Finland Tour

See places of great natural beauty and gain insight into the Finnish heritage. Visit the Saimaa Lake district and continue through Karelia, a borderland between East and West where eastern Orthodox traditions are part of everyday life. From the untouched wilds of Kuusamo, you go to Rovniemei, the capital of Finnish Lapland on the Arctic Circle.

You can combine this with North Cape 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. Dinner and overnight at Rantasipi Hotel Valtionhotelli in Imatra.

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. Dinner and overnight at Sokos Hotel Koli in Lieksa.

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. Dinner and overnight at Sokos Hotel Koli.

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. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Kalevala in Kuhmo.

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. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Rantasipi Pohjanhovi.

Transfer to Rovaniemi Airport this morning for a flight back to Helsinki. The tour ends at Rovaniemi Airport.

Notes