It was great to work with Emerson. He was very aware of our likes/dislikes and developed an amazing experience for us. We always felt that he was as available if needed, he was very responsive. We felt that there was always someone out there looking out for us during the whole trip.
Our trip was quite long (30 days), involving many hotels, tours, rental cars, and train reservations. Emerson planned everything perfectly and our trip went smoothly due to his care and thoughtfulness.
Emerson was the perfect travel planner!
Hotel Reviews
We had a two bedroom villa and it was very spacious and comfortable. Modern decor and lots of amenities, including full kitchen and laundry machine (which was helpful as we had a long trip and it was convenient to do laundry during our stay). The villa also has a sauna which was nice to use, as it was private and convenient. The location of our villa was close to a lake. Beautiful surroundings. Breakfast was simple but adequate. The only minor negative was that we stayed outside the main season and the restaurant was not open for dinner. Because of the location, we needed to drive to find places to eat.
Authenticity & Character
Beautiful woodsy location, providing an authentic forest experience.
Location
The location was beautiful if you want to be in the woods and experience the forest. We hiked from the property and it was very enjoyable.; we felt that we could get lost in the woods! The only minor negative was that because of the location and the closed restaurant during our stay (out of season in October), we needed to drive to eat dinner. But at the same time, the location offers a restful and peaceful stay.
Staff
Staff were helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Villa was simply decorated with all amenities needed, including separate bedroom, full kitchen, living room, sauna, and laundry facilities.
This was our first hotel in Finland and it was a dream. We loved the room, the breakfast, and the experiences we had at the bar. Staff were also very friendly. The view of our room was amazing and will recommend wholeheartedly for anyone who wants to have an amazing experience in Helsinki. Our room had a view of the water and the hotel was close to all the attractions. A five star experience…
Authenticity & Character
A great place to introduce us to Finland/Helsinki. The breakfast were delicious and they included many Finnish delicacies.
Location
Walking distance to shops, restaurants, and attractions.
Staff
Always greeted us with a smile and always willing to help, if needed.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The suite was amazing, roomy, beautifully decorated, comfortable with a sitting area, and the best view of the water.
Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
Rovaniemi
A unique experience with a beautiful view. It felt like we were sleeping in the forest; a truly treehouse experience. Beautiful, modern decor and amenities. This was the smallest property we stayed at, but the room included a small sitting area. Our stay here was all about the view! Sleeping among the trees was amazing! We also ate at the restaurant and the service and food were outstanding.
Authenticity & Character
The hotel delivers 100% on the treehouse xperience with luxurious surroundings and view.
Location
Located away from town, but across Santa Village. The main attraction is the experience of feeling that you are in a tree house and sleeping among the trees. A once in a lifetime experience.
Staff
Staff were responsive and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The rooms are small, but it is all about the view!!! There is a small sitting area were we could relax. The decor was beautiful and the bed very comfortable.
The hotel was authentic and beautiful surroundings (across a park), but location was a bit far from the river area where most restaurants are located. Also, decor was a bit tired and the room didn’t have many amenities.
Authenticity & Character
It has character but decor was outdated.
Location
Would have liked a better location closer to the river
Staff
Staff were helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The room didn’t have many amenities. Furniture and decor was outdated.
Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi
The hotel and our suite room were beautiful. Nice decor modern decor, friendly staff, great amenities, and great breakfasts! Location was in the center of town with access to many shops and restaurants. We ate at the hotel restaurant and the food was amazing!
Authenticity & Character
Beautifully decorated and many amenities in our suite. Comfortable surroundings and roomy, with a sitting area.
Location
Center of town, close to river, shops, and restaurants.
Staff
Very friendly and helpful. Always greeted us with smiles and helpful if we needed anything.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very comfortable suite with sitting area and many amenities. Very nice decor.
Hotel Lilla Roberts
Helsinki
Excellent location and beautiful suite with a small view of the water and park. The luxurious surroundings were comfortable and the suite was beautifully decorated with amenities. Our room had a lot of character with beautiful architectural details. We ate at the restaurant and the service and food were very good.
Authenticity & Character
Beautiful architecture and character.
Location
Close to center of town, with many shops, restaurants, and sights. Close to everything.
Staff
Staff were very helpful (both hotel and restaurant).
Cleanliness & Comfort
Beautiful room and with a sitting area and dining table. The suite included amenities like Nespresso coffeemaker.
Activity Reviews
Helsinki and Suomenlinna Private Tour
Helsinki
Excellent private tour to give you a sense of the city and the significance of Suomenlinna Island. Perfect tour to do at the start of the trip. The guides were excellent and covered a lot of information in relatively short amount of time (as we requested). We wanted a shorter tour for both the city and the island and this tour was perfect .
Quality of Experience
Excellent guides (Katia and Veera)
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Excellent knowledge and interaction. This was a private tour, which allowed to ask questions and learn about the things that interested us the most. The guides were also very flexible and asked us questions to learn more about our interests.
Transport
Meeting at the hotel was very convenient.
Private Food Tour of Helsinki's Culinary Highlights
Helsinki
Excellent guide (Jolentha).
The private tour was perfect to experience the culinary delicacies of Finland. We learned a lot and the experience enhanced our overall culinary experiences during the rest of our trip.
Very authentic and enjoyable experience. The Guide selected authentic experiences.
Quality of Experience
Authentic locations to enjoy Finnish delicacies and get to know more about the culture.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Amazing guide (Jolentha) providing an authentic experience. The guide was very friendly, asked us a lot of questions to get to know us, which added to the positive experience.
Transport
It was very convenient to meet at our hotel.
Private Tour of Finland's Nuuskio National Park
Helsinki
Amazing private tour with Jeff. The guide was very personable, we got to know a lot about the forest and we interacted a lot during the hike to get to know each other. The tour included a wonderful stew prepared by Jeff, including mushrooms that we gathered during our hike.m!
This is a must to do!
Quality of Experience
An authentic hike and meal prepared by the guide.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Jeff was an amazing personable guide. We learned a lot about the forest, and appreciated his teachings about what to pick in the forest, especially ligonberries and bilberries. We appreciated the excellent meal he prepared for us. A memorable experience that we will never forget.
Transport
It was very convenient to meet at the hotel. Very comfortable transportation.
Tallinn Day Trip
Helsinki
We were very happy to add the day trip to Tallinn to our itinerary. Highly recommend to visit the beautiful old city and learn about its history. We took the ferry and had a great private tour of the city when we arrived. We were also lucky to meet our travel planner (Emerson) who lives in Estonia. After meeting with Emerson for a quick snack/lunch we had a private tour of the city. The guide (Christopher) was very knowledgeable and we learn a lot about Tallinn and its history.
Quality of Experience
It was a perfect day! Easy/convenient transport to Tallinn. We appreciated being able to meet our trip planner, Emerson. And the tour of the city was just perfect in terms of learning and allowing us some free time at the end to explore.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Christopher was very knowledgeable and we felt that we learned a lot during the half day tour.
Transport
We enjoyed taking the ferry/ cruise. The experience was unique and we enjoyed the time spent on the ship. The ship was very comfortable with plenty of areas to relax.
Private Reindeer Farm Visit
Rovaniemi
Enjoyed the authenticity of the tour. We learned a lot about the reindeers and the life of a reindeer farmer.
Quality of Experience
Authentic experience. Enjoyed our time learning about the reindeer farm.
Food
Great authentic snack prepared as part of the tour by the farm owner.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Juho and the farm owner were excellent in allowing us to have an authentic experience.
Transport
Excellent/comfortable transportation to the farm. The meeting location was also very convenient; across the street from our hotel. The tour guide also provided boots for us to ebable us to fully enjoy the farm without being worried about our shoes.
Private Dinner in a Glass Igloo Under Northern Lights
Rovaniemi
The experience was awesome, despite the bad weather. Unfortunately we were not able to see the Northern lights, as it was cloudy and rainy. But the meal was excellent and authentic, and the tour was very enjoyable.
Quality of Experience
Beautiful location for a private dinner with authentic food prepared by the hosts.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
In addition to dinner, we had a tour of the forest thank you to Vadymir and the other hosts for the amazing tour and meal. It wwould have been even more amazing if we have seen the lights, but weather can’t be controlled. We still had a great time and enjoyed the delicious authentic dining experience.
Transport
Very convenient meeting at our hotel and very comfortable transport.
Finnish Legends and Stories Around the Fire
Rovaniemi
This was a nice tour to learn about Finnish culture and legends.
The tour met in downtown Rovaniemi, a short walk from our hotel. We were two couples in this experience. Because we were with another couple, we didn’t get to interact as much with the guides and get to know each other as with other private tours.
Quality of Experience
Because the weather was cloudy and rainy, we didn’t see the northern lights, but we still enjoyed the experience around the fire.
Food
Snacks (pancakes and jam) around the fire, were enjoyable.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Knowledgeable guides.
Transport
Transport from town to tour location was good.
Korouoma Canyon Wilderness Hike
Rovaniemi
We love this tour as it allowed us to be active an hike in the wilderness. The guide, Juhu, was excellent. We had great conversation throughout the hike, and enjoyed sausages around the fire during the hike. Juhu, our guide communicated with us before the tour to advise us on what to wear for the hike, as weather was rainy. We were ready for the weather and thoroughly enjoyed the hike despite the weather.
Quality of Experience
Juhu was knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information about the canyon and the forest. We were never rushed and enjoyed the beautiful hike. Sharing stories with each other.
Food
We shared sausages, with Juhu around a fire. The food was great and provided an authentic experience in the forest.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Juhu was a great guide. He provided a lot of useful information, while leading us through the hike. We highly recommend Juhu as a guide for this experience.
Transport
Very comfortable transport and convenient pickup from hotel.
Private Husky Visit & Cart-Ride in Autumn
Rovaniemi
This was an excellent tour, filled with excitement, joy, and warmth.
Instead of a cart ride we opted for a hike with the huskies. What an experience in such beautiful setting.
We got to know the huskies one by one in the kennel, and then we had an exhilarating hike with four of the huskies; the two of us and the couple who owns the farm.
Our hosts were Antti and Aksana. Their welcoming and warm demeanor made our tour extraordinary!
Quality of Experience
This was an amazing experience. After our hike, we had snacks around the fire (homemade mustia pie and warm tea). We were blown away by their hospitality and authenticity.
Of course we also loved the dogs!!!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Antii and Aksana were amazing guides/hosts and provided us with an unforgettable experience with their huskies.
Transport
Antti picked us up at the hotel to take us to the farm, which was very convenient.
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
