SPB Panoramic Helsinki Tour?

[cruzgryphon]

Hi,

Was wondering if anyone has done SPB's Panoramic Helsinki Tour the 3 - 3.5 hour one and what did you think of it?

 

Thanks :)

[hockeyken]

:) We did the longer version which included Seurasaari Island ( a look at village life in Finland 200 years ago with preserved buildings etc).

 

The balance of the tour is the same, and a good way to see the highlites of Helsinki. The Rock Church was very interesting, and different. Since the city is not very large, this tour manages to show you most of it.

 

We enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. Mostly non strenuous. Some walking.

 

K

[Jonza]

Based on the description the SPB tour visits or drives by the typical sights in Helsinki. If you are considering alternatives, it is easy to cover these sights also by yourself using public transportation or by taking a HOHO bus. Public transit costs 8€ pp. for a day ticket and HOHOs 27€-30€ pp. depending on the company. It comes down to your preferences and what your price for the tour combined with a St. Petersburg tour is.

 

In the end it comes down to what you want from the day in Helsinki. If you want a guided snapshot of Helsinki while sitting on a bus grab the tour or a HOHO. The choice between those two comes down to whether you value a live guide or ability to select where you stop. The SPB tour definitely has one shortfall in that you have either only 30 minutes in downtown or will have to travel back to the ship by yourself. The traveling part should be easy using either using public transit or your ship shuttle, but requires some planing (or asking for directions). If you just want to have an easygoing day after St. Petersbourg, I would suggest that you spend a moment beforehand to look at whether the sights are of interest for you. For example you could just head to the Church in the Rock and Market Square areas using public transportation, ships shuttle, or a combination of the two.