Espoo

Understand

Espoo has several local regional centres, thus divided into seven major areas: Vanha-Espoo, Espoonlahti, Espoo, Kauklahti, Leppävaara, Matinkylä and Tapiola. The Espoo center (Espoon keskus) is the administrative centre, but doesn't rise above its peers with respect to population. The population is concentrated in an inverted F-shaped area defined by the railway to Espoo centre (north) and the highway Länsiväylä (south) up to Espoonlahti. The rest is sparsely populated, and north of Espoo centre, the area is mostly forested. While Kauniainen is an independent municipality, in practice it is contiguous with Espoo and has no notable sights or services to travellers besides a small shopping center. The science and technology-related campuses of the Aalto University are based in Otaniemi, Espoo, along with a thriving science community that includes numerous startups and organizations such as VTT – the Technical Research Centre of Finland. Nokia is headquartered in Karakallio, Espoo. Other high-tech companies such as KONE, Tekla and Fortum have their headquarters in Keilaniemi, Espoo, along with Microsoft's Finnish headquarters.

Tourist information Visit Espoo website

Getting there

By bus With respect to transit, the south of Espoo is served by the local highway, Länsiväylä. Buses via Länsiväylä to destinations in Espoo leave from the Kamppi bus station (Kamppi shopping centre, ground floor). The orbital line 550 connects the train stations of Oulunkylä and Huopalahti with the south-eastern part of Espoo (Leppävaara, Laajalahti, Otaniemi, Tapiola and Westend).

By train Northern Espoo and Espoo centre (Espoon keskus) are served by Helsinki commuter trains Y, U, L and E (25 min from Helsinki) to Middle- and West-Espoo. In addition, A train (every 10-20 minutes, 17 minutes from Helsinki) serves the east part of Espoo. See local train map. The 1 Leppävaara railway station. is the only long-distance railway station in Espoo, serving traffic between Helsinki and Turku. The other stations in Espoo are also located on the same line but only serve local traffic.

Southeastern Espoo is accessible from central Helsinki by metro, with trains every 3-10 minutes. Locations along the metro route include the Keilaniemi business district, Aalto University, Tapiola, Matinkylä and Kivenlahti, which serve as bus stations for feeder lines to destinations further afield. One in two trains terminates at Tapiola, while the rest continue all the way to Kivenlahti. The "Jokeri" orbital light rail (line 15) curves across eastern Espoo, connecting Keilaniemi, Aalto University, Leppävaara and then looping across northern Helsinki to terminate in Itäkeskus.

By plane

Espoo is served by 2 Helsinki Airport (HEL IATA). , from where it can be reached by taxi in half an hour or less. Also the public transport is quite convenient. Typical routes would be:

To southern Espoo, local train P from Helsinki Airport to Central Railway Station (Rautatientori), change to metro westbound (destination Tapiola or Matinkylä), change to feeder bus line if necessary. To northern Espoo, local train I from Helsinki Airport to Huopalahti, change to local train Y, U, L, E or A northbound (see local train map), change to feeder bus line if necessary.

By car Highways 1 and 51 pass through Espoo, as do the westernmost portions of ring road one and three.

By yacht There is a range of guest harbours in the archipelago. For reaching the mainland, there is at least the following:

3 Nuottaniemi, Nuottatie 19, ☏ +358 44-901-6138 (16:00–20:00 during the sailing season). Harbour of the yacht club Espoon pursiseura. There are a few guest berths and vacant member berths can be used as instructed by the harbour hands. Use them if your draught is more than 1.8 m. Water, WC, shower

Getting around

Espoo is part of the capital region's HSL public transport cooperation. See Helsinki#Get around for tickets, fares and some other general information. You may want to use HSL's journey planner or Google Maps.

By train Trains A, E, S, U run across Espoo. Train L runs late at night and on weekend mornings. Suburbs in southeastern Espoo including Tapiola and Matinkylä are connected by metro.

Jokeri light rail The first light rail line of the capital region called Jokeri was opened in 2023. In the Espoo area, the route runs from Keilaniemi to Vermo in Leppävaara, from where the route continues to the Helsinki side.

By bus Buses are frequent and convenient enough. Check the route planner for timetables. 1 Kauniainen is a part of the Espoo zone.

By electric kick scooter Swedish Voi, German Tier, American Lime and Finnish Joe Scooter rent electric kick scooters. The companies aim to keep the scooters available also in winter, conditions permitting, but the vehicles are not ideal in snowy or slippery conditions.

By boat Scheduled archipelago boat service, ☏ +358 43-825-3215. June–August, Tu–Su in peak season. Boat to some of Espoo's islands (municipal service), from several boat harbours. The ferries can also be used as 2–4 hr cruises, in this case, you need to buy a return ticket. Single €7, children 7–18 etc. €3.50, return €14/7. (updated Jun 2022)

By bike There are excellent cycling paths almost everywhere in Espoo, so it's worth cycling in a sunny day. Remember to wear a helmet. Detailed information of cyclist paths are available at HSL's website.]

Helsinki and Espoo City Bikes, ☏ +358 9 4257-8810, [email protected]. (updated Jun 2022)

By taxi Helsinki Limo, ☏ +358 20-787-0360, +358 20-787-0360, [email protected]. Will provide airport pick-ups, private car services as transfers and longer trips. Their vehicles are always new and black with leather interior. Drivers speak English and can even, by order, give short sightseeings. Lähitaksi, ☏ +358 100-7300 (extra charge: €1.92+€2.5/min+pvm). Traditionally the main taxi dispatch service in the capital region outside of Helsinki. Smartphone app: Taksini (updated Jul 2020) Uber. Uber uses licensed vehicles and drivers like everybody else, although the vehicle standard may differ more than what is otherwise common. (updated May 2019) Yango. Yango is a Russian company which offers cheap fares. (updated Jul 2020) Menevä Espoo, ☏ +358 50-471-0470 (head of office), toll-free: 0800-02120 (booking). As of July 2020 Also bookable by app or web. Fixed price based on calculate

See

1 The Gallen-Kallela museum, Gallen-Kallelan tie 27, ☏ +358 9 849 2340. 11:00-16:00. A small museum of the Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931) who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The museum is located in a castle-like house, Tarvaspää, on a rocky hill facing the sea, originally designed and built by Akseli Gallen-Kallela 1911–1913 as a combined home for his family and a studio. The museum presents not only the works of Akseli Gallen-Kallela, but also tells the story of his family and contains a collection of artefacts brought back from their travels to Africa. €8. 2 Otaniemi Campus, Otaniementie 8. The campus of Aalto University (former Helsinki University of Technology) was designed by Alvar Aalto in organic modernist style, and includes the Dipoli congress center designed by Reima and Raili Pietilä in an eccentric style (lacking in right angles). Most buildings of interest are located either on the main street, Otaniementie, or on Otakaari, a loop road going from Otaniementie via Dipoli to the dorm village (Teekkarikylä), returning to the other side of the main building. The Laajalahti nature protected area, a good birdwatching site, is accessed from Otaniemi. At the headquarters of the Geological Survey of Finland, there is a museum display of geology, minerals and in particular a piece of moon rock gifted by the United States. At Tekniikantie 1 is Mikes (Centre for Metrology and Accreditation), with Finland's most accurate clock on its wall. (updated Jul 2017) 3 EMMA, Ahertajantie 5. Hosts Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA) and a few other museums WeeGee exhibition centre 4 Glims Farmstead Museum (Glims gårdsmuseum), Glimsintie 1, Karvasmäki. Local open air museum. 5 Espoon automuseo (Espoo car museum), Bodomintie 35, Pakankylä. 6 Espoo cathedral, Kirkkokatu 1, ☏ +358 9 862-5000. The cathedral near Espoon Keskus is over 500 years old and built out of granite stone. free. 7 Marketanpuisto, Pehtorinkuja 3. This park is a permanent garden exhibition next to and operated by the Överby gardening vocational school. Stroll around and look at the works by the students. If you are an amateur gardener yourself, you'll perhaps get some ideas for your own garden. Free. 8 Espoo TV and radio mast (Espoon radio- ja televisioasema), Pellavakaskentie, Espoo (Latokaski district, 1 km walking from the closest bus stop (Latokasken koulu)). At 326 m, it is the tallest structure in the capital region and the third tallest in Finland (two other masts are 327 m high). It isn't the Eiffel tower – you can't c

Do

1 Espoo archipelago. Many small islands outside Espoo can be visited by boat in the summer. They are great for hiking and camping. 2 Classical music. Tapiola Sinfonietta is an orchestra specializing in Viennese classical music, but also plays modern music. They perform regularly in the Tapiolasali concert hall, sometimes together with international guest soloists. 3 Mini-Tapiola, Tapiola centre. 09:00-21:00. "Mini-Tapiola" is a children's play park featuring a miniature version of the centre of Tapiola, located in the centre of Tapiola itself. Here children can have fun and familiarise themselves with the Tapiola district and basic traffic rules, while being safely overseen by their parents. Free of charge. (updated Dec 2015) Espoo Waterfront Walkway (Rantaraitti). Any time. The Rantaraitti hiking trail runs along Espoo's entire coastline, from the border to Helsinki at Laajalahti all the way to the border to Kirkkonummi at Kauklahti. The trail is well marked with frequent Rantaraitti icons. You can start and end your hike at any point during the trail. Free. (updated Apr 2015) Laajalahti Nature Reserve, Elfvikintie, ☏ +358 9 816-54400, [email protected]. Bird wetland. It has a large nesting population and is also an important stop for migrating birds. Trails and bird watching towers. The Laajalahti bay consists mostly of shallow open water, but there are also a broad reedbed and shoreline groves and meadows. The nature centre Villa Elfvik is starting point for a 700 m nature trail and a 3-km trail to the southern end of the area by Otaniemi, where it combines with the Waterfront Walkway]. (updated Jun 2017) 4 Nuuksio National Park. This is a "go to" place in Espoo, being probably the most accessible "true Finnish forest" near Helsinki. There is parking and footpaths. Although one has a metalled path up to a beautiful lakeshore, none are completely accessible by wheelchairs or prams, since all include unmaintained sections with rocky slopes and/or tree roots blocking the way. Cinema Finnkino. Finnkino runs movie theatres in the shopping centres Iso Omena and Sello. Bio Grani (Kauniainen). Smaller independent cinema, showing mostly the bigger blockbusters. May have a matinée series of cheaper, more art house screenings supported by the local culture board. Kino Tapiola (Tapiola). Smaller independent cinema, showing mostly the bigger blockbusters. May have a matinée series of cheaper, more art house screenings supported by the local culture board. 5 Serena Water Amusement Park (Vesipuisto Serena), Tornimäentie 10 (Bus 236 from Leppävaara), ☏ +

Buy

Shopping centres

1 Sello, Leppävaarankatu 3-9. One of the largest shopping centres in Finland with excellent traffic connections. Local trains A, E, S, U, Y and the night train L all stop at Leppävaara station which is just beside the shopping centre. Also many bus routes serve the area. Selection of retailers is geared Finnish and international clothing and consumer electronics chains. The shopping centre features several cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets as well as two large grocery stores. 2 Iso Omena, Piispansilta 11. Large shopping centre serving the Matinkylä district. Bus lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 10K, 11, 31, 35, 112, 503, 132, 143, 145, 147, 150, 151, 154, 160 and 165. The selection of shops is fairly similar compared to the slightly larger Sello shopping centre, although there are some speciality shops geared towards a more upscale clientele. 3 Entresse and Espoontori. The two shopping centres, Entresse and Espoontori, serve the Central Espoo district near the Espoo train station. Local trains E, S, U and the night train L stop here. Both shopping centres are significantly smaller than the ones previously introduced. Espoontori features a grocery store, Tokmanni (a budget general store) and various smaller retailers. Entresse has a grocery store, jewellery shops and clothing stores. Tapiola shopping district, which includes Ainoa, a Stockmann, and numerous smaller shops. Smaller shopping centres are Lippulaiva in Espoonlahti; Olari Prisma next to Iso Omena on the opposite side of Länsiväylä; Niitty in Niittykumpu on the top of the district's metro station; Mankkaa and Viherlaakso; a hardware store area including the shopping centre Merituuli in Suomenoja; another similar area in Lommila and Muurala near Espoo centre, and numerous others. Most districts have at least one local grocery store (often with a couple of other shops and services in the same building).

Outlet shops 4 Iittala Outlet, Espoontie 25, Lommila. Home decoration and kitchen utensils. 5 Lumene, Lasihytti 1, Kauklahti (Kauklahti, Western Espoo; local trains E, S, U and the night train L stop at Kauklahti station). Finnish cosmetics manufacturer Lumene's factory outlet. 6 Espoon lahjatupa, Kirkkojärventie 3, Espoon keskus. An outlet shop rich in atmosphere selling Finnish handmade gifts and home decoration products.

Outdoor markets Like most cities in Finland you can buy fruits, vegetables, fish and more and sit down for a cup of coffee at outdoor markets (tori). They are open 09:00–17:00. For maps and information on events, Espoon torikauppiaat association webs

Eat

Budget 1 Student diners in Otaniemi, Otakaari 1 (several places in the area). lunchtime. The lunch restaurants of the Aalto University engineering schools offer cheap meals even for non-students. Most have 2–3 cheap options and one higher-price option. €5–8. 2 Maukas, Vuorimiehentie 5 (in Otaniemi), ☏ +358 40-705-0157, [email protected]. M–F 10:30–14:00. Family-run lunch restaurant in Otaniemi, Espoo. €10.90. (updated Jun 2022) 3 Fazer Food & Co., Maarintie 8, ☏ +358 50-417-6537, [email protected]. M–F 10:30–13:30. €7.55, dessert €1.65. (updated Jun 2022) 4 Pizzaman, Lippajärventie 29, ☏ +358 9 512-0512. M–F 10–21:00, Sa Su 12:00–21:00. Pizzaman is next to the K-Kauppa grocery store. Large pizzas. regular pizzas €6–8. 5 Ravintola Haukimuori, Iivisniemenkatu 2D. A lunch restaurant in Iivisniemi district with home cooked delicious food. lunch €8. 6 Täffä, Otakaari 22. Perhaps the most famous of the university student restaurants in Otaniemi, owned by the Teknologföreningen student association. Located in a nice-looking functionalist building, easy to spot by the long ledge hanging over its main entrance.The restaurant is mainly for university students but is open for everyone, non-students just pay more. Still cheap.Five choices available each day, of which one is vegetarian and one is a fancier and costlier à la carte option. Most famous for its spaghetti bolognese, served every Wednesday, perhaps the best spaghetti bolognese in Espoo. On Wednesdays, prepare for long queues, taking almost fifteen minutes just to get to order your food. €3 (for Finnish students) to €8. (updated Nov 2017) 7 Sodexo Keilasatama 5, Keilasatama 5 (Metro station Keilaniemi, bus 555), ☏ +358 50-380-8490. M–F 11:00–13:00. €11.30. (updated May 2021) 8 Peshawar, Kutojantie 3, ☏ +358 9 888-1520. (updated Jul 2022) 9 Kalajärven pizzeria, Ruskaniitty 4 (in Kalajärvi; along the road 120), ☏ +358 9 855-6856, [email protected]. M–F 10:00–, Sa Su 11:00–22:00. €9–14. (updated Sep 2023)

Mid-range

10 Deli Rasoi, Siltakatu 11, ☏ +358 9 428-91892. M–Th 10:30–21:00, F–Su 11:00–22:00. Tasty and authentic Indian food. Great value for the price. Lunch buffet €9.20 (M–F), €12 (weekend), mains from €12. 11 Dylan & Friends, Keilaniementie 1 (in the Accountor Tower building, take the escalators on the left), ☏ +358 40-125-8838, [email protected]. 10:30 to 14:00, closed weekends. A lunch restaurant in the Accountor Tower office building. Serves buffet lunch on weekdays. €14.50. (updated Jun 2025) 12 E.T. Charlie, Ukkohauentie 11–13, ☏ +358 9 886-01761, [email protected]. 11:0

Drink & nightlife

Cafés

1 Café Mellsten, Mellstenintie 6. Located near the beach in Haukilahti. As well as a café, also serves tasty and cheap lunch consisting of soup or pasta. 2 Bembölen kahvitupa (Bemböle kaffestuga), Bellinmäki 1 (Bemböle district). Traditional café with century-old history next to the King's Road. 3 Café Ankkuri, Sateenkaari 9 (Otsolahti district). 4 Café WeeGee, Ahertajantie 5 (Tapiola district). 5 Café Merenneito, Koukkuniementie 1A (Matinkylä district). 6 Kahvila Satakieli, Elfvikintie 4 (Laajalahti district). 7 Kaisan Café, Itätuulenkuja 8 (Tapiola district). Located in the "Sampokuja" building in central Tapiola. Open on weekdays only. Try their cinnamon buns, they're tasty, huge (perhaps the biggest in Espoo) and quite cheap. 8 Vasikkasaaren kahvila, Iso Vasikkasaari Island. 9 Teen Challenge Finland meeting place, Kala-Matti 3 C, ☏ +358 44-972-7777, [email protected]. Tu Th 11:00–15:00. Community café. Free of charge coffee and buns. (updated Jun 2022)

Bars and pubs 10 Base, Leppävaarankatu 3-9 (in Sello mall). A cosy place for a drink, also situated at Sello. 11 Bodom Bar & Sauna, Merituulentie 35 (near the Niittykumpu metro station), ☏ +358 500-111-121. A restaurant bar dedicated to the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom. Public sauna included. 12 Gallows Bird, Länsituuli 5 (in the Ainoa shopping centre), ☏ +358 50-330-4990, [email protected]. 14:00 to 00:00 mostly. A brewpub located in the Ainoa shopping centre. A wide variety of different beers on tap, and they brew their own beers as well. A spacious outdoor terrace, but no spectacular views from the terrace to speak of. The pub also serves banh mi and tacos if you're hungry. Beer about €10. (updated Sep 2025) 13 Mitta ja Hana (former pub Satulinna), Kirstintie 5. Likely the most famous pub in Espoo. 14 William K, Leppävaarankatu 3-9 (in Sello mall). A passable beer pub with nice sunny outdoor seating.

Nightclubs Most people head east to Helsinki when they're planning a night out, but there are a couple of night clubs in Espoo as well.

15 Bada Bing, Itätuulenkuja 10. The former Fellini/Aladdin is in the Tapiola district and attracts many young adults. R-22. 16 Club Kannunkulma, Kannusillankatu 2. A restaurant in the daytime, and some form of entertainment every night. 17 Bella Ciao, Piispansilta 11 A (in the Iso-Omena mall). F Sa nights until 04:00. The place to go in Matinkylä. Like the others it is also a restaurant during the daytime. R-18

Sleep

Budget 1 Espoo Camping Oittaa, Kunnarlantie 31, ☏ +358 9 863-2585, [email protected]. Open from end of May to end of August. Slightly shabby, yet friendly place. A nice beach at lake Bodom just some 200 m from the entrance. €30 / 2 adults + 2 children. 2 Hostel Margereteberg, Pehtorinkuja 3, Järvenperä. 3 Solvallan urheiluopisto, Nuuksiontie 82, Nuuksio. 4 Tapiola Garden City Apartment, Kauppamiehentie 2. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Modern and clean apartment in Tapiola garden city with easy access to Aalto University and metro. (updated Feb 2026)

Mid-range 5 Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden, Tapionaukio 3, ☏ +358 20-123-4616, fax: +358 20 1234 617, [email protected]. A largish, modern hotel in a pleasant neighbourhood of Tapiola. 154 (all non-smoking) rooms, sauna, exercise facilities, wireless Internet access, restaurant and bar. Convenient transport to Helsinki center by bus. Rooms in the northern part of the hotel have a scenic view facing a large pool. From €83. 6 Scandic Espoo, Nihtisillantie 1, ☏ +358 9 435-20. A chain hotel next to highway 1, best suited for those traveling by car as there isn't very much to see within walking distance. 7 Hotel Hanasaari (Hotell Hanaholmen), Hanasaarenranta 5 (on the Hanasaari island). Located in the Laajalahti bay between Espoo and Helsinki, Hanasaari island fits exactly the hotel, a short road to it and a stretch of the highway Länsiväylä. Hanasaari hotel hosts a Swedish cultural centre and is often used for conferences. It is also within a walking distance (1 km) from the Keilaniemi business district. Very easy to reach by bus via bus stops on the Länsiväylä. Notice that there is an unrelated Hanasaari power plant in Helsinki; ask the taxi driver for the hotel in Espoo! The hotel rooms offer magnificent sea views through their huge windows. (updated Nov 2015) 8 Hotel Korpilampi, Korpilammentie 5 (in Lahnus; near the Serena Waterpark), ☏ +358 9 613-8411, [email protected]. €50–100.

Splurge 9 GLO Hotels Sello, Leppävaarankatu 1, ☏ +358 10-344-4200, [email protected]. Anew design hotel next to Sello shopping center. doubles from €110, cheaper weekend rates. 10 Radisson Blu Hotel, Espoo, Otaranta 2 (Aalto University campus in Otaniemi), ☏ +358 20-123-4705, [email protected]. Popular among business travellers and academic visitors because of its location. doubles from €110.

Go next

West: Kirkkonummi–Siuntio–Ingå–Raseborg (Karis–Ekenäs–Pojo)–Hanko — The next cities westwards accessible by bus, train or car. North: Vantaa–Klaukkala–Hyvinkää