Helsinki: Arctic Hovercraft Experience with Lunch
ID: GYG395420-719042
Category:
Country: Finland
Duration:
03:00 hours
Description
Explore the winter landscape of the archipelago aboard a hovercraft on this tour from Helsinki. Stop on an island, experience a survival suit swim between ice rafts and enjoy a campfire lunch.
Prepare to travel over breaking ice and snow as you explore deep into the frozen archipelago in a hovercraft. This day trip from Helsinki includes all the gear you need to experience the arctic waters warmly and safely. Complete your trip with a Finnish lunch.
Meet us at Gumbostrand, a 30 min drive on the east side of the city. Here we have the hovercraft departure pier. Here you will be provided with warm clothing for the day and safety equipment together with a short safety briefing. Upon request and check-out, we can also provide a hotel pick-up and drop-off.
The Hovercraft features a heated cabin and room for up to five passengers. Feel secure traveling with one to two experienced crew members and guides during the whole trip, depending on the number of passengers.
Depart the pier to start the drive through the archipelago winter landscape. Experience the empty, deep, frozen, and beautiful landscape as you travel between the islands over ice and open water on the way to an empty island.
Spot summer cottages, scenic landscapes, and potentially a seal, eagle, or other animals. Stop can be made on the way to take pictures on the thick and solid ice or to have a walk and listen to the complete silence.
On our stop on a nature state island, you learn about summer cottages and saunas, the birth of the archipelago after the Ice Age, and daily life in the archipelago. There will be dry toilets available to use on some of the islands.
After a short island walk, optionally try out a unique experience floating around between ice rafts in a survival suit while staying completely warm and dry.
The suits are well insulated to keep you perfectly warm and dry during the whole swim. There is a heated cabin ready for you to change into these special suits.
An experienced crew member will be assisting you the whole time while a second member acts as a safety officer on the shore side. You can stay as long as you want in the water; a typical duration for the swim is 15-45 minutes.
If you choose not to swim, you can also stay ashore and take pictures of the other swimmers.
After the swim, enjoy a campfire lunch to get a taste of Finland. At the campfire, there is seating, roof protection, and big windows giving protection from the wind, rain, and other elements of nature, yet still providing beautiful scenery of the sea.
After the tour, the hovercraft ride goes back to Gumbostrand. The transport back to Helsinki is either with your own transport or our drop-off service.
Highlights
- Experience the nature and silence of the arctic archipelago
- Go on a guided nature trail walk
- Spend a day outdoors in fresh air
- Get a chance to swim among the ice while staying warm
- Enjoy a barbecue lunch by the campfire
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
You can come on the trip with normal streetwear winter clothing; we provide you with everything you need for the trip
If you choose to swim, expect the water temperature to be +3C degrees and the air temperature below zero
Meet our instructor and pilot in at the departure hub at Gumbostrand Kiosk approx 30min from the city center on the east side. See our hovercraft parked open the ice. As an option, we can pick you up and drop you off from your hotel to an extra charge.
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.