Korkeasaari Zoo: Accessibility

Our vessel to Korkeasaari Zoo are accessible, and our staff members are trained to help, when necessary, passengers with mobility aids to get on board and disembark. Additional information about the accessibility on board and at the destination is provided below. Welcome to Korkeasaari Zoo!

Personal assistants

Korkeasaari is a disability card destination. A personal assistant traveling with a person requiring an assistant may enter both the vessel and the zoo without charge, when the person requiring the assistant has a disability card marked with an “A”. The zoo is a quarantined area, and for this reason guide- or assistance-dogs can not enter the island. Prams and wheelchairs are currently not available for hire in Korkeasaari.

Departure piers and vessels on the Korkeasaari route

The route from the Market Square to Korkeasaari is operated by paddle wheel vessel Pw/s Vispilä (occasional exceptions are possible). During the peak season, from the beginning of July to the first Sunday in August, additional departures are operated by a smaller waterbus M/s Hymy. The departure times of M/s Hymy are marked in the timetable. The harbour and pier area at the Market Square is accessible, but there are cobblestones along the way. Below you can find more detailed information about accessibility at the Market Square and Korkeasaari pier areas and on our vessels. Tickets for the water bus can be purchased from the online shop or from the vessel.

Market Square (address Kauppatori, Eteläranta, Helsinki): arrival and pier area

There are no designated accessible parking spaces near the pier area. You can find more detailed information about parking in the area in the City of Helsinki’s Service Map. The best location for pick-up and drop-off traffic is near the Old Market Hall. Arriving from the direction of the Old Market Hall is, in any case, the most convenient option, as the route from there to the pier in the middle of the Market Square is asphalted, with cobblestones only in the vicinity of the pier area (picture 1).

The front of the pier area is otherwise accessible, and there are benches for sitting in the waiting area. The pier has a slight incline, but the walkways are wide and make it easy to move around with mobility aids (picture 2).

Boarding paddle wheel vessel Pw/s Vispilä

Paddle wheel vessel Pw/s Vispilä is boarded via a gangway that is 84 cm wide. There are low thresholds at both ends of the gangway, each measuring over 2 cm. The vessel is also equipped with a 183 cm long and 74 cm wide wheelchair ramp, which, when necessary, can be used together with the actual gangway to make the passageway between the vessel and the pier more gentle (picture 3).

The interior of the vessel is on one level, providing ample space for getting around with mobility aids (picture 5), as well as access to the service counter and tables in the café. The toilet on the vessel is also accessible. In the toilet, there is 30 cm of free space to the left and 55 cm to the right of the toilet seat. The toilet door has a door pump, and the door handle is not horizontal.

Boarding waterbus M/s Hymy:

Waterbus M/s Hymy is boarded via a gangway that is 84 cm wide. There are low thresholds at both ends of the gangway, each measuring over 2 cm. The vessel is also equipped with a 183 cm long and 74 cm wide wheelchair ramp, which, when necessary, can be used together with the actual gangway to make the passageway between the vessel and the pier more gentle (picture 3).

The entrance deck of the waterbus accommodates larger mobility aids and a turning circle of more than 150 cm in diameter (picture 6). The stairway to the lower cabin of the vessel is 150 cm wide and equipped with handrails on both sides. Passengers can purchase refreshments as self-service on the accessible deck of the vessel. There is no accessible toilet on board.

Korkeasaari Zoo: arrival and pier are

There are no accessible parking spaces near the pier area. The pier area can be reached either by waterbus or via the bridge connecting Korkeasaari to Mustikkamaa. The pier area is asphalted, and the route to the pier is accessible.

Boarding paddle wheel vessel Pw/s Vispilä:

Paddle wheel vessel Pw/s Vispilä is boarded via a gangway that is 84 cm wide. There are low thresholds at both ends of the gangway, each measuring over 2 cm. The vessel is also equipped with a 183 cm long and 74 cm wide wheelchair ramp, which, when necessary, can be used together with the actual gangway to make the passageway between the vessel and the pier more gentle (picture 4).

Waterbus M/s Hymy is boarded via a gangway that is 80 cm wide (pictures 7-8). There are low thresholds at both ends of the gangway, each measuring over 2 cm. The vessel is also equipped with a 183 cm long and 74 cm wide wheelchair ramp, which, when necessary, can be used together with the actual gangway to make the passageway between the vessel and the pier more gentle (picture 4).

The terrain in Korkeasaari Zoo

Most of the areas and facilities on Korkeasaari are fully accessible, or mostly accessible. The terrain on Korkeasaari is however naturally quite hilly. Very steep hills can particularly be found in the central parts of the island: these hills can be difficult for wheelchair users. Almost all roads are wide and covered in asphalt. The observation tower is only accessible by stairs. The zoo has plenty of benches and places to rest.

Viewing the animals

Korkeasaari has some staircases, but the animals can also be viewed without using stairs. There are two ramps that go to the upper level of the Bear Castle: the ramp in the Southern end is gentle, and the ramp in the Northern end is steep. The viewing platform itself is also slanted, but the front of the viewing platform has a level surface area. The upper level of the Monkey Castle’s outdoor enclosure is only accessible by stairs, but the monkeys can also be viewed accessibly from the lower level. The entrance to the Borealia-house is accessible, and the house has automatic doors. The dark house has a ramp, but the doors are not automatic.

Korkeasaari has two tropical houses, Amazonia and Africasia. Both of them have automatic doors. Amazonia is predominantly accessible and easily maneuvered by wheelchair. Between the tropical houses there is a threshold that has been lowered with the use of ramps. Africasia is also predominantly accessible, but the hill in the rainforest-side is steep, and may be slippery when wet.

Restaurants and bathroom-facilities in Korkeasaari Zoo

The Restaurant Karhu, situated at the Bear Castle is accessible. Restaurant Pukki, situated in the central part of the island, has a ramp which is located on the side of the restaurant building. The doors of the restaurants do not have opening mechanisms.

There are always three to five accessible bathrooms available on Korkeasaari. The bathrooms that are open are marked on the map. All the bathrooms on Korkeasaari have nappy changing facilities adjacent to them.

Preserving the unique nature of our archipelago is important to us, and our vessels operating on this route 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 the Market Square by public transport, if possible. You can find more information in HSL’s Journey Planner >>