Forest Bathing Experiences 2024
Take a look at the sample trips, tell us your wishes and ask for a quote via the contact form! Choose from all the camping destinations and meeting places in Uusimaa.
SOWL Forest Bathing
- An Experience That Will Bring You To Life
Forget about technology and to-do lists for a moment, and head to Nuuksio, Sipoonkorpi, Porkkalanniemi, Pihlajasaari or even Helsinki or Espoo's Central Park for a total break! You can leave all your worries at the edge of the forest and dive unhurriedly into the world of nature's fascinating sounds, smells, colours and shapes.
Step onto a mysteriously winding path that takes you into the midst of the hum of the massive spruces and pines. Pause to listen to the babbling brook and birdsong, breathe the fresh forest air deep into your lungs, melt onto the ancient bedrock and rest your eyes in the shimmering of the wilderness pond. Along the way, you'll enjoy breathing, sensory and nature connection activities to quiet the mind's chatter. Your mind and body settle into the same time and place. There will be room for new thoughts. Things fall into perspective. Joy returns. You reconnect with nature – and yourself.
Finally, we will gather at the campfire site to share our experiences and indulge our taste buds with soot pot coffee, herbal tea and snacks. As a forest bathing gift, you will receive an aromatic oil on your skin so that you can enjoy the therapeutic scent of the forest even at home.
Forest bathing is ideal as a wellness component for recreation, training, team and meeting days, as well as a birthday, party or bachelor party programme. It can also be made accessible. More details below.
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- Duration 2,5 h-4h (depending on agreement, depending on destination)
- Route length 1-3 km
- In Finnish or English
- Availability: all year round (shorter in winter, "Arctic forest bathing")
- Level: medium. You can participate without any prior knowledge or skills, normal physical fitness is sufficient. The hike is not accessible by default and includes rock climbs and rudimentary trails. We walk at a leisurely pace. Can also be organised as an accessible walk.
- Max 15 people (1h trial 40)
- The service includes the services of a certified forest therapy and wilderness guide, preparation instructions, guided exercises, information about the well-being effects of nature, a sleeping mat and a raincoat, aromatherapy oil for the skin, a safety plan, first aid equipment, liability insurance. NOTE. does not include travel or accident insurance, so please take care of it yourself.
- Price: 675 € + VAT 25,5%, includes 8 persons. Additional persons 75 € + VAT 25,5%.
- On request campfire food 15 € / person + VAT 14% (e.g. traditional fireplace coffee or herbal tea, Karelian pie and spread, cinnamon roll, wild berry shoots. Also available as vegan). Through a partner, possibility of forest catering, ask.
- The excursion is for people over 18 years of age
- Weather: excursion will also be carried out in the rain. In the event of exceptionally challenging weather conditions or other force majeure, excursion may be postponed or cancelled.
- 1% of the proceeds will be donated to the Natural Heritage Foundation's Finnish Forest campaign
Maritime
SOWL Forest Bathing
- Experience The Magic Of The Archipelago
Break away from the city and go to one of the most beautiful hiking destinations on the coast of Southern Finland, Porkkalanniemi Nature Reserve and Hiking Area, or alternatively to the nature haven off the coast of Helsinki, Pihlajasaari!
Let the path carry you through the rocky thickets and feel the fresh sea breeze washing away your troubles. Surrender to the sound of birdsong, the lapping of waves and the humming of the wind. Rest your gaze on the horizon, the blue of the sky and the eternal movement of the sea. Take a deep breath and rest, free of worries, on the support of a stable bedrock - and reconnect with nature and yourself.
Along the way, you'll enjoy breathing, sensory and awareness exercises to quiet the mind's chatter and turmoil. Your mind and body settle into the same time and place. There will be room for new thoughts. Things fall into perspective. Joy returns.
Finally, we will gather at the campfire site to share our experiences and indulge our taste buds with soot pot coffee, herbal tea and snacks. As a forest bathing gift, you will receive an aromatic oil on your skin so that you can enjoy the therapeutic scent of the forest even at home.
Forest bathing is ideal as a wellness component for recreation, training, team and meeting days, as well as a birthday, party or bachelor party programme. It can also be made accessible.
Other destinations include Kopparnäs or Linlo (Kirkkonummi) or the islands off Helsinki and Espoo (Harakka, Pihlajasaari etc.) More information below.
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- Duration 3-4h (subject to agreement)
- Route length 2-3 km
- In English or Finnish
- Availability: April-October
- Level: intermediate. You can participate without any previous knowledge or skills, normal physical fitness is sufficient. The hike is not accessible by default and includes rock climbs and rudimentary trails. We walk at a leisurely pace. Can also be organised as an accessible hike.
- Max 15 people
- Service includes the services of a certified forest and wilderness therapist, preparation instructions, guided exercises, information on the well-being effects of nature, sleeping pad and raincoat, aromatherapy oil for the skin, safety plan, first aid equipment, liability insurance. NOTE. does not include travel or accident insurance, so please take care of it yourself.
- Price: 675 € + VAT 25,5%, includes 8 persons. Additional persons 75 € + VAT 25,5%.
- Bonfires 15 € / person + VAT 14% (traditional fireplace coffee or herbal tea, Karelian pie and spread, cinnamon roll, wild berry pot. Possibility of forest catering through a partner, please ask.
- The excursion is intended for people over 18 years of age
- Weather: excursion will also be carried out in the rain. In case of exceptionally challenging weather conditions or other force majeure excursion may be postponed or cancelled.
- 1% of the proceeds will be donated to the Finnish Forest Campaign of the Natural Heritage Foundation.- You can also continue exploring Porkkalanniemi independently. There are signposted routes, information boards, dry toilets and cooking shelters. More information about the area here.
Forest Bathing Taster 1h - Relieve Stress and Enjoy Nature In a New Way!
Are you new to forest bathing or pressed for time? Try forest bathing in a shorter taster session that lowers stress hormone levels, heart rate and blood pressure within just 15 minutes! In this mini-session, we'll walk slowly for 0.5–1km and do some nurturing and restorative sensory awareness and nature connection activities.
Step into the soothing shade of conifers, listen to the sounds of the forest, soak up all the shades of green. Take a deep breath of fresh air and let your burdens fall at the feet of the great forest. Immerse yourself in the sounds, smells, colours and shapes of nature with all your senses, and reconnect with nature and yourself.
Finally, we will share our experience and enjoy some herbal tea or wild berry smoothie. You will also receive an aromatic oil on your skin, so you can continue to enjoy the therapeutic effects of the forest scents at home.
Can take place in the countryside, e.g. near an office or conference hotel. Available with accessibility. More information below.
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- 1h + transitions
- Route length 0,5-1 km
- Availability: all year round
- Level: easy. You can participate without any previous knowledge or skills, normal physical fitness is sufficient. The hike is not accessible by default and may include rock climbs and rudimentary trails. We walk at a leisurely pace. Can also be organised as an accessible walk.
- Max 15 people
- In Finnish or English
- Includes a trained forest therapy and wilderness guide, preparation instructions, guided exercises, information on the wellness effects of nature, herbal tea or berry tea, aromatherapy oil for the skin, safety plan, first aid equipment, liability insurance. NOTE: does not include travel or accident insurance, so please make sure it is valid.
- Price: 335 € + VAT 25,5%, includes 8 persons. Additional persons 40 € + VAT 25,5%.
- The excursion is for people over 18 years of age
- Weather: excursion will also be carried out in the rain. In the event of exceptionally challenging weather conditions or other force majeure, excursion may be postponed or cancelled.
- 1% of the proceeds will be donated to the Natural Heritage Foundation's Finnish Forest campaign
Dive Deeper – A Talk On Nature-based Health and Well-being
Offer your employees or community the opportunity to learn about the importance of nature connectedness to overall health, stress management and life satisfaction. The briefing will explain the researched physical and psychological effects of nature on humans, and ways to put these effects into practice as part of your own wellbeing toolkit, just like nutrition, sleep, exercise and good relationships.
A participatory presentation. Can be done as a stand-alone or as a preparatory part before a forest bathing day.
Presentation length 45 or 60 min
On-site in the capital region or online
From 350 € + VAT 25,5%
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INDIVIDUALS
Tours are booked at https://slotti.fi/booking/sowl/#/ and paid for at the time of booking.
Tours booked on other websites are subject to their cancellation policy (e.g. Tripadvisor).
Slot: the customer can cancel the reservation through the booking system free of charge up to 24h before the excursion, and the payment will be refunded as soon as possible. Alternatively, the reservation can be transferred to another day of the excursion.
If cancellation is made less than 24 hours before the tour, no refund will be given.
If the client falls ill less than 24 hours before the start of the tour, the reservation can be postponed to another date.
No refund will be given for an uncancelled reservation.
GROUPS / PRIVATE TOURS
Cancellation 60 days or more before the event, no cancellation fee
Cancellation 59–30 days before the event, 25% cancellation fee
Cancellation 29–14 days before the event, 50% cancellation fee
Cancellation 13–0 days before the event, 75% cancellation fee
An event may be postponed once, free of charge, up to 6 months from the date of the original event, if the request is made at least 30 days before the event. If the request for rescheduling is made less than 30 days after the event, this will be considered a new booking and the original event will be considered cancelled and the cancellation fee will be charged accordingly (see above). The client is obliged to indicate the exact date of the rescheduled event when notifying the rescheduling.
Please notify us of any changes as early as possible, thank you.
Additional persons may be notified up to 48 hours before the event (last minute additions will not be accommodated, e.g. due to catering).If the number of persons is reduced from the number agreed in the offer, the same cancellation fee schedule will apply as for cancellations for the whole group. However, the customer will always be charged at least the minimum invoice amount.
No refunds will be given for no-show bookings. Force majeure situations involving the whole group will be dealt with on a case by case basis and refunds are possible.
If the event takes longer than planned due to the client, the extra hours will be charged at 95 EUR/h + VAT.
The invoice will be sent after the event with the billing details provided by the client. Online invoicing is also possible. Payment term 14 days. Any claims must be made within 7 days of the event. The fee for a reminder is EUR 5.Points to note:
Weather warning. Rain is not an obstacle to the organisation of the excursion and is not a reason for cancellation by the client or the customer. If SOWL has to cancel an event due to exceptionally bad weather conditions or other force majeure, the booking will be rescheduled as a priority alternative. SOWL may cancel, suspend or change the location or duration of the event at any time due to extreme weather conditions, security reasons or other force majeure.
Any last-minute changes or cancellations will be notified to the customer's contact telephone number. We therefore ask the contact person to be available before and during the excursion if he or she is not with the client.
The age limit is 18 years.
Forest bathing can be a powerful experience for some. Participation is not recommended if you are going through an acute crisis or if you suffer from serious mental health problems.
The organiser has a professional indemnity insurance. Participants are responsible for their own travel and accident insurance.
"Kaisu is a guide who is boldly dedicated to forest bathing. Her professionalism and calm demeanour create an atmosphere of safety."
- Tarmo, 42, Riihimäki
To take part in Forest Bathing you don't need to
be a "nature person"
have experience in hiking or trekking
be in good shape
have survival skills
identify plants, mushrooms and birds
own any special equipment
be a "hippie"
practise yoga or meditation
be particularly stressed or tired
but you CAN BE any of this – and more, whatever you are!