Helsinki Architecture Tour With A City Planner

Emek is very knowledgeable and good at explaining. We learned about the history of Finland and toured the old library and some other places. He is also funny.

This is a special tour. You're not just getting a different view of a city, but you're learning about a place and it's people through the interests and focus of your group. It's a small group, a deep discussion and a fascinating experience. I'll never forget it.

We enjoyed our tour, Emek was very good guide - his explanations were thorough and easy to follow . We learnt about the various influences on Finnish architecture and also the way they have adapted to the harsh winters

guide "emek" was very well informed - on history, architecture, urban form, design, design detail, culture - as well as being social , friendly, patient, responsive to questions, and made visitors feel welcome. small group experience (6 people + emek) was ideal. pacing also ideal. he was the kind of person we could talk to all day... and were disappointed when it ended.

Emek was the BEST guide . This was our last day in Helsinki and we wanted to see this beautiful city from a different angle and Emek provided us with this experience. It was an amazing, we started with the old part - Helsinki cathedral and the old library and we ended with the new library. In this very short 3 hrs walking tour we learned soo much of this amazing country and its people!!! A must trip when you are in Helsinki. THANK YOU, Emek!!!

Emeck provided a fascinating, well-organized introduction to the history and development of architecture in Helsinki. His discussions addressed politics, economics, and social history, and we ended our tour with a deep understanding of the history of Helsinki architecture. One of the best tours ever!

Emek is a gem of a tour guide. He led us through Helsinki history, life and architecture. He was generous with his time and knowledge. This is a terrific introduction to Helsinki! Don't hesitate to book with Emek!

Fun and very informative, not just about architecture but also Finnish history and culture and the relationship between form and function across various eras and contexts. Our guide did a great job of explaining things to a small group of Americans and Brits with no relevant technical training, and several of the spots we visited were memorably beautiful. Just a heads up to guide dressing/packing, we were standing or walking for almost all of the 3 hour tour, and one of the sites we went inside required all bags to be left in free lockers.

This was a wonderful tour! Emek was a great guide and very knowledgeable! Second time in Helsinki but we saw more in this tour than before. Highly recommend!

Really interesting explanations of the city architecture and history. We very much enjoyed learning more about Helsinki this way.

Emek provided valuable insights into Finland’s history, along with the origins of Helsinki’s architecture and the underlying principles for their design…and, he also touched on town planning. The depth of information made me look at things through a different lens and increased my understanding and appreciation greatly. The three hours passed remarkably quickly. Thank you so much. It was a memorable experience.

Emek was very knowledgeable, confident and yet friendly. Learnt a lot from him during the three hour walking tour as he convincingly shared about how architecture and urban planning in Helsinki was influenced by political, social and economic factors. He effectively addressed questions as well. Engaging experience since this was a small group. An enjoyable learning experience.

It was an enriching and interesting experience, there was not a single question that Emek left unanswered, he has a wide knowledge of architecture, engineering, history and general knowledge about Finland that is so useful for a tourist. In addition, he has a personal charm and great patience. It is recommended to schedule the tour at the beginning of your visit to Helsinki.

Emek was an amazing tour guide and introduced the architectural history of the region in a clear , concise manner. The tour lasted three hours, but I was engrossed the entire time.

Fantastic tour! My friend and I learned so much about Finnish history through architecture and the design of the city, through the ages. Emek is incredibly knowledgeable and skillfully fielded a variety of questions. You can tell that he’s very passionate about his subject matter and we’re grateful that he was able to share what he knows with us. I highly recommend spending a few hours in Helsinki on this tour - you’ll develop a greater appreciation of the city through this experience.

This was hands down one of the most rewarding local tour experiences we've had! Emek brought incredible insight into Finland’s history, politics, and economy, giving us a much deeper appreciation for the country. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore Helsinki through a local lens!

We all learned a great deal about Finnish culture and the incredible buildings in Helsinki. Emek was a wonderful tour guide, responding to our many comparisons with Chicago architecture and sharing his love and understanding of an incredible city. Wish we had booked more time with him!

Emek was a great tour guide with SO much knowledge! He can literally answer any question you have about the city and Finland.

Our guide, Emek, gave us an excellent, in-depth overview of select Helsinki buildings. He wove Finland’s historical, architectural and cultural background into his tour. We would highly recommend taking Emek’s tour for his insight and enthusiasm!

One of the best tours I’ve ever attended. The guide’s knowledge of architecture and Helsinki is excellent. My sister and I enjoyed the trip very much. You are missing out if you don’t book this tour! Helsinki has amazing architecture.

Engaging tour of key buildings representing Finnish architectural styles with historical context. My Finnish spouse loved it and came away with new understanding of what she thought she knew of Helsinki’s history and development as a capital city. Highly recommended!

The tour was amazing! We learned a lot of things, laughed a lot and enjoyed a wonderful time. Emek is what I call a super guide! The tour was very interesting and time flew way too quickly!

Incredible well structured and engaging tour. I loved seeing things and getting details that I have not known otherwise. Thanks again!

Emek provided us with a an informative and educational tour that increased my understanding and appreciation of Finnish architectural history and city planning. I had minimal knowledge of these topics prior to the tour. I feel that the information and insight I gained was worth the price of the tour. He is a passionate tour guide and it comes across very well. I would highly recommend this tour or any of his other tours.

Thoroughly enjoyed our architecture tour of Helsinki with Emek. He knew loads about Helsinki in general as well as the buildings, structure and development of the city. He was helpful, informative, entertaining and a great host to this wonderful city.

Amek was very knowledgeable about Helsinki and Finnish history. The buildings he toured/discussed were different styles and from different eras. He had extensive knowledge of the architecture and the architects. It was all very fascinating. These were not buildings we would have discovered or toured on our own. We shared a wonderful afternoon with Amek exploring and hearing about Helsinki architecture.

Emek was an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide who answered all of our questions well and brought Helsinki to life. He had a great sense of humour and covered a wide range of areas about the history of Helsinki.

Emek was fabulous! The entire tour was entertaining and informative. I can't recommend his tours enough. It was a highlight of our time in Helsinki.

Outstanding tour! Information on the architecture of the selected buildings was placed in the context of both their historical and design timeframes. Emek was also very open and responsive to questions about modern Finland.

Emek is an excellent guide with expertise who gave us a thoughtful overview of architecture, history and life in Helsinki. As we walked through the city we were shown interesting buildings from the 1800s to now. Several times we entered buildings and learnt about the interior design which was often innovative. We appreciated his city planning expertise and depth of knowledge.

My husband and I just returned from Helsinki and Walk with Emek, former City Planner- the tour was excellent. We only had 4 travelers- so had lots of opportunities for questions and explanations. We did the tour after 4 days in the city and learned so much about the history, the Classical architecture of Senate Plaza and University, the Art Nouveau- Finn adaption in early 1900’s, the impact of Swedish, Russian and German movements and architects on the the layout and building styles that now characterize Finland’s capital. Emek is friendly, professional and full of knowledge of history as well as the contemporary issues facing the city.

Emek tranced Helsinki’s architectural history in vivid detail. We walked from the historic past into the world of contemporary design. He used so many examples of styles along with historical content. We gain such an appreciation of Finland’s contribution to the built environment.

The four of us booked a private tour and learned a lot of background information about urban planning, architecture and the history of Helsinki. Our guide Emek was very personable and spoke very good English. The tour is highly recommended. Beat from Switzerland

Our guide, Emek Ataman, led my husband and me on a rewarding and very informative three-hour visit to sites representing the history of Helsinki and its architecture. His insights supplemented basic facts about Helsinki's principal tourist sites and others less well-known, such as the bank-turned café and the academic bookstore. There were examples of architectural periods including the classical, romantic, art nouveau and contemporary. We also learned about the effects of the closure of Finland's long border with Russia, an echo of the often-fraught relations of the two countries. Our tour finished at the Oodi library/activity center, a lively example of what centers of learning and communication can ideally become.

It goes without saying that the tour guide must be pleasant, enthusiastic, responsive, informative, and an effective communicator. Our guide-- Emek-- was all of these things. But what one really wants from a tour like this is a guide who can answer all of one's questions satisfactorily. That is not so common, in my experience. Emek did so. And then some. Highly recommended.

This was one of the most pleasant, interesting and fun tours I have ever done. Emek is an excellent guide who is eminently qualified to lead this tour. He tells the story of the building of Helsinki while also telling the story of the founding of Finland. It was a great introduction to Finland, and it was so fun to see the architecture. Best of all our guide just made it so enjoyable. Thank you for a lovely tour. I give this my highest recommendation. I’m so glad we did this on our first day.

This tour was the best thing we did while in Helsinki. Out tour leader was so knowledgable and professional, as well as being a very nice person. He couldn't have been more helpful. He really gave us a terrific overview of the history and conditions leading up to the establishment of the city, as well as a good understanding of contemporary Finland. We enjoyed our time immensely and would recommend this tour unreservedly.

We wanted to do something different for a city tour and this experience did not disappoint! Even with challenging February weather, this tour was delightful and gave a unique perspective of the main city highlights. Emek was a wonderful, knowledgeable, and fun guide. All in all, a great time!

We’ve taken history and architecture walking tours all over Western Europe. Emek is one of the most knowledgeable and engaging guides we’ve ever had. He revealed the city’s history through his deep knowledge of political and societal impacts on art and architecture in Helsinki. He could easily teach a university course on the subject. And as an immigrant to Finland, he is a passionate ambassador for his city, its heritage, and values. We can’t recommend this tour highly enough.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a great deal. It was very, very interesting. We loved all the history and details.

Emek was a great tour guide of Helsinki! Emek has great insight to the architecture, the city history and key places to show us that we would not have found on our own. He is funny and good spirited and answered our many questions not only about architecture but also about city life and the interesting history of Helsinki with the many Russian, Swedish and German influences along the way. We had very bad weather on our actual tour date and we were able to postpone one day and avoid the cold rain. Emek was easy to correspond with and timely! We highly recommend a tour led by Emek!

Emek is an absolutely professional tour guide with broad and profound knowledge that greatly enriched our entire journey. The entire trip is very well designed, so we didn't feel tired at all, even though it's a three-hour journey in freezing winter conditions. If we were to explore on our own, Helsinki might have left us with the impression of a seemingly unremarkable city, lacking clear points of interest. However, Emek skillfully weaved together historical insights and architectural highlights, making the tour both informative and engaging. That’s very fascinating! And I truly enjoy his humor hahahahah! For anyone seeking a quick but comprehensive overview, this trip is definitely the best choice.

This tour was excellent. It was inspiring, interesting and covered architecture, planning and social issues. I would defiantly recommend it. I was travelling by myself and totally enjoyed the interaction with Emek and my group. We were able to have some great conversations about architecture and planning and construction methods too while walking the streets of Helsinki looking at some amazing buildings and urban spaces! Do yourself a favour and book yourself in for one of the tours. Emek is fabulous and very welcoming and informative.

The tour was very informative and our guide was quite knowledgeable. He did a great job describing how politics, society and history influenced the architecture of Helsinki. We really gained an appreciation of the details, and the forward thinking city planning.

Emek great! I posed a few questions non-architectural and he knew just as much as he did as a city planner. Highly personable too!

We are a group of 12 tourists who booked a private tour with Emek Ataman. It is the best decision we made to learn about Helsinki. Emek is knowledgeable, articulate and experienced guide. We have the most amazing 3-hours with him. For anyone visiting Helsinki, I would highly recommend booking a tour with Ataman Tours to get an excellent understanding of this city and country

This was a great introduction to Helsinki. We learned history as well as architecture. Emek’s enthusiasm for his city is contagious. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough.

I took many tours in my three weeks in the UK, Scandinavia and Finland (and Estonia), this was BY FAR the best. Emek, the guide, was knowledgeable, well spoken, fun, funny and fantastic. If I'd taken this tour my first day, I would've organized other tours with him.

I have been traveling on a few continents over the past seven weeks, and I've taken many guided tours. This was by far the best. Emek is incredibly smart, well spoken and great at his job. Book this tour!