Year after year, Finland has been chosen as the happiest country in the world, and as such, we’ve made it our mission to share the methods to our happiness with everyone. It’s time to find your inner Helsinkian in the capital of the happiest country in the world – Helsinki. Nestled along the picturesque shores of the Baltic Sea, Helsinki is a bustling metropolis bursting with energy and creativity, where simplicity reigns supreme and joy is found in everyday moments.

Helsinki Happiness Hacks

Arrivals to Helsinki

Check-in to Hotel St. George

Hotel St. George is a full-service luxury hotel with holistic care for a healthy mind, heart and body. The hotel is situated by the beautiful Old Church Park in the heart of Helsinki. The Wintergarden, a restaurant and bar in the heart of the hotel, is a meeting place for everyone. The hotel also has its own bakery St. George Bakery and St. George Care -spa and gym.

Address: Yrjönkatu 13, 00120 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 4246 00 11
reception@stgeorgehelsinki.com

17.45 Lobby call

Meet your local hosts Leena Karppinen and Sergei Shkurov in the hotel lobby.

18.00 Short Happiness Walk

Enjoy a little sneak peek to Finnish happiness on a short walking tour with your local hosts.

19.00 Welcome dinner with happiness experts at restaurant Finnjävel

Enjoy a delicious dinner with local happiness experts. You’ll have an opportunity to hear researchers and experts academic views on what are the cornerstones of happiness, what makes us happy.

Happiness experts:
Jennifer De Paola is a researcher in positive pshychology and happiness at the University of Helsinki.
Katja Pantzar is an author of two bestseller books: The Finnish Way & Everyday Sisu. She is specialised in wellbeing, resilience and sustainability.

Overnight in Hotel St. George

Breakfast at the hotel

9.00 Morning mindfulness with Finnair

Welcome to the beautiful St. George Winter Garden to experience the happiness hack by Finnair. You will start your day with a moment of peace and tranquillity with Finnair team and mindfulness instructor Ulpu Puhakka. Disconnect from the digital world and reflect on the moment. The session is held at the beautiful St. George Winter Garden in Salon Elias.

Ulpu Puhakka is a coach and personal trainer with over 20 years of experience. She believes that life's balance is genuinely achieved through the small things that anyone can do every single day of the year. As a relaxation and mindfulness coach, she focuses on helping individuals find harmony and peace in their daily lives by integrating simple yet powerful practices that promote well-being and inner calm. Her approach is rooted in the belief that mindfulness and relaxation are essential for a fulfilling and balanced life.

10.15 Lobby call & transfer

Meet your local hosts Leena Karppinen and Sergei Shkurov in the hotel lobby.

11.00 Health & Balance: Adela Pajunen
Tune into your inner happiness by finding peace and quiet in a capital city that, through its diverse landscape, offers endless opportunities for increasing a sense of inner balance.

Adela Pajunen, your Happiness Hacker of the day, is a true champion of the natural world. As a biologist, writer, and advocate for wellbeing through nature, Adela's journey is a demonstration of the profound impact of our natural surroundings on our health and happiness.

Co-founder of Terveysmetsä (Health Forest), Adela pioneered a unique Finnish nature-prescription model recognized globally for its scientifically proven effects. She invites you for a visit to Heatlh Forest in Vallisaari to a journey to rediscover the transformative power of nature, illuminating the myriad ways in which our natural environment shapes our wellbeing.

NB! Remember to take your water bottle with you and wear good walking shoes!

13.30-14.00 Private boat ride to Lonna 

14.00-15.30 Late lunch at restaurant Lonna

Restaurant Lonna The island Lonna has an interesting history. In the 1880s it was used by the Russian Navy to store mines, in the 1920s it was used as a base for clearing mines, and in the post-war period ships were demagnetised there. In May 2014 a trendy café and restaurant was opened on the island in a charming red brick building.

15.30-17.30 Sauna at Lonna

Be a Finn and have a sauna in a one of the public saunas in Helsinki located on the small island of Lonna just in front of the city center of Helsinki. On the border between urban and nature, between the busy life of the city and the open landscapes on the sea, with views framing the silhouette of the city on one side and opening towards the sea on the other, the Lonna Sauna will charm you with its relaxing atmosphere.  
 
NB! Remember to take your own swimsuits with you!

17.30-18.00 Private boat ride to Kaivopuisto

Experience a buzzing seaside city where endless summer days, island-hopping, beautiful architecture, and vibrant sauna culture blend seamlessly, offering urban life in balance with nature.

18.00-21.00 Food & Wellbeing: Luka Balac
Delve into Helsinki’s inclusive cuisine inspired by the Baltic Sea, where Everyman’s rights, proximity to nature and gastronomic creativity are the key drivers for wellbeing.

Luka Balac is a culinary virtuoso whose passion for food traces back to his childhood days spent mesmerized by his grandmother's cooking. Though self-taught, Luka boasts extensive experience in both casual and fine dining establishments. Sustainability is a core value for Luka and one of his three restaurants follows zero waste principles.

Luka navigates his culinary ventures and personal life with an unwavering belief in the power of an open mind and a positive attitude. For Luka happiness is about sharing the everyday with family, friends and his local community, seizing the moment and living aligned with his values.

You’ll enjoy a special dinner experience with Luka in restaurant Elm, located in Puistokatu 4 – a Space of Science and Hope.

Overnigh in Hotel St. George

Breakfast at the hotel

9.30 Lobby call and a short walk

Meet your local hosts Leena Karppinen and Sergei Shkurov in the hotel lobby.

10.00 Nature & Lifestyle: Lena Salmi
Lena Salmi is not an average 70-year-old. You’ll find her zipping through the streets of Helsinki on her skateboard, rocking a tutu and defying gravity with every twist and turn.

For Lena, happiness is the freedom to be herself, just as she is. She uses the city as her playground, riding the streets without fear of judgement while fellow skateboarders greet her with high-fives. Skating is her passion, and Helsinki provides the perfect setting. For her, the best thing about skateboarding is that it brings people of different backgrounds together. Occasionally, Lena teaches both young and old how to skateboard, encouraging everyone to have fun and live their lives to the fullest – just like she does.

Lena will share her Helsinki Happiness Hacks with you and you’ll have a unique opportunity to discover your inner street artist and fearless roller.

13.00 Lunch at Peloton

Community, great food and cycling. Under the same roof one can find comprehensive bike services from our shop manager Paul Leduc and delicious seasonal food with a locally sourced mentality.

15.00-18.15 Free time

18.15 Nature & Lifestyle: Tapio Hakanen
Tapio Hakanen aka DJ Orkidea has been voted seven times as the best DJ in Finland and two times the most popular DJ in Scandinavia. Orkidea is known for his unique blend of trance and progressive, and he has played over 2000 gigs around the world.

Tapio is known as being driven by his constant desire to evolve and create. Something he fulfils by uniting, supporting and inspiring the people and movements he is passionate about. Tapio loves to bring people together and organise events – the scale of events goes from raves to Skidit disco, a popular family event.

You’ll enjoy a memorable farewell party with Tapio – be ready for something more than a traditional seated dinner! 

NB! Remember to take your own swimsuits with you! You’ll get a towel from the sauna.  

Overnigh in Hotel St. George

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out

9.00 Lobby call and a tram ride

Meet your local hosts Leena Karppinen and Sergei Shkurov in the hotel lobby.

9.30-12.00 Design & Everyday: Tero Kuitunen
Discover how design, art and architecture are building blocks of a happy Helsinkian together with designer and Helsinki Happiness Hacker Tero Kuitunen. Throughout his work, Tero wants to find something that moves and touches people. He loves to use bold colours, unexpected forms and humour. Tero wants to evoke people with questions, make them happy and find insightful solutions. 

Tero believes that using your hands and doing something concrete gives you calm and satisfaction in the fast paste of the modern world. Seeing a final outcome after you have put time and effort into it makes it feel so much sweeter. With Tero you’ll have an opportunity to use your creativity and make a piece of art with your own hands. The workshop focuses on elements that can bring joy in your everyday life.

12.00-13.30 Lunch with Tero Kuitunen at Annala Villa

Enjoy a delicious vegan lunch by Magu catering at Annala. By its very nature, the catering is sustainable and environmental. Innovative methods of preparation bring lovely and surprising textures to each dish, delicate balance, just as in nature.

Time to say goodbye and departure to the airport by train