a river running through a city with a clock tower in the background

Turku

Turku is a former capital of Finland on the Aura River, with a castle begun in the 1280s and boat links to the Archipelago Sea, which has more than 40,000 islands.

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Turku is a former capital of Finland on the Aura River, near the Baltic coast in the southwest of the country. It held that role until 1812, when government moved to Helsinki. The castle, begun in the 1280s, is the town's main historic site, and the museums sit close to it.

A trip to Turku usually comes down to two options. You can stay in town for the castle, museums and riverside, or take a boat, bike or car out to the Archipelago Sea. Town suits a history focus, while the islands suit a slower pace with sea views. Summer is the easiest season for island trips. Two to three days covers the town and one day on the water. Most of the center is walkable, so a car is only needed for the islands. Trains from Helsinki reach the city, and overnight ferries run from Stockholm.

Turku in five

Plan the castle for Tuesday to SundayTurku Castle is open Tuesday to Sunday 10 to 17 from 31 August to 31 December 2026, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. It accepts the Museum Card.
Treat the Stockholm ferry as a night, not a transferViking Line and Tallink Silja sail between Turku and Stockholm via Mariehamn in about 11 hours, per Visit Turku. Carry a passport: Sweden has notified temporary border control until 11 November 2026.Stockholm
Use the Föli networkFöli runs the city buses, the yellow city bikes and, in summer, water buses to Ruissalo. The center is compact, so most visitors walk along the Aura River and ride only for the castle and harbor.
Reach the archipelago by boat, bike or the Archipelago TrailThe 250 km Archipelago Trail has 12 bridges and 9 ferries. By car it fits in a day, but cycling or hiking with overnight stops is slower and quieter.
Compare Turku with Tampere before you chooseTrains link the two cities in under two hours, so a combined trip is easy. Turku suits history and boats; Tampere suits saunas and lakes.Tampere or Turku

Things to do in Turku

See all attractions in Turku

Church · TurkuTurku Cathedral

Museum · TurkuPharmacy Museum and Qwensel house

Museum · TurkuSibeliusmuseum

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to TurkuPut the places you like in Turku on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Turku (TKU), 8 km from the center, about 25 minutes by bus
Getting there: Hourly trains from Helsinki in under 2 hours; ferries from Stockholm
Getting around: Walkable center; Föli buses and bikes; summer water buses
Best base: Near the Aura River; most sights are within walking distance
Time needed: 2 days; 3 with an archipelago trip

Weather by month

Rainy days
Snowy days
Festival

Best
Mixed
Poor

JanuaryCloudy12 rainy days4 snowy daysHigh-1°Low-5°Dark, cold
FebruaryPartly cloudy10 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh0°Low-5°Cold, light returns
MarchPartly cloudy9 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh2°Low-3°Snow, brighter
AprilPartly cloudy10 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh8°Low1°Thaw
MayPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh14°Low6°Spring, light
JunePartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh19°Low11°Midsummer light
JulyRain15 rainy daysHigh21°Low14°Warm, archipelago
AugustRain15 rainy daysHigh20°Low14°Warm, bonfires
SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Ruska, Turku Day
OctoberRain13 rainy daysHigh9°Low5°Autumn colors
NovemberRain13 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh5°Low1°Dark, quiet
DecemberSnow13 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh1°Low-2°Christmas Peace

Average daily high and low in Turku, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Festivals: Jun Medieval Market of Turku · Jul Ruisrock, Medieval Market of Turku · Aug Turku Music Festival

Right now in Turku

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 2°
Humidity: 93%
Wind: 10 km/h
Chance of rain: 100%

Turku

10:37 PM

Monday, November 2

GMT+2

Today8°3°100%Monday: Drizzle. High 8°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 100%.
Tue8°1°4%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 4%.
Wed9°1°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
Thu9°2°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 0%.
Fri7°2°2%Friday: Cloudy. High 7°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 2%.
Sat8°4°6%Saturday: Partly cloudy. High 8°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 6%.
Sun7°1°6%Sunday: Cloudy. High 7°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 6%.

Updated 08:07 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 0.8961 EUR

Amount

Converted to

EUR · Euro

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

What's on in Turku

Concerts, festivals and big events in and around the city

Events calendar

Every year

Jun–JulMedieval Market of TurkuTurku
JulRuisrockTurku
AugTurku Music FestivalTurku

Day trips by train

Ruissaloabout 45 minutes by summer water busA botanical garden, villas, marked trails and a beach on the city's garden island.
Naantali15 km by bus; also by steamship in summerA seaside old town reached by city bus or the 1938 steamship S/S Ukkopekka.
Tampereunder 2 hours by trainLakes, public saunas and the red-brick Finlayson district.Read the guide

Before you go to Turku

Archipelago boat tripsCompare cruises and day toursCompare tours

Hotels near the Aura RiverCentral rooms, walkable sightsCheck availability

eSIM for TurkuData for Föli tickets and ferry timesRead the guide

Insurance for ferry tripsCover for delays and cancellationsRead the guide

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Rules for Turku, checked

Turku Castle: open Tue–Sun 10–17 from 31 Aug to 31 Dec 2026; adults 18 €, children 7–15 8 €; last admission 30 minutes before closing.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
Sweden has temporary internal border control until 11 Nov 2026, sea borders included; Finland is not on the EU list. Carry a passport for the ferry.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
The Finnish Border Guard does not carry out border checks in internal Schengen traffic; non-EU visitors are registered in EES on first entry.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source

Plan around Turku

Tampere or Turku

Two Finnish cities, an easy train apart

Read the guide Tampere

Saunas, lakes and the Moomin Museum

Read the guide Helsinki

Hourly trains and the main airport

Read the guide Stockholm

The overnight ferry across the Baltic

Read the guide Rovaniemi

The Santa Claus Express runs here from Turku

Read the guide All of Finland

Regions, rail, money and entry rules

Read the guide Night trains in Europe

How to book sleepers and what to expect

Read the guide

Turku FAQ

How do you get from Helsinki to Turku?

By train, with hourly services and a journey under 2 hours, according to Visit Turku. Buses take a bit over 2 hours. Helsinki-Vantaa airport is about 170 km from Turku by road.

Is Turku worth visiting for a day?

Yes for the castle, the Aura riverside and a museum or two, but a day leaves little time for the archipelago. Add a second day for Ruissalo or a boat trip, or compare it with Tampere.

Can you take the ferry from Turku to Stockholm?

Yes. Viking Line and Tallink Silja sail daily via Mariehamn in about 11 hours, per Visit Turku. Carry a passport, since Sweden has notified temporary border control until 11 November 2026.

When does Turku Castle open?

Tuesday to Sunday 10 to 17 from 31 August to 31 December 2026, closed Mondays, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. It accepts the Museum Card; the castle site lists current ticket prices.

When is the Christmas Peace declared in Turku?

At noon on Christmas Eve in the Old Great Square, in a tradition kept, almost without interruption, since the 1300s, according to Visit Turku. Most businesses are closed on Christmas Eve.