Recommendations for island hopping across the Aland Islands to get to mainland Finland

Mrs Acer · Apr 9, 2026

Hi,
I've been looking at the islands of the Aland Archipelago and can't decide which ones we should visit. We love quiet and walking, so any of them will actually tick this box. I'm really looking for recommendations for the route to take to get over to mainland Finland. I can see there are direct routes from Langnas to Turku etc but I'm more interested in taking advantage of some island hopping with the ultimate destination being Finland mainland. I would also prefer shorter ferry journeys. I have so far established a route from Langnas to Kokar to Galtby. Also a route from Vardo to Kumlinge, Ava, to Vuosnainen. Has anyone taken these and do you have any tips? Or is there something else? We are likely to be here at the beginning of September.
Thank you

bvddobb · Apr 9, 2026

There used to be an Aland ferry ticket type, that gave you month access to all the inter-island ferries on the Alands. Ideal for island hopping!

Mrs Acer · Apr 10, 2026

Thank you very much!!! That was very helpful. I’ve just had a quick look and I can see there is a 9 consecutive day pass for an Åland Tourispass. I’ll look at the detail.
Which was your favourite island? Or islands? And why?

bvddobb · Apr 11, 2026

Mrs Acer said:
Which was your favourite island? Or islands? And why?

The Ålands are still on our bucket list...

jarkko120 · Apr 13, 2026

There is loads to explore! There are two main island hopping directions you can take - have a look here: https://www.rengastie.fi/saariston-ympari-reitti/. Both are nice, but if I had to recommend, I'd take the southern option to Kökar and then Kroppoo. On Kökar, I really recommend their museum (Kokar Hembygdsmuseum) which shows what life was like in the olden days there. If you are ready to leave the van behind for a day or two and take the ferry from Korppoo south, Aspö, Jurmo (the one in Pargas, not Åland) and Utö are truly worth a visit. Aspö's village is a favorite amongst Finnish guests. Their local smoked fish is famous and the town is picturesque. Jurmo is an island formed by the ice-age, a really unique piece of our planet's history. Utö being the southernmost inhabited island is worth a half-day trip (or stay there overnight before heading back). On the main Åland island, a honorary mention to Bomarsund fortress, which has British history. I hope that gives some ideas!

Kingfisher · Apr 13, 2026

jarkko120 said:
I hope that gives some ideas!

This is all great info, thank you for your post! I must add these islands to my bucket list as well ;-) Your recommendations are certainly inspiring.

Do you know if the archipelago gets overcrowded in summer? Would it require a lot of planning ahead in order to get space on ferries and campsites?

jarkko120 · Apr 15, 2026

Kingfisher said:
This is all great info, thank you for your post! I must add these islands to my bucket list as well ;-) Your recommendations are certainly inspiring.

Do you know if the archipelago gets overcrowded in summer? Would it require a lot of planning ahead in order to get space on ferries and campsites?

July and first week of August are busy, after that things quiet down quickly. In September you'll only see locals. Having said that, many services close at the end of August (expect ferries that run at least until the sea freezes over in the winter - I actually skated from mainland to Mariehamn this winter!), so it might be a good idea to check if campsites are open if you plan to go in Sept.