Overview
Turku is Finland's oldest city and its former capital, spread along the Aura River where it meets the Archipelago Sea. It pairs a compact, walkable centre — riverside cafés, a medieval cathedral and a lively market hall — with easy access to thousands of islands just offshore. There are currently no direct flights from the UK to Turku, so UK travellers connect through a European hub, most often Helsinki.
Best time to fly to Turku
Summer (June to August) is the high season, with long daylight hours, temperatures around 18–22°C and a busy programme of events including the Medieval Market and the Ruisrock festival on Ruissalo island. Late spring and early September bring gentler fares and thinner crowds while the weather is still pleasant. Winter is cold and dark, often -5 to -10°C with snow, but atmospheric around Christmas, when Turku proclaims its traditional "Christmas Peace". See the When to book chart above for how prices shift through the year.
Airlines and routes
Finnair is the main choice, flying from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh to Helsinki, with a short onward hop to Turku of about 35 minutes or a two-hour train. airBaltic connects via Riga from Gatwick and Manchester, and SAS routes through Copenhagen or Stockholm. Flying time from London to Helsinki is around three hours, and similar from Manchester; allow roughly six to nine hours for the whole journey including the connection. Alternatively, fly to Helsinki with Finnair, British Airways, Ryanair or Jet2 and take the frequent VR train on to Turku.
Things to do in Turku
Compact and easy to explore on foot or by riverboat, Turku rewards a couple of unhurried days.
- Turku Castle: a 700-year-old fortress by the harbour with medieval halls and a history museum.
- Turku Cathedral: the mother church of Finnish Lutheranism, standing over the river since the 1300s.
- Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova: excavated medieval streets and contemporary art under one roof.
- Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum: wooden lanes of workshops that survived the great fire of 1827.
- The Archipelago Sea: island-hop by bike and ferry along the signposted Archipelago Trail.
At Turku Airport (TKU)
Turku Airport lies about 8 km north of the centre, roughly 15 minutes by car. City bus route 1 links the terminal with the city centre and the harbour several times an hour, taking around 20–25 minutes; pay the driver or use the Föli app. Taxis and car hire are outside arrivals. If you land in Helsinki instead, trains and coaches to Turku run regularly and take about two hours.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Turku
- Book roughly one to three months ahead; last-minute fares to Finland tend to climb sharply.
- Fly midweek and avoid July and the Christmas period, when demand peaks.
- Use flexible-date searches and compare Finnair, airBaltic and SAS connections side by side.
- Price up flying into Helsinki plus a train ticket — it can undercut a through-fare to Turku.
Travel essentials
Finland is in the EU and the Schengen Area. UK passport holders can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa; your passport must be less than 10 years old and valid for at least three months after you plan to leave. New EU entry systems (EES and ETIAS) are being phased in, so check GOV.UK shortly before you travel. The currency is the euro, with card and contactless payments accepted almost everywhere. No vaccinations are required, tap water is safe to drink, and it is worth carrying a UK GHIC for state healthcare.
