The sauna culture is the core of Finnish hospitality. The oldest remnants of a sauna have been discovered in the Kainuu region and they are as old as the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Sauna is a living institution of Finland. On our Helsinki city tour, you will learn how the sauna culture intertwines with history.

This private tour starts from Citizen square, which has become the new cultural city centre of Helsinki. The following buildings will be wither just viewed or visited: 

• The Parliament building, where there are many saunas for the use of the parliament delegates and employees. 
• The Finlandia Hall, the main work of Alvar Aalto and on the other side by the Töölö bay you can see a beautiful wooden villa of the Finnish Literature Society, with a nice traditional sauna. 
• Walking through the Helsinki Music Center and visiting the new Oodi Library, the world´s best public library with great architecture and all the facilities and services for the client of today – but no sauna, that was a disappointment to many. 

The tour continues to one of the most famous saunas: 

• Tamminiemi used to be the residence of our former president Urho Kekkonen from 1956 to 1986. The sauna of Tamminiemi played a major part in politics. It is possible to book the Tamminiemi sauna also for private usage for maximum of 16 people including special guidance.

The tour then takes you to the trendy Kallio and Hakaniemi, located in the eastern parts of Helsinki city centre, the former living area of working class people: 

• The most famous public sauna is called Kotiharju sauna. It is an old legendary public sauna where you will find the professors and students and wealthy businessmen sitting naked next to the unemployed and the homeless. Sauna is exhibiting the Finnish democracy that has proven to be useful in international diplomacy. 
• Workers´House, a late Jugend building listed to be included as part of the UNESCO heritage. 

The tour naturally includes also Senate Square and to the Market place:

• Opposite the Presidential Palace we can observe the Allas Seapool with many saunas and open-air swimming pools by the sea.
• On the giant Skywheel, you can spot a sauna hanging up in the air – one of the cabins is a sauna for those who want to take a ride without their clothes on in the heat. 

After crossing the historical city centre, you will pass by the Kaivopuisto park and then visit Löyly - a sauna selected among one the 100 most interesting places to visit in the world by Time Magazine. Löyly is a public sauna and if you have time, it is well possible to stay and get to the sauna and swim in the sea or have something to eat there before returning to the hotel or cruise ship. See the extras.