Finland Weather in May 2025: Travel Tips for First-Timers

In May, Finland starts to see milder weather, making it a better time of year to visit if you don't love freezing temperatures. We suggest visiting Helsinki, Fiskars, Tampere, and Inari. Read on to find out more about travel and weather, including temperatures, rainfall, humidity, and tips for May.

Content Preview

• 1. Weather Overview
• 2. Best Places to Visit
• 3. Crowds and Costs
• 4. What to Wear

Finland Weather in May: Overview

Averages: 

• Temperature range: 5–15°C (40–58°F)
• Rainfall: 4 cm (2 inches)
• Rainy/snowy days: 8
• Sunshine hours/day: 9
• Humidity: around 64% (damp in Finland)

May might not be the official start of spring in Finland (that is March), but it is when the temperatures start to become milder. The days also become much longer, with an average of 9 hours of sunshine per day, and even more than that in the north of the country.

In terms of humidity, Finland is damp in May at around 64% on average, with 8 rainy days, seeing approximately 4 cm (2 inches) of rainfall.

May Climate Comparison (Averages) for Finland's Top Tourism Areas

The Best Places to Visit in Finland in May

May's temperatures being milder, this is a great time of year to explore the outdoors, and spend more time walking around outside. It's also a good time of the year to visit the north of the country, seeing as temperatures are no longer quite as cold!

We suggest spending some time in the south of the country, around Helsinki, Tampere, and Fiskars, and then heading over to Inari in Lapland, located in the very north of the country, to learn about Sami culture and visit a reindeer farm.

If you need some help planning your time in Finland, or would like our experts to put together your ideal itinerary, reach out to Global Highlights. Our Finland experts can put together the trip of a lifetime for you, and you won't have to do any of the organizing! Start planning your trip to Finland today.

1. See the Best of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki

Helsinki has some iconic architecture, and for anybody visiting with an interest in architecture, we highly suggest spending some time in the Töölönlahti area.

The Töölönlahti area is home to the beautiful Finlandia Hall, designed by famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Next to this, there is Parliament House, as well as the nearby Temppeliaukio Rock Church, an underground church built inside natural bedrock. Built in 1969, it is an active Lutheran church, but also one of the most interesting churches in the country architecturally.

Next to Parliament House, you will also find the Oodi Library, which was recently finished (in 2018) and has become one of the best-known examples of Finland's modern architecture. For more examples of modern architecture, the Musiikkitalo Concert Hall aims to combine a sense of openness to facilitate dialogue and interaction between musicians, students, and the audience.

If you are interested in musical performances, there are some great performances on there too, local as well as international acts. Global Highlights can help you book an event for your time there. Contact us to plan your Helsinki trip.

2. Hike near Tampere's Stunning Näsijärvi Lake

Näsijärvi is a lake in southern Finland, and the biggest one in the Tampere area, at 256 square kilometers (or 99 square miles). Its location is 95 meters (or 312 feet) above sea level, and it is usually frozen between February and March.

There are many walks that you can do around the lake, depending on your fitness level and depending on how long you would like to be outside. For a walk that combines lake views and city scenes, we suggest the Rathaus loop from Keskustori, which is an intermediate hike. This should take around 2½ hours and is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) long, and all paths are accessible.

For an easy hike fully out in nature, there is the Soukonvuori nature preserve loop from Niihama, which takes only around an hour with very little incline. The paths are clearly indicated, and you'll get beautiful views of the forests and the lake without distraction from the city.

Another great walk near Tampere is the Pyyniki Natural Trail from the Pyynikki Observation Tower, which you can read more about in visiting Finland in April.

3. Explore Fiskars Ironworks Village on a Guided History Tour

Fiskars Village in the south of the country is probably best known for producing the iconic scissors with orange plastic handles, which were first created in 1967, and today it is a lovely place to visit to learn more about its iron-working history and how this shaped the region.

It's possible to take a guided history tour throughout Fiskars Village to learn more about its history with iron production and move towards copper production after the discovery of copper nearby. This tour will also take you through its museum.

Today, the town has a huge artist community, and activities include making your own candles, wellness retreats and workshops, a glass-blowing studio, yoga, painting, and a tasting tour at the old factory.

There is also a beautiful mansion designed in 1818 by an Italian architect, Charles Bassi, which was built as the main building of the company.

4. Learn about Sami Culture in Inari, and Visit a Reindeer Farm

In the very north of Finland, Lapland is home to the Sami people. Traditionally, the indigenous Sami people inhabited parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia, and today there is a population in Finland.

The village of Inari is a great place to start your journey in the north of Finland and learn about Sami culture. In Inari, you'll find authentic handicrafts, artisan shops, and beautiful nature in which you can go on a lake cruise, for a hike, go biking, go paddling, or even go river rafting.

While you are there, we highly suggest visiting the Siida Sami Museum and Nature Center, where getting a tour guide will help you learn about this community.

The area is also home to reindeer, and there are reindeer farms where you can meet the reindeer, feed them, and discover their importance in history and culture up to this day. Many of these reindeer farms are run by local Sami families, and going for a visit will give you some insight into their way of life, growing and hunting much of their own food.

Inari is also not far from Rovaniemi, the home of Santa Claus.

Low Season: Less Expensive and Fewer Crowds

May is low season for tourism in Finland, and you will find fewer crowds as well as lower prices for accommodation and transportation as a result.

In May, there are several public holidays, including May 1 annually, which is May Day. Originally a day to celebrate spring's arrival, today May Day in Finland involves lots of carnivals, costumes, and parties throughout the country.

On May 29 in 2025, Ascension Day is celebrated as a public holiday. This is a Christian celebration to commemorate the Ascension of Christ to heaven 40 days after his resurrection. You might find that some of the churches or cathedrals are closed to tourists for services on this day.

Then on June 8 in 2025, Finland celebrates the feast of Pentecost the seventh Sunday after Easter. On this day, an even-greater percentage of Finland's mostly-Christian population attend churches for a special service, which thus might not be open for tourists.

What to Wear in May

In May, we suggest wearing lots of layers to ensure that you always stay warm enough, but have the ability to take some off in case you come across a warmer day. It's still necessary to bring a winter coat, and a thick winter coat at that if you are hoping to travel up to Lapland.

We do suggest bringing a scarf, gloves, a hat, and thick socks as well as supportive footwear for walking to ensure you can make the most of your time in Finland without feeling cold, particularly in the evenings and early mornings.