8 days / 7 nights) from £995 pp
This cycling tour leads you along peaceful, well-maintained roads to the ridges of the woodland-covered
Kainuu hills and the
sandy beaches of the beautiful Lake Oulunjärvi. During the route you will also see the open, verdant, cultivated terrain and coastal areas of Ostrobothnia. The diverse landscape offers great experiences in the nature.
2009 Departure Dates: 01 June - 27 August
Package price is £995 pp based on availability and two people sharing a twin or double room. Single supplement £70 pp.
Min. 2 persons are needed for the tour to operate.
Package price includes:
- Flights from London to Kajaani via Helsinki on Finnair
- Flights from Oulu to London via Helsinki on Finnair
- Airport transfers in Kajaani and Oulu
- Bicycle hire
- 5 nights hotel accommodation during the tour
- 1 night apartment accommodation during the tour
- 1 night cabin accommodation during the tour
- (camping site, WC and shower in a separate building)
- Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner each day
- Bed linen for each night
- Sauna on four nights
- Cycle map
- Briefing on first night
Not included in the price:
- Guide services
- Luggage transfers. It is possible to request luggage transportation for an extra charge.
Finnish Countryside Cycling Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival at Kajaani airport. Transfer to your hotel for dinner. Your guide will meet you at the airport and provide further information on your journey. Overnight in 3*- 4* hotel in Kajaani.
Day 2 - Kajaani – Paltaniemi – Paltamo (61 km) During the first day of the tour you will be cycling amidst country settings along quiet tarmac roads and well-maintained gravel roads via
Paltaniemi to
Paltamo. It is possible to visit the church in Paltaniemi, famous for its paintings. The last kilometers of the today’s journey take you via Paltamo parish village to the slopes of
Vaarankylä village offering a breathtaking view over
Lake Oulujärvi. Accommodation is at Guesthouse Taivaanpankko in Paltamo.
Day 3 - Paltamo – Manamansalo (54 km) Today you will head towards the island of
Manamansalo. A good place for lunch break could be an old Hakasuo mill in Melalahti. Upon arriving at Manamasalo, you will proceed to
Kultahiekat (Golden Sands) camping site at the southern-most tip of the island. Accommodation is in two-person cabins right on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi.
Day 4 - Manamansalo – Säräisniemi (37 km) The first kilometres you will cycle amidst pinewood heaths and clear-water ponds to the ferry at
Alassalmi, where you will be transported over the strait to the mainland. After the ferry-ride you will take a northbound course to the sandy beaches of Säräisniemi. Accommodation and an evening meal await you at Ruununhelmi apartments.
Day 5 - Säräisniemi – Rokua (30 km) After breakfast the route continues via the Vaala municipality to the striking lichen and pinewood heaths of
Rokua. You can stop at
Lamminaho House Museum along the way, offering an insight into everyday life in the area during the 19th century. Numerous marked trails in the Rokua area offer an outstanding opportunity for hiking. Accommodation and dinner at Hotel Rokuanhovi.
Day 6 - Rokua – Merilä Manor (41 km) The road meanders through pine forests as the first leg of the journey advances through the hilly terrain of Rokua. Suddenly, the road begins to run smoothly and the landscape undergoes a transformation: the Rokua hills and lichen heaths are replaced by the forest plains and open fields of
Ostrobothnia. Oulujoki River is crossed by way of a suspension bridge. The route trails along the northern riverside banks amidst rural views all the way through Utajärvi parish village, which lies only five kilometres from Merilä Manor.
Day 7 - Merilä Manor – Hotel Vihiluoto (66 km) On the last day the route continues through an open rural landscape along narrow tarmac roads. It does not go unnoticed that this is one of the most significant potato growing areas in Finland. The population becomes denser as one approaches Oulu and the airport, situated only four kilometres from
Hotel Vihiluoto, where dinner and accommodation are provided. The hotel is located in a tranquil spot by the sea.
Day 8 – Departure. Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Oulu airport for your flights back home.