment Center and Tikkurila Station to Koivuhaka.
What can I do in Vantaa with children?
Heureka is the strongest option, with interactive exhibitions on technology, physics, chemistry, medicine and astronomy. Flamingo Entertainment Center adds a waterpark, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, a 3D movie theatre and restaurants, and Katrineberg Pks4H Petting Zoo lets children meet and hug domestic animals such as sheep.
Where can I go swimming or try a sauna?
Kuusijärvi recreation ground offers open-air swimming, ice swimming, a beach and nature trails, and the Kuusijärvi Smoke Sauna beside the lake is widely regarded as one of the best traditional saunas in the capital region. Take your swim gear, as the smoke sauna is mixed-sex.
What is worth seeing outside the city centre?
The Church of St. Lawrence and the wooden houses of Helsingin pitäjän kirkonkylä form the old town of Vantaa. Further out, Sipoonkorpi National Park offers paths to a lake, a small camping place and cliff walks, and the farmland of Sotunki is good for summer cycling on unpaved roads.
Pick the sights that match your interests, check the days and times that suit you, and start planning your trip to Vantaa.