Helsinki for 11 hours
 

Looking to book a ticket to India right now. I am contemplating an 11 hour stop in HEL. Is there much to do. Sometimes I feel like if you can make good use of the time then the stopover could be a bonus rather than a negative. This is actually for my mom. I did this once with a 12 hour stop at CPH and she enjoyed it. I googled a bit and it looks like you have to take a bus from airport but it doesn;t sound so bad. But what is there to do in HEL.

Would be sunday oct. 14 from 9 am to 8pm.

Have a look in the Scandinavia forum. This has been discussed there before. Yeah, we know Finland is not actually part of Scandinavia, but that's where topics about Finland and Helsinki get posted anyways.

take the bus into the city center, walk around..eat, drink, relax..take the bus back to Vantaa and you're good to go

There's an aviation museum at the airport, but it's not at the terminal. I've never been to Finland but there was once a possibility of a brief stopover so I located this museum.

Take the bus to the city center and walk along the city's main park, the Esplanadi. There are cafes and shops on either side. Then go to the market at the end of the Esplanadi and get some good fruit or fish or any of the stuff they and and go just behind that to Senate Square, sit on the steps of the huge chuch there and eat it. If you have time you can take a boat over to over to an island only 10 minutes away which is also fun. Depends on how your time is going, but there is lots to do. I've been there twice and love it.

Spent two months there in the late 90s as a visiting researcher, and never had trouble finding things to do on weekends. Esplanadi is indeed nice; nearby check out the old market halls near the harbor. There is also great modern architecture in town although with only 11 hours you might want to consider using a cab for that part. Also an entire art nouveau neighborhood which should be good for a relaxed hour strolling.

I second that! The Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art is also good - well at least the exhibitions when I have been.

Looks like you've walking around the city center and eat round cafes.;) Enjoy:D