Helsinki 12.-14.9.2024  
Awarded with ‘City of Design’ status by UNESCO, Helsinki is a modern city that offers functional design, unique gastronomy, and maritime appeal. The capital of Finland is filled with lively events all year round, but the peaceful archipelago and green forests are only a stone’s throw away and can be easily reached by the efficient public transportation system.

Espoo 14.9.-15.9.2024 
A city of nature, experiences, and innovations! The city is part of the metropolitan area and second biggest city in Finland. It is easily accessible from Helsinki City Centre and Helsinki Airport. Espoo is like Finland in miniature. In the south of the city, you can enjoy the delights of the coast and archipelago, cultural and other events, and shopping. In North of Espoo, you can experience the countryside, lakes, and the wilderness in Nuuksio National Park.
During the days in Espoo, you will meet happy Finns, get to experience unique moments, and have a chance to talk about sustainable tourism. Sustainability is important for travel companies in Espoo and for the entire city. Espoo is an innovative actor within sustainable development. Espoo’s travel companies have been pioneers of eco-friendly tourism. As a visitor, you can act in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner as well.

Flights with Finnair from home destinations to Finland
15:00-16:15 Arrivals at Helsinki Airport  
Meet your Helsinki Partners hosts, Senior Advisor, Ms Sanna Salonen +358 40 506 4531 and Ms Kirsi Taivaloja +358 44 783 3218 at the arrival hall with sign
Sustainable Helsinki and Espoo Fam Trip

Transfer to the city of Helsinki by local train

17:30 Check in to STF-labelled  Lapland Hotels Bulevardi 
In the middle of Helsinki´s bustling life filled with joyous discussions, you can find the Lapland Hotels Bulevardi and their luxurious rooms and fresh ingredients from the North. The harmony of the rooms recounts stories from the extremes and beauties of the nature. Following the Lapland’s way, all details are made stylishly, without futile fuss. The soft steams of the room saunas offer you a novel relaxation, and in the design, bathtubs you can dive into the freshness of the rapids.

18:00 Lobby call
Short walk to NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa

18:30 Welcome drinks at the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa
Meet your host Mr Willemi Hagedoorn, Deputy Hotel Director, tel +358 44 751 3882.
This new hotel is situated in the heart of Helsinki and is located within two historic buildings that stand as a testament to Helsinki’s heritage and contains 224 spacious and luxurious guest rooms and suites of various sizes. Guests at the hotel can make use of the world-class facilities and amenities available, including a 24-hour fitness center, a spa and a range of meeting and event spaces. 

19:40 Short walk to Restaurant Muru

20:00 Dinner at Restaurant Muru
Restaurant Muru was founded by a group of good friends in 2010 with a purpose to create a great workplace for themselves and the best restaurant for their friends. Muru has become an absolute classic in Helsinki over the years. Muru is known for it’s great food, amazing wines and uncompromising customer service. 

06:30 -
Breakfast at the hotel
Start your day with Lapland Hotel’s award-winning breakfast that is based on clean and fresh ingredients from Lapland. Seasonal changes bring their own tasty additions to the breakfast table – without forgetting local delicacies.

10:00-13:00 Workshop with Helsinki Network   
Location: Lapland Hotels Bulevardi meeting room Rikastamo 
Sustainable partner companies from the Helsinki Network present themselves and their products. After these short presentations buyers have the opportunity to meet with the representatives of these companies in an informal setting.

Helsinki Network companies at workshop
1 Lapland Hotels Bulevardi
2 Taiga Times
3 RedRib Experience
4 Suomenlinna
5 VALO Hotel & Work
6 The Folks Hotels
7 Helsinki Citycopter
8 Stromma
9 Lahti Region
10 FRS Finland

Coffee and snacks included

13:00-13:45 Lunch at Lapland Hotels Bulevardi restaurant Kultá

Transfer by bus to Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 
14:15-15:00 Site visit at Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 
Meet your host Ms Petra Wikström / General Manager
This brand new Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 has  grandstand view of the sea and Helsinki’s city culture. Roof top terrace with huge wiev of the Baltic Sea and the ground floor restaurant invites you to enjoy the unique atmosphere of Katajanokanlaituri. The rooms on the seashore side offer a view of the everchanging changing Finnish seascape: from the hazy morning to the last light in the evening; from calmness to a roaring sea.

15:15-17:00 Food & design walk with Happy Guide
For everything there is a sunny and sustainable solution. For the last 10 years we have organized the happiest guided walking tours in town as well as offered our Helsinki visitors a real local experience. We are using bicycles and Helsinki’s green energy-based. Public transport as part of our guiding and hosting services.Tour will end at the corner of Stockman’s (department store)

17:00-18:30 Free time  

18:30-19:50 TukTuk Experience with Yoohoo tours 
Meet your guide (TBC)
Sustainable way of moving around the city.
Tour will start from the Hotel Lapland Bulevard.

20:00 Dinner at the restaurant Nokka (Michelin Green Star)
Pioneer of wild and sustainable cuisine. Food built on pure Flavors. Wild fish and game. Mushrooms and berries. Sustainably grown organic produce and meat. Innovative kitchen. Attentive service from start to finish.

06:30 -
Breakfast at the hotel

9:00-9:15 Lobby call and check-out. Please make sure you have time enough to check out! Luggage will be left in the hotel in a separate room to be collected at 13 o’clock and will be transferred to Hotel Hanaholmen.

9:20-9:50 Short walk to Kauppatori

10:00 FRS Water bus to Suomenlinna (Tykistönlahti)

10:20 Meet your Suomenlinna tour guide Ms Maarit Nieminen +358 40 854 9922.
Welcome to Suomenlinna, one of the most unique areas in Helsinki! The fortress, located off the coast of Helsinki, is one of the biggest sea fortresses in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site. Suomenlinna is not only an important part of the history of Finland, but also a lively district of Helsinki, which offers something for everyone: nature, culture and history.

After morning visit to Unesco World Heritage Site Suomenlinna, there will be a waterbus cruise by JT-Line to Espoo along the beautiful Helsinki and Espoo coastline, where you will meet your Visit Espoo hosts.  

• Miikka Valo, Director, Conventions & Tourism (tel. +358 43 824 6038)
• Paula Lappalainen, Senior Advisor, Conventions & Tourism (tel. +358 40 823 0816)

During the one-hour cruise, JT-Line will introduce us to the beautiful Helsinki and Espoo archipelago and we’ll hear also about their services and routes how to reach the picturesque islands in the capital area waters. Learn more about JT-Line.

13:00 Arrival in Hotel Hanaholmen

Lunch in restaurant PLATS and hotel inspection at Hotel Hanaholmen

We will be staying overnight at a beautiful seaside Hotel Hanaholmen during your Espoo visit.

• Hanaholmen offers visitors top modern Scandinavian style hotel rooms and conference facilities in the beautiful archipelago of Espoo. The hotel pays attention to the environmental impact of our choices, from the big picture to the most miniature details. Learn more.
• The food concept of restaurant PLATS utilizes organic products and involves cooperation with local producers. The hotel has even an own fisherman who brings fresh fish to the restaurant from the surrounding waters! PLATS was selected to the Best Restaurant in Espoo in 2023. Learn more.

15:45 Site visit at EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art with a taster of a private art workshop

EMMA is Finland’s largest art museum and showcases topical contemporary issues by displaying curated picks of international art and design in a unique architectural setting. EMMA’s own collections cover a broad spectrum of Finnish and international contemporary art, modernism, and design. Learn more about EMMA. 
In the art workshop, we will discover new sides of art by getting creative ourselves. The workshop consists of an experiential tour of current exhibitions and creative activity around a specific theme. 

17:00 Hotel Inspection at Hotel Matts, Matinkylä district

Hotel Matts charms with its Scandinavian style and great location. Matts has hotel rooms as well as apartments for a more extended stay. The hotel’s Restaurant Freja offers taste sensations made from fresh ingredients. Freja Rooftop Bar and rooftop saunas provide perfect relaxation after a busy day.

Hotel Matts is part of a private Kassiopeia Hotels & Restaurants chain that has hotels also in Levi, Finnish Lapland. Learn more about Hotel Matts and Kassiopeia.

18:45 Hotel Inspection at “the green pearl of Espoo” – Original Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden and dinner at restaurant Grill it!, Tapiola district

A tasty bistro dinner in the Original Sokos Hotels Tapiola Garden’s restaurant, with a stunning view towards Espoo’s Cultural Centre and the green garden district of Tapiola. This hotel and their restaurant Grill it! is close to everything in Espoo. The hotel is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year so let’s raise a glass to this unique and cozy hotel and restaurant!

21:00 Late evening relaxation at the hotel
Hanaholmen’s sauna is warm for you and dipping into a pool or into the Baltic Sea offer rejuvenation before a good night sleep.

From 07:45 breakfast is served at the hotel’s restaurant PLATS. Please, check out from your rooms by 8:30.

08:30 Lobby call for departure – a day in the Nuuksio National Park

On Sunday we will experience the wild beauty of Nuuksio National Park. This is an extraordinary must-visit destination in the capital area. Within a short 30-minute drive from Helsinki, you'll discover forests, ponds, lakes, and breathtaking viewpoints that will rejuvenate your spirit. Learn more about the Nuuksio National Park.

9:15 Site Inspection at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia & Finland, Naturally Experiences

Finnish Nature Centre Haltia is a fascinating nature, visitor, exhibition, and events center that gives the visitor the feel of Finnish pristine nature and a chance to experience spectacular nature destinations under one roof. Haltia has committed to the sustainable development in all its operations. The building is highly ecological, and the services have been built around the surrounding nature. Haltia’s exhibitions, guided tours, and events help visitors deepen their relationship with nature and increase their environmental awareness. Learn more about Haltia.

Finland, Naturally is your go-to activity company for all things related to outdoor adventures in the Finnish wilderness. They are passionate about spreading the joy of northern trekking and outdoor life and taking you and your customers to their custom-made tours and guiding you at their carefully planned activities, whether it is wine tasting in the woods, snowshoeing in the winter or getting familiar with Finnish mythology on a guided nature hike. Learn more about Finland, Naturally.

10:15 Time for some trekking in the Nuuksio National Park – guided by Natura Viva

Natura Viva is the leading provider of nature tourism services in Southern Finland. They are specialized in kayaking tours, rentals and courses, as well as into world of paddling, SUP, cycling, hiking, and snowshoeing across the most breathtaking natural landscapes Southern Finland has to offer. That is why Natura Viva is your first stop for adventure in Nuuksio area, but also on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Learn more about Natura Viva.

Guided Nature Walk in Nuuksio forests by Natura Viva

We will get an introduction to their services when we hike together through the National Park forests. You will get to feel and taste the Finnish Nature on a guided hike hosted by Natura Viva’s professional wilderness guide. Prepare with outdoor clothes and good walking shoes!

Instead of participating in the guided walk through the forest, you can also join the bus transfer to Hawkhill.

11:30 Lunch and Site Visit at Hawkhill Resort

Hawkhill Resort offers accommodation and experiences in high-end log cottages, that attract both leisure tourists and businesses from meetings to customer events. Each cottage has a sauna and private beach by a pristine Kaitlampi lake. Eight separate cottages can accommodate visitors from 2 to up to 10 persons. The forest restaurant Korpelan Laavu, close to the cottages in its own privacy, is among Southern Finland’s most breathtaking. It functions as a dining hall, get-together spot or even a cocktail party venue. It offers a magical atmosphere with perfect meals for the occasion.

“We are a family company in the third generation. Our cottages are only a short bike ride away from our childhood home. The surrounding woods and the Nuuksio National Park were our playgrounds when we were children. We want to make sure that the Finnish nature and the planet stays clean also in the future. These values and nature in essence is our company’s bedrock.”
Learn more about Hawkhill.

We will enjoy nature and seasonal products inspired lunch at their Korpelan Laavu outdoor restaurant and after that get to visit some of the cottages.

13:00 Departure for the airport
Check-in at Helsinki Airport
Flights with Finnair to home destinations

Thank you for visiting Finland, have a safe trip back home!