Helsinki Animal Activities: Korkeasaari
Helsinki Animal Activities: Korkeasaari
Helsinki’s animal life fits on one island. Korkeasaari, the city zoo since 1889, is the single place in town built around seeing animals, and it is a good one. Everything else nearby is either a forest where wildlife may or may not show up, or a train journey to Lapland. Plan around the zoo, and treat the rest as a bonus. Prices are in euros.
Getting to the island
Korkeasaari covers 22 hectares of its own Baltic island. The zoo’s own directions start at Kalasatama metro station: board tram 13, alight at Nihti and cross the Finkensilta footbridge. With the Crown Bridges open since 2026 and a dedicated zoo tram stop due late in 2026, so the last leg may get shorter during your trip; the HSL journey planner shows the current option. An AB ticket covers it: €3.30 in the HSL app, €3.50 tapping a bank card.
Tickets and opening times
Prices move with the date. An adult ticket runs from €22 to €29, a child’s from free to €20, and a student or senior ticket from €17 to €22. Look up your exact day on korkeasaari.fi , where tickets are priced by date. The zoo opens every day of the year; hours shift with the season, and on one early October day the gates were open 10:00 until 16:00, so in autumn and winter arrive close to opening to get the full day.
What lives there
The collection leans to northern and mountain species, many of them endangered:
- Snow leopards and Amur tigers, the two big cats.
- Wolverines, one of the northern species the zoo specialises in.
- Forest reindeer and European brown bears, the two most Finnish animals on the island.
- Africasia and Amazonia, twin tropical greenhouses, which double as a warm place to thaw out between enclosures.
Because so many of the residents come from cold places, Korkeasaari is one of the few zoos worth a visit in deep winter: the animals are in their element, and the greenhouses are there when you are not.
Winter footing
Between November and March the walk from the tram and the paths around the island can turn treacherous with the thin black ice locals call pääkallokeli. Deep-treaded rubber soles help, and pharmacies stock studded overshoe grips (liukuesteet) from roughly €15 to €25. Daylight near the solstice is under six hours, which is another reason to start early.
Beyond the zoo
Nuuksio National Park. Out in Espoo, about 60 minutes from the centre on a commuter train plus a bus, the park is a place to walk 2 km or 4 km marked loops among spruce and granite lakes. Any animals there are wild and unscheduled; there are no enclosures, feeding times or guaranteed sightings. How to get there: luontoon.fi .
Lapland. Husky sledding and reindeer belong to the far north, reached on VR’s overnight sleeper up to Rovaniemi. It is a separate trip of two nights or more rather than a city excursion. If huskies are the goal, compare husky rides from Rovaniemi on GetYourGuide and book them once the train is fixed.
Verdict: give Korkeasaari a half day and you have seen Helsinki’s animal activities properly; save huskies and herding country for a Lapland trip.
Read more: Helsinki family activities by age pairs the zoo with Suomenlinna and Oodi, and the two-day itinerary shows where an island morning fits.
Tip: check the zoo’s online calendar the evening before, pick the cheapest day if your dates are flexible, and arrive at opening time so a short winter day still covers the whole island.