Meet your professional English-speaking guide and driver OUTSIDE the main port gate / hotel lobby and depart for a scenic drive through the downtown of Helsinki. Just a couple of minutes from the pier, Market Square will surely not leave you indifferent. Market square in the center of Helsinki is the most exciting place of the city. It’s located on the seashore next to the city ferry station. You can find everything there. All sorts of season fruit and berries, mushrooms, smoked fish, flowers, souvenirs, traditional clothing, furs, leather, name it. One can spend hours digging through the carved bone statuettes or enjoying the beer with fresh grilled salmon.

Esplanadi is a beautiful wide boulevard with the big park on in, located in the center of Helsinki. It begins at the Market square and goes all the way to the Mannerheimintie street. Esplanadi is a great place for an easy walk under the old linden trees. There are numerous coffee shops at Esplanadi, located in the buidlings on both sides and in the park itself. The West end of Esplanadi is called the Erottaja square, which has been selected as the official geographic "zero point" of Helsinki. Distances to all other cities in Finland are measured starting from here.

Mannerheimintie is the main street of Helsinki, as well as the longest street of the city. it follows the path of the old road to Tampere, Finland's old capital. Mannerheimintie begins at the Esplanada street and goes all the way north to the city limits. The House of Parliament, the main post office, the Kiasma modern art museum, the Finlandia Hall, the National Museum, the Helsinki Opera House, Kampi bus station and many other important buildings can be found on Mannerhermintie.

The Central Train Station of Helsinki is a large inpressive building, decorated with the massive statues on the both sides of the entrance. It was chosen as one of the world's most beautiful railway stations by BBC in 2013.

Located on a hill above the Helsinki harbour, red brick Uspensky cathedral can be seen from far away. It's the largest Orthodox Church of Northern Europe, built in 1868 by one of most prominent Russian specialists. The style of the cathedral is a tribute to the Russian Revival period when the best of the old times architectural ideas were used to create the magnificent constructions. The church is worth going inside to see the impressive iconostases.

The original drawings for the Presidential Palace were made by Pehr Granstedt at the beginning of the 1800s. The building was finished in 1820, after which C.L. Engel adapted it for use by the Tsar. Since Finland's independence the building has served as the official residence of the President, although today it is used primarily for presidential functions and receptions. The official residence of the President is Mäntyniemi in the Meilahti district, near Seurasaari Island.

The impressive building of the National museum is located on Helsinki's main street Mannerheimintie. It features Finnish history from the Stone Age to the present day The appearance of the building reflects Finland's medieval churches and castles. The entrance hall ceiling has ceiling frescoes in the national epic Kalevala theme, which can be seen without an entrance fee.

Finlandia Hall is a unique centre for domestic and international conferences, concerts and other events. It is a popular architectural sight in Helsinki and one of the most beautiful places to visit in the city. Finlandia Hall is one of the most iconic buildings designed by world-renowned Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, and was planned from the ground up for visitors and a wide range of events.

Opera and ballet are quite young in Finland, as both companies were formed in the beggining of the 20th century only. The Opera house was opened in 1993 and since than became home to both. The theater promotes the national art, National Opera stages four to six premieres a year, including a world premiere of at least one Finnish opera.

Finland's 200-seat parliament gathers in this impressive building representing 1920s Classicism. The facade of the building is made of red granite from Kalvola. The main facade includes 14 Corinthian columns.

The stadium was the main arena for the 1952 Olympic Games. The construction of the stadium was completed in 1938. Since then it has been frequently used for the local, European and world athletic competitions as well as music conserts. The height of the tower 72.71 metres (238.5 ft) selebrates the world record of Finnish athlete Matti Järvinen in javelin throw of 1932 Summer Olympics.

You will have a chance to make great typically Helsinki photos in the Sibelius Park, a famous Helsinki’s sight, next to the Sibelius Monument constructed from hundreds of steel pipes honoring the great Finnish composer lan Sibelius. Jean Sibelius is a prominent Finnish composer and musician, respected all around Europe. The memorial in a special park commemorates the life of this great person. The organ pipes dance in the air to the music, and the face of the composer looks at his music from the stone.

Your tour will not be complete without seeing the Rock Church, from inside and outside. This unique construction is a highlight for most visitors to Helsinki and is considered to be one of the Europe’s most interesting churches. It was carved out of solid rock from the side of a mountain and is topped by a copper dome. The interior was excavated and built into the rock but is bathed in natural light entering through the glazed dome. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustic. The acoustic quality is ensured by the rough rock surfaces.

After a short drive we will arrive to the peaceful setting of Seurasaari open-air museum. This unique island is a tranquil oasis of traditional Finnish way of life is displayed in the cottages, farmsteads and manors of the past four centuries that have been relocated from all around Finland. Our day of exploring Helsinki comes to an end with a scenic drive back to the cruise port / hotel.