Top Helsinki Bus Tours

A shuttle from the cruise terminal is necessary to meet the local tour guide in the center of Helsinki especially if you have a set meeting time. Luckily, there was a free port shuttle that took us to a spot not too far from Senate Square, our appointed meeting spot. Unfortunately, our tour guide, Kerstin, had different instructions from Viator, so I had to text Kerstin after we had waited for 15 minutes or so. She replied that she was about 5 minutes away, and once she arrived, we set off on a whirlwind tour of Helsinki highlights. Senate Square with the pastel colored Cathedral, Umiversity and Parliament buildings was the best square in Helsinki. Close by was the artisan’s and food open market next to the smaller harbor. We strolled through the open market and tasted the specialties of Finland on our way to the Old Market, the beautifully preserved wooden structure with equally impressive wooden stalls that now hold food stuffs from around Finland as well as the world rather than the fruits and vegetables and fish and meat that used to fill the stalls. We walked through Esplandi park right in the center of Helsinki and ended up at the Central Train Station which has been maintained and whose dining area is now restored to its former glory as a restaurant with Finnish specialties, and NOT Burger King. Kerstin was informative and conscientious. We told her we wanted to return to the ship by shuttle, so she made sure to route the tour, so we would end up at the shuttle stop within 2 hours time. Thank you, Kerstin, for making our brief stop in Helsinki worthwhile!

Our tour of Helsinki with Olga was absolutely incredible. From the moment we began, she tailored the day perfectly to fit our large group and our shared interest in Helsinki’s unique architecture and design. Her knowledge was outstanding—not only did she provide fascinating history and details at every stop, but she also brought the city to life with stories and insights we never would have discovered on our own. Olga did an amazing job balancing the needs of a larger group while keeping the experience personal, engaging, and fun. She made sure we saw the most beautiful and interesting parts of the city, with a special focus on the architecture and design that make Helsinki so unique. She also went above and beyond to make sure we experienced the local culture, including making sure we had the chance to try reindeer and local licorice! It was such a thoughtful touch and made the day even more memorable. If you are visiting Helsinki, I cannot recommend Olga highly enough. She made our day truly special and unforgettable.

This was a great experience. The hike was challenging (especially since it was mid February with fresh snow from the night before along the trail) on a particularly cold day. We hiked for about an hour to the shore of the Baltic Sea, and while our guide, Maria, made lunch, we walked across the ice to one of the small islands. We then had salmon soup for lunch. The tour company was very accommodating of our dietary needs (one woman is vegetarian and was given mushroom soup, and 2 do not eat dairy and were served the soup before the cream was added). I thought that the salmon soup was the best I’ve had since arriving in Finland. We then hiked back to the van. I thought Maria was an excellent guide and was able to tell us about the trees and the birds (I couldn’t believe we saw birds despite it being the middle of winter). Overall this was a really fun excursion.

Our guide Sergei was very knowledgeable and we did learn a lot about Estonia. Our group did appreciate the extra time we had at the end of the tour. He recommended grabbing a bite at Olde Hansa (medieval restaurant). It was a trip back in time. Highly recommend this tour.

Emek was an amazing guide. His knowledge of history, politics, Finland and Helsinki in general was very extensive. He provided a very thorough tour explaining the architecture through the ages and how Helsinki grew. I would thoroughly recommend this tour and Emek as a guide.

Harry was a tremendous guide. He was funny, entertaining, highly knowledgeable, and eager to answer any and all of our questions. He was also super engaging, and made a huge effort to be friendly to everyone in the group. It made for a wonderful day for everyone. He also provided us with practical and excellent restaurant and shopping ideas for after the tour, and even gave me a short education on the Finnish concept of SISU which I’m going to remember forever. The sights we saw (Olympic Stadium, cathedrals, parks, markets, libraries, university, and of course the Fortress Island) were fantastic. All in all it was truly a 10/10 day.

We had a great day with Paulo. He was early and we got started right away. Visited Porvoo and Helsinki. He was a good driver and his car accommodated us well “4 adults”. We were able to move at our own pace and see what interested us most. He was an excellent guide answering all of our questions and gave us a lot of information about the area. We would definitely recommend his services to anyone visiting the area.