In addition to the convention programme in Messukeskus, we are arranging a number of tours.
Tours With Waiting Lists
The following tours have been fully booked. However, we are maintain a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis, in case spaces become available.
Thursday Beer Tram
Thursday, August 10th, from 21:30 to 23:30
We are renting the pub tram Spårakoff for two hours on Thursday evening.
Price: approximately 30 euros, not including beer.
Booking: enquire for waiting list positions via email to tripsandtours@worldcon.fi.
Suomenlinna Tour
Wednesday August 9th. Group 1 meets on the 8:50 ferry, tour from 9:05 to 10:40. Group 2 meets on the 9:20 ferry, tour from 9:35 to 11:15.
Before diving into the dazzling futuretastic world of Worldcon 75, visit the historical Suomenlinna sea fortress. Originally called Sveaborg, the UN World Heritage site also inspired the young George R. R. Martin to try his hand at writing historical fiction. The fortress is located on a group of islands just off the Helsinki coastline. We are arranging a private guided tour of the fortress. You will have plenty of time to return to Helsinki, eat lunch, register to the con and witness the opening ceremony.
The tour company arranges English speaking tours on Sundays and Saturdays at 13:30. Details at http://www.suomenlinnatours.
Cost: 11 euros. The ferry ticket to and from the island costs 5 euros.
Booking: enquire for waiting list positions via email to tripsandtours@worldcon.fi.
Other Trips and Tours
Ghost Walking Tour of Helsinki
Wednesday August 9th, at 18:00. Tour lasts approximately 90–120 minutes.
Meet up for a ghost walk around Worldcon 75’s host city, Helsinki. This tour will be in English, and has been organised by a member of Worldcon 75 for the enjoyment of other Worldcon 75 members.
In addition to ghost stories, you can expect to learn a lot about the history of the locale, particularly some of its macabre past. This walk even starts at a hotel that is a converted prison. The group will meet at:
Hotel Katajanokka (Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka)
Merikasarminkatu 1A
Helsinki
For those who book in advance, the fee is $13.00. The price “at-the-door” will be €15.00, cash only. To book, please go to: https://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Ghost-Hunters/. To sign up, you will have to be a member of both Meetup.com and Bay Area Ghost Hunters, but joining both is free.
Geek Girls Finland Events
Geek Girls Finland (Nörttitytöt ry) is a non-profit organization which strives to promote gender equality in geek communities and the rest of the world. To coincide with Worldcon 75, they are organising two events:
- Geek Girls Finland goes to cinema: The Handmaid’s Tale
Wednesday 9th August at 19:00. A trip to see Volker Schlöndorff’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1989), with the chance for refreshments and chat beforehand. Meet at 19:00 at the Nörttitytöt/Geek Girls Finland fan table at Worldcon 75. - Geek Girls Finland at Worldcon 75: “Meet A Geek” at Pikkulintu
Thursday 10 August at 19:00. Want to meet Finnish geeks while having beers and playing board games? Come with us to visit the “Eastern pearl” of bars in Helsinki! Meet at 19:00 at the Nörttitytöt/Geek Girls Finland fan table at Worldcon 75.
If you have any questions about the Geek Girls Finland events, talk to them at their fan table at the convention, or contact sanna.haukkala@gmail.com.
Fully Booked Tours
The following tours are fully booked, and we regret that we are not able to accept any further waiting list requests.
Olkiluoto Nuclear Plant Tour
Tuesday August 8th, from 8:00 to 19:00.
We are arranging a full-day excursion to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant on the day before the con.
Olkiluoto has two working reactors and a third one under construction. The third reactor is one of the first EPR reactors in the world and has faced severe delays and cost overruns, but is expected to come online next year. Olkiluoto will also become the site for a repository of spent nuclear fuel, which is being built into the bedrock near the power station. The Onkalo depository will be the first in the world of its kind.
The trip will take place by chartered bus and start at 8 A.M. from the centre of Helsinki. The bus stop is in front of the Kiasma art museum. The drive to Eurajoki will be about 3.5 hours and the bus will return to the same place in the evening. The bus is air-conditioned and equipped with wifi and a toilet.
The excursion will tour the power plant site on board the bus, but you will also visit the Onkalo exhibit on site, which demonstrates the future nuclear waste storage facility being constructed.
At the visitor’s centre a light lunch will be served. Please inform us of any allergies or other food restrictions when signing up. The lunch is included in the price of the excursion.
Cost: 35 euros for adults, 25 euros for minors under 18 years of age.
Booking: This tour is now fully booked.
Solar System Scale Model Tour
Tuesday August 8th, from approximately 9:30 to 14:00. Subject to cancellation in case of heavy rain.
Explore the solar system scale model in Helsinki with a bike. The model contains the Sun, the planets and Pluto. The model is built to 1:1 billion scale and easy to explore by bike. We are arranging a group ride, with rental bike assistance to members coming from out of town.
We will have a small lunch picnic in a park by a waterfall after visiting Saturn. There are two grocery stores near to the park, so there is no need to carry food with you to the picnic.
For more information, see a description with photos and the planned route.
Cost: €17 for the bike rental, including helmet and a lock.
Booking: This tour is now fully booked.
The Motel by After Dark Helsinki
They say the Sun never really sets during a Helsinki summer… but it can still get dark. Very dark. The Motel is an immersive live horror experience situated in an old industrial building. If there is sufficient interest, After Dark Helsinki will arrange a special event for members during the con. See their homepage for more details. Pricing 30–50 €. Date or dates still to be confirmed. This tour is now fully booked.
Strange and Unusual Helsinki Tour
Want a tour in Helsinki out of the ordinary? Imagine in one day entering a weird museum where everything is for sale, eating in a viking restaurant, walking past kids park where everything is painted black and having a drink in multicoloured Bollywood bar. And more! A fluent English-speaking guide with a humorous touch, who knows the wacky side of Helsinki, will take you to a tour you will never forget!
The tour is arranged at these times:
- Fri 11.8. at 12.00–14.30
- Fri 11.8. at 17.00–19.30
- Sat 12.8. at 12.00–14.30
- Sat 12.8. at 17.00–19.30
This tour is now fully booked.
Practical Details
Payments for all tours will be through the Worldcon Members Website. If you are unable to pay via the website, contact tripsandtours@worldcon.fi and we will work something out.
