Helsinki Summer Adventure

After a sumptuous breakfast buffet, meet a Helsinki insider who knows the city by heart and is eager to share the best spots and stories with you. What a way to explore the city and learn about its history, culture, and everyday life!

Here’s how the day will look: begin with an introductory walk around the city center with the emblematic Helsinki Cathedral and the famous steps, learn about Finnish architecture and design, then enjoy a coffee break in a typical café. Wandering around the Design District, you’ll get into artist galleries and admire the beautiful buildings. You’ll visit Helsinki’s main library and head to a local food market hall for your typical lunch. Taking the streetcar, you’ll explore Helsinki’s hip Kallio neighborhood and head back downtown, passing by the iconic church carved in a rock.

The late afternoon is for you to explore Helsinki’s fascinating museums, such as Amos Rex, Kiasma, or the Design Museum.

In the evening, enjoy a home-made dinner in a typical Helsinkian apartment, hosted by your insider: share travel stories and get to know the Finnish modus vivendi. 

Overnight in Helsinki.

This morning, hop on a ferry for a scenic ride to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a World Heritage Site, and wander around the island for the views and historic encounters across a number of small museums and exhibitions.

In the afternoon, take the local train, head to a small lake where the locals enjoy the almost religious rituals of the sauna. Try the regular electric sauna or the original smoke sauna!

The lakeside offers a great opportunity for a beach break, a swim, and libations on the café terrace.

Alternatively, go on a short hike in the Sipoonkorpi National Park just a stone’s throw away: in Finland, nature is both wild and free. The law allows anyone living in or visiting Finland the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish with a line and rod, and enjoy the recreational use of natural areas—respectfully, of course. This is known as “The Everyman’s Rights,” or Jokamiehen oikeudet.

This evening, crown the experience with a five-course dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, or even better, a place featured in the White Guide—the Nordic countries own ‘Michelin’!

Overnight in Helsinki.

Nuuksio National Park is a popular weekend getaway for Helsinkians, easily accessible by public transportation. Visit the nature center to learn about the region’s flora and fauna and get on a leisurely hike around Lake Nuuksio. Upon request, we’ll hook you up with a local biologist who will take you on a foraging walk for edible mushrooms and berries!

Alternatively, check out the typical wooden village of Postimaki and then spend some time in the idyllic Porvoo, Finland’s most picturesque little town. Admire the views of Porvoo’s cathedral, medieval warehouses, and enjoy a walk in the old town with its galleries and cafés—it’s time for some local ice cream! Porvoo can be reached by bus from downtown Helsinki, but you may as well want to get there by boat, on a leisurely cruise along the rugged coastline.

Tonight, check out the lively café and bar scene in Helsinki and see how the old Nokia factory has been repurposed. You can also tour the city streets on board the streetcar, and there are bars serving local beer!

Overnight in Helsinki.

Get to Helsinki airport (by shuttle bus, train, or our car) or, perhaps, extend your trip into Estonia’s medieval Tallinn across the Gulf of Finland, just a 2-hour ferry ride away.