Family trip · August 2025

finland

↳ & the baltics.
2 adults · au pair · 2 little ones · 12 nights
Helsinki ● Tallinn ● Riga ● Helsinki
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[01] Where we stay
01
Helsinki
Aug 5–9 · Finland · Eerikinkatu 16, 00100 Helsinki · Kamppi
4 Nights
02
Tallinn
Aug 9–13 · Estonia · Kuninga 1, 10146 Tallinn · Old Town
4 Nights
03
Riga
Aug 13–16 · Latvia · Aldaru 11, apt. 12, LV-1050 Riga · Old Town
3 Nights
04
Helsinki
Aug 16–17 · Finland · St George Hotel · Yrjönkatu 13, 00120 · Design District
1 Night
[02] Getting around
Air
Outbound — arrive Helsinki HEL
Aug 4 departure · arrive Aug 5 at 1:10 PM. Taxi or van to Kamppi on arrival day.
Aug 5 · 1:10p
Sea
Helsinki → Tallinn · Tallink/Viking Line Megastar
Morning ferry · ~2.5 hours · book a cabin · August sells out fast.
Aug 9 · AM
Bus
Tallinn → Riga · LuxExpress bus
Mid-morning departure · 4.5 hours · airline-style seats · load the kids' tablets.
Aug 13 · AM
Air
Riga → Helsinki · airBaltic or Finnair
~1 hour · multiple daily departures · aim for early afternoon.
Aug 16 · PM
Air
Return home from Helsinki HEL
Depart 4:00 PM · arrive at airport by 1:30 PM · HEL is small and easy.
Aug 17 · 4p
[03] Good to know
i
Kids on transport
Under-7s ride Helsinki public transport free. Use Bolt (like Uber) in Tallinn and Riga — widely available and reliable.
ii
Pushchair warning
Tallinn and Riga Old Towns are cobblestoned and hilly. A carrier is essential — leave the pushchair in the apartment for these cities.
iii
August daylight
It stays light until 10–11 PM across all three cities in August. No pressure to rush — evenings are long and beautiful.
iv
Money
All three countries use the Euro. Cards accepted almost everywhere. Riga is noticeably cheaper than Helsinki and Tallinn.
v
Au pair evenings
Flagged a couple of evenings in the itinerary for adults-only dinners. Ravintola Kuurna (Helsinki) and 3 Pavāru (Riga) are the ones to book.
vi
Pace
One anchor activity per day, afternoons flexible. Every city has at least one intentional do-nothing day. Kids will remember the pigeons as much as the museums.
Day by day · 12 nights · 4 stops

august

↳ day by day.
Aug 5 — Aug 17 · one family · three countries
Helsinki ● Tallinn ● Riga ● Helsinki
[01] · Aug 5–9, 2025 · Finland

helsinki

↳ kamppi · 4 nights.
Eerikinkatu 16, 00100 Helsinki
Aug 5 Tue
Land at 1:10 PM · settle in · take it very easy
Jet lag with toddlers is brutal — don't fight it. Pick up groceries, find your feet in Kamppi. If everyone has energy late afternoon, a short walk to the harbour and Market Square is enough. Early dinner, early bedtime.
Van taxi from airport recommended on arrival day with all the luggage
Arrival
Aug 6 Wed
Linnanmäki Amusement Park + Sea Life
Classic Finnish amusement park with rides for all ages — specific toddler areas for the little ones, bigger rides for the adults. Sea Life Helsinki is right next door (sharks, rays, ocean tunnel). Do both or just one depending on energy. Back for afternoon naps.
Buy tickets online in advance — cheaper and skips queues
Kids
Aug 7 Thu
Slow morning · Suomenlinna sea fortress
Coffee and pastries first, no rush. Then the short 15-minute ferry from Market Square to Suomenlinna — a UNESCO sea fortress on an island. Kids love the tunnels, cannons, and wide open space to run. Bring a picnic lunch. Back mid-afternoon to rest. Evening: you and your wife out — the au pair is on duty. Try Ravintola Kuurna (book ahead) or Kolme Kruunua for proper Finnish cooking.
The ferry there is part of the HSL public transport system — just tap your card
Explore
Aug 8 Fri
Korkeasaari Zoo · free afternoon
Island zoo reached by ferry — arctic foxes, Amur leopards, great Baltic views. Do the morning, then a genuinely unstructured afternoon. Market Square for street food, kids chase pigeons, adults drink coffee. No agenda. Pack in the evening for tomorrow's ferry to Tallinn.
Check the Korkeasaari ferry timetable — it runs from Market Square in summer
Relax
Aug 9 Sat
Morning ferry to Tallinn
Book an early Tallink or Viking Line sailing (Megastar is the nicest ship). About 2.5 hours across the Gulf of Finland — kids love being on the boat. Book a cabin so they have somewhere to nap and the group has space. Arrive Tallinn mid-morning with the whole day ahead. Taxi from the terminal to Kuninga 1 (don't attempt the hill with luggage on foot). Easy afternoon in the Old Town.
August is peak season — book the ferry cabin as soon as possible
Transit
[02] · Aug 9–13, 2025 · Estonia

tallinn

↳ old town · 4 nights.
Kuninga 1, 10146 Tallinn
Aug 9 Sat
Arrive mid-morning · Old Town wander
Check in, drop bags. Afternoon stroll through the medieval Old Town — Town Hall Square, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, cobbled alleys. Stop for lunch at a square café. Early dinner nearby, early night — it's been a travel day.
Ditch the pushchair immediately — Old Town cobblestones are rough. Carrier from day one.
Arrival
Aug 10 Sun
Kadriorg Park · Children's Museum Miiamilla
Massive, beautiful green park with a brilliant children's museum right inside it — a pretend shop, post office, toy cars, drawing room, and an old-fashioned camera room. Could easily fill a whole morning. Afterwards, free time in the park: playgrounds, ice cream, a bench in the sun. No agenda for the afternoon.
The playground right outside the museum is just as popular as the museum itself
Kids
Aug 11 Mon
Intentional do-nothing day · Old Town at your own pace
No plan. Stumble into squares, find the marzipan shops, walk the city walls if the kids are keen — stop when they aren't. Lunch at Olde Hansa for the full medieval experience (candlelight, period food, costumed staff — kids think it's a castle). Afternoon nap. Evening at Ring Spaa — an all-ages spa with a kids' pool, slides and water jets. In Estonia the sauna culture genuinely welcomes toddlers.
Book Olde Hansa for lunch in advance — walk-ins rarely work in August
Free day
Aug 12 Tue
PROTO Invention Factory · Pirita beach
Morning at PROTO — an interactive museum in a former top-secret submarine factory, with VR experiences where kids can fly a hot air balloon, ride a flying bike, and walk the ocean floor. Genuinely impressive. Afternoon at Pirita beach on the Baltic — sandy, calm, toddler-friendly. Pirita Adventure Park is right there with trails for ages 2+. Au pair evening if you want one.
Check age/height minimums for the VR experiences for the 4 year old
Kids
Aug 13 Wed
Slow morning · LuxExpress bus to Riga
Leisurely breakfast. Take a mid-morning LuxExpress bus from Tallinn bus station — airline-style reclining seats, entertainment screens, snacks and coffee. 4.5 hours, arrive Riga mid-afternoon. Check into Aldaru 11. Easy dinner nearby to recover.
Load tablets and download films/shows the night before. Book 5 seats together on LuxExpress.
Transit
[03] · Aug 13–16, 2025 · Latvia

riga

↳ old town · 3 nights.
Aldaru 11, apt. 12, LV-1050 Riga
Aug 13 Wed
Arrive mid-afternoon · easy evening
Short walk to get your bearings — Town Hall Square, the famous Cat House, the canal. Dinner at LIDO, the beloved Latvian cafeteria chain: you point at what you want, prices are visible, kids love it, and it's a genuinely good introduction to Latvian food.
LIDO at Krasta iela 76 is the big one with the amusement park area for kids
Arrival
Aug 14 Thu
Riga Central Market · Laima Chocolate Museum
Morning at the market in the extraordinary converted Zeppelin hangars — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest markets in Europe. Pick up a picnic: fresh bread, local cheeses, smoked fish, seasonal fruit and Latvian honey. Walk to the Laima Chocolate Museum (15 minutes) — interactive exhibits on Latvia's famous chocolate brand, tastings included. Kids love it. Afternoon free — canal-side stroll, park bench, absolutely no agenda.
The Art Nouveau district is a pleasant wander from the market if you have afternoon energy
Explore
Aug 15 Fri
Jūrmala — full beach day
20-minute train from Riga central. Long, wide white sand beach on the Baltic — calm water, shallow entry, perfect for toddlers. This is a proper lazy day with no agenda. Bring food or find a beach café. Līvu Aquapark is right there if the beach isn't enough — one of the largest water parks in Northern Europe, with slides for all ages and a spa for parents. Evening: splurge dinner at 3 Pavāru Restorāns — the best restaurant in the Baltics. Book ahead.
Trains to Jūrmala run frequently and are very cheap — pay at the station
Beach
Aug 16 Sat
Morning in Mežaparks · fly to Helsinki
Relaxed final morning in Riga's beautiful forest park — zoo, playgrounds, cycling paths, no pressure. Then to Riga International Airport (RIX) for the short airBaltic hop to Helsinki (~1 hour). Arrive Helsinki early evening, check into the hotel. Quiet last dinner together, children to bed, adults decompress.
St George Hotel, Yrjönkatu 13 — allow ~30 min to HEL on Aug 17, or grab an early taxi
Transit
[04] · Aug 16–17, 2025 · Finland

helsinki

↳ design district · 1 night.
St George Hotel · Yrjönkatu 13, 00120 Helsinki
Aug 16 Sat
Arrive from Riga · decompression evening
You've done it. Three countries, twelve nights, two toddlers. Check in. Nice simple dinner somewhere nearby. Cold drink. No plans. Kids to bed, adults sit and reflect on what a trip that was.
Arrive
Aug 17 Sun
Leisurely morning · depart 4:00 PM
Slow breakfast, no rush. Head to HEL airport by 1:30 PM — Helsinki airport is small, calm, and easy to navigate. You're going home with two kids who have now seen three countries. Well done.
Check in online the night before to save time at the airport
Home
Before you go · book in order

before

↳ you go.
0 of 18 complete · 10 still urgent
Get started — book flights and the ferry first
[01] Flights
Outbound flight — arrive Helsinki Aug 5, 1:10 PM
Confirm all 5 seats are together. Request bulkhead or extra legroom with lap children if available.
Book now
Riga → Helsinki flight (Aug 16)
airBaltic or Finnair. About 1 hour. Aim for early-to-mid afternoon arrival. Book all 5 seats together.
airbaltic.com ↗
Book now
Return flight from Helsinki — depart Aug 17, 4:00 PM
Confirm all seats together. Check in online 24–48 hours before departure.
Book now
[02] Ferry
Helsinki → Tallinn ferry (Aug 9, morning)
Tallink Megastar or Viking Line. Book a cabin — 5 people need space and kids can nap. August is peak season and sells out weeks in advance.
tallink.com ↗
Book now
[03] Ground transport
Tallinn → Riga · LuxExpress bus (Aug 13, morning)
Book 5 seats together on a mid-morning departure. 4.5 hours with entertainment screens. Load tablets the night before.
luxexpress.eu ↗
Book now
Airport arrival transfer (Aug 5, Helsinki)
With 5 people and all the luggage, pre-book a van taxi to Kamppi. Much easier than the bus on a jet-lag arrival day.
Before July
Download Bolt app (Tallinn & Riga)
Bolt is the local ride-share in Estonia and Latvia — more reliable than Uber in both cities. Set it up before you leave home.
Before you leave
[04] Accommodation
Final Helsinki night (Aug 16) — St George Hotel
Yrjönkatu 13, Design District. Allow ~30 min taxi to HEL on Aug 17 morning — book in advance or ask the hotel to arrange.
Booked
[05] Activities to pre-book
Linnanmäki Amusement Park, Helsinki (Aug 6)
Buy tickets online in advance — cheaper and avoids queues. Check ride height minimums for a 4 and 5 year old.
linnanmaki.fi ↗
Before July
PROTO Invention Factory, Tallinn (Aug 12)
Very popular in August — book online in advance. Check VR age/height minimums for the 4 year old specifically.
proto.ee ↗
Before July
Ring Spaa, Tallinn (Aug 11 evening)
Book a family pool session in advance. All-ages spa with kids' pool, slides, and water jets — a genuinely Estonian experience.
ringhotell.ee ↗
Before July
Līvu Aquapark, Jūrmala (Aug 15, optional)
One of the largest water parks in Northern Europe. Book online for family packages. A great backup if the beach alone isn't enough.
aquapark.lv ↗
Optional
[06] Restaurants to reserve
Ravintola Kuurna, Helsinki (Aug 7 evening)
Adults-only dinner while the au pair watches the kids. Small restaurant, books out weeks ahead in August. Reserve immediately.
Book now
Olde Hansa, Tallinn (Aug 11 lunch)
Medieval restaurant — kids think it's a real castle. Very popular, book a lunch slot in advance. Walk-ins don't work in August.
oldehansa.ee ↗
Before July
3 Pavāru Restorāns, Riga (Aug 15 evening)
The splurge dinner of the trip — one of the best restaurants in the Baltics. Book well in advance. Au pair evening number two.
3pavari.lv ↗
Book now
[07] Documents & admin
Check all passports are valid
Finland, Estonia, and Latvia are all Schengen. All passports need 6 months validity beyond Aug 17. Children's passports expire faster — check now.
Check now
Au pair travel documentation
Confirm your au pair has a valid passport and any required visa or work authorisation for all three countries. Requirements vary by nationality — check carefully.
Check now
Travel insurance for all 5
Get a policy covering the whole group including children. Must include medical evacuation and trip cancellation. Check if the au pair needs separate cover under your policy.
Book now