Tallink Silja

Tallink Silja sails between Stockholm and Helsinki with two ships in rotation, the Silja Serenade and the Silja Symphony. Every day, one ship leaves Stockholm in the late afternoon and one leaves Helsinki, and both reach their destination the next morning. On the way, the ship calls at Mariehamn on Åland during the night. In Stockholm you depart from the Värtan terminal in Värtahamnen, in Helsinki from the Olympia terminal in the South Harbour. If you'd like to see both ferry companies side by side, the comparison is on the Ferry companies & ships page.

The ships at a glance

The Silja Serenade was built in 1990 at Masa Yards in Turku. She sails under the Finnish flag with Mariehamn as her home port. The ship is 203 metres long and 31.5 metres wide, has a draught of 7 metres and sails at 21 knots. There's room on board for 2,800 passengers in 986 cabins, plus 450 vehicle spaces.

The Silja Symphony followed in 1991 from the same shipyard. She has the same dimensions and the same number of cabins but sails under the Swedish flag with Stockholm as her home port. She carries 2,852 passengers but slightly fewer vehicles: 395 spaces.

Both ships have a 142-metre Promenade, which also has a cash machine. You'll see which of the two ships you're on when you book.

Departures and timetable

Tallink Silja has one departure per direction every day. All times are local, and Finland is one hour ahead of Sweden.

From Stockholm Värtahamnen, the ship leaves at 16:30, calls at Mariehamn around 23:45 and arrives in Helsinki at 10:30. In the other direction, it leaves Helsinki at 16:45 and, after calling at Mariehamn around 04:15, arrives in Stockholm at 10:00. On Christmas Eve 2026, both ships leave earlier, at 15:30, and arrive at 11:00 on 25 December. The departures for your date are in the timetable.

The terminals

In Stockholm you depart from the Värtan terminal in Värtahamnen, Hamnpirsvägen 10. The building is open daily from 05:30 to 17:30. SL bus 76 stops right at the terminal, and Tallink Silja shuttle buses also run to Cityterminalen. From Gärdet metro station on the red line, it's about a 15-minute walk. You can park briefly in front of the terminal for up to two hours; for long-term parking, the port refers you to Stockholm Parkering. Details are on the Stockholm ferry port page.

In Helsinki, Tallink Silja docks at the Olympia terminal in the South Harbour, Olympiaranta 1. Trams 2 and 3 stop at the terminal. Check-in runs daily from 14:45 to 16:15, for vehicles from 15:00. There's no ticket desk here, and payment in the terminal is by card only. Below the terminal is the Olympiaparkki car park, which you book in advance. The Helsinki ferry port page describes how to get there.

Check-in

Tallink Silja recommends being at the terminal one hour before departure. Registration closes 30 minutes before departure, and access to the ship 20 minutes before. With a vehicle, you check in at the terminal 1.5 hours before departure. If you've booked a cabin, you check in at the terminal. Your boarding card is also your cabin key.

Boarding runs from 15:30 to 16:25 in Helsinki and from 15:15 to 16:10 in Stockholm. Guests in Commodore cabins and suites board from 15:00. As an EU citizen you need a passport or national ID card with a photo, and children need their own document; a driving licence isn't enough. You can travel alone from 18; between 15 and 17 only with a travel consent form. The Check-in page describes the process at both ports.

Cabins

The cabins range from the C-Economy on deck 2 to the Executive Suite of 75 square metres on deck 11. In between are the B-Standard inside cabins and the A-Standard sea-view cabins of 11 square metres each, family cabins for up to six people, and Deluxe, Commodore and Suite. You can't choose the exact location of your cabin. The Cabins page compares all categories.

On board

For meals there's the Grande Buffet, with beer and wine included, plus the Grill House, Happy Lobster, Bon Vivant, Tavolàta and the quick Fast Lane. Children up to five eat free if you book in advance. On deck 12 is the Sunflower Oasis Spa with a pool, and you can hire a private sauna. In the evening there are the Starlight shows, the Sea Pub and, at weekends, the New York Club; for children there's Silja Land. The shops include Marimekko and Moomin.

Shopping is tax-free because the ship calls at Åland, which lies outside the EU VAT area. It's best to pay by card on board; in some bars, the sauna and the Commodore Lounge, nothing else is accepted.

With a dog on board

On the Silja Serenade and the Silja Symphony, your pet travels in a pet-friendly cabin with a linoleum floor, with a maximum of three animals per cabin. It may not stay in the vehicle on the car deck. Every animal needs its own ticket and an EU pet passport; if the papers are missing, the trip is forfeited without a refund. On board, dogs must be on a lead, and in crowded areas they must also wear a muzzle. Your dog isn't allowed in restaurants, bars or the playroom. For exercise, there's an outdoor area with sandboxes on deck 12. Assistance and guide dogs travel free with proof. The entry rules are on the Dogs & pets page.

Changes

You can change your booking free of charge up to 21 days before departure. After that, changes are still possible up to 24 hours before departure, but not later. Cancellation isn't possible online or in the app; contact customer service instead. The details are in Tallink Silja's payment and cancellation terms.

When Tallink Silja suits you

Tallink Silja suits you if you want to leave Stockholm from Värtahamnen, easy to reach by bus 76 or the shuttle from Cityterminalen. In Helsinki you arrive in the South Harbour, from where trams 2 and 3 run to the central station. The ships are the larger ones on the route, with the Promenade, a pool in the spa and plenty of restaurants. With a dog, you'll find a dedicated cabin type and an exercise area on deck. For two nights on board and a day ashore, see the Mini cruise page.