After arriving in Helsinki and checking into your hotel, the remainder of the day is free for relaxing or independent sightseeing. Take advantage of your Helsinki Card which allows you to experience the city's attractions with unlimited travel on public transport, and the ferry boat to/from Suomenlinna. You'll have access to many of the major museums as well as a guidebook with maps.

(Accommodations, Helsinki)

After breakfast, meet your guide for your private walking tour. Some of the highlights include the new "old town" Tori Quarters (Torikorttelit) and the historical center around it, Market Square and Old Market Hall, the Design District and the architectural points of interest, and the Temppeliaukio Rock Church, just to name a few. But do your research and if there is a specific attraction you would like to include, your guide will do their best to accommodate your requests. Your guide will also entertain you with stories of local life, Finnish culture, current trends, and can even pass along a few recommendations for dinner.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Helsinki)

Today is at your leisure for further exploration of this city with a plethora of options. On the beautiful Canal Route Sightseeing Cruise, you'll get to see the most beautiful shorelines in Helsinki and many fabulous sights, including the Helsinki Zoo on Korkeasaari Island, the impressive fleet of icebreakers and of course, Degero Canal. Along the way you will also hear about Helsinki`s fascinating history. For sightseeing on your own, the Kiasma and Ateneum museums with their fine collections of Finnish art should not be missed. You can also take the ferry (with your Helsinki Card) to Suomenlinna, an 18th-century sea fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later in the day, stop at the Loyly Sauna for a true Finnish experience. It's guaranteed to give your body a renewed sense of energy after such an invigorating day. Both the canal cruise and sauna can be booked through Avanti before departing the US. Dinner will be on your own this evening, and afterwards, perhaps take in a concert at Temppeliaukio, where you can appreciate amazing acoustics in an underground church hewn from solid rock.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Helsinki)

After breakfast, you'll journey to the Ruka-Kuusamo region; one of Finland's major holiday destinations. This area gets the most snow in all of Finland, and is renowned for its natural beauty and untouched wilderness. After checking into your hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure.

(Breakfast, Helsinki, Accommodations, Ruka-Kuusamo)

Today, you will have the option of two tours. For the outdoor enthusiast, ice fishing, or as the Finnish say pilkki, is on the agenda. It's a typical winter activity that most Finns participate in at some stage. We'll travel by car to the shore of a beautiful lake with plenty of fish. You'll set off by snowshoes and walk a short distance to the frozen lake where you'll start the ice fishing process. After drilling a hole in to the lake, you'll set up your fishing jigs. For the novice fisher, a jig consists of a lead sinker with a hook molded into it and is usually covered by a soft body to attract fish. During the pilkki, it's possible to catch perch, whitefish, roach (not that kind), pike or even grayling. If luck is on your side, the guide will show you how to prepare the fish by an open fire. Coffee, tea and sweet buns will be served during the tour as well. Your equipment will be provided including snowshoes, overalls, gloves, boots, and woolen socks.

Or if you prefer something more sedentary:

The Finnish dream; a sauna by a lake! Iisakki's Sauna is just that: a wood-heated sauna with a massive 750kg stove. Heating the stove takes four hours, but the bather is rewarded with exceptionally slow and gentle steam. The Iisakki`s sauna is one of the first saunas awarded with the Authentic Finnish Sauna Experience certificate. This experience is conducted with a local sauna guide who will tell you about the origin of sauna culture and why it is so important to Finns. Your guide also joins you in the sauna and explains the do's and don'ts of sauna etiquette.* Participants can also step up their sauna experience with a warm outdoor Jacuzzi or dip in the ice hole! During the sauna experience berry juice and water is served as well as small snacks. After the sauna experience it is time to enjoy traditional Lappish buffet dinner with local delicacies.

* Sauna participants can be covered with a swimsuit or towel. This is suitable for children and adults of all ages.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Ruka-Kuusamo)

(Accommodations, Rovaniemi)

(Breakfast, Rovaniemi, Accommodations, Kemi)

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Kemi)

(Breakfast, Kemi)