WELCOME TO FINLAND

Program 

Saturday, January 14

Arriving from Dubai:

00:35 Flight from Dubai to Helsinki with AY1964 DXB-HEL  00:35 06:10
07:20 Flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi with AY531 HEL-RVN 07:20 08:50

08:50 Arrival at Rovaniemi Airport for Dubai team
Meet Ms Salla Tauriainen from Visit Rovaniemi at the airport
Transfer from Rovaniemi Airport to Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle
Check-in at Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle  
Premium glass igloos by Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus are at the Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. The glass-roofed, arctic view rooms offer a whole new opportunity to experience Lapland’s ever-changing nature while enjoying the comforts of a hotel room.
Breakfast at Santa’s Igloos & Free time
13:00 Lunch/ TBC
14:30 - 16:30 Visit to Local Handicraft Workshop & Home. 
There are long traditions of making arts and handicrafts out of local materials like wood and reindeer antler in Lapland. You are invited to visit the artisan workshop and home of Mrs. Irene & Mr. Ari Kangasniemi to have deeper understanding on local way of living and having a chance to make our own souvenirs. Coffee, tea and home-made blueberry juice served during the visit.

Arriving from Doha:

08:00 Flight from Doha to Helsinki with AY1982 DOH-HEL 08:00 14:15
16:20 Flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi with AY535 HEL-RVN 16:20 17:45

17:45 Arrival at Rovaniemi Airport for Doha team
Transfer from Rovaniemi Airport to Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle
Check-in at Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle.  
Premium glass igloos by Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus are at the Santa Claus Village the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. The glass-roofed, arctic view rooms offer a whole new opportunity to experience Lapland’s ever-changing nature while enjoying the comforts of a hotel room.

19:00 Dinner at Restaurant Arctic Eye hosted by Ms Eveliina Korhonen from Santa’s Hotels
Santa’s Igloos Arctic Eye Restaurant offers tastes of Lapland and the North, with an international twist. Located in the center of Santa’s Igloos area, with large reclined glass windows facing North, it seats up to 120 people.

Sunday, January 15

Breakfast at the hotel & check-out

09:30 Lobby call
Meet Ms Salla Tauriainen at the hotel lobby

Visit to Santa Claus Village’s main attractions
Christmas magic can be experienced year-round in Santa Claus Village. This magical latitude has attracted travelers since 1950’s and since that crossing the Arctic Circle, 66°33′45.9″, has been on the bucket list.

09:50 Meet Santa Claus @santaclausoffice

TIPS for Santa Claus Village experience:
* Send your post cards from Santa Claus’ Main Post Office
* Cross the Arctic Circle on your own style
* Meet mrs Santa Claus in hers Christmas Cottage
* Meet reindeer in Santa Claus Reindeer Park
* Meet huskies at Arctic Circle Husky Park
* Shop at Pentik, Iittala and Marimekko brand stores
* and have a cup of coffee in some of the restaurants

13:00 Lunch at Snowman World Ice restaurant
The Snow Restaurant and Ice Bar, which are rebuilt every year, are attractions
themselves. Snow carvings, amazing lighting and snow and ice sculptures provide you
with a feast for the eyes, while enjoying the warm lunch in the cool atmosphere.

14:00 Transfer to Rovaniemi city centre

14:30 Guided tour in Arktikum – Museum & Science Center
Arktikum exhibitions lead guests on an adventure to Finnish Lapland and the Arctic region. The exhibitions provide a comprehensive section of the history and culture of Lapland as well as of Arctic knowledge.

16:00 Check-in at Arctic Light Hotel
The Arctic Light Hotel is a multi-award-winning contemporary hotel situated in the heart of Lapland - Rovaniemi. The family-owned hotel features a collection of 57 spacious individually styled rooms & suites and a delightful restaurant with pure northern flavors. Arctic Light Hotel ranked 11th on the Travel+Leisure 2016 "Best new Hotels on the Planet list.“

Free time to explore the city centre of Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi combines the northern nature with urban surroundings, self-confident localness and open-minded internationality. Rovaniemi is also the Official Hometown of Santa Claus®. City of Rovaniemi is the commercial, administrative, educational, cultural and sports centre of the province of Lapland. The number of citizens is 63 000. The number of reindeers is 12 450.

18:50 Lobby call

19:00 Dinner at Arctic Restaurant
The food philosophy is to use ingredients from the purest nature and prepare them in Arctic ways. High quality reindeer, moose, salmon, arctic char, king crab and Finnish beef are carefully prepared to make a tasteful experience. The exclusive service and atmosphere compliment the culinary journey to the pure northern nature.

21:00 Northern Lights Tour if weather permits/ TBC

Monday, January 16

Breakfast at the hotel

07:00 Transfer by Polar Explorer to Icebreaker Cruise
Pick-up point: Rovaniemi Tourist Information, Address: Koskikatu 12

11:00 - 14:00 Icebreaker Cruise Experience
Enjoy ice breaker cruise and effortless floating in dry survival suit in the middle of the Arctic Sea. Walk safely on sea ice, take impressive photos of yourself in front of the ship at sea.
Polar Explorer tourist Icebreaker offers 3 hours cruise in the frozen water of Bothnian sea in Lapland. During 3 hours you will be a witness of a massive ice breaking power of the vessel, have a guided tour all the way down to the engine rooms and all way up to Captain’s bridge. You can relax in the cozy saloon, enjoying warm juice or go for walk on the frozen sea ice during the stop.

14:00 Transfer back to Rovaniemi

17:20 Arrival at Rovaniemi & Free time

19:00 Transfer to Arctic TreeHouse Hotel

19:30 Dinner at restaurant Rakas
A warm, wooden interior highlights the exclusive Scandinavian design of the suits that combines local tradition and Lappish heritage. Lavish views to the surrounding forest and Northern skies open up from the panoramic window.
Rakas Restaurant & Bar, located in the main building of Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, charms with its unique ambiance and menu of meals made from local ingredients prepared with a modern twist. As you sit by the beckoning fireplace beneath the pine cone lamps, the delicious flavors will create out-of-the-ordinary and divinely tasty moments.

21:30 Transfer back to hotel

Tuesday, January 17

Breakfast at the hotel & check-out

08:30 Lobby call
Meet Ms Salla Tauriainen from Visit Rovaniemi at the hotel lobby

Transfer to Bearhill Husky Kennel

Happy Trail Sleddog experience by Bearhill Husky - Life of the huskies
Bearhill Husky provides unforgettable premium husky adventures at the private kennel on the beautiful Viiksjärvi lake, just 30 minutes outside of Rovaniemi, and there are programs and adventures suited for all capabilities and ages. Bearhill Husky is deeply dedicated to sustainable and responsible tourism. The husky experiences are not only an entertainment, but also educational for our guests to let people know more about the world of sled dogs and their culture.

12:30 Transfer to Rovaniemi Airport 

Arrival at Rovaniemi Airport

15:10 Flight from Rovaniemi to Helsinki with AY546 RVN-HEL 15:10 16:30

16:30 Arrival at Helsinki Airport

Meet your bus driver at arrival terminal

Transfer from Helsinki Airport to Hotel Kämp

Check-in at Hotel Kämp
Hotel Kämp, the first five star hotel in Finland, in the heart of Helsinki you can feel the atmosphere of historic "Grande Hotel". Timeless elegant decoration and top class amenities assure you complete comfort and relaxation during your stay. Since 1887 Hotel Kämp has been the safe haven in the heart of Helsinki for both locals and visitors alike. Unforgettable memories are in the core of all we do at Kämp, and you as our guest are the top priority.

18:45 Lobby call, meet Director of Sales Mr Anton Martikainen, Kämp Collection Hotels

19:00 Hotel Kämp site inspection

19:55 Meet Mr Teemu Ahola, Director, International Operations, Visit Finland and Mr Anssi Partanen, Senior Manager, Sales Development, Finnair in the hotel lobby

20:00 Dinner at Brasserie Kämp, hosted by Kämp Collection Hotels
Brasserie Kämp's food philosophy is a combination of traditional French cuisine and Finnish food culture stemming from Kämp's history. The menu, built around changing seasons and harvest seasons, is updated regularly respecting the traditions of Brasserie. Brasserie Kämp’s centuries old history and hand-picked specialities from previous chefs create a unique celebration of flavors.

Wednesday, January 18 

MATKA 2023 Workshop Day 

Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer by bus to Messukeskus, the bus collects buyers from following partner hotels
07:45 First stop at Hotel Kämp, Pohjoisesplanadi 29
07:55 Second stop at St George, Yrjönkatu 13
08:05 Next stop at Original Sokos Hotel Presidentti, Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4
08:15 Last stop at Radisson Blu Royal, Runeberginkatu 4
08:30 Arrival at Messukeskus

Program of the MATKA 2023 Workshop Day

20:30/20:45 approx. Bus to all hotels after "Party like a Finn"

Thursday, January 19

Breakfast at the hotel

09:50 Lobby call, meet with your Visit Finland host of the day, Ms Päivi Hobbs, in the hotel lobby

10:00 Transfer from Hotel Kämp to Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa 

10:30 Helsinki Helicopter Tour with Helsinki Citycopter & transfer by Helicopter to Porvoo

11:00 Arrival at Haikko Manor

11:00 Site inspection
Meet Ms Marie-Louise Back from Haikko in hotel lobby for the site inspection

Lunch at Haikko Manor together with Visit Porvoo representative Ms Meri Helmi Särkkä and Porvoo guide Ms Birgitta Palmqvist

13:30 Transfer from Haikko to Porvoo

14:00 - 15:00 Guided Tour in Old Porvoo
Old Porvoo, with its red-ochre painted riverside warehouses, is one of the most photographed national landscapes in Finland and a steady favorite among travelers. Here you can admire the colorful wooden houses and stroll the winding cobbled streets - as if in a children's story book.
Old Porvoos numerous award-winning restaurants, romantic hotels and B&B's, cute cafes, quirky shops, chocolateries and boutiques invite you to stay for longer than just a day. Old Porvoo is also surrounded by a beautiful National Urban Park that stretches over the whole river valley

15:00 Transfer by bus from Porvoo to Messukeskus

16:00 Arrival at Messukeskus, meet Ms Tarja Koivisto, Visit Finland at the Messukeskus main entrance

Visit to MATKA 2023 Trade Day

Transfer from Messukeskus to Hotel St. George

18:45 Meet at Hotel St. George’s lobby with Mr Anton Martikainen, Kämp Collection Hotels

19:00 Hotel St. George site inspection
Hotel St. George, opened in May 2018, challenges the world of hospitality when it comes to the very idea of luxury, presenting an innovative synergy of holistic care for mind, heart, and body. St. George is housed in a magnificent historic building, next to the peaceful Old Church Park – yet only a few steps away from everything that Helsinki has to offer. The hotel inspires with its boldly realized art collection and world-class design, and is home to two restaurants, bar, bakery and spa with hot saunas and a pool.

20:00 Dinner at Boon Nam
Boon Nam brings vivid flavors elegantly from the land of smiles, Thailand, known for its vibrant cuisine, colorful and unique dishes. Thai cuisines quirks are a results of the country’s varied climate, geography and culture. Boon Nam cherishes best parts of this cuisine and utilizes ancient cooking methods, creating a fresh and sophisticated experience.
Michelin selected in 2022, Restaurant Boon Nam complements Hotel St. Georges services, but operates as an independent restaurant.

Friday, January 20

Breakfast at the hotel

MyHelsinki.fi – your local guide for the secrets of Helsinki
Enjoy your morning free time strolling around Helsinki, why not buy some souvenirs from Stockmann, Fazer Chocolate Shop or Glasshouse Helsinki? Did you know The Finns consume an amazing 12 kilograms of coffee per capita annually, putting us at the top of the world, maybe that's the secret of the happiness.

Departing to Dubai:

Check-out from Hotel Kämp

10:45 Transfer from Hotel Kämp to Helsinki Airport

11:20 Arrival at Helsinki Airport

13:50 Flight from Helsinki to Dubai with AY1963 HEL-DXB 13:50 22:50

Departing to Doha:

Check-out from Hotel Kämp

12:55 Transfer from Hotel Kämp to Helsinki Airport

13:30 Arrival at Helsinki Airport

16:00 Flight from Helsinki to Doha with AY1981 HEL-DOH 16:00 23:45

Thank you for visiting Finland!