The waterbus to Pihlajasaari, and a tasting on the rocks
The season is the first question
This one is not a year-round product and no amount of wanting will make it one. The waterbus to Pihlajasaari does not run in winter, so the tour does not either. Market Square stalls and the island boats are broadly a May-to-September thing here; the halls are the winter answer. If you are reading this in November, take the cooking class, which is indoors, or one of the market-hall walks. The season page sets out what is open when.
What three hours actually contains
You meet outside the entrance of Café Carusel, take the waterbus out, walk the island with a guide over sand beach and rock shore, and eat on the island. The walk is the middle of it and it is a nature walk rather than a food walk — Pihlajasaari is beaches and trails, and the guide is talking about what grows and lives there.
Then the tasting: reindeer from Lapland, fish, traditional breads, a dessert, and organic blueberry juice. Finnish mustikka is the wild bilberry, small and dark all the way through rather than pale inside like a cultivated blueberry, and anyone can pick it from any forest under everyman’s right. Drinking it as juice on a rock beside the Baltic is about as close to the actual Finnish relationship with food as a booked tour gets. More on Finnish blueberries.
Eight people, and the things you cannot bring
Eight is a small boat-sized group and it changes the tone completely: you will talk to the guide rather than listen to one. The restrictions are specific and they are worth reading before you pack. No large bags or luggage — if you are travelling that day, this is not the tour to do between hotels. No alcohol, which is the operator’s rule and not the country’s. No electric wheelchairs, which is a hard access limit and I would rather state it than bury it.
Included
- Three hours with a guide, in English
- Waterbus tickets to and from Pihlajasaari
- A guided nature walk over sand beach and rock shore
- A Finnish tasting on the island: reindeer, fish, traditional breads, a dessert
- Organic blueberry juice
- A water bottle
- A group of no more than eight
Not included
- Large bags or luggage, which are not allowed
- Alcohol, which is not allowed on this tour
- Electric wheelchairs, which cannot be accommodated
- Any winter date — the waterbus does not run
- A market hall: this tour does not go into one, see the hall tours
What works
- Eight people maximum, which is the second-smallest group on this site
- The waterbus and the island turn a tasting into an afternoon with a shape
- Reindeer, fish, breads and blueberry juice covers most of the Finnish map in one sitting
- A nature walk and a meal, rather than three hours of pavement
- Everything, including the boat tickets, is in the one booking
Worth knowing
- Seven reviews. A 5.0 from seven people is a promising listing, not a proven one
- Summer only, with no winter equivalent
- No large bags, so it does not fit around a travel day
- Electric wheelchairs cannot be accommodated
- Weather on an exposed island is weather, and there is nowhere to duck inside
What people say about it
Tamar, from the United States: “Kiki led our group to the ferry for the short commute to a beautiful island where we leisurely walked around learning about history, wildlife and nature.” Annina, from Germany: “Our guide Kiki was incredibly nice and personable. You learn a lot about Finnish nature and get to know the whole island.” Both of the reviews I have talk about the guide and the island before they talk about the food, which tells you what this one actually is. The review page is clear about the sample size.
Dress for the rock, not for the boat. Pihlajasaari is sand beach and bare rock shore, the wind comes straight off open water, and a Baltic island in July can be fifteen degrees colder in the shade than the street you left. Bring a layer, and shoes with a sole that grips wet stone.
Book the island tasting
Live availability is below. If your dates fall outside the waterbus season, the decision page will point you at the indoor alternatives, and the rooftop tour is the other one with a view attached to it.
If this one is not right
Cathedral and the Old Market HallHelsinki: City Tour with Food Tasting
Ends above the rooftopsHelsinki: Food Tour with Rooftop Bar Visit
Six people maximumHelsinki: Cook a Traditional Finnish Home Meal
Those dates don’t work?
Browse the other tables in Helsinki — the market-hall walks, the neighbourhood crawls, the cooking evenings and the island tasting — and pick a day that suits you, with instant confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the island food tour run in winter?
No. The waterbus to Pihlajasaari does not run in winter, so the tour is a summer product only. For a cold-month alternative take the cooking class indoors or a market-hall walk. Season by season is on the best time to visit.
How many people are on it?
Eight at most, which is the second-smallest group on this site after the cooking class at six. In a group that size you end up in conversation with the guide rather than listening to one. Small-group and private options are compared on the private tours page.
What do you eat on the island?
Reindeer, fish, traditional breads, a dessert and organic blueberry juice, laid out on Pihlajasaari after the guided walk over sand beach and rock shore. The reindeer comes from Lapland and the juice is pressed from wild bilberries, which are smaller and darker all the way through than the cultivated blueberries you know: more on mustikka.
Is there anything I cannot bring?
Large bags and luggage are not allowed, alcohol is not allowed, and electric wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. Waterbus tickets, food, drink and a water bottle are all included, so you need very little with you. What to pack for a tasting walk is on the what to wear page.