Lakes of Finland Helsinki Tallinn

Daily Programme

Day 1: Athens – Helsinki / road transfer to Jyväskylä

Art and impressive exhibits

Direct morning flight to the Finnish capital, Helsinki. Arrival at the airport and immediate departure for Jyväskylä, the third largest city in Finland, built on the shores of lake Juvasjarvi, buzzing with life! The ultra-modern university, the futuristic architecture with post-modern buildings, in combination with the wooden traditional houses and 18th-century churches, give the city a unique atmosphere! We will visit the museum of the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto with its unique aesthetic and impressive exhibits! Finally, we will end our day with a stroll along the shores of the lake to enjoy the unique view and the nightlife rhythms of the city.

Day 2: Jyväskylä (Mikkeli) – Savonlinna

Rich alternation: green of the forests and wonderful blue on the lakes!

Morning departure for one of the most spectacular routes in the area of the “Thousand Lakes”, with unique landscapes of exceptional beauty and unparalleled serenity! The shades of green from the dense Finnish forests alternate with the blue of the lakes that follow one another… Wetlands with all kinds of migratory birds, tiny green islands scattered on the lakes and the camera lens never stops capturing images!
Arrival in Mikkeli, perhaps the most characteristic town of the “Thousand Lakes” with traditional architecture and a relaxed atmosphere! Free time for a stroll in the city center where we will admire the Orthodox cathedral, the town hall and the well-preserved park with all the variety of endemic species of southern Finland.
We continue to Savonlinna through a unique route among the lakes, the most famous and beloved of travelers! Narrow strips of land interrupt the endless lakes and the landscapes become more and more spectacular! As we approach Savonlinna, we realize that the most beautiful surprises are still ahead of us! Lake Saimaa, the largest in Finland with an area of 4.2 thousand km², monopolizes the interest and impresses with landscapes of rare beauty!
Upon arriving in the city center, we board a traditional steamboat to enjoy a boat ride on the lake with a view of the city and the Olavinlinna castle. The images are enchanting! After our boat ride, it's time to visit the castle, which reveals a 6-century history and its architecture impresses!
Free time to stroll in the city center and the lakeside promenade and later arrival at our hotel. Tonight's overnight stay will give us a unique experience with a traditional authentic sauna, in a lakeside accommodation! A quintessentially Finnish habit that we will have the rare opportunity to experience in a landscape of unique beauty!

3rd Day: Savonlinna (Lappeenranta, Porvoo) – Helsinki

Building sandcastles!

Morning departure for Lapenranda, a city with unique architecture and atmosphere, with influences from Finnish, Swedish and Russian traditions! It is located in the geographic region of South Karelia, an area with rich culture and strong signs of Orthodox Christian religion. Arrival and visit to the Sand Castle, one of the largest sand castles in the world… it was first built in 2004 and is renewed every year! 4 million kilograms of sand were used and famous artists from all over the world participated, decorating it with wonderful sculptures of the respective category!
We continue to the shores of lake Saimma, to get to know the rare ecosystem that is part of the Geopark, part of Unesco's global natural heritage. Rare species of flora and fauna will spark our interest and thus we will conclude our acquaintance with the region of the “Thousand Lakes” before departing for Helsinki.
Next, we will visit the most photographed medieval town in Finland.
50km northeast of Helsinki, Porvoo with its colorful wooden houses is a historic refuge of art, design and graphic architecture. As the second oldest town in Finland, it is famous for its Old Wooden Town with charming cafes, boutiques and warehouses by the river in the color of red ochre.
On the cobblestone streets, the old houses that resemble dollhouses now host excellent restaurants, handicraft shops, home goods and galleries. Vintage shopping lovers will find many opportunities here. However, every stroll in the small town rewards the walker with many shots that, while resembling Instagram ones, do not need any filter.
Upon arriving in the Finnish capital, we will make a stop at the Sibelius monument and at the “Temppeliaukio”, the famous Rock Church.
Arrival in charming Helsinki and check-in at the hotel. In our free afternoon, we discover the beauties of the city that in 2012 rightly won the title “Design Capital”. Coffee at Moko Market Café, meze with local products and beers at award-winning breweries like Stadin Panimo, or cocktails at industrial bars like B-side, an afternoon in Helsinki will make you reconsider everything you have heard (or even more, for everything you have not heard so far) about the Finnish capital.

Day 4: Helsinki – Tallinn

Unique design and unexpected surprises

They say that Helsinki is not visited for its sights, but for the experiences it has to offer. The capital of Finland may not have the stature of the other Northern countries, but it will certainly win you over with its architectural peculiarities (a mix of modern, neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Byzantine, Russian and traditional style), its peculiar churches, as well as its energy.
On our sightseeing tour, from the Kauppatori, the picturesque market square located at the end of two parallel aristocratic streets, known as Esplanadi, we will distinguish the domes of the temples that are the main attractions of the city. The Lutheran Cathedral "Suurkirkko", which is located at the top of a hill with its characteristic white color, right on the Senaatintori, the Senate Square, and the Orthodox Russian Cathedral "Uspenski", built with red bricks, whose onion-shaped domes seem to be gilded, attract flashes like magnets.
The Russian-style building of the Railway Station, the adjacent "Rautatientori" square, and the Parliament reveal in turn an elegant capital that loves and assimilates innovation in urban development. Early in the afternoon, we board the ship that will take us to the other side of the Baltic Sea, to Estonia. Arrival in Tallinn and transfer to our hotel. Afternoon free for a first walk in the city that we will get to know more extensively on our guided tour tomorrow.

Day 5: Tallinn

A city-surprise taken from a medieval fairy tale

Full of cobblestone streets and pointed towers, Tallinn welcomes us on our morning guided tour, wearing its most dazzling jewels.
The summer palace of Peter the Great, which he built as a gift of faith and love to his Estonian wife, is surrounded by a beautiful garden, a gem of the city that marks the beginning of our acquaintance with it in the best possible way. Continuing, we take the large coastal road Birgitta with the incredible view of the Finnish Gulf.
The visit to the old town transports us to a medieval setting that has been set up with obsessive attention to detail. Tile roofs, towers with pointed tips and picturesque squares are pieces of this elaborate scenery with impressive buildings such as the Estonian parliament and the elaborate Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky adorning the central part of it. From the top of the Toompea hill, we will see the most enchanting scenery of the city's layout! Passing from the Upper to the Lower neighborhood, we see the Old Gate that separated the two sides of the city every night and in an ironic way has now become a meeting place for the people.
The uniquely untouched beautiful Town Hall with the dragons, the 1400 pharmacy with the small staircase that leads to its entrance, as well as the wonderful buildings transport us to a dark history with knights and dragons. In the free afternoon, we can continue our stroll through the medieval alleys of the beautiful city that surprises us with its fairy-tale charm.

IMPORTANT : The rooms are at our disposal until departure for the airport.

6th Day: Tallinn – Athens / Thessaloniki

In the early hours, we bid farewell to the country and return to Greece by air. Our journey may be over, but the images and unique experiences we had will accompany us for a lifetime.

• The program flow may vary without omitting anything.
• Departures from Thessaloniki also available with an additional charge for domestic flights from +100€.