Boat Tours to Archipelago Museum Pentala

Welcome to a journey back in time! In July-August 2026, JT-Line will once again operate the very popular archipelago cruises from Helsinki’s Market Square to the Pentala Archipelago Museum. 

The earliest logs of the oldest building of the Pentala fishing farm museum are dated to have been felled in 1791. Ship traffic from Helsinki to Espoo began in the 1860s. Steamships were a popular means of transport to the archipelago, and summer residents even traveled on them daily between Helsinki and Espoo. In the salons of the Golden Age ships, gentlemen socialized or played cards during the sea voyage. During the cruise, you can experience glimpses of the atmosphere of over a hundred years ago. The Pentala Archipelago Museum also opens windows into the past, highlighting the diverse aspects of archipelago life – from everyday chores to villa life and leisure activities.

This half-day trip starts from the Helsinki Market Square. The vessel follows an old steamboat route toward the historic fishing estate on the island of Pentala. During the outbound journey, passengers will hear fascinating stories along the way—there’s plenty to share about the rich history and the many traditions of island life! The route also passes by the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, a significant part of Finland’s history and cultural heritage. Suomenlinna is one of Finland’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of Helsinki’s most notable attractions. Onboard commentary is available in Finnish and English. In addition, the commentory texts are available in Swedish and German.

Upon arrival at Pentala, visitors can explore the charming old fishing estate, which has been restored and now operates as an open-air museum. Guests can tour the museum independently using a mobile guide or a guide map available onboard. For the more adventurous, there’s also a 2.3 km nature trail that winds through the island’s beautiful archipelago scenery. The trail begins at the courtyard of the Pentala House Museum, loops via the sandy beach of Diksand, and returns to the museum. From Diksand’s natural beach, there are stunning views of Espoo’s outer archipelago.

Next to the Archipelago Museum, you’ll find the idyllic Pentala Cafe. The Amiraali vessel also features a cafe with a licensed bar, offering a selection of sweet and savory snacks, ice cream, and both hot and cold beverages. Please note that bringing your own food on board is not permitted (with the exception of food for small children).

The vessel can also accommodate passengers with strollers, and dogs are welcome on the ship’s sun deck. Please ensure that dogs are kept on a leash both onboard and while visiting Pentala.

The tours are carried out aboard JT-Line’s vessel Amiraali.
More information about the Museum here.

Excursion schedule:

• Departure from Helsinki Market Square at 10:00 (boarding starts at 9:30)
• Arrival in Pentala at 11:45 AM
• Time to explore the Archipelago Museum and Pentala Island from 11:45 AM to 2:15 PM.
• Departure from Pentala at 2:15 PM (ship arrives at Pentala pier at 1:45 PM)
• Arrival back at Helsinki Market Square at 4:00 PM.ä

Departure pier

The excursion boat departs from the Market Square at Kolera-alta pier nr. 10, see the map link >>

Excursion dates:

• Friday 3.7.2026
• Friday 10.7.2026
• Tuesday 14.7.2026
• Friday 17.7.2026
• Tuesday 21.7.2026
• Friday 24.7.2026
• Tuesday 28.7. 2026
• Friday 31.7.2026
• Tusday 4.8. 2026
• Friday 7.8.2026

Gurli´s house:

Gurli’s house is part of the Pentala Archipelago Museum, and was built in the 1920s. The house was renovated in 2013. Today it is a home museum, where time has stopped in the last summer of Gurli Nyholm’s life in 1986. Gurli’s furniture and belongings have been returned to their places in the house. The building and its objects tell the story of the multi-generational life of the couple, Gurli and Arvid Nyholm, who spent almost their entire lives on the island.

The interior of Gurli´s House can only be visited with a guide – you cannot enter the interior of Gurli´s House independently. You can purchase a Pentala tour ticket either without a visit to Gurli House, or including a visit to Gurli´s House. The tour guide is bilingual: in Finnish and, if necessary, in English. There are only 20 tour tickets for sale per tour day that include a visit to Gurli´s House, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance if you are interested in visiting Gurli´s House!

Gurlin talon vierailut retkipäivinä:

• klo 13.00-13.30 (Group 1, 10 people)
• klo 13.30-14.00 (Group 2, 10 people)
• GPeople participating in the Gurli´s House visit will be divided into groups 1 and 2 during the outbound trip.

Tour tickets including a guided visit to Gurli’s house:

• Adults: 44,50 € in advance from the online store (49,50 € directly on board)
• Pensioners/students: 39,50 € in advance from the online store (44,50 € directly on board)
• Children 7-16 v: 19,50 € in advance from the online store (and directly on board)
• Children 0-6 v: 5 € in advance from the online store (and directly on board)

Tour tickets without a guided visit to Gurli’s House:

• Adults: 34,50 € in advance from the online store (39,50 € directly on board)
• Pensioners/students: 29,50 € in advance from the online store (34,50 € directly on board)
• Children 7-16 v: 14,50 € in advance from the online store (and directly on board)
• Children 0-6 v: free of charge, do not need a separate ticket

Cruise tickets will go on sale in our online store during April 2026.
Tickets are also sold directly on board starting half an hour before the ship’s departure, if there is space on the departure.

In cooperation:

Accessibility:

M/s Amiraali is a barrier-free ship, accessible by wheelchair via a movable wheelchair ramp. The ship’s toilet facilities are not barrier-free.

Pentala Island and the Archipelago Museum area are partly barrier-free, and partly challenging for wheelchair users. The paths in the area are sandy paths with pine cones and roots. There is a barrier-free toilet in the area and access to the museum’s main building, Villa Rosengård, and the café in Lilla Villan is via a ramp.

A personal assistant traveling with a person requiring an assistant may enter the cruise without charge, when the person requiring the assistant has a disability card marked with an “A”. There is no need to reserve a seat for the assistant.

We recommend arriving at Helsinki Market Square by public transportation if possible. For route planning and more information, please visit the HSL Journey Planner >>

Sustainability

JT-Line has been awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland –badge in March 2021 to commend their persistent and valuable work towards sustainable travel.

Preserving the unique nature of our archipelago is important to us, and our vessels are solely fuelled with renewable fuel oil. As pioneers we want to take part in developing low-emission solutions. By using renewable fuel oil we reduce our carbon footprint on the route in question by up to 90% compared to fossil fuels.

We recommend arriving at Helsinki Market Square by public transportation if possible. For route planning and more information, please visit the HSL Journey Planner >>