The most important square of the city and the postcard view of Helsinki. Here we'll see the Helsinki Cathedral, the old Senate, the University of Helsinki, the National Library and the Statue of Alexander the II. On the Senate Square you'll learn about Helsinki's past, how did the city develop from a tiny fisherman town into a bustling capital of Finland?
Helsinki's main sight, the mighty Helsinki Cathedral, inaugurated in 1852. Join this tour and you'll learn anecdotes about this famous building. The architect of Helsinki Cathedral actually hated Helsinki, what's the deal with that?What's the major religion of Finland? When do Finns gather to do picnics at the staircase in front of the cathedral?
The Bank of Finland, a building from 1883 right behind the Helsinki Cathedral. Here you'll meet te statue J.V Snellman, a 19th century poet and philosopher who influenced heavily to the nationalistic movement of pre-independent Finland. You'll also learn, why is there big bullet holes in Snellman's statue?
The House of the Estate is a stunning neo-renassaince building, were the different estates of 19th century Finland gathered to discuss politics. On this stop, you'll learn about Finland's political system.
The largest Orthodox Cathedral of North-Western Europe. Why is is located in a Lutheran country though?
This stop is dedicated to talk about SAUNA. Finns favorite past time, and that one thing that all the Finns share love towards. You'll learn about the importance of saunas in our every day life, and also you'll learn what is the sauna etiquette.
The famous Helsinki Market Square. Loved among tourists and locals. We'll pass through the market, and talk about Finnish Gastronomy. In the market square you'll also see the President's Palace and the Helsinki City Hall.
Picturesque Parisian style park in the heart of Helsinki. Here you'll meet the statue that seagulls love the most.
Helsinki Central Railway Station from 1919, by a famous Finnish architect, Eliel Saarinen. We'll pass by it and comment about the wide and incredible railway network of Finland. On the Railway Square you'll also see our National Gallery, Ateneum and the National Theater of Finland.
The last (and the best) stop of the tour. Oodi Central Library is considered one of the best public libraries of the world, and for me personally, I consider it my second living room. Have you ever seen a library with recording studios, 3-D printers, lunch restaurant, boardgames and sawing machines? Not to forget the books obviously. To finish the tour, you'll get an extensive library tour, and I promise you'll be amazed by this library.
This was a great tour. The guide was extremely informative about Finnish history. The tour was informative, and she was able to keep things moving (not too long on 1 topic or place). I appreciated her willingness to share more about Finnish people and culture. She was also able to give me suggestions on other activities I could do during my stay. Great tour!!
Jonna was absolutely the best tour guide - she provided such a perfect blend of history with current context added to make it relevant to today - tour was relaxed - she added humour and made sure everyone got what they needed - would give her 10 stars if I could
6 close friends who have travelled to some new part of the world for 2-3 weeks of our lives every year for the past 6 years experienced a most wonderful walking tour with Jonna getting to know Helsinki. We had wonderful sunny weather after a blustery rainy day the prior day, with Jonna which did not hurt. She is a wonderful, down to earth , humorous with a complimenting self deprecating degree humour on top adding to her endearing quality. More importantly she knows and better yet has truly an appreciating knowledge of past history in order for tourists to understand how more currents events developed and thus eventually happened. She had for us an extensive, deep upstanding of the relationships of the Swedish, Russian and Finnish peoples from prior to 1700s until now not to mention what is happening in today’s current geopolitical climate and in discussing general financial and sociological issues in current times regarding Finland ands it’s increasing diverse population. We simply had a blast with Jonna and found we talked so much about so many issues the 2 and 1/2 hours went by so fast we even missed some common sites due to lack of time although that is the information we wanted to know through no fault of Jonna. We all would have given her 5.0 out of 5 if we all individually voted . Well worth a half day excursion . Our group felt if you enjoyed a little humour in your life and do not take daily life and world events too seriously but have a true respect for those events and their outcomes you will enjoy the value in taking a tour with Jonna!
A nice, relaxed walking tour of the city, tailored to our interests. At our request, we also visited the library. During the walk, we talked about the history of the country and the city, as well as life in Helsinki today.
This walking tour was wonderful. We have taken walking tours several times in Europe. Our experience has taught us that being a part of a small group enhances the experience and is well worth the additional cost. Our tour guide began by asking each of us what we were interested in learning through this experience and answered all of our questions. She took our interests into account through the experience. We learned about Finnish history, architecture, culture, language, and more.
This is an excellent tour to learn about the city. Jonna is a fantastic tour guide, incredibly knowledgeable but very easy to talk to. The same group size makes you feel like you’re walking around with friends. I would highly recommend!
Luved the small group environment. Johanna has a strong knowledge of Helsinki and Finnish culture. What makes this tour special is she customizes speaking points based on customers requests. Take this tour!
Jonna was wonderful! Very engaging and knowledgeable about Finland's history. She accommodated our questions and interests at every opportunity. I was traveling with a 13 year old and she also loved our afternoon with Jonna. I really felt like I learned a lot about Finland both historically and modern day. She also went above and beyond in customer service for us. I could not recommend this more highly if you want a lovely and conversational experience that still manages to teach you a lot. Also, very reasonably priced for the value you get.
A great tour, with excellent guide Jonna. So much knowledge. Highly recommend this small group tour.
Superb. Friendly, knowledgeable and so much more than a tour. Small group is fantastic and worth the money. Answered all questions and learnt subtle stuff you’d never otherwise pick up about Finland.
Our guide was excellent. We learned so much about Finnish cultures and customs. The walking tour was over 2 hrs. Guide spoke excellent English. She would answer any question asked. This tour is a must do if you are in Helsinki. Tons of suggestions of places to see on our visit in Helsinki. I would rate this 10 out of 10. Best tour guide in our 4 week holiday in Scandinavia area.
We had a fabulous tour with Jona. She was funny, friendly and full of knowledge about her hometown. We loved that it was a very small group of 6 people and got the chance to interact with each other. I highly recommend this tour!
Jonna was a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide. She started by asking us what our expectations were and what we would like to see. Loved the small group (4 people) which allowed lots of interaction with the tour guide.
Joanne was a knowledgeable enthusiastic tour guide who not only presented the sights but described Finnish culture and language to us.
An excellent tour with. Jona was a very knowledgeable guide, that share with our small group a mix of history, culture and customs of Finland while showing us the most emblematic sites and buildings of Helsinki. Highly recommended tour with Jona, if you want to learn about Finland in a short time.
An amazing walking tour! Jonna was very easy to speak with, had lots of interesting vignettes and history, and welcomed questions and any special requests. THIS is the tour you should book!
If you are curious and a life long learner this is a fantastic tour for you. I called Jonna our “Professor.” She is extremely competent and explained the linkages of Finnish history through religion, politics, wars, culture, and language in a delightful way that was engaging, funny, upbeat and lively. She made the content accessible to all levels, and went as deep and as high level as the group wanted. She was a wonderful host, and her passion for her country and upbeat attitude made this a wonderful experience. I have been on many walking tours around the world, and this one was the best. Thank you Jonna!
Jonna gave us lots of historical and cultural insights which we really enjoyed. She is friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable. For us it was a great way to kick off our visit to Helsinki.
Jonna was a very knowledgeable guide and made the tour interesting and informative. Despite the weather we enjoyed the city and highlights and would recommend the tour especially if you are interested in history.
I had a great time exploring Helsinki with Jonna and other guests. If you want a tour in a small grop with time to ask questions and have a conversation with your guide, then this is a right choice for you.
Jonna was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. She was friendly, a great storyteller of history, and made sure we were all comfortable (letting us pick sun or shade for several stops and ensuring we took routes that have fewer stairs as my step-dad has a hard time with them). She made sure to understand what we wanted out of the tour up front so she could deliver that (and more). We got to see and better understand several really interesting places and how the Finnish country has changed over time. Our whole group of 6 thought she did a fantastic job.
This was an outstanding tour. Jonna was very friendly and knowledgeable. She provided great insight into Finnish history and culture. Highly recommended
Can we give 6 stars? This tour couldn’t be better, we were a small group of 3, which makes it very personal, Iona is an excellent guide, it’s like you meet a friend in Helsinki. We learned a lot, highly recommend it!
We had an absolutely amazing tour with Jonna today. She took us all around Helsinki and made the entire experience unforgettable. She is incredibly knowledgeable, highly professional, and shares so much fascinating information in such an engaging and interesting way. What truly makes her special is the incredible enthusiasm and energy she brings it’s contagious and unlike anything we’ve experienced before. We highly, highly recommend this tour and feel very lucky to have had Jonna as our guide.
We were originally booked to tour with Jonna but they were unwell so they offered to move us to the same tour with a different guide Emek, this was handled really smoothly without any issues, The actual tour was fantastic, Emek was really knowledgeable and showed us things that we wouldn't have seen had we just toured on our own, The library being one of the highlights, We learnt about the history and culture of Finland and gained an insight into life there, it was a great introduction to the city and Emek was able to suggest other things to do during our stay, Being part of a small group worked well as it was a nice to meet other travellers, the tour was not rushed and everyone got chance to ask questions and we even had time for coffee and cake. I would definitely recommend this tour !
Jonna was a wealth of knowledge on the history and sights of Helsinki. She was fun and engaging and kind. We had so much fun on our tour. From government to politics, sauna and food, Jonna explains it all. Thank you for the best tour of our time in Finland and thank you for your kindness and positive energy! - Patricia and Kyr
Our guide Jenna minor only met, but exceeded our expectations. She was quite knowledgeable and really enjoys her job as a guide We highly recommend this tour when visiting Helsinki!!!!
Jonna is such an awesome person and a fantastic guide. Her energy is the perfect vibe and her tour of the city was informative and educational. I will absolutely reach out to her again next time I visit Helsinki!
The was a superb walking tour. I was going to book another tour then I saw this one and read the reviews, all 5 star. I booked it for my wife, me and our two German “ daughters” ( our exchange students from 25 years ago) and her husband. Jonna was an outstanding guide. She was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We did 6 or 7 different tours on our trip and this was one of the best, if not the best. We all would highly recommend it.
Jonna it's a great tour guide! Was a nice touch about the history of the country and small details about the city and some of the interesting aspects of the finn culture. I reccomend to everybody com to helsinki to make this tour!
We only had four days in Helsinki and wanted to make the most of it, so we decided to do a guided walking tour with top rated Rento Helsinki Tours. It was a beautiful late November day. Super cold but also sunny. Jonna is such a loveable person and managed to hit that sweet spot between telling us about finnish culture and history, the city and little anecdotes. The 2,5 hours also felt like the perfect period of time. They went by quickly but not in a rush, we even had time to warm up with a little hot drink. Also Jonna provided good advice for what we wanted to experience in beautiful Helsinki :) We can highly recommend the walk with Jonna to learn and feel the city/people. This will definitely not be the last time visiting Finland/Helsinki and we will surely book again <3
The tour was excellent. Jonna was very knowledgeable and made sure to cover the topics we wanted to hear about. Nice to hear about things based on personal experience.
A great walk with a great tour guide, Jonni. So good to get to know the center of a city you are visiting for the first time. A little bit of history, a little bit of random things that are good to know and you wouldn´t necessarily think to ask. I´ll be back to Helsinki for sure :)
With my limited time in Helsinki, it was nice to see everything in one concise tour. Jonna was an amazing local guide, the time flew by!
I loved how Jonna asked us to each share something we wanted to learn about Helsinki at the start of the tour. She then paid special attention to these areas of interest throughout the tour.
Tour was great! We did this our first day, which was super helpful in figuring out what we wanted to explore more on our own.
Jonah was so down to earth. She made history relevant and the tour was engaging. She kept it to a small group so we all got to know each other alongside learning about Finland current and past! Highly recommend!
The tour was very informative and ideal for people visiting Helsinki and Finland a first time. We got an extremly good overview of the city and Finland's history and social habits. The tour guide was extending the tour by nearly one hour just because people were interested and asked many questions. Not to mention this was on her own account, didn't charge more or so. Thanks a lot for this nice experience.
A very worthwhile tour. Group size is kept small. Interesting and informative. A good mix of history, sociology and culture.
Jonna was fabulous! The night before she reached out to confirm the meeting point. At the start of the tour She asked each of a question we had about Helsinki, and then incorporated answers along the tour at the relevant time. We were heading to our hotel after the tour to grab our bags and head to the airport. She reminded us we had her contact info if we ran into any trouble. We had a great time touring and learning about Helsinki with Jonna!!
The walking tour really interesting. Before signing up, I was expecting only a general introduction to the city center by a guide who would recite dates, events, and factoids that they memorized based on Wikipedia articles (which happen surprisingly often). Jonna's tour kept me engaged because it was much more interpretive. She was especially good at providing a big picture to introduce the historical processes that shaped Finland's politics, economy, society, and culture without oversimplifying. I liked her careful yet jargon-free word choice that made the tour intriguing for people of varying interests and expectations. Highly recommend this tour!
Jonna was a very pleasant and knowledgeable guide. She really She really brought Helsinki alive for us.
Jona can give you the History and culture from a local’s perspective. She has Wit And humour and could answer any questions. Her recommendations were also all excellent. A very worthwhile walking tour.
Had a wonderful few hours learning lots about the Finnish culture/ way of life and seeing some of the city as well
The history of Finland & Helsinki, the architecture, the culture, the politics and the Finnish character were all brought to life by our outstanding guide and Helsinki’s brightest star, Jonna.
Our walking tour with Jonna was excellent! She takes her time answering all the group members questions. Having 8 group members made for a wonderful close nit group. Thanks Jonna for your wonderful insights and sharing Finland with us! We highly recommend this tour:)
Really wonderful walking tour with Jonna, she is very informative and friendly and it was great way to see Helsinki! Highly recommended 5 star walking tour.
Booked the tour last minute and was so happy we did. Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about her city. We explored the main highlights but was also given her personal favourite spots in this much overlooked city. We were given enough time to take in the sites without too standing around. The Google map share with her recommendations for coffee shops, bars and restaurants was extremely helpful and a really great bonus, We were left at the Library which was a personal favourite of our guide and we could see why, Brilliant way to get to know the city. Cannot recommend this guide enough!!👌🏽♥️
Really interesting insights into Finland, Helsinki and being Finnish through the very personable and knowledgeable Jonna including a surprising ending at the Helsinki library! You have to see it to believe it!
We love a good walking tour and Jonna's walk about Helsinki was one of the best we've experienced. She's absolutely charming and her personal anecdotes mixed with a very interesting history of Finland and Helsinki made for a very enjoyable morning. Highly recommended.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email