Fantastic Finland for Family of Five
Finland | Aug 3 - Aug 17, 2024

Carol
Carol S.
France | Reviewed on Aug 19, 2024

We had an amazing holiday in Finland, thanks to careful planning and organising by our rep Emerson. He was attentive and responsive to our requests and created a tailor-made itinerary for us. He was also very helpful and attentive during our trip too. His choices meant that we enjoyed a wide variety of activities, locations and experiences which is just what we wanted from the holiday. We even made a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, only a couple of hours away by ferry from Helsinki. We loved the vibrant cities of Helsinki and Turku, balanced with the opportunities to be surrounded by the nature and wildlife in Rovaniemi, Pyhä and Äkäslompolo. We enjoyed the overnight sleeper train to Kolari and found all our transfers to be very smooth and easy. We enjoyed our time with all the guides, who were friendly, knowledgeable and kind. This was especially so in Äkäslompolo, Rovaniemi and Pyhä and they added to our whole positive experience. Our accommodation was always first rate and there we enjoyed the wonderful Finnish breakfast selections plus access to the saunas, another great Finnish ritual. The weather was pretty good throughout our trip and we enjoyed perfect temperatures for us to sightsee and do the planned activities. We are very happy with the holiday we had in Finland and thank Emerson and KimKim for a great experience.

Hotel Reviews
Ylläs-Ukko
Äkäslompolo

Loved this private house surrounded by nature. It was spacious, tranquil and modern with all the amenities you could want. An added bonus was the private sauna there which we all enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone
Turku

Great location and modern hotel

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
GLO Hotel Art
Helsinki

Characterful hotel in a great location. It had spacious, modern rooms but also unique communal areas with architectural features. Loved the amazing breakfasts!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Kurula's Resort
Pyhätunturi

Beautiful location surrounded by nature. Particularly enjoyed the private sauna in the apartment and possibility to cook own meals.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Couple of kms walk to town, so not quite so easy without a car for meals/shopping.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Double room was a longer hot during our stay but comfortable enough.
Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi

Wonderful hotel in great location . Friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Overnight Train

Fantastic first experience on a sleeper train. Surprisingly quiet and comfortable with pre booked breakfast. It was a punctual and smooth journey.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Taste of Helsinki & Tour of Suomenlinna
Taste of Helsinki & Tour of Suomenlinna
Helsinki

Great guided tour with Janica in Helsinki, who was friendly, informative and kind.

Quality of Experience
Informative tour of main Helsinki sights
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Janica was kind and personable not just informative.
Transport
Ferry ride to island was smooth and easy.
Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea
Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea
Helsinki

Loved our visit to the archipelago and to see what is beyond Helsinki city.

Quality of Experience
Really nice tour but could have been made even better for us with longer hike.
Food
Enjoyed eating the local Finnish food.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Christian very good guide
Transport
Tallinn Day Trip
Tallinn Day Trip
Helsinki

Very positive addition to our Finland trip. Easy to get there and so much to see.

Quality of Experience
Easy ferry ride and great guided tour of city.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Enjoyed our private tour with our very knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Transport
Ferry is super comfortable and easy and full of amenities
Turku City Walking Tour
Turku City Walking Tour
Turku

Interesting tour of main sights in Turku and added to our understanding of Turku’s position in Finland’s history.

Quality of Experience
Overall very interesting
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sanna was a good guide for us and gave a full and comprehensive private tour.
Transport
On foot but totally walkable
Full Day Hike in the National Park
Full Day Hike in the National Park
Äkäslompolo

One of our best experiences during the whole holiday.

Quality of Experience
Fantastic tour to experience the nature of Finland at its best.
Food
Enjoyed our grill experience in one of the hiking huts
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Both guides were extremely kind, helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They added to the whole experience and made it very positive and enjoyable for us all.
Transport
Very good door to door pick up and drop off and transfer to hiking area.
Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour
Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour
Pyhä

Great hiking tour in a beautiful gorge with knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience
Enjoyed being immersed in nature and having a great guide too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Super knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Transport
Great transport in mini van
Canoeing Experience on Pyhäjoki River
Canoeing Experience on Pyhäjoki River
Pyhä

Fantastic experience to canoe/kayak on the river and lake in the national park.

Quality of Experience
Enjoyed physical activity of canoeing and kayaking but also the immersive experience of being in the beautiful natural environment.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Great guide again , same as our previous trip in the area which helped build our rapport and ease with each other.
Transport
Minivan pick up and drop off
Amethyst Mine Photographing Tour
Amethyst Mine Photographing Tour
Pyhä

A great unique experience which we all loved.

Quality of Experience
Really great to learn about this wonderful unique place and then to get the opportunity to actually mine for ourselves! We all left with some self-mined amethysts, very special souvenirs of our trip.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very informative and friendly guide at the mine.
Transport
Minivan pick up, transfer and drop off by our same private tour guide. All went very smoothly.
Northern Lights Tour
Northern Lights Tour
Rovaniemi

Enjoyable experience even though we didn’t get to see much activity in the sky. Enjoyed the campfire and photo opportunities at the lake at sunset.

Quality of Experience
Enjoyed the trip and liked the photography tips. Good picture opportunities at the lake at sunset too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Ryan and Aurelian were both friendly and knowledgeable.
Transport
Minivan ride smooth and easy.
Meet Arctic Animals (Summer)
Meet Arctic Animals (Summer)
Rovaniemi

Great opportunity to meet Arctic animals up close and learn more about them from the farm owners.

Quality of Experience
Great experience at both husky and reindeer farms. Owners were welcoming and enthusiastically shared their knowledge with us. The animals are obviously well cared for too.
Food
Lunch was lovely at the reindeer farm and we enjoyed the local dishes made with local Finnish ingredients. The big hut and campfire were a great place to eat in too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was friendly and personable and we really appreciated learning from the farm owners too.
Transport
Smooth minivan transfer from tour guide office.
River Cruise on an Eco Rubber Boat
River Cruise on an Eco Rubber Boat
Rovaniemi

Great experience to see the sights from the river.

Quality of Experience
Enjoyed the whole trip even though we had a rainy day.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sakke was particularly kind and friendly. As it was so rainy, he offered a sauna experience for us instead of river swimming. This was one in his own garden and was of the traditional design. He kindly offered us sandwiches, drinks and cookies too. This kind hospitality added to our overall enjoyment despite the wet weather.
Transport
Good fun being collected and dropped by boat!
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia | Replied on Aug 21, 2024

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that your holiday in Finland was such a success and that the itinerary we planned together met your expectations. It’s great to know that you enjoyed the perfect mix of vibrant cities, stunning nature, and unique experiences like the day trip to Tallinn. I’m especially glad that the guides and accommodations added to your positive experience. It was a pleasure to help make your trip memorable, and I look forward to assisting you with future adventures!