Berry Picking in a National Park
Description
The forests of Finland are packed with wild foods! As spring transitions into summer, the forest flourishes new vegetation and the aroma of fresh berries fills the air. Whether you are here to experience the Finnish culture of berry picking or simply taste these natural and organic berries, you will treasure this intimate experience in Finland's wilderness. Highlights: • Forage and learn about the wild foods of Finland • Experience an off the beaten path national park • Enjoy a fresh Finnish-style lunch (Dietary needs? Let us know when booking.) • Take home your extra berries and snack on your bounty On this guided tour from Helsinki, we will explore the serene mossy forests of Liesjärvi National Park. While looking for berries, we may fill our baskets with Finnish superfoods such as blueberries, lingonberries and, with some extra luck, some sweet wild strawberries. These superfoods are rich in vitamins and nutrients and sweeter than any berry you could buy from the stores!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meeting point is front of Kiasma museum, address: Mannerheiminaukio 1H (searchable on google maps). It is 500 meters from Helsinki Central Railway station. Kindly be on time at the meeting point. The drive to the national park takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, including a brief bathroom break.
When we have arrived at the national park, we will begin our walk through the forest to some of our favourite berry-picking spots. Our guide will explain which berries are edible as well as provide information about the forest and wildlife around you. While picking berries we will make our way to the campfire by the lakeside. While your guide starts to cook Finnish-style lunch, there will be plenty of time to take photos, snack on the berries, and experience the tranquillity of the Taiga forest. After lunch, we will continue to explore the natural beauty of Liesjärvi while making our way back to the starting point. The day will be complete with your stomach full of berries and you will be fully charged from this wonderful nature experience. -- You spend about 4.5 hours in the national park (+ transfers). Total walking distance is 4.5–5 km. -- Dedicated to sustainability, this tour proudly carries the Sustainable Travel Finland label and Green Activities certificate.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- For any dietary restrictions, please add it under special requirements upon booking
- The tour runs rain or shine and is only canceled in cases of extreme weather conditions. If the tour is canceled, you will receive a full refund.
Reviews(9)
Jeff is such an experienced and wonderful guide. We gained a lot knowledge about berry and mushroom and had a great time in this trip.
Thank you so much for your review! Happy to hear that you had a great time with Jeff :) Best regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
The park was amazingly beautiful. Our guide Helena was lively, knowledgable and enthusiastically sharing information about the surrounding nature, trees, and animals. We stopped by a gas station got coffee on our way. After arriving we hiked a bit and upon reaching our destination a fire was started and delicious (wild) Salmon soup was made (in no time-) in front of a gorgeous body of water. The weather was perfect. The abundance of wild berries was delightful to see. The berry picking ended up being a side activity despite the title of the trip. Berries were everywhere but there’s much to enjoy so you end up enjoying the hike, the scene, the wild salmon (vegans were served a vegan choice). No corporate/impersonal feel either. I give a solid 10/10.
Hi Sami, Thank you so much for your review and for joining our tour! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the day :) Best regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
We picked enough berries to make a pie but wound up eating them all at lunch. Helena was an excellent guide who explained a lot about different plants and berries...and she wielded a mean axe as well. Her fire building and lunch making deserve a gold star .
Thank you for your review, happy to hear that you found plenty of berries and enjoyed the day! Best regards, Kiia /Taiga Times
My husband and I had an incredible day with Jeff picking berries and learning all about mushrooms (most importantly which ones are safe!) Jeff is very friendly and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed our day with him. We also were served a delicious homemade lunch lakeside. My husband and I have just moved to Finland ourselves, and this is by far the best activity we've done so far in terms of quality and the perfect introduction to foraging in the Finnish forests. We hope to sign up for another trip with Taiga Times in the future.
Hi Lindsey, Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and welcome back anytime. :) Kind regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
Jeff was a wonderful, friendly, and informative guide through the state park. He helped us forage for blueberries and (safe!) mushrooms. Lunch was absolutely delicious!!! Highly recommend if you want to do an easy hike and learn about some of the foraging/camping practices here in Finland. Thanks for a great day, Jeff!
Hi Chrissy, Thank you so much for your review! Good to hear that you enjoyed the tour and the berries. :) Kind regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
I went with my nephews to this beautiful park. We had a really beautiful experience, everything was perfect. Pur guide Jeff is a really nice guy, he explained to us everything we cross on our way. He is very prepared and was really fun to discover various types of mushrooms and pick up blueberries. He cooked for us a traditional dish in the forest that was very good. It has been the most beautiful experience we had in Finland. I suggest this experience to everyone that likes nature.
Hi there, Thank you so much for your kind words! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the day. :) Kind regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
Our tour guide Jeff, was amazing! He’s very knowledgeable with the national park and everything you need to know about which mushrooms to pick and the difference between each type of mushroom. So many berries to pick, we added them and the berries to our lunch by the lake. An overall memorable experience and a new found appreciation for Mother Nature! Thanks Jeff!!
Hi Bradley, Thank you for your review! We ar glad to hear that you had a new found appreciation for Mother Nature. :) Kind regards, Kiia / Taiga Times
Had a blast spending the day picking berries in the national park, lunch was delicious, and our guide Jeff was very knowledgeable about the local plants and animals. It was very fun comparing stories of our travels in the wilderness, and this was definitely the highlight of our trip to Finland.
Hi Ben, Thanks for the review and thank you for the day, it was an absolute pleasure and I am glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Finland! Kind regards, Jeff / Taiga times
As a solo traveler it was very convenient way to experience the nature of Finland. The program was perfect and the guide had fluent knowledge and good manner. High recommend to try once you are in Helsinki!
Hi there, Thanks for the review! Happy to hear you enjoyed the berry picking and I hope the rest of your vacation was great! Thanks for visiting! Kind regards, Jeff / Taiga Times
