A range of social tours will be offered for participating delegates and accompanying persons.
| Sunday 28 May | ST1 - Day Cruise to Medieval Old Town of Tallinn | |
| Monday 29 May | ST2 - Helsinki Highlights & coffee with locals | |
| ST3 - Porvoo Excursion - CANCELLED | ||
| Tuesday 30 May | ST4 - Helsinki Design Tour - CANCELLED | |
| Wednesday 31 May | ST5 - Finnish Sauna Experience to Uunisaar | |
| Thursday 1 June | ST6 - Music and Art: In the footsteps of Jean Sibelius & Alvar Aalto - CANCELLED | |
| Friday 2 June | ST7 - Islands tour to Vallisaari & Suomenlinna Fortress | |
| ST8 - Day cruise tour to Tallinn | ||
| Saturday 3 June | ST9 - Nuuksio National Park - CANCELLD | |
| Saturday 3 June - Monday 5 June |
ST10 - 2 NIGHT CRUISE TO SAINT PETERSBURG (Visa free, if you need a Schengen Visa then you will need a multiple entry Schengen Visa in order to return to Finland/Schengen Area.) |
Time: 09:30-21:30
Duration: 12 hours
Starts at: West harbour (Länsisatama)
Ends at: West harbour (Länsisatama)
Dress code: Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and
clothes appropriate to local weather conditions.
Fee: 153 EUR
The tour begins at Helsinki’s West Harbour, which has good tram connections. Meet the tour guide and check-in for the ferry journey to Tallinn, Estonia.
Departing at 10:30, the ferry crossing of the Baltic Sea takes 2
hours.
At Tallinn pier, board coach for a short panoramic tour around Tallinn
city. Pass by the Kadriorg Palace and the Song Festival Grounds,
and learn from the guide a little about modern life in Tallinn.
Entering the Old Town by foot, lunch is served in a local restaurant.
After lunch enjoy a walking tour through the medieval streets of the Old Town all the way up to the top of Toompea Hill which offers spectacular views across the red rooves of the old buildings to the Baltic Sea beyond. The tour also passes the Parliament Building, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and ends back at the Town Hall Square.
Enjoy free time to shop or relax in one of the many cafes, before continuing back to the port by coach with guide, and boarding the return ferry to Helsinki.
The Tour ends at 21:30 at the West Harbour.
Included:
Time: 13:00-17:00
Duration: 4 hours
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: City Hall
Fee: 58 EUR
Depart from Messukeskus with coach and guide for a private Highlights of Helsinki city tour. Start by heading to the Senate Square and the green-domed Lutheran Cathedral, the symbol of the city. Here the architecture is reminiscent of St Petersburg. Continue by foot to the nearby Market Square and harbour from which there are great views of the impressive Uspenski Russian orthodox cathedral and across the bay to the islands of the archipelago. Continuing by coach, a stop is made to see the Sibelius Monument in Sibelius Park before moving on past the Olympic Stadium, built for the 1952 Olympic Games. Many other fine buildings will be seen along the route such as the modern Opera House, the Alvar Aalto-designed Finlandia Hall, the National Museum, and the Kiasma Modern Art Museum. One of the highlights of the tour is an inside visit to Temppeliaukio, the famous Rock Church, built into solid rock, with the inner wall left raw and unfinished, crowned with a solid copper dome.
The tour will stop for a coffee break on the outdoor terrace of a traditional old wooden villa overlooking Töölönlahti Bay, and a meeting with the owners, a local artist couple who also present their indoor gallery.
Included:
Time: 14:00-18:30
Duration: 4½ hours
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: City Hall
Fee: 59 EUR
A 50 minute drive to the east of Helsinki lies Porvoo, Finland’s 2nd oldest town.´Stroll through the medieval old quarter, along old cobbled streets of historic painted wooden houses, cafes, and antique stores. The town is famous for its ochre-painted shore houses along the riverside. The 13th century cathedral is the town’s major historic landmark.
A visit is made to the Art Factory, a superbly renovated factory milieu with concert venues, art gallery, restaurants, and artists’ studios. Visit the Art Hall gallery displaying exhibitions of contemporary art.
Coffee and cake is served in one of the atmospheric cafes in the Old Town.
Included:
Time: 14:00-17:00
Duration: 3 hours
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: Messukeskus
Fee: 63 EUR
Depart from Messukeskus with coach and guide for a private Helsinki tour focusing on Finnish Design. The excursion will be escorted by a local guide specialised in design, and will also visit a local designer who will tell about their own work and about living as an designer in Helsinki.
The tour begins with a visit to Helsinki’s Design District including entrance to the Design Museum. Finnish design has enjoyed an excellent international reputation for decades, and in 2012 Helsinki was the World Design Capital. The city is ideal for purchasing designer goods and discovering fresh designer culture.
During the tour a visit is made to Löyly – a magnificent new wooden structure of great architectural interest, which houses a public sauna and restaurant with a massive terrace offering superb views out to sea. A coffee break on the terrace is included.
Included:
Time: 17:30-20:30
Duration: 3 hours.
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: Helsinki centre (main railway station)
Fee: 83 EUR
Transfer from Messukeskus with coach and guide into Helsinki. At Uunisaari pier boar boat for short hop to the Island of Uunisaari for a Finnish Sauna Experience. Sauna is an important part of Finnish culture. The guide will tell why Finns love their sauna and why there are over 2 million saunas in Finland. There will be a separate saunas available for women and men, and towels are included. After the sauna, its possible to take a refreshing dip in the sea (guests should bring their own swimming costumes). A cold Finnish beer (or soft drink) and sausage is the traditional way to end your Finnish sauna experience.
The coach continues on to end the tour at Helsinki railway station, from where guests can make their own way to their hotels.
Included:
Time: 13:00-17:00
Duration: 4 hours
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: Messukeskus
Fee: 80 EUR
2017 marks Finland’s 100th Anniversary. This cultural and architectural tour takes guests to the Lake Tuusula area where a large number of Finnish artists settled at the turn of the 19th & 20th centuries. The artist community included composer Jean Sibelius, artist Pekka Halonen, and others who had a strong influence in creating an identity for a new and independent Finland. The tour gives a glimpse into their life and times.
Visit Ainola, the former home of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and now a museum. Ainola is a timber-built villa, designed by the famous Finnish architect Lars Sonck, and is preserved exactly as it was during Sibelius' time. The distance from the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital gave the composer the peace that he needed for his creative endeavours, while other artistic families living in the neighbourhood provided a lively social circle.
The tour moves on to Villa Kokkonen, the former home of composer Johannes Kokkonen, and designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. At Villa Kokkonen the current hosts give a guided tour around the lakeside villa, and a short live concert is included with light refreshments.
Included:
Time: 13:00-17:00
Duration: 5 hours
Starts at: Messukeskus
Ends at: Market Square
Dress code: Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and
clothes appropriate to local weather conditions.
Fee: 88 EUR
Depart by private coach with guide from Messukeskus to Helsinki’s Market Square & Harbour.
Board ferry for a 20 minute crossing of Helsinki Bay, which offers fine views of the city skyline, and of the surrounding archipelago. Destination is Vallisaari Island – a unique island, previously closed for public access until 2016 due to Finnish army us, Vallisaari offers some extraordinary Finnish nature. Enjoy a short walk along the island.
Heading back to sea, next stop is the Fortress island of Suomenlinna,
a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In 1747 a fortress was built as the main base for the armed forces
stationed in Finland. A group of islands close to Helsinki were chosen
to be the site of the fortress, which was to be called Sveaborg, "the
fortress of Sweden". Soon after Finland gained independence (from
Russia) in 1917 the Swedish name of the fortress was officially changed
to the Finnish Suomenlinna, "castle of Finland”. In 1991, Suomenlinna
was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visit Suomenlinna Museum, which is in the main Visitor Centre, giving visitors a glimpse of the life of officers and soldiers during the periods of Swedish and Russian rule in the 18th and 19th centuries. The entrance fee also includes admission to the prize-winning Suomenlinna Experience audio-visual show.
Returning to the Market Square & Harbour, the tour ends.
Included:
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Time: 09:30-21:30
Duration: 12 hours
Starts at: West harbour (Länsisatama)
Ends at: West harbour (Länsisatama)
Dress code: Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and
clothes appropriate to local weather conditions.
Fee: 153 EUR
The tour begins at Helsinki’s West Harbour, which has good tram connections. Meet the tour guide and check-in for the ferry journey to Tallinn, Estonia.
Departing at 10:30, the ferry crossing of the Baltic Sea takes 2
hours.
At Tallinn pier, board coach for a short panoramic tour around Tallinn
city. Pass by the Kadriorg Palace and the Song Festival Grounds,
and learn from the guide a little about modern life in Tallinn.
Entering the Old Town by foot, lunch is served in a local restaurant.
After lunch enjoy a walking tour through the medieval streets of the Old Town all the way up to the top of Toompea Hill which offers spectacular views across the red rooves of the old buildings to the Baltic Sea beyond. The tour also passes the Parliament Building, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and ends back at the Town Hall Square.
Enjoy free time to shop or relax in one of the many cafes, before continuing back to the port by coach with guide, and boarding the return ferry to Helsinki.
The Tour ends at 21:30 at the West Harbour.
Included:
Time: 12:00-16:30
Duration: 4½ hours
Starts at: Kiasma Modern Art Museum bus stop (near railway station)
Ends at: Kiasma Modern Art Museum bus stop
Dress code: Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and
clothes appropriate to local weather conditions.
Fee: 80 EUR
Departing north from Helsinki, a 40 minute transfer reaches the beautiful forests and lakes of Nuuksio National Park. On the edge of the park is the ultra-modern Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, a new type of interactive visitor centre. The design of the amazing Haltia building was inspired by the tales of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. Built entirely of wood, it is also heated and cooled with naturally generated energy. Surrounded by spectacular views of Nuuksio and the Lake Pitkäjärvi, the changing exhibitions offer visitors an authentic experience of nature from all over Finland.
After the visit, activate all your senses with a guided walk through the surrounding forest trails.
Return by coach to Helsinki.
Included:
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* If a passenger arrives from outside the Scengen area, the passenger must have a multiple entry Schengen visa to returm to Finland after the cruise.
SATURDAY 3.6.2017
16:30 Check-in at Helsinki West Harbour terminal
18:00 M/S Princess Anastasia departs towards Petersburg
18:00 Buffet dinner onboard at Seven Seas Restaurant.
Overnight onboard in A4 cabins with a private bathroom and a window.
SUNDAY 4.6.2017
07:00 Breakfast
09:00 Arrival to Saint Petersburg *
On arrival proceed to passport control.
The Best of Saint Petersburg tour of the cruise ship.
Your tour includes a visit to the Hermitage, one of the world’s finest
art museums. It contains more than 2½ million works of art representing
different ages, cultures and peoples. Originally, the palace served as a
winter residence of the Tsars and was not open to the public. The
collection was started by Catherine the Great, who bought art from
France, Austria, Italy, Germany, and other countries. Admire
masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Rembrandt, works of
the French impressionists as well as the magnificent interiors of the
Winter Palace.
16:00 Tour ends at the harbour.
18:00 Check-in gates close.
18:30 Buffet dinner at Seven Seas Restaurant.
19:00 Ship departs back to Helsinki.
Overnight onboard.
MONDAY 5.6.2017
06:00- Breakfast onboard
08:00 Arrival back to Helsinki West Harbour, where the tour ends.
Price, including return cruise in A-cabin, 2 x buffet breakfast, 2 x buffet dinner, shuttlebus/visafree registration, guided city tour and entrance to Hermitage:
440 EUR per person when 2 sharing a cabin in the group (guests must
register together with the partner ie no half cabins sold)
610 EUR per person in a single cabin
EUR 385 per person in a cabin with 3 people
EUR 355 per person in a cabin with 4 people
PLEASE NOTE YOUR PASSPORT MUST BE VALID MINIMUM 6 MONTHS AFTER THE TOUR AND IF YOU NEED A SHENGEN VISA THEN YOU WILL NEED MULTIPLE ENTRY SHENGEN VISA IN ORDER TO RETURN TO FINLAND/SHENGEN AREA!
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