Things to Do in Tampere
Discover 17 activities and experiences in Tampere, Finland — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Rajaportin sauna
The oldest still-functioning public sauna in Finland. Located in historical Pispala, easily reached with buses 1, 13, 18, 19, 25 and 26. In old days, people who didn't have a sauna of their own went to a public sauna to clean up. In addition to seeing a piece of history, you can experience one of the best quality saunas in the world: the stove is three cubic meters in size and contains over a ton of stones that are heated literally glowing red with burning logs. After simmering for couple of hours, the sauna is ready for the customers, and it doesn't get any bigger or better than this!
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- Pispalan valtatie 9
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- Mon, Wed 18-22, Fri 15-21, Sat 14-22
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- Adults €5 (Fridays until 17 and Mondays €3), children (7-16) €1
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Ice swimming
During winter, you can combine sauna with ice swimming: drill a hole into the ice cover of a lake and hop in! The water under the ice stays at constant temperature of +4°C, and is ''very'' refreshing. You can try ice swimming at '''[http://www.talviuimarit.fi/sauna_in_english/ Kaupinojan sauna] ''', [http://www.talviuimarit.fi/sauna_in_english/sauna_opening_hours_and_prices_c/] or '''[http://www.rauhaniemi.net/english.htm Rauhaniemen kansankylpylä] ''' on Rauhaniementie near hotel Holiday Club Tampere.
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Viikinsaari Island
On a sunny summer day take a 20-minute boat trip [http://www.hopealinja.fi/sivut/english/viikinsaari_island.htm] from Laukontori (few blocks south of the central square) to Viikinsaari Island. There are beaches for swimming, playgrounds for kids, places for barbecuing (buy food beforehand, there is no store on the island) and a restaurant with a dance pavilion on the island. However, most of the island is a nature reserve, and there is a short nature trail around the island.
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- Price for the boat: adults 10€, seniors and students 8€, and children (4-17) 5€, family 25€
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Downhill skiing
There are two small skiing hills in Tampere. One is in Hervanta (buses 13, 23 and 30 eastbound). The longest slope in Hervanta is 350 meters with altitude change of 59 meters. The other hill is in Mustavuori (buses 70 and 71 westbound), near Kalkku. The longest slope in Mustavuori is 350 meters with altitude change of 69 meters. Both hills offer courses and equipment rental.
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Hiking
In Finland, everyone has a right of public access to the wilderness provided that you don't cause damage. In Tampere, good hiking/jogging/cycling/skiing grounds with marked paths can be found in the Pyynikki and Kauppi forests. In Hervanta, there's a popular 4km loop trail around lake Suolijärvi (take bus number 30 to get there).
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Fishing
You can fish at the Tammerkoski rapids that run right through the city center. You need to purchase a fishing permit from a nearby R-kioski (Hatanpään valtatie 2), tourist office (Verkatehtaankatu 2) or a vending machine at the wall of restaurant Rosso. You may catch at most three salmonoids a day, whitefish not included.
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- €4 for 4 hours, €4.50 for full day
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Ice walking
A popular pastime during sunny midwinter day is to go for an ice walk. In March people walk about a 1 km trip to a small island of Siilinkari on lake Näsijärvi and have a picnic. Be aware that it's only safe to walk on well-frozen lake. Only go if you see other people (and not just ice-fishers) doing so.
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Holiday Club Tampere Spa
A spa hotel, about 1 km from the city centre, built into an old cotton mill situated next to a marina. The large spa department offers swimming pools, jacuzzis, a children's pool, saunas, a steam room, and spa treatments also for day visitors.
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- Lapinniemenranta 12
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- 7:30-21:00
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- Spa from €6 to €18, other services available also.
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Festa de Novembro
A samba show to celebrate November, held by the local samba school União da Roseira. The event also includes the selection of Roseira's new passista dancer for next year's carnivals, voted by the audience. Held on a Saturday in late November.
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- Sammonkatu 2
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- 7 PM to 9 PM
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- 15 €
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Guided bus tour
A comfy way to get acquainted with the city's attractions and neighborhoods in less than two hours. Departs from the railway station at 11 during summer months. Tickets are sold in at the tourist office in the railway station.
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- 17€ adults, 4€ children
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Cinema Plevna
1653 seats divided into ten halls. The largest room has 495 seats a 136 m2 screen. All halls have been made to meet the latest quality standards. Plevna shows mainstream movies in their original language with subtitles.
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- Itäinenkatu 4
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Charter cruises
To Hämeenlinna (a leisurely 8 hours), to Nokia (a neighboring town, not the company) or just on the lake are popular in the summer. There are many regular boat routes on both lakes (Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi).
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Ice hockey
Tampere has two ice hockey teams, '''[http://www.tappara.fi/liiga/english.html Tappara] ''' and '''[http://www.ilves.com/english.php Ilves] ''', which are among the most successful in Finland.
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- Keltinkatu 2
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Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
The best of the classics and new works. One of the largest symphonic orchestras in the Nordic countries plays in Tampere Hall.
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South Park
June. Heavy metal festival in Southern Park. Started in 2014 following the bankruptcy of Sauna Open Air festival.
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Ravintolalaiva Tampere
Restaurant ship Tampere makes lunch and dinner cruises on lake Pyhäjärvi. Departs from Laukontori harbor.
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- Lunch €19, dinner €26 including the cruise, food buffet and entertainment
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Exploring Tampere: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Tampere rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 17 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Tampere and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Tampere's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Tampere has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Tampere, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Tampere's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 17 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Tampere's Activities
Timing matters in Tampere. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Tampere has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Tampere is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Tampere offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Tampere coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Tampere's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Tampere's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 17 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Tampere
One of the best things about traveling to Tampere is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Tampere right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Tampere to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Tampere often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Tampere?
Tampere offers 17+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Rajaportin sauna, Ice swimming, Viikinsaari Island, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Tampere?
Yes — Tampere has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Tampere?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Tampere. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Tampere use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Tampere?
Tampere has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Tampere with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Tampere right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
