In Helsinki the ship you want and the terminal you need are two different questions. The port company says its passenger terminals serve Tallinn, Stockholm and Travemünde, and the short public ferry to the island fortress of Suomenlinna leaves from yet another place. Our Helsinki ferry hub lists the routes; this guide sorts out where to go and what to check.
1. Which terminal serves which company
The Port of Helsinki is a limited company owned by the City of Helsinki, according to its own About page. Its passenger-terminal pages name the companies at each terminal, and its departure board is the most direct check on the day.
| Terminal | Companies named by the Port of Helsinki | Getting there, as the port's pages state |
|---|---|---|
| West Terminal 2 (Jätkäsaari) | Tallink Silja Line and Eckerö Line, for Tallinn. | Trams 7, 9, 1T and 8T; the page gives about 6-9 minutes to the city centre. |
| Olympia Terminal | Tallink Silja Line. | Trams 2 and 3 stop at the terminal. |
| Katajanokka Terminal | Viking Line. | Not covered here; we could not open Viking Line's website. |
| Hansa Terminal, Vuosaari | Finnlines. | Not covered here. |
The Port of Helsinki page for West Terminal 2 calls the West Harbour the busiest passenger harbour in Finland. Tallink's own terminal page gives the address of West Terminal 2 as Tyynenmerenkatu 14.
2. A day in Tallinn
Tallink says its crossing takes two hours on the fast ships MyStar and Megastar, and approximately four hours on the cruise ferry Victoria I, depending on direction. It lists up to seven daily departures, up to six of them on the fast ships. It states that tickets can be booked up to 45 minutes before departure but recommends booking in advance, and that online check-in opens 24 hours before departure and runs to 30 minutes before. The gate closes 20 minutes before departure.
As a dated example, the Port of Helsinki departure board, updated on 29 October 2026, listed Tallinn departures for 30 October by Tallink Silja ships and Eckerö Line's Finlandia from West Terminal 2, and by Viking XPRS from Katajanokka. Treat that as one day's board, not a standing timetable. We have not checked the entry rules for Estonia.
3. Suomenlinna by public ferry
The Suomenlinna website, which calls itself the official website of Suomenlinna, says the HSL passenger ferry operates every day of the year from the Market Square to the main pier. The sea journey takes about fifteen minutes, and the ferry leaves from the eastern side of the Market Square, near the Presidential Palace. In summer there are several departures per hour; the page says even in winter there is at least one per hour.
The ferry is part of Helsinki's public transport network and all valid HSL tickets are accepted. Tickets must be bought before boarding because they are not sold on the ferry; the page names ticket machines at the Market Square, Katajanokka and Suomenlinna piers and the HSL app. It says there is no entrance fee to Suomenlinna. A separate water bus runs from early May to late September, as the page states.
4. The overnight ship to Stockholm
Tallink's terminal page says Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony run the Helsinki-Stockholm route from the Olympia Terminal, and that a journey of this length is for the Stockholm side of the hub to explain: the operator's page gives approximately 17 hours for the crossing described from Stockholm. The Olympia page says check-in is open every day from 14:45 to 16:15, ticket registration closes 30 minutes before departure and access to the ship closes 20 minutes before departure. It also says there is no customer service or ticket sales at Olympia during those hours; booking and payments outside check-in hours are at West Terminal 2, and cash is not accepted at Olympia.
On the departure board mentioned above, Silja Serenade was listed for 30 October at 16:45 from Olympia, towards Mariehamn and Stockholm. Again, that is one day's listing.
5. From the airport, and access questions
For the airport, the Port of Helsinki says that from West Terminal 2 you take trams 7 or 9 to the Rautatieasema stop and then bus 600 or the I or P trains, and from Olympia trams 2 or 3 to the Päärautatieasema stop and then bus 600 or the I or P trains. Tallink's own Olympia text names different buses (615, 615T and a Finnair City Bus) for the airport, so the two pages disagree: check the current route before you travel. If you fly in, our flights index covers the flight leg.
The Port of Helsinki states that all its passenger terminals are accessible and have accessible entrances, lifts and ramps, accessible toilets, signage and pick-up points. It offers a free assistance service in the terminal; you should tell your travel agent or shipping company at booking and at the latest 48 hours before departure, up to two pieces of luggage with a combined maximum weight of 35 kg may be carried, and on board the responsibility lies with the shipping company.
Suomenlinna itself is a different matter. Its accessibility page says it can be a challenging place to move around: roads are paved with stone, gravel or sand, uneven cobbled sections cannot be completely avoided, there are elevation changes and some routes are hilly. It describes a slightly easier route that starts at the main pier, and says up-to-date information based on weather is available at the Suomenlinna Visitor Centre during service hours.
6. Keeping a margin before your ship leaves
Work backwards from your cruise ship's all-aboard time, not forwards from the ferry's departure. A Tallinn day on a separate ticket is only as safe as your return crossing, so leave a long gap rather than a tight one. Two guides cover this: why separate tickets need a buffer and the all-aboard worksheet. For the full route list, return to the Helsinki ferry hub.
Checked on 29 October 2026: Port of Helsinki (About, terminal, connections, assistance and departure-board pages), Tallink (Helsinki to Tallinn route page and ports and terminals page) and the Suomenlinna website (arriving and accessibility pages). We could not open the Viking Line or HSL websites, and we did not open Eckerö Line or Finnlines route pages. No prices are quoted: check each operator before you book.