Finland Lapland Midnight Sun Journey

Categories Summer Tours Scandinavia Arctic Tours Escorted Tours

A tour focusing on the interesting Architecture and fabulous Scenery of Finland and Finnish Lapland. Travel from Helsinki to Imatra, close to the Russian border. On our second day we will explore the Lake District with Savonlinna, famous for its annual Opera Festival. You will also Shoot the Rapids on a river, learn about Karelian Heritage, taste Finnish and Russian Delicacies.and even visit Santa Claus in the middle of the summer. Continue on to the Arctic Ocean and the North Cape-Europe�s northernmost plateau. Experience many aspects of Lapp culture along the journey.

It is possible to take just the Scenic Finland Tour or North Cape Tour portions of this tour.

Itinerary

TRACES OF THE PAST

Meet 8:15 am at Hotel Radisson SAS Plaza entrance or 9:00 am at Scandic Continental Hotel. Other hotel pickup available. Depart by motor coach to Porvoo, the second oldest town in Finland. Lunch at the waterfront at an old iron works community. Next stop will be at langinkoski rapids where you see the imperial fishing lodge which Czar Alexander III had built on the shore of the roaring rapids.

STUNNING FINNISH COUNTRYSIDE

Drive through the beautiful Punkaharju esker ridge, an isthmus between two large lakes, and continue to Retretti Art Exhibition featuring classical and contemporary collections, housed partly in an underground cave. After lunch in Punkaharju you head to Savonlinna to pay a visit to Olavinlinna Castle, the venue of the annual Savonlinna Opera Festival. In the afternoon you visit the eastern orthodox monastery of Valamo in Hein�vesi and have a cup of tea brewed in the traditional style in a silver samovar, sweetened with raspberry jam and accompanied by old-Russian delicacies. Continue to Koli Hills, Finland�s best-known spot of natural beauty. From the highest hilltop there is a spectacular view over forests and lakes.

KARELIAN HERITAGE

Today�s excursion will acquaint you with Karelian culture and traditions. On a visit to a local farmhouse you will experience the friendly hospitality that the Karelians are famous for. See fine examples of wooden architecture and visit exhibitions of local arts and crafts, listen to music played on Kantele, the Finnish folk music instrument, and savour Karelian specialities.

ART & ADVENTURE

On the way to Kuhmo you will stop in Vuonislahti to see the studio and the little log chapel of sculptress Eva Ryyn�nen, who had a unique talent for making sculptures out of wood. In the Ruunaa wilderness close to the Finnish-Russian border, you have a chance to shoot the rapids on a long wooden boat, steered by local fishermen. After lunch by a crackling fire, tour proceeds to Kalevala village, which offers a fascinating look at the old traditions of the Karelian people as they were in the 19th century, a period when the ancient poems of Finland�s national epic, the Kalevala, were collected.

IMPRESSIVE LANDSCAPES

A guided tour of Kuhmo starts the day. After the tour of the village, continue northwards. You see the North-Karelian landscape of hills, lakes, and lush green meadows change to steep cliffs, streams, and wild forests. Lunch en route. In Kuusamo, stop to admire a natural sight of astounding beauty, Julma �lkky, the deepest canyon lake in the area. Dinner and overnight at Spa Hotel Kuusamon Tropikki.

SANTA CLAUS IS AT HOME

After breakfast you set off for an excursion to Lake Kitka. Sitting in a rowing boat or standing on the shore, you can watch local fishermen seine-fishing. If the catch is good, it will be prepared for lunch. On the way to Rovaniemi, you pay a visit to the coffee cup museum. See the key sights of Rovaniemi and visit Santa�s Workshop at the Arctic Circle, meeting the jolly old man in person, and taking part in a Lapp ceremony

ARCHITECTURE IN LAPLAND

Early morning flight brings you to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland. During the sightseeing tour you will see works designed by Finland�s most famous architect Alvar Aalto. Crossing the magic line of the Arctic Circle is a great experience for any visitor. To make it truly exotic, you take part in a Lapp initiation ceremony. You will also enjoy lunch at the Arctic Circle, in a Lapp tepee. Continue northwards along the Ounasjoki River, and stop at the Art Museum of Reidar S�rest�niemi, the most notable Lapp artist who found his motifs in Lapland�s nature. His former studio and home, a complex of log houses, represent traditional Lapp architecture.

SHOOTING THE RAPIDS)\

Hearing the chant of the rapids you put on sunflower yellow rain gear, life vest, and rubber boots. Feel butterflies in your stomach as you set off from Harriniva on board a rubber raft on an exciting, yet comfortable and perfectly safe journey through seven rapids. A delicious, steaming soup is already waiting for you as you come ashore to nourish your body and soul by the crackling fire and rushing water. As you continue to the shores of the Arctic Ocean you notice the rolling hills of Finnish Lapland changing to Norwegian tundra. Dinner and overnight at the Rica Hotel Alta or similar.

NORTH CAPE PANORAMA

The Alta rock carvings are 5000-6000 years old. A visit to the Alta Museum is a unique opportunity to experience the ancient Lapp world depicted in rock carvings, reindeer roundups, bear hunting, boat building, and catching bottle-nosed dolphins. Lunch en route. After a short ferry ride we reach Honningsvag and the North Cape. Celebrate this occasion with sparkling wine and the gold of the Arctic Ocean - local caviar.

PAST & PRESENT SAMI PEOPLE

In earlier times Lapps, who actually prefer to be called Sami, used to be nomads. The way of life influenced their dwellings and the way of making their clothes. All this is exhibited in the open-air Sami museum in Inari. Lunch in Karasjok. While visiting a local reindeer farm you have an opportunity to visit a real Lapp home, listen to a chant in Sami-language with a strong rhythm, hear the owner of the farm telling about reindeer breeding, and to admire his Lapp costume.

GOLD RUSH DAYS

The last gold rush in Lapland took place at the beginning of the 1950's, when some two hundred men came to the Tankavaara region in North Lapland. The biggest nugget ever discovered weighed some 400 grams (14 oz). A serious effort is likely to be rewarded. So grab yourself a gold pan and start washing for gold. Good luck! Lunch in Luosto. Your tour ends here with a transfer to Rovaniemi airport.

Notes