Berry Picking in a National Park

What a wonderful experience!! I’m so glad this was offered and had the chance to get out of the city to experience part of what makes Finland so beautiful. The walk to our lunch spot was so easy and adventurous. Picking berries and looking for mushrooms helped the time fly by. Being able to have a little explore time before lunch was a nice touch. When walking in a group, it can be a little challenging to pace yourself enough to get the chance to stop and appreciate the nature. So going off by myself was helpful for a moment of serenity. On the walk back to the van, we were finally able to spot some edible mushrooms. The day could not have been better and our guide Songtra was extremely knowledgeable about the fauna. She was so engaging in sharing her knowledge and was bi-lingual to translate with others in our group. This was an unforgettable experience and has encouraged me to come back to Finland, to take time to explore the forests more. I highly recommend this activity. Especially if you love being outdoors.

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.

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.

+2

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 .

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.

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!

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.

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!!

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.

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!