We will be arriving on a cruise ship in Helsinki, Finland & will be there from 6 AM to 6 PM. We generally don't like the crusie ship tours and like to do it on our own. Any suggestion on how to spend the day?

Dan

It's been several years but on a boat trip from Sweden to Helsinki we got into town (can't remember how - taxi/tram?) and went into a travel agency after wandering some main streets. There were 6 of us and we wanted a tour around Helsinki. They picked up the phone and a super nice lady (very knowledgeable) picked us up in a mini van (took no time at all). It was fabulous; we walked on the frozen Baltic (February) which I still talk about. And, saw all the highlights of the city.
You might Google tours in Helsinki. You'll have plenty of time to see the best sights.

Things we liked:

The Rock Church
Senate Square
Lutheran Cathedral
Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Market by the harbor
City of Helsinki Museum

See the places listed above.

I were there on a cruise a few years ago. There also was a wonderful market in the Square. We then got on a hop on bus and saw many of the above mentioned places. Got information at the tourist center near the Square on the bus.

Also after going back to the ship for lunch we walked back to a small dock near the Square and took a boat cruise/tour of the harbor area. It was an asolutely beautiful cruise.

No need to do a criuse tour.

You can walk from the dock to the center of town failrly easily.

There is a tourist office along the main street. If you are arriving at 6 am it is probably not yet open - it may be fun to go to the impressive Hotel Kamp along the main boulevard for a coffee first.

There is a tram that runs the same route as many of the sightseeing busses. I cannot remember the tram number. The tourist office can guide you, they even have a flyer that you can take for free to accompany the tram outlining what you are seeing at each tram stop.

Take the 3T tram. It will give you a good view of the city.

I found a website for Helsinki that has a number of interesting guided walks as well as a calendar with other tours available day by day, hour by hour.

www.helsinkiexpert.fi

This won't appeal to everyone as much as it did to me, but the tour of their amazing opera house was a highlight. What's more it's one of the best theatre tours I've ever had, including visits to the wigmaker, the ballet shoe repair shop, the costumers working on costumes, and the underground system for unloading scenery, etc. I also couldn't get over the wood planked floor in the balcony of the house itself. Every board is cut in an arc to match the curve of the balcony.
The outdoor museum set up as a village was interesting too.
And don't fail to eat peas in the square by the harbor, where you shell the peas, eat them raw, and throw the hulls on the ground. (If they are in season, that is.)

Visit to Suomenlinna, an island about 15 min ferry trip from the market square, it is an interesting island which was a sea fortress. There are different trips to several of the islands around Helsinki.