Is the SkyWheel Helsinki Worth It? My Honest Thoughts.

I was recently in Helsinki picking up a car and I found myself with a few extra hours. I considered hitting up a museum, but I looked outside the window where I was and saw the SkyWheel Helsinki.

For as many times as I’ve visited Finland’s capital, I had never gone on the SkyWheel.

I quickly booked a ticket on GetYourGuide and started making my way to the Helsinki Ferris wheel. In this guide, I will discuss whether or not I think SkyWheel Helsinki is worth it, how to book a ticket, and some things to note for your journey.

Let me know if you have any questions about the SkyWheel Helsinki… thanks!

About SkyWheel Helsinki

SkyWheel Helsinki opened in June 2014 under its initial name, the Finnair SkyWheel. Located on the Katajanokka Harbor, it is situated at the place where Finnair had its flight operations origins in the 1920s.

The famous Ferris wheel is 40 meters tall (or 131 feet) and offers some of the most impressive views over Helsinki, especially the nearby Uspenski Cathedral.

One of the most ‘Finnish’ things about the SkyWheel is that it has a sauna in one of the gondola cabins! It is the first of its kind and you can book it (for a somewhat hefty price… but I’ll get into that later in the post).

There is also a VIP gondola that has leather chairs and a glass floor. This cabin can accommodate 4 passengers and the SkySauna cabin can accommodate five. The normal cabins (the one I went on) accommodate six people, and there are twenty-nine of them.

During the winter months, the cabins are heated. I went in the summer, and there was a cracked window in mine, which kept the temperature plenty cool despite the sun beaming inside!

Around the SkyWheel is a summer terrace. There is a bar, lounge chairs, beanbags, and more! This is not open during the winter months, but it was still a pretty cool perk in the summer.

At the bar, you can purchase drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, ice cream, and coffee. They also had an array of chips if you wanted something light to snack on. There is also a place to purchase Champagne there.

How to Book a Ticket on the SkyWheel Helsinki

I booked my ticket on GetYourGuide because I wanted to secure it before arriving at the SkyWheel. Turns out, you can just walk up and book it on the spot with no issues at all. I was there when a cruise ship was in port and there was practically no line, so I don’t anticipate there will be any issue getting on when you arrive.

The ticket was (surprisingly) the same price on their website as it was on GetYourGuide. So, if you’re booking other tours via GetYourGuide for Helsinki, you can throw that in there, and you won’t need to put your credit card in a system again. However, if this is your only ticket or tour, I would just purchase on the spot, as the pre-purchased ticket with GetYourGuide offered me no saved time in the queue.

Types of Tickets & Experiences

There are a few types of tickets available. Here are the ones you can book, but keep in mind that you will need to pre-book (which you can do on their website) the VIP experience and the SkySauna.

Normal Ticket (Cheapest Option)

This is what I did. It is the cheapest option and you can pre-book it if you wish, but you don’t really need to. If you pre-book with GetYourGuide, you will still need to enter their queue and confirm your ticket, so it saves no time.

You can also pre-book on their website, but it is just easier to get there and do it; that way, you can ensure the experience is for you before committing to it.

This trip is 12 minutes long and the wheel goes around 4 times. You will get your photo taken beforehand (if you wish) and the digital version is free later, or you can purchase a printed photo for €12.50.

These cabins accommodate groups up to 6 people and if you’re solo, like I was, you will have the gondola to yourself! You can also purchase a Champagne ride, which is €29 for the Champagne and gondola ticket. This just gives you a glass of Champagne for your journey.

Veuve Clicquot VIP Experience

Another option you have in the SkyWheel is the VIP Experience. With this, you will find four leather seats, a glass floor, and tinted windows. It also comes with a bottle of Champagne. This ride is 30 minutes long and starts at €195 for a group of 4 (or fewer).

You can find more information on their website, including how to book.

SkySauna Helsinki Ticket

The last option (and perhaps the most famous!) is the SkySauna option. This is literally a sauna in a gondola. It can accommodate up to 5 people and prices vary depending on the day of the week. The prices are as follows:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: €240 per hour
• Wednesdays and Thursdays: €260 per hour
• Fridays and Sundays: €290 per hour
• Saturdays: €320 per hour

This is a 1-hour journey and you can book extra hours for 50% of the main price and extra people are charged at €30/pp. You can find more information on their website, including how to book.

Opening Hours

The SkyWheel is open during the following times:

• Monday through Thursday: 10am until 9pm
• Friday and Saturday: 10am until 10pm
• Sunday: 10am until 8pm

Double-check before you head there to ensure the hours haven’t switched last-minute (or seasonally).

Things to Know & Tips

There is not much to know before going, but here are a few things I think are important to take note of:

✅ If you are afraid of heights, you probably should opt out. I am scared of heights, but am okay in Ferris wheels as long as I don’t move about much. This also may not be for the claustrophobic traveler (if you’re going with a larger group).

✅ The windows are tinted blue. I guess it is to stop harsh light from getting inside and heating it up too much. But, it can make for some weird photos. So, if you’re excited to see the city from above to get pretty photos, you may want to opt out. Here is an unedited photo from inside the gondola at the top:

The rest of the pictures I edited the coloring a little for the guide to clean them up.

✅ There may be a cruise ship in your way, which obstructs the harbor view a bit. I went during the afternoon, and you could only see in one direction for a lot of it as a result.

If you’re going at night, you likely will see lights more than defined buildings. Still pretty, but just know this.

Is it worth going on the SkyWheel Helsinki?

It is only €15 per person, so it wasn’t too bad. But, I think if it costs any more than that, I would say it is not worth it.

The cruise ship obstructing the harbor was a little annoying, but probably because the time of the day I went had the sun beaming in other directions, so I could only easily see from one angle. Oh well.

I would say it is worth it if you’re traveling with kids and want to get off your feet for a bit. But, I wouldn’t say it is an absolute must on a trip to Helsinki.

Let me know if you have any questions about going on SkyWheel Helsinki. Thanks!

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