In the coastline of Helsinki there is an enormous abandoned military fortress site Vallisaari. The construction was started during the time Finland was an autonomous Russian Grand Duchy from year 1809 to 1917. This site has been a secret military site until year 2016 when it was opened for public. This tour takes you to a privately guided tour to this enormous nature site. The tour starts at your hotel and will include a short ferry trip from the Market Square of Helsinki. Includes light meal.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
At Your Hotel
Meeting at the lobby of your hotel. Start short walk (depending on the location of your hotel) to the Helsinki Market Square. From the Market Square we will have the opportunity to buy things to eat during the day.
Ferry trip from the Market Square to the Vallisaari Torpedo Bay.
Walking around the Route of Russian Emperor Alexander. This route is approximately 1,5 - 2,0 hours of walking on sand-covered paths around the island. Nowadays the islands are open to public, and kept in good and safe condition by Finnish Forestry Government. Our guides are authorized and educated by them, and we have a lot of exiting history to tell about the rebellion of Sveaborg year 1906, headless colonel Mr Notara. and see the enormous nature. Tour is divided into two parts.
Tour price includes light snack at local restaurant in Vallisaari Torpedo bay.You will hear about the history of Helsinki town,
We will return to the Torpedo Bay to enjoy an included light lunch at the local restaurant.
Starting the second part of our day, we walk to the other island called Kuninkaansaari. This island has also old military constructions from the Russian time, artillery batteries and beautiful fortress buildings. We will also go the seashore cliffs, to admire the magnificent view to the Gulf of Finland. If you are brave enough, you will have the opportunity to swim also.
The ferry trip back to Helsinki Market Square will take longer than entering, as the ferry will sail to the Suomenlinna Fortress during the return to Helsinki.
Helsinki Market Square, tour ends If required, your guide will escort you back to your hotel.
At Your Hotel
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
guide fee, ferry tickets, outdoor meal
Personal expenses
The weather conditions in Finland are sometimes fast changing, so please prepare for walking in rain and hard wind - take weather dependent clothing with you. Good shoes are a good choice.
Only available when ferry operates May - June - July - August - September - October 15
All days available.
Hi, my name is Timo, your local private guide in Helsinki.
I am an easy-going and open-minded person. I like to interact with people from across the world and to know about their culture, language, travel interests. I am passionate about nature. In my free time I enjoy outdoor activities of all kinds. In the summer amongst other things, I love to hike, mountain bike and go kayaking. In the winter, I love to snowshoe and watch the northern lights.
My professionality is also based on a long career in information technology, serving in an international company as a technical specialist. This has given me the opportunity to travel around Europe, the USA and Asia.
As well as being an experienced Nature and Wilderness Guide, I am also a Golden Badge Guide (the ultimate qualification in guiding in Finland). I am also a Licenced City of Helsinki and a Licenced Suomenlinna Unesco World Heritage Guide, the City of Hyvinkää and Tuusula Guide, so wherever we go you'll be in good hands. My aim is to provide you with enthusiastic informative private tours which ensure that your Helsinki and Finland experience will be the best.
My bespoke tours include walking tours or biking tours, tours by a private car, a van or a minibus. Within Helsinki we can cover the major sites or explore less well-known districts in the countryside like Nuuksio or Sipoonkorpi Wilderness areas, the picturesque small town of Porvoo, nearby towns like Tuusula and Hyvinkää are a few of the many wonderful places that can be easily reached in a day trip.
My tours are very flexible in content and timing and I can adapt easily to your preferences and suggestions.
For me, the best reward for guiding guests is the fun I have sharing the beauty of the place.
Let me be your local guide and I will share with you not only my knowledge and expertise but my enthusiasm as well.
Suellen A.
Bicycle Excursion to Nuuksio National Park with FatBikes
“Wonderful custom tour”
Timo is knowledgeable, flexible and clearly enjoys being a guide. I told him the things we wanted to do and he customized the day, adding in highlights about Finland I didn’t know about. He is a native Fin and knows a lot about nature as well as the history of Finland. You can’t go wrong with Timo!
Timo R.
(2 reviews)Thank you for being my customer, I really enjoyed being your guide!
“A memorable experience with our personal guide”
We went with Mr Timo for our tour of Suomenlinna Fortress on the 25th of December. We had our seven-year-old boy with us on tour. Our meeting made it very apparent that Mr Timo belongs to Helsinki and knows the city properly. He knew a great deal of history and geopolitics. He kept the tour lively, with just enough history and a good deal of Finnish culture. Conversation with him was relevant and we never got bored. I strongly recommend him as anyone's tour guide.
$650/ per group
Reserve