Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

Discover the main sites of interest in Helsinki, also known as the 'White City of the North.' Along the way you’ll pass Embassy Park and the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral with its brilliant gold onion domes. Continue on to Senate Square and see important buildings attributed to the Neo-Classic architect Carl Ludwig Engel, including the famous Lutheran Cathedral. You’ll pass the open-air market on your way to the Olympic Stadium where the 1952 Olympic Games were held. Then it’s on to Sibelius Park where you can photograph a monument honoring the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Pass by the Opera House and then stop to see the Temppeliaukio Rock Church, a unique house of worship blasted into solid rock and topped by a copper dome. Then it’s on to Mannerheim Street, Helsinki’s main thoroughfare, and other important landmarks. At the end of the tour, you can get off in the downtown area to explore the city on your own or return by your bus to the cruise pier. Should you decide to remain in the city, you’ll be responsible for your own return to the cruise pier. This option is only available for morning departures.

OVERVIEW

Explore modern and traditional aspects of Helsinki and come away with a remarkably complete overview of the capital city. For a historical perspective, you will pause at the monument to beloved Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and at the stadium used during the 1952 Olympic Games, a landmark of national pride. You will get a look at Helsinki’s vision for the future at the Oodi Central Library, whose avant-garde design boasts a striking undulating shape that celebrates Finland having one of the world’s highest literacy rates. Along the tour, you will have a coffee break to enjoy a bite of Finnish seasonal delicacies in a local venue. Similarly, free time in Old Market Hall will offer a glimpse into the past as it has been a hub for locally sourced foods since the late 19th century. Still, no venue is more historical than Senate Square, which several iconic buildings have framed for more than 200 years.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See the monument to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and the 1952 Olympic Stadium.
• Gain a deeper historical perspective at Senate Square and Old Market Hall.
• Behold the striking avant-garde design of the Oodi Central Library.
• Enjoy a sampling of Finnish seasonal specialties.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy the main sights of Helsinki, also referred to as the ‘Daughter of the Baltic’ or the ‘White City of the North’ from the comfort of your motorcoach. Your tour begins with a drive along a picturesque road on your way to see the great variety of Helsinki’s architecture. In Senate Square, you’ll see several buildings attributed to the Neo-Classic architect Carl Ludwig Engel. Enjoy a photo stop at the famous Lutheran Cathedral and continue on to Mannerheim Street, Helsinki’s main thoroughfare.

You’ll see the Parliament House, the National Museum, and also Finlandia Hall, designed by the famous architect Alvar Aalto. Pass the new Opera House on your way to the Olympic Stadium where the 1952 Olympic Games were held. Then it’s on to Sibelius Park, where you can photograph a monument completed of 527 steel pipes honoring the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Enjoy a view of Embassy Park and the colorful open-air market on your drive back to the pier.

OVERVIEW

Watch reindeer in a private park that mirrors their natural habitat and feed the animals if you wish. The venue for this wildlife encounter will be the family-owned Nuuksio Reindeer Park, which supports a small herd of reindeer. They were brought to the park from Lapland, the vast subarctic wilderness in the northernmost region of Finland. Reindeer outnumber people in Lapland but the park is the only place where reindeer can be seen this far south. While observing the animals, you will learn about their unique characteristics and behavior. They are the only deer species in which males and females have antlers. Reindeer also have fur on the bottom of their hooves for traction on icy ground. Reindeer are integral to the Finnish culture, especially among the indigenous Sámi people in Lapland. While enjoying a snack around a campfire in a rustic Lapland teepee, you will get a glimpse into the Sámi culture.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Observe a herd of reindeer up close in a family-owned forested park.
• Learn about reindeer behavior and some of their unusual physical characteristics.
• Feed the reindeer if they approach on their own.
• Enjoy a snack around a campfire in a rustic teepee like those used in Lapland.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Your coach will take you from the pier to start your walking tour from Senate Square, with its neo-classical atmosphere. It is surrounded by the Main Lutheran Church, the Senate Building and the University. Walk by the central railway station of Eliel Saarinen and see the National Theater and Sanoma Talo. Enjoy a flavorful cup of fresh coffee and pastry served in one of the many coffee venues in downtown.

Continue your tour by walking to Mannerheim Street, Helsinki’s main thoroughfare where you’ll see Helsinki’s museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum, the new Music Hall and the House of Parliament. Then, visit the world famous Rock Church built of bedrock and quarried stone. Continue your walk towards Sibelius Park, in which the name was given to the park honoring Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Helsinki, many of them iconic attractions that define the cities. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Helsinki, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Sibelius Monument
• Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
• Kamppi Chapel
• Helsinki Central Railway Station
• Senate Square
• Uspenski Cathedral
• Old Market Hall

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Helsinki.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Pose like a star at the focal point of numerous cultural events and gatherings, Senate Square stands as a testament to the city's rich history and architectural grandeur.
• Capture the essence of Uspenski Cathedral in any season, every moment is a selfie-ready memory waiting to be framed.
• Immerse yourself in the serene ambiance of Kamppi Chapel, capturing moments of peace against its minimalist wooden architecture, a perfect backdrop for contemplative and stylish selfies.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

This tour combines the main sights of Helsinki and a visit to the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum. Drive by the colorful open-air market and stop at Senate Square with the elegant Lutheran Cathedral for a photo opportunity. Continue past the Uspenski Cathedral and see the icebreakers docked for the summer season. Then, it’s on to Mannerheim Street, the main thoroughfare and home to Parliament House, the National Museum and Finlandia Hall. Also pass the new Contemporary Art museum, Kiasma, the Olympic Stadium, venue for the Olympic Games of 1952, and the Opera House. Continue to the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, located on a beautiful green island just a few miles from the heart of Helsinki.

The island is a tranquil oasis in the midst of the city and here, the traditional Finnish way of life is portrayed in the cottages, farmsteads and manors of the past four centuries that have been relocated from around different provinces of Finland. The oldest building on the island is a 1686 wooden church from Karuna, near Turku. The guided walking tour is a fast way of getting to know traditional Finnish life and architecture while enjoying the beautiful surroundings. You’ll be treated to coffee and a traditional pastry in this country setting. Then it’s on to the unique Temppeliaukio Rock Church, blasted out of solid rock. At the end of the tour, should time allow, you can get off in the downtown area to explore the city on your own or return by your bus to the cruise pier. Should you decide to remain in the city, you’ll be responsible for your own return to the cruise pier.

Suomenlinna, known as the 'Gibraltar of the North,' is reputed to be the largest sea fortress in the world and is included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Treasures. On the 20 minute boat ride to the island, a guide will tell you about Finland’s history. Suomenlinna was built to protect the country against invasion from Russia. Walk through the grounds; the complex is a city within the city of Helsinki. Following your walking tour, you may explore the museum on your own, as well as the surrounding parks and beaches.

Back in Helsinki, there will be time to shop at Helsinki's Market Square before returning to your ship. At the end of the tour, you can remain in the downtown area to explore the city on your own or return by your bus to the cruise pier. Should you decide to remain in the city, you’ll be responsible for your own return to the cruise pier.

Experience local life by exploring food markets and a shopping mall, sampling Finnish cuisine and then strolling a serene waterfront park. As you meander about the historical market Vanha Kaupahalli, you will gain an understanding of daily life in Helsinki. Similarly, after a short tram ride to the Kamppi Shopping Centre, you will get a feel for other types of merchandise available to the residents, mainly fashions and jewelry. You will then ride the metro to Hakaniemi Market, a shopping area that specializes in gourmet foods and delicacies. To see if the local cuisine suits your palate, you will sample traditional snacks such as cold smoked reindeer with marinated red onion, Finnish archipelago bread with lemon crème fraiche and salmon, and non-alcoholic rhubarb soda. To become further immersed in local life, you will stroll through waterfront Kaivopuisto Park, which is on the southernmost tip of Helsinki and surrounded by embassies and extravagant homes.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Observe local life while browsing the merchandise at several popular shopping areas.
• Recognize the vast range of stores available in urban Helsinki.
• Sample traditional Norwegian snacks and stroll a waterfront park.

Drive along the road through woodlands and the lake country to Hvittrask, the former home of the famous Finnish architects Eliel Saarinen, Armas Lindgren and Herman Gesellius. Built in 1902, Hvittrask is famous for its architecture with buildings of natural stone and logs. Situated on a forested hill overlooking a lake, Hvittrask is now an exhibition center for Finnish arts and crafts. You’ll have time to explore the grounds and a guide will escort you through the magnificent home of Eliel Saarinen. Returning to the city you’ll pass by the Finlandia Hall and Parliament House.

A brief stop will be made at the Senate Square from where you’ll see the Lutheran Cathedral, the University, and Senate buildings. Passing Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, it’s on to visit the unique Temppeliaukio Rock Church blasted into solid rock. At the end of the tour, you can get off in the downtown area to explore the city on your own or return by your bus to the cruise pier. Should you decide to remain in the city, you’ll be responsible for your own return to the cruise pier.

OVERVIEW

Experience the joy associated with taking a sauna, a Finnish ritual that archaeological evidence shows to date as far back as 7,000 B.C. The sauna tradition is so characteristic of Finland that UNESCO recognized it on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, describing the sauna as a sacred place, a church of nature. As you will discover, relaxing in a sauna is more about cleansing the mind than the body. Saunas are also popular places for socializing in the Finnish culture. Health benefits may include relieving stress, reducing hypertension and improving respiration. Plus, spending time in a sauna just feels good. You will discover more about Finnish life while pausing at Senate Square, an expansive plaza dominated by four neoclassical buildings that lend insight into Helsinki’s past. An enlightening drive through the capital city will present more architectural treasures, giving you an overview of the sights that this city has to offer.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend hours relaxing and socializing in a Finnish sauna.
• Reap the potential health benefits of the sauna experience.
• Browse Senate Square, a popular plaza known for its neoclassical buildings.
• See other iconic architecture on a panoramic drive through Helsinki.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit and towel.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.