 |  |  |  |  |
|---|
Listening to Helsinki - Immersive City Walk with Music
Enjoy an uplifting journey into Helsinki's culture and history, without missing depth and context, even if you think music is meant for concert halls.
Click here for availabilities and bookings
Listening to Helsinki uses music to explore what shaped the city and how music helped doing so. From ancient traditions of rune-singing, through centuries of Swedish rule and Russian influence, to the emergence of Finnish national identity and modern urban culture:
Music helps you gain a deep cultural connection and ensures you enjoy a memorable time in Helsinki.
Experience Music as a Window into History, Society, and Place
Cities can be seen but they can also be listened to. Music is not created in isolation. It emerges from history, geography, language, and social conditions. In Helsinki, determined by its Northern location between Eastern and Western powers, music offers a particularly rich context for understanding the city’s layered history, cultural identity, and relationship to place.
On this tour, music serves as entry point into broader themes: language and power, nature and climate, nation-building, and the role of culture in a young capital. Jean Sibelius emerges as a national icon formed by his time, his environment, and the cultural debates of his era.
Far from being an academic lecture or a musical highlights tour, Listening to Helsinki invites you to immerse yourself in the life of the city through attentive listening. Music helps you sense history first hand, understand how identity was formed, and connect emotionally with the places you visit.
What you will explore
· Helsinki’s iconic architecture, unique history and cultural identity
· Music linked to places, people and crucial moments in time
· The influence of geography, climate, and politics on musical expression
· The relationship between nationalism, modernism, and sound
· New ways of listening that deepen your understanding of the city and Finnish culture
This tour is perfect for
· Curious urban explorers and cultural enthusiasts
· Travelers interested in history, society, and how they shape the city
· Music lovers who value depth, meaning, and a rich, immersive city experience
Practicalities
-
3-hour guided walking tour with an authorized expert Helsinki Guide
-
Private group (max. 25 guests)
-
Moderate walking pace, suitable for most visitors; tram use possible, if desired
-
Audio listening devices and in-ear-phones
-
Playlist, if desired
INCLUDED:
• Authorized Expert Helsinki Guide
• Audio device & in-ear phones for each guest
(own earphones can be used if compatible)
• The tour is available in English or German
MEETING POINT:
• Statue of the Three Smiths across the main entrance of department store Stockmann.
• In case of rain, under the clock at the main entrance of the department store Stockmann.
• Tram stop “Ylioppilastalo”. Google Maps Code: 5W9R+F9 Helsinki.
EXCLUDED:
• Entrance fees for Rock Church, if booked (8 €)
• Food and drink
• Public transport, if applicable
PRICE:
• 3-hour Private Guided Tour 1-10 guests: 248 €
• 3-hour Private Group Tour 11-25 guests: 348 €
• Children under 12 years are free.
• Other options on request.
PLEASE NOTE:
• The original tour is a round trip. If Rock Church is
desired, the tour will end at the church and the
guide will advise you how to get back into the center
by tram, bus or walking.
• Please inform us if a participant uses a hearing aid;
we can try to provide a special earphone
(limited number available)
• The tour has proven to be well-suited and interesting
for guests with visual impairment as the music is a
valuable addition to the experience of the city.
• This tour is not suitable for guests who have
difficulties walking or severe health conditions.
Average fitness is sufficient.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Please see cancellation conditions in FAQ's section!
Make Your Helsinki Trip Unforgettable
Fill the form for more info