HELSINKI ICE EXPERIENCE. ARCHIPELAGO TOUR.
Join a Helsinki winter Archipelago Tour:
Explore an unforgettable side of Finland on this Helsinki winter archipelago tour, where Arctic silence meets pure adventure just 30 minutes from the city center. This experience reveals a rarely seen part of Helsinki — the frozen sea and remote islands that become accessible only in winter.
Depending on sea conditions, your journey begins on either a hovercraft gliding over solid ice or an ice-breaking steel boat cutting through newly forming ice. Both options offer a unique thrill: the weightless sensation of flying just above the frozen sea, or the powerful crunch of breaking ice beneath the boat.
Once we reach the outer archipelago, the city feels worlds away. Here you’ll put on a warm, fully waterproof survival floating suit, designed to keep you completely dry and comfortable. Floating safely on top of ice-cold water is an extraordinary moment — peaceful, surreal, and accessible even if you don’t know how to swim.
After the floating session, we continue with a relaxed nature walk either on a quiet island or directly along the ice edge. A warm picnic lunch is served in the middle of the Arctic landscape, surrounded only by the untouched Finnish archipelago.
This Helsinki survival suit tour is ideal for travelers who want a taste of Lapland-style adventure without leaving the capital. It’s a small-group experience with no crowds — just winter, sea, and silence.
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Itinerary
This arctic Helsinki winter archipelago tour starts just outside Helsinki at our Gumbostrand departure pier. You will be informed well in advance if there will be a change to the departure port on the specific day.
You can choose between arranging your own land transport or to add our hotel pick up/drop -off.
At our hub in Gumbostrand you will be provided with warm clothing for the day and safety equipment: A whole body floatation suit, life west, winter gloves, hat and winter boots. You can come in normal street wear winter clothing, we provide you with everything you need for the tour! Under the survival suit you will wear a wool sweater and socks which we are providing too.
Well dressed up, we leave through the archipelago winter landscape. Empty, ice cold and beautiful, we travel between the islands over ice, breaking ice or open water on our way to an empty island.
Due to the actual conditions we will drive either with an ice breaking steel boat or an hovercraft or both. With these different type of transportation, we have a very high reliability rate in getting out in these sometimes challenging ice and weather conditions. Either way, you will see closed summer cottages, beautiful landscapes and maybe a seal or an eagle trying to make it over the winter. And most probably, no other humans out there. Also a big difference to the sometimes crowded Lapland.
In good ice conditions, we can stop on the way out on the thick and solid ice for pictures to have a walk and listen to the complete silence. After the drive we reach our base camp island.
Here we prepare for a walk around the island. You will be guided along a typical archipelago nature trail, hear the stories about summer cottages and saunas, the birth of the archipelago after the Ice Age and the daily life in the archipelago. After the nature trail walk you can try out a unique experience floating around between ice rafts in a survival suit, staying completely warm and dry in these special suits used in commercial shipping. The suits are well insulated to keep you perfectly warm and dry during the whole swim.
If the tour starts with the ice breaking steel boat, we will drive into a frozen bay watching the breaking the ice under the boat. We drive until the ice is thick enough for embarking unto the ice, wearing the survival ice floating suits.
The survival suit swim will then take place right in the broken ice lane left by the small ship!
The swim is, of course, completely voluntary and you can also stay foot, taking great pictures of the other floaters.
Our experienced instructor is assisting you the whole time while during the float. No swimming knowledge is needed! You can stay up to an hour in the water. A typical duration for the swim is 15-45 min.
The water temperature will be +0C degrees also when the air temperature is way below zero. After the swim we change back to the warm suits and we head for the islands for lunch and chill out.
A light Taste of Finland -lunch consisting of a warm soup or barbecue and coffee or tea as dessert is being served. The drive back to the main land will take around 20min. From the departure pier you will reach either the center of Helsinki, or the airport in just 35 min. With your own transport or our separately booked pick up service.
On this tour you will be accompanied by our experienced crew members, guides and instructors as well as locals living a daily life in the archipelago.
Please note that either a ice breaking steel boat or a hovercraft or the combination of both might be set in on this tour. The means of transportation is directed by the actual ice and wind conditions on the tour day, which has to be considered for a safe tour. Last minute changes to the means of transportation might therefore occur. The usage of a certain transportation does not affect the tour price. The means of transportation is determined by the experience provider’s crew only. A certain transport method cannot be reserved or booked by the customer but is determined by the conditions only.
Private tour:
You can book this Helsinki winter archipelago tour as a private option.
-For groups up to 10 people the itinerary remains the same.
-For groups of 20 people and more, private indoor modern facilities with saunas, restrooms and an indoor lunch are included.
Please email us for your personalized quote.
With own transport please arrive in time to Gumbostrank Kiosk
Gumbontie 213, 01150 Söderkulla, FI
What’s included:
– Fuel surcharge
– Food & drinks
– Goods & services tax
– Whole body floatation suit, hat, gloves, winter boots.
– Survival suits available for all passengers.
– Lunch on island, steel boat or ice edge
– Nature trail walk
– Local guide
Exclusions:
Pick-up/drop-off from hotel/airport
You can arrive by own land transport or book our pick up service
Please note:
Public transportation nearby
Port of departure and island location may vary weather depending. Pick up from your hotel in Helsinki or airport 1 hour before departure if you have booked the optional pick-up and drop off from us.
Cancellation policy:
We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 3 days or less before the event
We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% if booking is cancelled 7 days or less before the event
– No prior experience needed. You do not even need to be able to swim.
– Our supervisors will guide you along the whole day.
– This trip is of easy physical level. You can attend this tour with regular physical capabilities, although you have to be able get in and out of the boat on different piers, walk on nature paths, in nature or on cliffs on tours with island stops. Unfortunately, this tour is not designed to attend with a wheel chair for safety reasons. We can inform you in all cases about your specific requirements by contacting us by mail in advance before booking .
– Children from 6 years up can participate in company with their parents. Read more about our sustainability program on the front page.
Specific weather conditions like sun, snow or ice cannot be guaranteed but we are good to adapt to all situations.
– Transport to Gumbostrand departure port is optional. You can book our pick-up service that includes the drop-off from and back to your hotel.
Please remember to check the pick up box and pay the additional pick up fee.
Hovercrafts or steel boats are both used on this tour according to the actual ice situation due to safety aspects. The means of transport can also change last minute if the ice conditions change. Change of transport does not affect the price and is not an object for refund or partial refund.
What do I need to bring:
You can come as you are in seasonal street wear. We have everything you need to stay warm and dry during the whole trip.
It is recommended to wear your own wool pullover and wool socks in your winter boots since this is a winter outdoor experience.
More Info:
Booking in advance is obligatory
Cut off – 1 day
Duration – 3 hours
Difficulty – Easy
Minimum age of participants – 6
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