Sample Helsinki and its Sister Cities

Arrive Helsinki and taxi transfer on your own to your hotel for the night.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Rovaniemi

This morning prepare for your journey norht as you head towards the Arctic Circle and the home of Santa Claus. The train station is directly across the street from your hotel so you can walk for your train to Rovaniemi, leaving at 9:30am and arrives in Rovaniemi at 7:48pm. Upon arrival, taxi transfer on your own to your hotel. Take the remainder of the evening to relax from your long day of travel.

Accommodations: Clarion Santa Claus

Rovaniemi

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before meeting up with your group for the day's trip at 1:20pm. After a short drive by car you arrive at a local homestead where first greet the beautiful and friendly animals - huskies. Once they are prepared, you start hiking to the woods with the dogs, while your guide introduces you to the wonders of nature. After about 1 hour light hike you will return to the homestead for a snack and coffee. At the homestead your guide introduces you further to the local life and huskies. Tonight return to the city by car.

Accommodations: Clarion Santa Claus

Rovaniemi

Today your trip will start with at pick up at 10:50 am and a refreshing cruise on a traditional riverboat, following along the Rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki. You are welcome to visit the home of Lappish family and their Workshop. A visit will also be made to a local Reindeer cottage, where you will learn about Lappish culture and reindeer rearing. In the Reindeer cottage you have the opportunity to participate in a ceremony of crossing the Arctic Circle. A Lappish style lunch will be served in there. In the afternoon you make a visit by car to the Santa Claus Village. Here you meet Mr. Santa Claus himself, and you have a chance to do some shopping. The trip ends heading back to the city and your hotel.

Accommodations: Clarion Santa Claus

Rovaniemi

Today you will have a full day to explore on your own.

Accommodations: Clarion Santa Claus

Rovaniemi-Helsinki

Transfer on your own to the airport for your flight back to Helsinki. Upon arrival in Helsinki make your way to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to explore.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Sibelius Home and Aaltos Architecture, four hour guided tour – Helsinki

Enjoy breakfast before meeting your next tour at 1:00pm. Meet the tour bus at Esplanade Park near the rail station, which is across the street from your hotel.

Enjoy this cultural and architectural tour to Ainola and Villa Kokkonen. Ainola was the home of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and is today a museum. Villa Kokkonen is one of the few private homes designed by Alvar Aalto. The tour heads to Tuusula, where a large number of Finnish artists settled along the shores of Lake Tuusula at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. These artists created a distinctive community; one of them was the composer Jean Sibelius. On the road that follows the shore you can still enjoy the historical setting and sense the rich artistic and cultural atmosphere. The first visit is to Ainola, the home of the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Ainola is today a museum and preserved as it was during Sibelius' time. Many of Jean Sibelius’ productions were composed in Ainola, where he could concentrate on composing far from the amusements of the capitol. Villa Kokkonen is a private home designed by architect Alvar Aalto, completed in 1969. The home is said to be a preliminary sketch of the Finlandia Hall. Villa Kokkonen was designed to be a home as well as a place of work for Alvar Aalto’s friend, composer Joonas Kokkonen (1921-1996). The heart of the house is the soundproof studio, built around Joonas Kokkonen’s grand piano. The surrounding nature has been taken in consideration in the planning of the house and can be enjoyed through the large windows in the studio and living room.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Porvoo, four hour guided tour-Helsinki

After breakfast you have the morning to explore on your own before meeting your tour to Porvoo at 1:00pm. Meet the tour bus at Esplanade Park near the rail station, which is across the street from your hotel.

Join us on a guided tour to picturesque Porvoo, the second-oldest town in Finland. Porvoo was granted its urban charter in the 14th century and is one of Finland's architectural treasures. A town plan from the Middle Ages, the low small houses, picturesque yards and narrow streets form a historically unique wooden town milieu. The symbols of Porvoo – the red warehouses on the riverbanks – tell the story of seafaring and trading. First there will be a guided tour in the home museum of Finnish national poet J.L. Runeberg. After that the tour continues to the Old Town and the beautiful medieval cathedral. There will be some free time for a cup of coffee and for a walk in the Old Town with delightful shops and artisans' workshops.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Nuuksio National Park, four hour guided tour-Helsinki

After breakfast you have the morning to explore on your own before meeting your tour to Nuuksio at 1:00pm. Meet the tour bus at Esplanade Park near the rail station, which is across the street from your hotel.

On today's tour you will experience the tranquility and beauty of Finnish nature in Nuuksio National Park. The national park is about a 45-minute drive from Helsinki and covers an area of 37 sq.km. It is a part of the large Nuuksio lake uplands, a region that has survived in an almost natural state. Nuuksio consists of barren rocky hills and sparse Scots pine stands. There are 38 lakes and pools in the park; most of them are of the clearwater type whose water is classed as excellent or good. The area is the habitat of numerous birds, elk, deer, lynx and flying squirrel. A lot of berries and mushrooms grow in the national park during the summer and autumn; many Finns visit the Park to pick them. During the tour a professional nature guide will tell about the features of Finnish nature, Finnish sauna and summer cottage culture. You will see part of the park and take 1 - 1½-hour walk (about 3 km) along narrow forest paths. After the walk there is time to enjoy coffee or tea and Finnish pull a coffee cake by an open fire in a traditional Kota tent from Lapland and take a quick dip in the lake. Comfortable clothing and walking shoes (e.g. sport shoes) recommended. If you want to swim, take your own towel and swimsuit.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Tallinn-Helsinki

After breakfast taxi transfer on your own to the dock where you will catch the boat to Tallinn. Check in begins at 9:30am, you will want to go to the second floor and check in at the Tallink desk tp get your round trip ticket. The ship arrives at 12:30pm where you will be met by a guide in the arrival hall.

Tallinn represents 700 years of uninterrupted architectural history, all within a short walk. Estonian history is defined by centuries of occupation and often bloody rule by powerful neighbors, finally culminating in today’s hard-earned independence (Aug 20, 1991). Estonia, along with 9 other countries, joined the EU on 1 May 2004. Departure in the morning by boat from Helsinki for Tallinn. The city tour will take you around the most important sights, also outside Medieval Tallinn, such as the Song Festival grounds and the 18th century Kadriorg park and palace. Walking tour of the Old Town area, a compact maze of cobblestone streets, historical buildings and breathtaking vistas. Since 1997 the Old Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lunch is served in one of the charming restaurants in the Old Town. The guide keeps you company also during lunch. After lunch there will be some free time to explore the shops and sights on your own. Make sure to meet the bus in front of the Sokos Hotel Viru at 5:45pm for your transfer back to the dock. Arrive in Helsinki at 8:30pm and transfer on your own back to your hotel.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki-Turku, eight hour guided tour-Helsinki

Enjoy breakfast before meeting your guided tour to Turku at 8:10am at the Mannerheim Statue. Join a fun full day tour to the West Coast. On the way to Turku you will hear about Finland and its people and get to see the Archipelago that surrounds Turku, believed by many Finns to be the most beautiful part of the country. Lunch is served at the intimate restaurant Pohjakulma famous for its traditional Archipelago menu. Then continue on to Turku where you will have a guided tour before exploring the beautiful river city on your own.

Accommodations: Hotel Seurahoune

Helsinki - US

After your last breakfast, taxi transfer on your own to the airport for your return flights home.