Organized Tours

City Tours -- For a sightseeing trip without a guide, catch tram no. 3T, which takes you past 35 major city buildings and monuments. The 45-minute trip is available only in summer. You can board tram no. 3T in front of the railway station or at Market Square Monday through Saturday from 6am to 1am and Sunday from 7:30am to 1am. The tram departs regularly at intervals ranging from 5 to 15 minutes. During rush hour, you might have difficulty finding a seat. A ticket costs 2€ ($3.20), 1€ ($1.60) for children 12 and under.

Open-top Tours (tel. 050/430-2050; www.opentoptours.com) offers a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour around Helsinki on an open double-decker bus, with 11 stops throughout the city. Departures are from Unioninkatu 30 next to the Tourist Information; tickets cost 22€ ($35). Tickets are valid for 24 hours and can be purchased on the bus.

Helsinki Expert (tel. 09/2288-1200) offers a special audio city tour introducing you to the major attractions. Tours depart from Esplanade Park and Katajanokka Terminal, costing 25€ ($40) for adults or 15€ ($24) for ages 7 to 16.

Harbor Tours -- For a waterside view of Helsinki and its nearby islands, contact IHA-lines Oy (tel. 09/6874-5050; www.ihalines.fi), which offers two 1 1/2 hour tours costing 15€ ($24) for adults or 30€ ($48) for a family ticket. One tour explores Helsinki and its fortresses around Suomenlinna, another the eastern archipelago. Food is served aboard, and a luncheon buffet costs 11€ ($18) for adults, 5€ ($8) for children 5 to 13, and is free for kids 4 and under.