Welcome to the most beautiful archipelago in the world! During this amazing tour of the archipelago you’ll see villages, islands, nature and get to meet local archipelago residents. You can spot birds, butterflies and seals on the way!
We’ll take you to an authentic tour of the Turku Archipelago. You’ll get to experience everything Turku has to offer over this four-day trip. You’ll get to enjoy your journey stress-fee, we’ll take care of everything. You can spend your time relaxing and taking part in fun activities such as biking and hiking. You’ll get to enjoy local cuisine and the Finnish sauna in all its glory. You’ll be sure to return fully rested and energetic.
Itinerary:
9.6.2023, Fri
We’ll meet at Turku Bus Station at 10.45 am (charter bus platform no. 10) where the group will meet the tour guide at the bus. We’ll drive across beautiful countryside and towards the archipelago. We’ll arrive at Kemiönsaari to the Svartnäs ferry pier at 2 pm and we’ll go over in the ferry (10min) to the island of Högsåra. On Högsåra we’ll spend the night at Byvillan, which used to be the dormitory for the local school. We’ll be staying in fully renovated double rooms (shared bathrooms).
After the rooms have been given out, we set out to explore this idyllic island village with a long history of piloting ships through the archipelago and hosting Tsars’ visits during summers. Stories of the village’s history will be shared. Who was Kejsar-Fina, and why did the Tsar spend so many summers at Högsåra? A section of the island is a part of the Archipelago Sea National Park.
In the evening, the group will gather to eat at the most famous restaurant in the archipelago, Farmor´s Cafe. After that you’ll have a chance to go to sauna and swim in the sea. The sauna is built into an old boathouse and is right by the sea.
10.6.2023, Sat
A breakfast at the Farmor’s Café. Today we are in for a sailing adventure; the yacht Eugenia is at the Högsåra pier waiting for the group to take us sailing. We take an old-fashioned sailing trip to the island of Örö, which is one of the most popular island destinations in the Archipelago Sea National Park. The sea winds fill our sails and we leave the hard work to the crew. You can participate in sailing the ship and learn about sailing and the history of peasant seafaring.
You can also choose to rest, enjoy the sea, the atmosphere and the small islands gliding by. The sailing takes around 4 hours and coffee and pastries are served during the trip.
Örö is a unique and historical site in the southern part of the Archipelago Sea National Park The island hides many secrets, and it has been closed to the public for a 100 years. The nature at Örö has been preserved ad you can see many rare plant and animal species, endangered animals and traditional landscapes. Örö is one of the most popular national parks in Finland. Rare plants attract a varied selection of butterflies that are rare outside of the national park. When you visit Örö, you can let the horizon bewitch you or you can walk in the woods and let the birds lead you with their song!
On Örö, we have a guided bike tour of the island. During the tour you’ll see the most beautiful spots on the island and everything else the island has to offer.
In the evening we’ll go to sauna and everyone has the opportunity to swim. The barrack restaurant is open and everyone can eat in their own time.
11.6.2023, Sun
Breakfast in the barrack restaurant. You’ll have time to walk or bike around the island in the morning. Find your favorite spot on Örö island!
At noon we’ll start our return trip to Kasnäs. The local shuttle boat will pick us up. We will stay on Kasnäs for a few hours, and you can go to the spa or have lunch or coffee in the new restaurant Kasnäs-paviljong, take the geological nature path or shop in the butiques.
Around 3 pm we get on the bus and travel 30 minutes to the village with the Dalsbruk Ironworks. The ironworks village has a long history starting at least as early as 1686, when the first iron foundry was built. The atmospheric buildings are mostly from the 1800’s, and they are full of history. The rest of the buildings are from the late 1900’s industrial era. The sea is an important part of the milieu, as well as Masuunijärvet, the oven lakes, near the heart of the village. There is enough time to walk around the lakes if you’d like.
We’ll be staying at Ullman´s Villa, a very popular boutique hotel full of history. A dinner will be served for the group.
12.6.2023, Mon
A lovely breakfast enjoyed together with the group will start our day. There will be time in the morning to shop before we continue on.
At 10.50 am the bus starts back to Turku (local public transport), and we arrive at 12.40 am. The trip ends at the Tuku Bus Station.
Price:
1 150€/person in a shared twin room (men and women separated)
1 390€/person in a single room
Price includes:
- accommodations with breakfast (Byvillan, Örö’s barrack hotel, Ullman´s Villa)
- all transport (bus travel, Örö-Kasnäs shuttle boat)
- dinner on Högsåra and Ullman´s Villa
- guided tours on Högsåra and Örö and in Dalsbruk Ironworksa
- bicycle on Örö
- tour guide’s services
- sailing on the ship Eugenia
- sauna on Högsåra and Örö
Please note:
- the trip requires an average physical ability No activity on the journey requires special skills or knowledge.
- please wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes, that are suited to hiking and being on the sea
- binoculars are good for spotting birds and seals and other wildlife
- you can retire indoors on the ship Eugenia if it happens to rain. The ship also has a toilet
- the accommodations will be of different standards. Byvillan on Högsåra is a renovated dormitory building with shared
- bathrooms and showers. Örö’s barrack hotel rooms include bathrooms and showers. Ullman´s Villa is a boutique hotel with a castle-like atmosphere
and everyone has a unique room with a fairytale-like decor - you can explore the islands on your own during the trip
- there will be ample opportunity to go to sauna and swim, so pack your swimming gear Separated sauna turns for men and women.
The accommodations will provide towels - group size for the trip is 7-20 persons. You can also make a reservation for one or two. June trip will be confirmed during April 2023 at the
latest and the August trip will be confirmed during July 2023 at the latest. - the weather in the outer archipelago is usually very nice and sunny. The trip will commence normally even if it rains.
The nature is still beautiful even if the weather isn’t.
Starting point 12.6.2023 in Turku on the corner of Läntinen Pitkäkatu and Anikaistenkatu, by Turku Bus Station, in front of the café building at 10.45 am. The guide collects the group and takes you to the bus on platform 10 (operator: Launonkorpi).
Preparations:
It’s important to be 5 minutes early for the bus and the boat (Turku Harbor long distance platform or the Turku Bus station).
Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes. Please note that parts of the journey will be done in a kayak and on a sailing ship. Bring a water bottle!
Address:
starting points in Turku:
10.45 am Turku Bus Station’s address: Läntinen Pitkäkatu
More information:
Please contact:
MS Kaisa Launokorpi, kaisa@launokorpi.com, tel +358 40 5417 033
