• Eteläranta, City Hall and the Pori Cathedral. The riverfront in Pori has several prominent neo-renaissance stone building quarters, and the City Hall (with it's park) by Carl-Ludvig Engel is especially worth a look. The gothic-style Pori cathedral (that built instead of the castle that originally gave Pori its name) is also on alongside the river just a stone's throw away.
• Reposaari. The fisher/seaside village outside the city filled with pittoresque wooden buildings on the seaside. Especially recommended for summertime visits.
• The Sigrid Jusélius Mausoleum containing paintings of the famous Finnish painter Axel Gallén-Kallela. It is situated on the main graveyard and the entrance is free.
• Viikkari, or the 5th district, consists solely of old wooden buildings. There's nothing to see in particular, but the area has a unique "bohemian" character and is best enjoyed by just walking around. Located alongside the eastern border of the city center, it's a popular location to live for local artists and underground musicians as well.

By plane

Finnair and FinnComm Airlines fly from Helsinki to Pori Airport (IATA: POR, ICAO: EFPO) (45 min). One way tickets starting from 39 €.

By bus

Bus connections from Helsinki (3-4h), Turku, Tampere (2h), Oulu, Jyväskylä and Rauma (1h). Cost is about 30-40€ (Helsinki-Pori-Helsinki bus ticket for adults is now about 59 eur).

By train

All the passenger trains go through Tampere. One way adult ticket from Tampere costs around 15 €, from Helsinki around 40 €. Tampere-Pori takes 1,5h, Helsinki-Pori 3,5h.

By car

Drive the main highway 2 from Helsinki (3,5 - 4 hours), main highway 8 from Turku or from Vaasa (both about 2 hours), or road 11 from Tampere (about 1,5 hours).

Central Pori is comfortably small to be relatively easily explored by foot, or in the summer on a bicycle. The most attractions are within a short walking distance from each other. The few destinations further away, such as the Sigrid Jusélius Mausoleum (about 3 km from the city center) and the Yyteri sand beaches (about 15 km away) can be reached with a bus.

• Isokarhu mall is a large shopping mall in the heart of the city, alongside the pedestrian zone. In it are located franchises of the most common Finnish and international chains ranging from H&M to Intersport. What you can't find inside, is very probably sold in a store located right next to it (it's a small town afterwall). There are some nice cafe's as well.
• The old market hall, or in Finnish "kauppahalli" is a nostalgic experience. The hall sells local products ranging from fish to vegetables. It opens early in the morning and stays open through the afternoon. Good place to take it easy for a while and have an old-fashioned cup of coffee with a sweet bread. But be warned: the retro has a downside in the average age of visitors being probably over 70 years.
• BePop, a shopping mall located in the northern end of the pedestrian zone, also has several small stores. It's also a crazy example of the building boom of the "casino economy", with a huge structure (in pastel colors) but very little commercial space. There's a nice view if you bother to climb to the top bridge that crosses the "alley".

The normal price for restaurant meal is 20-30€. Fast food is obviously cheaper.

• Raatihuoneen kellari, probably the most upmarket restaurant in Pori, situated in the cellar of the town house.
• Bucco, popular Italian restaurant at Hallituskatu. Reservation might be a good idea at least in the weekends.
• Hesburger, already an institution, is the Finnish equivalent to McDonald's. There are many franchises, the most famous ones being the one in the shopping center BePop (northern end of the pedestrian zone) and the one at the market square, which is open until 5 am in the morning. Meals 6-10€.
• Kebab and pizza are at almost every corner of the town. The price range for is from 5€ to 10€. These joints are often open until early in the morning.

The main city center area is full with bars and nightclubs. They are situated at/near the main street Yrjönkatu. The agelimits are often 18, but in many it is 20. But don't worry, if you are 18, you can negotiate, and you may sometimes enter the bar/nightclub. But not always. Bartenders often ask ID from young-customers. If you are in Pori at the summer, go to Eteläranta, there are many nice bars and much to do.

Bars and pubs

• Rattis, Yrjönkatu, opposite the bus station. Most genuine Pori experience can be found here. The Tulli Pub on the other side of the square gets occasionally pretty "genuine", too.
• Beer Hunters, Antinkatu, besides the market square. Nice selection of beers, has it's own little brewery.
• Coco, on the other side of market square, cosy place. Mostly visited by younger people.
• Havanna, in the Finnkino movie theatre building (Promenadikeskus), tries to draw in local 'hipsters' with moderate success.
• One for the Road, two blocks west from the market square and then south. Known to locals as "Irkku". An Irish pub with delicious toasts, reasonable prices and a unique atmosphere.

Clubs

• Down Under, in the downstairs of Hotel Scandic. Relatively trendy and expensive - at least on Pori scale, Australian-themed (that's right) club.
• Bar Kino, live music on thursdays. Most popular live venue in Pori. On weekends regular, quite popular club with mainstream dance music.
• Ilon Talo, a newer, popular club that is a part of a chain of discotheques bearing the same name around Finland. The queue can get very long, so after midnight you might have difficulties getting in.
• PK, is a nightclub aimed at a somewhat older (but certainly not less drunk) clientele. There are several floors, with electronic dance music in the basement, karaoke in the middle floor, and Finnish 'schlager' in the largest dance floor.
• Amarillo and Vaakuna are located in the Sokos Hotel Vaakuna next to the market square. Amarillo has a restaurant and a relatively popular bar, and as the place closes around 1 am, people tend to the Vaakuna club upstairs. It tries to distinguish itself as a somewhat more elegant club experience. On a Pori scale, anyway.