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Hei From Finland

Hei From Finland
Your local guide to Finland
  • Explore Finland on a budget: 15 free activities you can’t miss

    Explore Finland on a budget: 15 free activities you can’t miss

    August 31, 2025March 6, 2026 Budget travel

    Explore Finland on a budget and discover a side of the country most tourists never see, without spending a single euro! Have you ever said: ‘But Finland is so expensive, there’s no way I can travel on a budget there’? What if I told you there are so…

    Read More Explore Finland on a budget: 15 free activities you can’t missContinue

Hi, I’m Sofia! A Finnish local sharing the best hidden gems, unique stays and authentic things to do in Finland. On this blog you’ll find travel tips, guides, and inspiration to help you explore Finland and plan your trip.

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heifromfinland

👋🏼 Your local guide to hidden Finland
✨️ Discover the Finland you didn’t know existed
💌 Collabs: sofia.nordicvisuals@gmail.com
⤵️ My Finland map

Welcome to the journey 🇫🇮✨ Hei! 👋🏼 I'm Sofia, a F Welcome to the journey 🇫🇮✨

Hei! 👋🏼 I'm Sofia, a Finnish local who started exploring her own country instead of always booking flights abroad.

Now I'm on a mission to discover and share a different side of Finland, from unique stays and the archipelago to cozy cafés, local traditions, and places most visitors don't know to look for.

If you're planning a trip to Finland (or simply dreaming about one), I'd love to have you along for the journey 🥰

💡I also have a free Finland guide to help you start planning your trip. You can find it through the link in my bio, or comment 'GUIDE' and I'll send it to you.

Happy to have you here! 🫶🏼

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This changed everything for me 👇🏼 In my 20s, all This changed everything for me 👇🏼

In my 20s, all I wanted was to move away. I dreamed about traveling as far away from Finland as possible... preferably somewhere with palm trees.

Meanwhile, I thought Finland was boring, ugly, and honestly had nothing worth seeing (I know... younger me had absolutely no idea what she was talking about 😅)

Then 2020 happened.

A major back surgery, followed by 🦠 forced me to stay in Finland. Looking back, that unexpected change of plans ended up changing my life for the better.

Since I couldn't travel, I figured... I might as well start exploring my own country.

What I didn't expect was this...

I fell in love with it 🥹

I discovered beautiful places I'd never even heard of, hidden gems I couldn't believe had been there all along, and a completely different side of Finland that I'd spent years overlooking.

At one point I remember thinking:

"I want to see every corner of this country."

And then another thought followed...

"If I had no idea these places existed, maybe other people don't either."

That's how this account was born 😊🇫🇮

Now my mission is simple: to help you discover a side of Finland that's so much more than just Helsinki.

So if you want to see it, follow along @heifromfinland 👋🏼

P.S. If you're planning a trip to Finland, I've put together a free guide to help you get started. Just comment "FREE" and I'll happily send it your way. 😊

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Just to clarify... These are obviously still com Just to clarify... 

These are obviously still completely normal to me. I'll happily eat a whole bag of salmiakki in one sitting, and I won't apologize for it 😂

But for my husband, some of these were a bit of a cultural shock 🙈

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A few things you need to try when visiting Finland A few things you need to try when visiting Finland 🍽

And yes... that includes salmiakki as well 😆

These are some of the things I always buy from Finnish grocery stores as a local, so save this for your next Finland trip!

You can't leave Finland without trying @fazersuomi chocolates or their Karelian pies. And for coffee @juhlamokka is a Finnish classic 🤌🏼☕️

💬 Which one would you try first? 😊

If your planning your first trip to Finland, I have a free guide with everything you need to know before your visit. Comment 'GUIDE' and I'll send it to you 🫶🏼

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If a friend told me they were visiting Turku, this If a friend told me they were visiting Turku, this is exactly where I'd send them 🫡

These are the places I keep coming back to 🤌🏼✨️

📌 Save this for your Turku trip! 

If you're planning a trip to Southern Finland, my Southern Finland Map includes all of these places, plus 70+ more local recommendations. Just comment "Map" and I'll send you the link 💛

📍Places mentioned:
@visitruissalo
@cafeeino
@cafe.qwensel
@ravintolablanko
@pizzeriazake
@jaateloratikka
@turkucastle
@maanantaimarket

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Hei From Finland is your go-to guide for exploring Finland like a local—authentic tips, must-see spots, and everything in between.

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