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Finland Tour Itinerary

Karelian Culture and Pilgrimage Tour

DAY 1 - LONDON / KUOPIO
Fly to Helsinki with connecting flight to Kuopio, where the guide will meet the group. The first visit to the Orthodox Church museum in Kuopio for guided tour, then on to visit the episcopate. Transfer to Bomba Hotel for check in, buffet dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2 - KARELIAN
Icon of Saints Sergei & Herman Free use of spa facilities (sauna & swimming). After breakfast there is a guided tour of the Bomba area, to see examples of Karelian wooden architecture, the Karelian Museum room and the forest chapel dedicated to Ss Sergius and Herman the founders of Valaamo Monastery. This is followed by a guided tour of Iisalmi orthodox cultural centre, to see scale models of Old Karelian churches now in Russian Karelia and the icon room at St Eliah church. Tonight you will have dinner with Father Elias at Hotel Artos followed by Evening Prayer in St Eliah Orthodox Church.Transfer back to Bomba Hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 3 - LIEKSA / ILOMANTSI / JOENSU
Free use of spa facilities (sauna & swimming). After breakfast, we leave for Lieksa for a visit to Eva Ryynänen's wood sculpture studio. Leave for Ilomantsi to visit the Parppeinvaara Karelian centre, an open-air museum dedicated to the folk singers of Kalevala and to Kanteletar, the poetry of Finland. We join the Evening Prayer in St Eliah Orthodox Church followed by dinner in Iljala charity centre hosted by Father Rauno. Later we travel on and stay the night at a hotel either in Joensu or on the border.

DAY 4 - RUSSIA / VALAMO / FINLAND
After breakfast we depart for Russia to visit the Old Valamo monastery. Passport control takes place at the Värtsilä border, followed by a short excursion at Sortavala on the way to the harbour. We travel by Hydrofoil to Valamo island, where we have a guided tour of the main Monastery visiting the Cathedral of Transfiguration and monks' cemetery. Boat trip on St Nikon's Bay, concluding with a short concert by the Monastery Choir. Lunch and short excursion to the Mount of Olives. We travel by boat back to Sortavala then cross back into Finland and continue to Joensu where we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 5 - CITY TOUR
After breakfast there is a short city tour ending at St Nikolaos Orthodox Church where we can experience the Orthodox Liturgy in the church if this falls on a Sunday. We then proceed to the new Valamo Monastery and check in at the Valamo Hotel. In the afternoon we have a guided tour in the monastery followed by Evening Prayer in the church. Tonight we dine at the Trapesa restaurant in the monastery.

DAY 6 - HELSINKI
Matins is at 06:00-07:30 hours. After breakfast there is free time before leaving in the afternoon to visit the Lintula Convent. After a guided tour we transfer to Joensuu airport to fly down to Helsinki, where we transfer and check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 7 - HELSINKI / LONDON
After breakfast there is a sightseeing tour of Helskinki including the Uspenski cathedral, St. Henri'k Church, Helsinki Cathedral, the Church in the Rock, Sibelius Monument, the Olympic Stadium, the House of Parliament and the market place. In the afternoon transfer to Helsinki airport for the return flight to London.

Details of itinerary are subject to change