Porvoo Old Town & Riverside Heritage Guided Tour from Helsinki
Description
Porvoo is Finland’s second oldest city, located just about 50 kilometers from Helsinki—making it the perfect choice for a day trip! The Old Town and Porvoonjoki River Valley are recognized for their outstanding historical and cultural value, even listed among Finland’s National Landscapes. You’ll love strolling through the well-preserved streets lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and the 15th-century Porvoo Cathedral is a must-see landmark. Your guide will lead you on a relaxed walk through Porvoo Old Town, sharing fascinating stories, interesting facts, and insider tips about this charming town’s medieval roots. After the guided portion, enjoy some free time to explore at your own pace—stop by cozy cafés, browse unique shops, snap photos, or simply soak up the local atmosphere. When it’s time, your guide will accompany you back to Helsinki to wrap up your tour. With personalized attention and a friendly local guide, you’ll enjoy a memorable and convenient day out!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kamppi Shopping Centre is a vibrant hub combining a modern underground bus terminal and a metro station beneath its main building, alongside a large shopping mall. This dynamic development has transformed the area into a lively, prosperous destination. Your tour will begin in front of R Kioski on the E-level, close by the Shopping centre main entrance, where you’ll meet your guide at 8:50am.
You’ll travel to Porvoo by intercity bus from Helsinki—a comfortable journey of about 50 minutes. Enjoy the scenic Finnish countryside from your window along the way.
We’re excited to take you on a 3-hour guided tour of Porvoo Old Town—Finland’s second oldest town. Along the way, you’ll see the most famous spots, but your guide will also lead you down charming side streets to discover the town’s unique culture, art, and history. Get ready for a truly memorable experience that brings Porvoo’s medieval roots and lively present to life—all with a friendly, knowledgeable guide who wants you to enjoy every moment!
Porvoo Cathedral A historic Gothic-style cathedral built mainly in the 15th century (with parts dating to the 13th century), Porvoo Cathedral is a symbol of the town’s rich heritage and a significant landmark in Finnish history. As the seat of the Swedish-speaking diocese, it has witnessed key national events and survived fires and wars, remaining a cherished place of worship and community.
Art exhibitions and atmosphere in a valuable 18th century building in the middle of Old Porvoo.
You’ll visit the Devil’s Stairs in Porvoo, where your guide will share the intriguing local legends and stories behind this unique, centuries-old landmark.
After the guided tour, enjoy some free time to relax at a charming café or gallery, browse local shops for souvenirs, or explore the old town further at your own pace.
After enjoying a wonderful time in Porvoo and when you feel ready to leave, your guide will accompany you to the bus station for your return trip to Helsinki. The journey back takes about 50 minutes—sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
The bus will bring you back to Kamppi around 4pm, where your tour concludes. Feel free to take a leisurely stroll through the city as you make your way back to your accommodation. We hope you had a wonderful day—enjoy a restful evening!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Finland’s weather can change quickly, so we suggest packing a light jacket and umbrella in Summer. In Winter, temperatures may drop to -25°C, so warm coats, scarves, hats, and gloves are a must. We also recommend travel insurance for a worry-free trip.
Reviews(74)
Sergio was an excellent guide, we learned so much about history, culture and the people of Finland. Porvoo is a beautiful old city only one hr. from Helsinki and is must see. We even listen to a short organ performance in the old church.
Our guide was amazing! We had a wonderful time. We even had a great group!
My wife and I really enjoyed our tour. Guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Porvoo was beautiful. Would highly recommend it.
Fantastic nice trip with Sergej as a guide. He told a lot about the story and was genuinely interested in his job. We had a fantastic weather that helped make this a fantastic experience
Had a lovely time exploring Porvoo. The guide was friendly and shared interesting local stories without making the tour feel rushed. We had enough free time to wander through the old streets, grab a coffee, and enjoy the atmosphere. A very pleasant day trip and well worth doing.
What a fabulous tour - Alexander was able to answer all of our questions and guide through the experience - we were very happy with everything.
Great tour, lots to see and at the right pace. Our guide Alex was great
my tour was cancelled and transferred to city tour with ferry to soulemina. which was fantastic the guides were great with lots of information and laughs and looked after the 4 of us very well. thank you to helsinki and porvoo tour company.
Our guide Aleksander was a very cool and relaxed guide. He offered interesting info, guided us in a very cool way and left us wander around Porvoo tiny streets.
Great historical site. Buildings are well maintained. Alex, tourist guide is very professional, knowledgeable about the historical value of the different historical sites.
