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Voykit pocket guide · Finland
Själö
Seili
Go as a summer day trip from Turku or Nagu: 3–5 hours on the island, last boat back by late afternoon. Skip outside June–August unless you have your own boat.
Själö (Finnish: Seili) is a small Archipelago Sea island about 30 km southwest of Turku, reached only by boat. It held a leper colony from 1619 and later a mental hospital that closed in 1962; the 1733 wooden church and the 1851 hospital buildings survive, and the University of Turku now runs a research station in them. Organised tourism, with a restaurant and rooms, began in 2017. Most people come for a few hours on a summer day; a night on the island buys you empty evening light and the sauna.
- Country
- Finland
- Local name
- Seili
- Best months
- Jun–Aug
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (boats limited, most services closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Day tripper €40–70 excl. travel to the harbour (boat, church, lunch) · Overnight, mid €120–170 (room, breakfast, lunch, sauna) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU roaming applies.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Medical helpline 116 117 · Visit Seili +358 40 156 0064
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Not expected; round up for great service.; Café and bar: Nothing.; Taxi: Nothing expected.; Guides: Optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent.
- Toilets
- Free in libraries, malls and many stations; some charge €1 by card.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Return boat from Turku | €38.50 adult, €23 child |
| Return boat from Nagu (Kyrkbacken) | €15 adult, €7.50 child |
| Church entry | €3.50 adult, €2 child, €8.50 family |
| Buffet lunch at Restaurant Seili | €16; soup lunch €12.50; children €8 |
| Room, per night | €90–120, breakfast €9 per person |
| Guest harbour, per night | €28, pre-booking +€7 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TKU · Turku Airport
- About 30 km (19 mi) from Turku's boat departures; bus 1 to the city centre, then walk or taxi to the river harbour.About 19 mi (30 km) from Turku's boat departures; bus 1 to the city centre, then walk or taxi to the river harbour.
Typical fares
- Turku → Själö, m/s Norrskär
- €25 single, €38.50 return, about 1 h 45 min (check)
- Kyrkbacken → Själö
- €9 single, €15 return, about 30 min (check)
- Guest harbour, per night
- €28 including sauna
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot or by bike. Gravel roads are in good condition and everything sits within about 1 km (0.6 mi) of the jetties. Cars cannot be landed on the island even though one ferry carries them.On foot or by bike. Gravel roads are in good condition and everything sits within about 0.6 mi (1 km) of the jetties. Cars cannot be landed on the island even though one ferry carries them.
See and do
Known for
- Former leprosy colony and mental hospital
- 1733 wooden church with a separate leper nave
- Archipelago Sea nature and birdlife
- University of Turku research station
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Turku | m/s Norrskär return cruise from Turku, about 1 h 45 min each way | About 2 h each way |
| Nagu (Kyrkbacken) | Ferry from Kyrkbacken, about 30 min | About 30–45 min |
| Pargas | Coach or car from Turku to Pargas, then onward ferry connections | About 1 h from Turku |
| Houtskär | Archipelago Trail ferries via Nagu and Korpo | Half a day or more |
Sleep
- Hospital building rooms
- Rooms and apartments for 1–5 people in the old hospital and later buildings; €90–120, breakfast €9 per person (2026 estimate). Book ahead from October to April.
- Guest harbour (post and station jetties)
- For your own boat: €28 per night including basic services and evening sauna; pre-booking +€7. Day visits free.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | KiitosKEE-tos |
| Hello | Heihay |
| One return ticket, please | Yksi menopaluulippu, kiitosOOK-si MEH-no-pah-loo-lip-pu KEE-tos |
| When does the last boat leave? | Milloin viimeinen vene lähtee?MIL-loin VEE-mei-nen VEH-neh LAH-teh |
| Can I pay by card? | Voinko maksaa kortilla?VOIN-ko MAK-sah KOR-til-la |
| Where is the toilet? | Missä on vessa?MIS-sa on VES-sa |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake, eye contact, short and direct; avoid: Hugs and long small talk with strangers
- Silence: Let pauses be pauses; avoid: Filling every quiet moment
- Sauna: Shower first, ask before throwing water on the stones; avoid: Swimsuits in nude-only saunas, or nudity in mixed ones marked otherwise
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers or pastries; avoid: Keeping shoes on indoors
- Personal space: Keep a metre's distance in queues; avoid: Sitting next to a stranger when other seats are free
- Promises: Mean what you say; Finns will; avoid: Polite 'let's meet sometime' you do not intend
Scams and watch-outs
- Ticks in the long grass: check yourself after walking.
- Strong sun on open shore paths; there is little shade.
- Do not pick flowers or disturb grazing animals: most of the island is a nature reserve.
- The hospital is a working research station; keep to the public ground floor and marked paths.
- Boats are few and seasonal: confirm the return time when you buy your ticket.
Very safe. The real risks are ticks, sun and missing the last boat: note the return time when you buy your ticket.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Själö yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Former leprosy colony and mental hospital
- 1733 wooden church with a separate leper nave
- Archipelago Sea nature and birdlife
- University of Turku research station
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Seili (official island tourism): www.visitseili.fi/en/
- Vitharun — Turku–Seili–Nagu timetables: vitharun.fi/en
- M/S Östern timetable: www.ostern.fi/en
- Archipelago Research Institute, University of Turku: saaristomeri.utu.fi/home/
- Wikivoyage: Själö, revision 5268520 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5268520
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
SjälöSeili
Själöhön, kiitos
To Själö, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance112
- Medical helpline116 117
- Visit Seili+358 40 156 0064
No embassies on the island; most are in Helsinki. The nearest consulates are in Turku (check).
Boats are seasonal and some run on request only: call the operator the day before in May, September and winter.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sjalo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.