Skip to content
Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • BlogExpand
    • Travel guides
    • Hidden gems
    • Unique stays
    • Local Culture & Traditions
    • Seasonal Experiences
    • Budget travel
    • Food
  • About Me
  • Work with me
  • Contact

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

Hei, I'm Sofia! A Finnish local helping you discover a side of Finland most travelers never get to experience. From hidden gems and unique stays to seasonal adventures and local tips, you'll find everything you need to plan an unforgettable trip.

Free Finland guide
Covers money, weather, transport and other important topics that every tourist MUST know.
Thank you for subscribing!

Missed Something?

Explore Topics

  • Budget travel
  • Finnish Destinations
  • Food
  • Hidden gems
  • Local Culture & Traditions
  • Seasonal Experiences
  • Travel guides
  • Unique stays

follow along

Let's be friends on Instagram

heifromfinland

👋🏼Your local guide to hidden Finland 📍Turku
✨️Discover Finland beyond the obvious
💌Collabs: sofia.nordicvisuals@gmail.com
⤵️My Finland map

Finland is a country of forests, lakes and endless Finland is a country of forests, lakes and endless opportunities to be outdoors 🌲

And for me as a local, that's one of the things I appreciate most about living here.

When I was a kid, nature was basically my playground. We built little houses from rocks and sticks, played hide and seek in the forest and spent hours outside without really thinking about it.

I don't exactly play hide and seek in the forest anymore 😄 but nature has stayed just as important to me 🫶🏼

These days, it's where I go when I want to be alone. When I need to unplug. When my head feels a little too full and I just need some quiet.

And that's why you'll always hear me say this:

When you visit Finland, don't skip the nature
🌲🌼🌿

Yes, come for Helsinki. Visit the cute towns. Eat all the cinnamon buns you possible can. But please, please leave some time to get outdoors too.

Because Finnish nature isn't just beautiful. It's such a huge part of what makes Finland... Finland 🥹

Tomorrow is Finnish Nature Day, so you can bet your ass I'll be spending at least part of the day somewhere outdoors, appreciating the gorgeous nature we have here 🫶🏼 (posting this today already because I won't be online tomorrow ✌🏼)

And I hope you'll get to experience it too someday 🥰

Finland travel, Finland travel tips, Finland itinerary, Finland guide, Finland summer, Finland hidden gems, Finnish summer, Finland bucket list, Things to do in Finland, summer in finland, finnish nature, nature in finland #finnishnatureday @outdoorfinland @suomenluonnonpaiva
If you didn't know by now, I was born and raised i If you didn't know by now, I was born and raised in Turku, so the Baltic Sea has always been just a short trip away 🌊

I grew up spending my summers by the water, going on walks with the sea beside me, swimming more times than I could ever count and spending time at our summer cottage on the coast 🥹🫶🏼

The sea has been part of so many of my favorite memories growing up. And even now, whenever I need to clear my head, feel grounded or simply feel like myself again, I find myself wanting to be by the water ✨️

I've always loved the sea, but there's something especially special about the Baltic Sea to me ⛵️🌊

Maybe because it's been there my whole life. It has been part of my childhood, my summers, my everyday life and so many little moments in between 🥰

So today, on Baltic Sea Day, I just wanted to appreciate the sea that has always felt like home 🥹

HAPPY BALTIC SEA DAY 💙

Finland travel, Finland travel tips, Finland itinerary, Finland guide, Finland summer, Finland hidden gems, Finnish summer, Finland bucket list, Nordic travel, Things to do in Finland, Explore Finland, summer in finland, finland archipelago, finnish archipelago #balticseaday @saaristo_finland
I think Finnish cottage life is one of the most un I think Finnish cottage life is one of the most underrated ways to experience Finland 🇫🇮

And maybe I'm biased after spending my summers on a Finnish island since I was basically in diapers 🤭 but I genuinely think there's something special about spending a few days with nothing on the agenda 🫶🏼

No sightseeing checklist.
No rushing to the next place.
No “what should we do today?”

Just coffee, swimming, sauna, food, nature and way too much time spent sitting outside.

And honestly? That's the kind of Finland I want to show you here 🥹

Not just the places you can tick off your itinerary, but the experiences that actually make you slow down and feel like you're somewhere completely different ✨️

If you've never stayed at a Finnish summer cottage before, I really think you should try it at least once.

I've put together a free Finnish cottage guide with everything you need to know to make it happen, including how to find and book a cottage, what to pack, what to expect and more 🥰

➡️ Grab the free guide through the link in my bio or comment 'MOKKI' and I'll send you the link!

💬 And now tell me: would you choose a Finnish cottage or a hotel? 

And careful with your answer… you might upset a local here 😂

finnish summer cottage, mökki, finland summer, nordic summer, cottage life finland, summer in finland, finnish lifestyle, finland travel, finnish nature, finland hidden gems
I’ll just stay quiet, let you scroll, and let the I’ll just stay quiet, let you scroll, and let the post do all the talking… 😎

Now, if you're already mentally booking your Finland flights… 😂✈️ My free Finland guide might come in handy. Comment 'FREE' if you want it! 🫡

Finland travel, Finland travel tips, Finland itinerary, Finland guide, Finland summer, Finland hidden gems, Finnish culture, Finnish summer, Local Finland, Finland bucket list, Nordic travel, Things to do in Finland, Explore Finland, summer in finland
A little look at our archipelago day trip from Tur A little look at our archipelago day trip from Turku ⛵️

This was the route we took and honestly, I think we managed to squeeze quite a lot into one day 😅

We walked around Parainen @pargasparainen and stopped for a coffee at @cafe_hallonblad, took a ferry to Nauvo and explored it, took a boat over to Seili @visitseili, had lunch there, explored the area, took a boat back to Nauvo, found a few cute little spots along the way and basically tried to make the most of every hour.

Was it a packed day? Oh, absolutely.
Would I do it again? 100% 😍

I've put together a whole blog post about this trip with our full route, what we did at each stop, how to get around, practical tips and a few things I'd recommend if you're planning your own trip.

Because there was NO way I was fitting all of that into one post 😂

➡️ Want the full route + guide? Comment 'BLOG' and I'll send you the link! 🫶🏼

Nauvo day trip, Nagu Finland, Turku Archipelago, Finnish Archipelago, Finland itinerary, Finland travel guide, best places to visit in Finland, Finland archipelago route, seili island
Follow on Instagram
Instagram Pinterest Email
Come see Finland the local way

one hidden gem at a time

Hei From Finland is your go-to guide for experiencing Finland through local insights, practical travel tips, and unforgettable experiences.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Finland Travel Resources
  • About Me
  • Work with me
  • Contact

© 2026 Hei From Finland · Design by Studio Mommy

Scroll to top
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Travel guides
    • Hidden gems
    • Unique stays
    • Local Culture & Traditions
    • Seasonal Experiences
    • Budget travel
    • Food
  • About Me
  • Work with me
  • Contact
Search