Tours/Helsinki/Live Like a Local in a Finnish Cottage in Porkkala Archipelago
Viator · Private tour

Live Like a Local in a Finnish Cottage in Porkkala Archipelago

4.9(19)Helsinki1 hour
VIATOR5.0(2)TRIPADVISOR4.9(17)

Description

Experience cottage life in the Finnish Archipelago guided by locals living there. Enjoy Finnish sauna, the peace and quiet of nature and learn about Finnish cottage culture first-hand. Our 3 packages guarantee an unforgettable experience whether you are seeking for a quiet get-away from city life, competing in traditional Finnish cottage games with your friends or looking for an adrenaline rush and bragging rights among your friends. If you visit Finland without experiencing the cottage life, did you truly ever visit Finland? We think not. That's why we - Henrik and Tristan - 2 local guys from Finland, invite you to Henrik's family cottage to show you around and let you live like a local for a day. Together we combine our knowledge in the local Finnish cottage culture, the surrounding nature and the history of the Porkkala region. We are the friends you never knew you had in Finland, and we will take you on an adventure to the very core of Finnish culture.

Tour Options

Cottage Olympics
  • Cottage games: Compete with your friends in traditional cottage games (mölkky, air rifle sharpshooting, cottage darts, throwing löyly) Duration: 10 hours: 1h transportation + 8h on the island + 1h transportation Enjoy traditional food: Traditional Finnish cottage food will be served; light snacks upon arrival, lunch, and warm finger food before departure Finnish sauna: Authentic Finnish sauna experience, learn how to prepare it yourself (cut wood and light it), enjoy the fruit of your labor Pickup included
Dare devil
  • Excursion to local diving spot: Take a leap of faith and jump down to a 12 meter free fall into the crystal clear water in a quarry nearby Duration: 10 hours: 1h transportation + 8h by the quarry and on the island + 1h transportation Enjoy traditional food: Traditional Finnish cottage food will be served; light snack upon arrival, lunch, and warm finger food before departure Finnish sauna: Authentic Finnish sauna experience, learn how to prepare it yourself (cut wood and light it), enjoy the fruit of your labor Pickup included
Relax in the Archipelago
  • Island tour: Stroll around in the beautiful nature of the island. Learn about the history of the island and the surrounding nature Duration: 10 hours: 1h transportation + 8h on island + 1h transportation Cooking traditional food: Learn to cook tasty traditional Finnish food. Upon arrival a light snack and before departure warm finger food will be served Finnish sauna: Authentic Finnish sauna experience, learn how to prepare it yourself (cut wood and light it), enjoy the fruit of your labor Pickup included

Itinerary

60 min

The day will start at Kiasma's bus station in central Helsinki where you will be picked up. The roughly 1 hour car will take you through iconic places in central Helsinki, whereafter you will surprisingly quick find yourselves surrounded by nature on an island of your own. Once in Porkkala archipelago you will be treated with some entree snacks and once the dust has settled from the ride we will take you for a tour around the island whereafter more will follow according to the package you have chosen.

360 min

Experience the cottage life on a family owned island in Porkkala archipelago. There are as many ways of enjoying time on a cottage as there are people in Finland, hence we offer an array of different packages suiting different wants. Our three packages guarantee an unforgettable experience whether you are seeking for a quiet get-away from city life, competing in traditional Finnish outdoor cottage games with your squad or looking for an adrenaline rush and bragging rights among your friends.

60 min

The day will end at Kiasma bus stop, or elsewhere in central Helsinki if you wish so. We will ride back all the way from Porkkala's breath-taking archipelago back to the busy streets of Helsinki

Highlights

Private transportation
Traditional home-made Finnish cuisine
Traditional Finnish snacks and pastries
Coffee and/or Tea

What's included

Included
Private transportation
Traditional home-made Finnish cuisine
Traditional Finnish snacks and pastries
Coffee and/or Tea

Pickup Locations & Times

We pick you up at the bus stop in front of Kiasma (the Museum of Contemporary Art). The stop is 50 meters from the museum's entrance and approximately 500 meters from Helsinki Central Railway station. The tour will start and end here.

Traveller Ratings

4.9
19 reviews
5
18
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0

Important Information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(19)

1
178chiet
September 19, 2023
Kiitos!

Kiitos paljon, Tristan and Henrik! You are good guides, good chefs, and good friends. I and my mom really enjoyed super relaxing experience. It was like I visited to my friends cottage. I strongly recommend it.

Operator response

We loved having you visit us all the way from Japan, it was a real pleasure and the feeling of friendship was mutual! Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience!

W
William_H
August 10, 2023
Fun and Relaxation on a Private Island

My wife and I had a great time competing in the cottage games, having some wonderful Finnish food and drink with two great hosts. The highlight was enjoying the sauna and jumping into the Gulf of Finland afterwards. If you want to experience the tranquil life of Finland this is a must do.

Operator response

We're glad to hear that you liked the Cottage Olympics package! We had a great time hosting and showing you the Finnish cottage life and its crown jewel; the sauna. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

V
Vicki_H
August 7, 2023
Fantastic day trip!

I have been using Viator for family vacations for many years and this was by far the best tour/experience we have had. We were traveling with young adults, who can be hard to please, but all agreed it was the best day of their holiday. Both Tristan and Henrik were incredible hosts who made us feel more like friends than customers. The Cottage was adorable and the Finnish landscape was breathtaking. We were not entirely sure what to expect from the day, but certainly the experience exceeded all possible expectations. Henrik is a very talented cook and baker and Tristan was organized, friendly and very responsive in setting up the logistics. They were a terrific team and we can’t wait to do it again. I highly recommend this experience!

Operator response

We're so happy to hear that you had as good of a time as we had inviting you to the Finnish cottage experience. We can't wait to have you visit us again - maybe next time it's time for the Dare devil package! Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

J
Jaandoui
July 28, 2023
Loving the island and the cottage

I just loved the island and the cottage. What a privilege to get to spend a day there, or a lifetime like our guide Henrik. I felt that both guides really enjoyed what they were doing: showing us around, telling stories about the Finnish culture, cottage culture, the history of the place and the nature and joking around. We chose the cottage olympics package and the games were so fun! The sauna in the end felt like the perfect finnish (pun intended) to the day!

Operator response

Great to hear that you enjoyed the tour! It's easy to make you feel that way because we really do enjoy what we do an aweful lot. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

J
jacobAlbus
July 17, 2023
Perfect combination of relaxation and activities

Our group had a great day in the Finnish nature with our two amazing guides. Upon arrival we got a tour on the island and heard all kinds of interesting stories from the region. After that we got to make some traditional Finnish food, which was awesome. Then we cut som wood for the sauna and lit it our selves which was very exciting. Everything was done in a relaxed fashion. The "Relax in the Archipelago" was the perfect combination of relaxing and activity.

Operator response

So glad to hear that you liked the concept and execution. We have planned the different packages to fit all kinds of travelers with the common interest for the Finnish nature and culture. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

T
Traveler21327743124
July 17, 2023
The guides went the extra mile

We were pondering on which package to choose but took the cottage olympics one. Very happy about the choice. Our group of 6 was split to 3 teams of 2 persons competing in all kinds of fun Finnish outdoor games and competitions outdoours traditional in cottages. The guides made us feel very welcome from the start and even drove us all the way to our hotel at the end of the day. They really deserve a shoutout as they went the extra mile the whole day!

Operator response

We are glad to hear that you felt welcome on our island and liked the Cottage Olympics package! Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

1
1245JasonF
July 16, 2023
An authentic experience

I heard about this trip from friends and had to try it myself. They didn't exaggerate about the experience. The nature was fantastic, the food incredible, the guides top-notch, and the sauna so relaxing. I strongly recommend this day trip for anyone interested in an authentic experience in Finland.

Operator response

We're happy to hear that your expectations were met and you liked the experience! We truly strive for authenticity and want to share a real piece of Finland to our guests. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

P
P_Hansss
July 14, 2023
too long drive to the island

The day tour was good, nature nice and sauna a good experience, but the drive to the place was a bit long... almost 1 hour of sitting in a car is not what I came to do on my vacation

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

We're happy to hear that you liked the tour. It is true that traveling takes some time in this large country of ours and we're sorry to hear that you though it was too much. Traveling from the city center of the capital to the Archipelago takes a while. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

B
B3242XTarianem
July 14, 2023
An amazing place

I strongly recommend this tour as the day was great and the guides were superb. I am happy that I chose this tour as it showed me a completely different side of Finland I would never have seen with the cottage environment and the Archipelago.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

We're glad that you feel this way, the Finnish cottage life is something unique that we wish to show to those traveling Finland and looking for the real experience. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience. Tristan

P
P9835LEmarcs
July 10, 2023
Bragging rights

The ad had me at bragging rights and thats exactly what I got. Me and my friends always on adventures I think I just beat him clean with the dive in the diving place we went to. 12meters straight down and I didnt even flinch. This is exactly what I was searching for. Something real and local, feeling like I was a Finnish viking bathing in the sauna, jumping in the lagoon, running around in the nature, barbequing some sausages!

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

The Dare devil package is for the brave, glad that it suited you well! The cottage environment brings out the wild child in all of us. Thank you for choosing the Finnish Local Experience! Tristan

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