Guided tours

Forum Marinum is an entire maritime quarter with things to see and experience, everything from unique ships to the depths of the archipelago!
Guided tours give you an opportunity to hear interesting tales from the maritime history. We are happy to help you in finding the perfect tour combination. Guided tours can also be tailored for various events. 

The price of a guided tour consists of the guide fee and the entrance tickets to the museum. 

Tours on the ships can be conducted daily in June, July, and August, with the exception of Midsummer. At other times, tours are arranged on request and depending on the ships’ service and maintenance schedules.
Some small vessels are available for charter and test runs. 

Please note that the ships have steep steps, high thresholds, and poor lighting in some places. 

Reservations and inquiries about guided tours: 

Pia Larte
Conference Sales Consultant
tel. +358 400 362 789
pia.larte@forum-marinum.fi 

 

School and daycare groups: 

Heidi Vanhanen
Coordinator of Audience Engagement
tel. +358 40 683 0777
heidi.vanhanen@forum-marinum.fi 

Guided tours of exhibitions 

Forum Marinum for first-time visitors 

Forum Marinum’s most popular guided tour is an introduction to the maritime centre and to its extensive exhibitions. During this one-hour tour, the visitors have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Finnish Navy and merchant shipping in the main exhibition, admire the beautiful vessel collection, and learn about the history of shipbuilding in Turku. After the tour, the visitors can continue to explore the exhibitions on their own during the museum’s opening hours. Please note that the temporary exhibitions are not included in the guided tour. 

Duration: 1 h
Group size: max. 20 people / guide
Price: €90 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €120 + entrance fees 

 

Working at Sea – The main exhibition at Forum Marinum 

The main exhibition of the Maritime Centre, located inside an old granary, offers an extensive look on the history of Finnish merchant shipping and the Naval Forces. The guided tour showcases themes especially from the viewpoint of maritime workers. 

Duration: 1 h
Group size: max. 20 people / guide
Price: €90 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €120 + entrance fees 

 

Women of the sea 

Women have been more than simply passive bystanders in the history of Finnish seafaring. They have long been involved in various maritime professions. The tour introduces various roles women have had both at sea and in ports: everything from merchant shipping via sea rescue to naval forces. 

NB: This thematic tour must be reserved at least 2 weeks before the visit 

Duration: 1 h
Group size: max. 20 people / guide
Price: €90 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €120 + entrance fees 

 

Guided virtual tours 

Would you like to participate in a guided tour while staying in one place? With our guided virtual tours, this is now possible! We organise guided virtual tours to our museum ships Suomen Joutsen, s/s Bore and Sigyn, and to the History of Underwater Warfare virtual exhibition. A guided virtual tour is an accessible way of discovering our sites and it also provides a possibility to see places that are not usually available for guided tours. 

A remote guided virtual tour: for those people who do not come to the museum and instead participate in the tour via Teams. 

An on-site guided virtual tour: the guide and group are in gathered in the same location, for example in one of the museum’s meeting facilities reserved by the group. The guide introduces the virtual exhibition using a projection on a screen. Guide fee + rental fee, if applicable. 

Duration: 1 h
Group size: max. 80 people on-site, no upper limit when using Teams
Price: €90 / weekends & holidays €120 

 

Guided tours to the museum ships 

Full-rigger Suomen Joutsen 

Built in France in 1902, the Suomen Joutsen has navigated the seas around the world and also been used as a training ship by the navy, among other things. The tour takes the visitors around the exterior and interior of the ship, providing an overview of both its ocean sailing days and time as a vocational school. This unique vessel allows you to experience what it felt like to sail on a ship that is almost a hundred metres long! 

Duration: 45 min
Group size: max. 20 people / guide
Price: €110 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €150 + entrance fees 

 

History tour of the s/s Bore 

The old passenger ship s/s Bore, located next to the Maritime Centre, nowadays offers museum, hostel, and restaurant services. Forum Marinum has produced the exhibition on the history of the ship that can be found on its upper decks. A guided tour introduces places such as the living quarters of the past crews, the shipowner’s cabin, and the bridge with an amazing view of the River Aura! 

Duration: 45 min
Group size: max. 10 people / guide
Price: €110 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €150 + entrance fees 

 

Military vessels Karjala and Keihässalmi 

The museum ships gunboat Karjala and minelayer Keihässalmi transport you to the realm of the Naval Forces. These museum ships, decommissioned in 1994 and 2002, were used for safeguarding Finnish territorial waters and training conscripts. The tour gives an overview of the ships’ history and introduces places like the living quarters, mess decks, and the combat management centre. 

Duration: 45 min
Group size: max. 10 people / guide
Price: €110 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €150 + entrance fees 

 

Tailored tours 

One guided tour can contain two sites: an exhibition and a ship, for example the Suomen Joutsen and the main exhibition of Forum Marinum. 

For further information on available options, contact our Sales Consultant. 

Duration: 1 h
Price: €110 + entrance fees / weekends & holidays €150 + entrance fees