Tips, photos, and practical ideas from our family trip to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia—visiting friends and touring with the London Oriana Choir. Here’s what we learned about traveling to Helsinki and Tallinn with kids.
Here’s something I don’t often mention: I sing. A lot.
Not only in the car (though, let’s be honest, definitely in the car), and not just that private sidewalk singing you think sounds incredible through your noise-cancelling headphones. I mean proper choral singing.
Choral singing has been part of my life for years.
Choral singing love
It’s contagious—our daughters sing, too. The older one is now about the age I was when I started, which means I’ve been singing in choirs across a whole generation. I took a long break in my twenties when work and life in NYC left little time for it. I even wondered briefly if my hobby was standing between me and whatever glamorous life I imagined. Turns out it wasn’t. I came back to it, embraced my geekiness, and left my twenties behind.
I don’t always talk about singing because it feels almost impossible to describe without diminishing it. How do you explain a hobby that seems to bend time, align heartbeats, and push you close to transcendence when it’s working? Sometimes it’s better to keep it private.
Still—there I am, in the front row, black sleeveless top, hair looking different than I think it does, and that photo was taken in Estonia. You can’t say that every day.
London Oriana Choir
Half the people in that photo can claim singing in Tallinn every day—they’re members of the Estonian Mixed Choir of the European Capital of Culture. The rest are from the London Oriana Choir, directed by Dominic Peckham, with whom I had the privilege to sing while living in England. The group is full of astonishingly talented people. Britain’s strong choral tradition teaches children to read music and sing from a young age, and that musical fluency shows when you sing alongside adults raised in that culture. It’s something I miss.
My time with the choir included celebrating their 40th anniversary season; I even made a cake for the occasion. We performed at St. Paul’s Covent Garden and premiered a new piece by composer Toby Young. It was a special season, and collaborating with musicians from other places remains one of the best perks of touring.
Visiting Helsinki and Tallinn
Oriana’s touring schedule is what brought our family to Estonia and Finland last spring (and Northern Ireland in the fall). We might not have visited these places otherwise. Touring with musicians from other cultures feels like the best kind of travel—part cultural exchange, part adventure. Seeing Belfast and Tallinn through that lens was especially meaningful; being welcomed by local singers transformed how we experienced those cities.
The old town of Tallinn
These photos show a slice of Tallinn’s Old Town, a compact UNESCO World Heritage site with a long, layered history. I’ll skip a detailed history lesson, but one thing worth noting: in 2013 Estonians marked the start of their longest period of uninterrupted independence—an impressive milestone after centuries of changing rule. Given that history, it’s remarkable how much medieval architecture stands intact in the city.
Tallinn today
Modern Tallinn is cosmopolitan and relaxed. You may find it familiar until you come upon landmarks like the soaring Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a reminder of Russian imperial influence. Tourists arrive from across the world, and the dining scene ranges from traditional Estonian fare to vegan spots. One surprising trend: many British hen and stag parties visit for the weekend. Cheap alcohol and short ferry rides from Helsinki make Tallinn a popular party destination for travelers from Finland and beyond.
How to get between Tallinn and Helsinki
We crossed between Helsinki and Tallinn on a fast ferry—an economical and frequent option. For our trip we flew into and out of Helsinki because flights were cheaper for the four of us, and that gave us the bonus of time in Finland as well.
I admit I was a little giddy about being in Finland and spent some time hunting for salads without meat—turns out, kinkku shows up in surprising places. It took a few days to stop feeling like a tourist in Finland, which, coincidentally, was about how long we stayed.
Where to stay in Helsinki with kids
In Helsinki we booked our first Airbnb—an adorable studio that felt straight out of the IKEA catalog. It was cozy, well-equipped, and a handy alternative to a hotel for a family of four. After that trip we started choosing apartments more often and began to forget what staying in hotels felt like.
What to do in Helsinki with kids
Helsinki charmed us for many concrete reasons. In late May the long sunny days and pleasant weather made it easy to see why residents enjoy living there. Even in the city center northern character is obvious—clean, practical, and quietly stylish.
Helsinki balances historic architecture with modern life. From the iconic Helsinki Cathedral to lively residential neighborhoods, the city blends cobblestones and trams with quirky shops and well-designed public spaces. It felt comfortable and interesting in equal measure—an inviting place to explore with children.
Where to eat in Helsinki with kids
One of the highlights was being invited to a friend’s home for dinner—a wonderful way to experience local food and hospitality. Around our neighborhood we found several casual, family-friendly places. Qulma (meaning “Corner”) was a lively lunch spot with daily soup and baked potato options that we enjoyed. We also shopped at a gourmet market, where we picked up ingredients to cook in our apartment one evening and discovered a vegetable bouillon we loved.
TTYL
I enjoyed revisiting those travel memories and hope you did too. I have more travel posts to share, plus an upcoming Easter recipe. For now, that’s all travel and almost no singing—promise.
Talk to you soon.