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Alessandra Sarelin

Discover Finland's Living Sauna Heritage

Book a guided sauna ritual

Finnish sauna culture is an essential part of Finland's intangible cultural heritage. More than just heat and steam, the sauna has traditionally been a sacred space for healing, rituals, and connection with nature. 

Here you can book a guided Finnish sauna ritual and have a unique sauna experience.

Guided Sauna Experience – Saunotus 

Saunotus is an ancient Finnish sauna healing ritual guided by a trained saunottaja (sauna healer). This experience is ideal for you if you are interested in cultural heritage, mythology, and wellness, and wish to go deeper than an ordinary sauna visit.

Saunotus is suitable for:

  • Sauna beginners and first-time visitors to Finland

  • Experienced sauna enthusiasts

  • Wellness travelers and pilgrims

  • Those seeking relaxation, grounding, and cultural insight

Step Into the Enchanting World of the Finnish Sauna

This unique experience is guided by a trained sauna healer who leads you through saunotus, an ancient ritual rooted in Finnish folklore and wisdom traditions but practiced in a modern context.

Finnish sauna is about far more than sitting in a hot room. At the heart of the sauna is löyly—the steam created by pouring water onto hot stones. Löyly is considered the spirit of the sauna.

In ancient times, the sauna was both sacred and practical: a place for bathing, healing, rituals, birth and everyday life. Finnish sauna culture is deeply intertwined with nature, forests, myths, and ancestral knowledge.

What to Expect


Before entering the sauna, your saunottaja introduces you to Finnish sauna folklore and traditions, including:

  • Why löyly is greeted with a song

  • The role of the kiuas (sauna stove) as the altar of the sauna

  • The meaning and use of vihtas (sauna whisks made from local trees)

After this introduction, you will take part in saunotus, a healing ritual or ceremony.

The sauna is traditionally seen as the temple of the forest, and vihtas play a central role in the ritual.

A Multisensory Healing Ritual


Saunotus is a deeply immersive, multisensory experience that smells like a moss-covered forest.

The ritual includes:

  • Old rune songs and spoken spells

  • Gentle whisking with soft vihtas made from birch, maple and pine

  • Natural scents and local healing herbs. 

  • Sometimes salts, peat and honey is used. 

This experience is grounding, soothing, and deeply connected to Finnish nature and mythology.

Sauna Packages

Metonen Kyly - A Gentle Introduction to Finnish Sauna

This 60-minute guided sauna experience is perfect if you are new to Finnish sauna or want a lighter experience.

You will experience:

  • Greeting the löyly (the spirit of the sauna) with a rune song

  • Whisking with vihtas from two different trees

  • A traditional herbal brew

Practical information:

  • Duration: 60 minutes

  • Group size: 2–6 persons

  • Towels included

  • Sauna is booked by you or provided by your accommodation

  • Most hotels and accommodations in Finland have a sauna, often with the option to book a private time slot for an additional fee

  • The saunottaja travels to the sauna of your choice 

Prices:

  • 2 persons: 190 €

  • 3–4 persons: 250 €

  • 5–6 persons: 350 €

Mielikin Sauna - The Forest Temple Experience

Mielikki is the mistress of the forest in Finnish mythology. The sauna has traditionally been seen as the temple of the forest, and this package offers a deeper, more immersive experience.

This is a deeply soothing ritual with generous use of local healing herbs and vihtas made from birch, maple, pine, and juniper.

You will experience:

  • Greeting the löyly with a rune song

  • Extended whisking ritual with several different trees

  • A traditional Finnish meal after the sauna

Practical information:

  • Duration: 90 minutes

    • 30 minutes outside the sauna

    • 60 minutes in the sauna (with several breaks)

    • The sauna facilities are reserved for you for 2 hours. 

  • I book a suitable sauna for you

  • Locations near Turku (in cooperation with several local saunas). 

Price: 

  • 2 persons 320€. Rent for the sauna, towels and a meal are included. Possible also for a bigger group at additional 100€ per person. 

How to Proceed? 

1. Contact Me

Get in touch by:

Please contact me early when planning your trip. Let me know:

  • Which package you wish to book

  • Any allergies, food restrictions, or health-related considerations

2. Book a Sauna (if needed)

Most hotels and accommodations in Finland have a sauna, often with the option to book a private time slot for an additional fee.

You can also search for a sauna via SaunaOnline.

Wood-burning stoves are wonderful, but electric saunas are also perfectly suitable.


3. Prepare for Your Experience

After booking, you will receive detailed instructions by email on how to prepare and what to bring with you.