Sun, Sand & Saimaa
Finland 8 home.days 7 packagedetails.nights Jul-2021/Oct-2021
EUR1400
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packages.overview
- Relaxing retreat in the beautiful Finnish Lakeland region on the Saimaa Lake, the largest in Finland, formed by glacial melting.
- Visit Savonlinna’s iconic Olavinlinna castle, the prestigious venue for the annual Finnish Opera festival.
- Authentic Finnish wilderness adventure in Oravi and Linnansaari National Park in Lakeland Savo.
- A guided kayaking safari in Lake Saimaa to spot the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal, one of the rarest in the world.
- Indulge in the famous Finnish pastime of seasonal wild food foraging learning to identify and pick edible berries, mushrooms, and wild herbs with an expert naturalist.
- Wilderness island picnic.
- Midnight sun sauna party.
- A superb open fire menu laced with classic and traditional Savonian and Nordic flavors, sourced from fresh locally-sourced ingredients.
- Guided scenery cruise in Savonlinna around the castle and city.
- Guided tour visiting top Helsinki must-sees such as Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Oodi library, Rock cathedral, Kiasma, etc.
- A beautiful archipelago canal cruise in Helsinki.
- The visual extravaganza of experiencing Finland and its myriad landscape, pristine nature, and magnificent Arctic wonders with all your senses in the 4-D flying cinema tour.
packagedetails.ataglance
packagedetails.priceinc
Two nights in Helsinki
Two nights in Savonlinna
Three nights in an independent wilderness villa in Oravi village
Four breakfasts
One wilderness picnic lunch on an island
One lunch onboard the scenery cruise in Savonlinna
One multi-course open fire dinner of classic Savonian and Nordic delicacies
Beautiful evening archipelago canal cruise in Helsinki
Guided Saimaa seal spotting paddling safari (3 hrs) in Oravi village
Guided berry/mushroom/wild herbs (depending on the seasonality) foraging in the national park
Return train ticket from Helsinki to Savonlinna
Transfer between Savonlinna and Oravi village
All domestic transfers
Travel companion who will guide you with the Helsinki city exploration
Guided scenery cruise through lake Saimaa around the iconic Olavinlinna castle including entrance tickets to the medieval castle, visiting Riihisaari museum and market square
Helsinki card for 24 hrs including entrance to UNESCO World Heritage site Suomenlinna castle, hop-on-hop-off bus ride to all major city attractions, art musuems such as Kiasma, etc
packagedetails.priceex
International flight tickets
Schengen visa costs
Travel insurance
Anything not mentioned explicitly in Inclusions
packagedetails.addons
An additional day trip to Tallinn with return cruise ticket, guided city tour with a food walk and lunch can be arranged @150€/person.
A day trip to Kerimäki which includes a guided tour in Hytermä, a unique nature reserve and the museum island in Kerimäki along with the Kerimäki church, the largest wooden church in the world, can be arranged at an additional cost of @89€ per person.
Breakfast basket delivered to the villa (self-catering) @10 €/adult and with catering sevice @23 €/adult and breakfast in the village restaurant @13,90 €/adult (child 5,50 €).
Rental bikes can be ordered @17€/bike/day.
packagedetails.itinerary
- Arrival in Helsinki airport.
- Pick-up, transfer, and check-in at city accommodation.
- You have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the city dubbed as the "Daughter of the Baltic".
- Use the hop-on-hop-off bus to discover the city highlights such as Rock Cathedral, Esplanadi, Sibelius monument, city parks, etc.
- Set sail for a scenic ferry ride to the island fortress of Suomenlinna, a mid-18th century UNESCO World Heritage Site and brief excursion of the island. On the island, you will climb aboard the historic war relic, the Submarine Vesikko, one of the five used in the Finnish navy, which has witnessed the Winter War, Second World War, and the Continuation War.
- Enjoy a unique way of experiencing Finland in the multisensory 4-D flying tour cinema.
- Visit the Oodi city library, the pride of Helsinki voted as the best public library in the world. It is an inspirational example of why Finland has the best education model in the world.
- Visit the art museum Kiasma, a contemporary art museum of thought-provoking artworks. The shapes and textures of this architectural landmark are inspired by the natural light in Finland, which changes with changing seasons and times of the day.
Breakfast
- Departure to Savonlinna by train.
- You have the rest of the day to explore this quaint town in the heart of the Saimaa region. A little known fact is that the town, built around 1639, famous for the annual Savonlinna Opera festival also hosts the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships annually since 2000.
Breakfast
- Enjoy a guided city tour and visit the Olavinlinna castle, the Riihisaari museum, and the market square, where the guide will regale you with the medieval past of the town. The iconic Olavinlinna Castle dates back to 1475, founded by the Danish-born knight Erik Axelsson Tott, to protect the strategically important Savo region for the Swedes against the Russians.
- Indulge in a scenery cruise in the lake Saimaa with lunch onboard.
Breakfast, Cruise lunch
- Transfer to the Oravi village and check-in to the villa with a well-serviced kitchen and private sauna.
- You have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the idyllic village located between the National Parks Linnansaari and Kolovesi.
Breakfast
- Enjoy a kayaking adventure, under expert guidance, in the lake Saimaa. You will have a high probability to spot one of the rarest and critically endangered animals, that you cannot find anywhere else in the world - the Saimaa ringed seal. The roots of the Saimaa seal go back to around 8000 years when it was separated from the other ringed seal populations after the last ice age. Since then, it has adapted to living in freshwater. It is estimated that around 410 seals live in Lake Saimaa. The Saimaa ringed seal is a mammal that lives in the water and only visits the land. May is the best month for seal spotting because after the ice melts from the lakes, the seals bask for hours on the rocky islets in the spring sunshine, as it helps them to shed their winter fur coat more easily. The kayaking safari is always done with the best interests of the seals in mind, and special care is taken not to disturb them.
- Enjoy the flavors of the wild with a fun island picnic made on an open campfire.
- Enjoy a midnight dip in the cool lake followed by a sauna party.
Picnic lunch
- Enjoy a pleasurable hike in the national park with the wilderness guide introducing you to the boreal flora and fauna. You will learn to forage for edible wild herbs, berries, and mushrooms, some of the superfoods of nature. From sweet and tangy bilberries to wild strawberries, Finnish forests are a treasure trove of some of the most precious wild food in the world.
- Enjoy an open fire multi-course menu, made from freshly caught fish and locally-sourced fruits and vegetables, made in the villa's fireplace followed a delightful sauna session, a perfect climax to the vacation.
Open fire dinner
- Transfer to Savonlinna to catch the train back to Helsinki airport
- Departure
packagedetails.knowbefore
- The prices quoted are on B2C basis, for direct sale to the customers.
- Berries and mushrooms are highly seasonal and their availability depends on the season and varies from year-to-year.
- The kayaking experience is customized for beginner-skill level and experienced kayakers could opt for a whole day (7 hrs; including lunch in the nature) kayaking expedition in Kolovesi National Park characterized by narrow bays and labyrinthine islands for an additional price of 50€/person.
- The package can be run in strict halal and other special needs requirement mode.
- All the activities are guided by experienced wilderness and activity experts.
- We reserve the rights to make alterations to the program and/or to the itinerary.
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