Awesome tour given by Stefan! - We got to the Senate Square in Helsinki and saw the tour guide with a Red Umbrella. Unbeknownst to us, we had booked a free tour with the 'Green Cap Tours'. But, it was one of the best mistakes for us to have made. Our tour guide was Stefan a German guide who said he was living in Finland for about 2 years. Our group ended up being just 3 people not including the guide. Stefan started the tour by giving us a bit of history about Finland and taught up some Finnish. As we walked to the different attractions, Stefan had a variety of props in his backpack like a 'molotov cocktail', Finnish candies, and chocolate. After stopping by the Uspenski Cathedral and telling us about the 'sugar cube', we all grabbed some refreshments where we chatted some more with Stefan. He showed us some of the different architectures that can be found though out Helsinki. Next, he brought us to the Old Harbor where he showed us where we could and get a sauna. We follow that up by going to the Esplanadi area and then to the train station. We finally finished up at the new library where Stefan brought us in to show the various activities that they provide in the library including a music room, rooms for playing XBox/PlayStation, a 3D printing machine, etc. All in all what was suppose to be a 2 hour tour became a 4 hour adventure with someone who felt like a new friend of ours. Stefan even provided us with a PDF that had more things we could do while in Helsinki. (Stefan if your are reading this we did go to Oishi 18 and they do have 'Omakase'). To wrap things up, this we was one of the best things we did to start our tour of Helsinki! If you happen to have Stefan as a guide, greet him with a 'Moi' and his friends from the US tell him 'kiitos'.

A definite "must" tour! - Stefan made us feel at home right away with his friendly attitude and light sense of humor. The tour was fun and easy to follow but included an amazing amount of information that was interesting in the moment and useful to us for the rest of our visit (such as the few Finnish words we learned.) He used props to keep us laughing and engaged while we learned a basic history of Helsinki and the Finnish people, not just numbers and dates but with a sense of meaning and character. We never knew what he was going to pull out of his backpack next! At one point he pulled some treats out and we got to savor some Finnish flavors. We could always understand him and could ask questions. We learned about architecture, art, culture and lots of fun facts. Strolling around chatting, it really felt like we were hanging out with a friend, which was a great welcome to Helsinki. By the end of the tour we'd had a wonderful afternoon and had learned more than we ever could have on our own, with a sense of how to navigate all the landmarks and even left with a pdf of restaurant, museums, clubs and attractions. Do yourself a favor and make this tour the first thing you do in Helsinki. And if you're lucky enough to get Stefan, say "moi" and "kiitos"from us!

Red Umbrella Tours Helsinki - Highly recommend this tour while in Helsinki, and especially useful to orient yourself to the City Center. I booked the night before the tour, as I wasn’t sure how’d I feel with the jet lag. Greatly appreciated the structure of this tour in that one can join last minute. My tour guide was Matti, and he was great! A self-described eccentric, he did a great job leading us around with a mix of history, current affairs, architecture, famous Finnish people, and stories from his own life to help us better relate to growing up in Finland. His energy and enthusiasm for his city, and his job, helped to keep the whole group interested and asking questions as we walked around Helsinki.

A Day in Helsinki with Matti - The Maestro of Mirth! - If you’re looking for a city tour that’s entertaining as well as informative, then look no further! Matti, our guide for the Helsinki city tour, was nothing short of a rockstar. His infectious energy and larger-than-life personality turned our ordinary city tour into an extraordinary adventure! From the moment we met him, Matti had this freakishly awesome vibe that made us feel like we were on a tour with a long-lost friend rather than a guide. His performances at each stop were so engaging. The tour was not just about laughs, though. Matti masterfully wove in fascinating facts and historical tidbits about Helsinki, making the city come alive in a way we’ve never experienced before. We learned, we laughed, and we fell in love with Helsinki, all thanks to Matti. So, if you’re planning a trip to Helsinki, do yourself a favor and book a city tour with Matti. It’s not just a tour, it’s a performance you don’t want to miss! And Matti - if you’ll be reading this: “ Olet Sisukas!”

Beautiful day in Helsinki - Thanks Stefan for a lovely tour. We learned more about Helsinki’s past and present. The introduction of some ‘sweets’ was a bonus. Overall a great tour and the amazing weather made it extra enjoyable.

Enjoyable and informative tour! - Matti is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He covered so many topics including the fascinating history of the country and helpful tips on what else to see. I learned so much in just two hours!

Informative short walking tour - Great tour! The tour guide was knowledgeable, shared a lot of information about the city and country. Was open to questions.

Excellent tour! - We have taken many Red Umbrella walking tours around Europe, this was the best yet because of the guide, not the sights. Matti made the tour fun & informative. He gave excellent tips on where to go & what to see. Thank you Matti we are really enjoyed your tour

Excellent tour given by an energetic and witty guide that highlights all of the main landmarks in Helsinki - Our tour guide Matti was excellent, he was very witty and energetic and excited to tell us about his home city Helsinki, I would highly recommend this walking tour as it showed us all the highlights of the city with lots of extra information throw in by the guide.

Nice stroll of the old city highlights - Personal experiences and stories the guide shared were a nice touch. Pace was slow so not too straining. Though we stayed at the senate plaza so long before started moving. I think it would have been nicer if we had a little more than 5 min inside the cathedral and Orthodox Church.