Departing your ship, you'll board your motorcoach as your begin your narrated tour, traveling along the shoreline for views of Suomenlinna Fortress, the "Gibraltar of the North" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and past the Esplanade, Helsinki's famous design street. You'll pass by the Market Place and the Presidential Palace before continuing on Mannerheim Street - the city's longest avenue - passing the Olympic Stadium, Opera House, Finlandia Hall, National Museum, Parliament and Kiasma - the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Your first stop is at Senate Square. This is center for arts, culture, religion, politics and education. Four main buildings make up the Square and were designed by famed architect Carl Ludvig Engel in the early 19th Century: Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland. Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland's most famous and photographed building; it celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2002.

From there, you'll travel to "Tar Island," so named because there used to be warehouses for tar on the island. Today, it is a very nice park island, and in the middle of it all is Savu Restaurant. Savu literally means "smoke." You'll arrive there and meet the chef of this acclaimed restaurant who will tell you about the dishes and their preparation. Then it's time to taste some of his Finnish specialties from his seasonal tasting menu. A selection of Finnish-style desserts, coffee and tea are also included.

Your final stop is at the spectacular Temppeliaukio Church, also known as the Church in the Rock. The underground Rock Church is built inside of a massive block of natural granite in the middle of an ordinary residential square. Natural light pours in from the church's glazed dome and the rough stoned interiors amplify sound, making it an excellent and unique concert venue.

Your adventure concludes with the short ride back to your ship, as you reflect on the on all that gives Helsinki its unique flavor.