Overseas Study Tour to Finland

Exclusive tour for RFS members

Tickets now on sale

The RFS Overseas Study Tour to Finland is scheduled for Monday 29 August to Friday 09 September 2022.  In addition to tickets for the full eleven night tour, there are a limited number of tickets available for a short tour of six nights.

Previous bookers who left their deposit with the RFS following Covid delays in 2020/21 have guaranteed places on the tour and will be contacted in early January to reconfirm their places.

New bookers should specify their chosen tour duration (6 or 11 nights), preferred room type (single, double, twin) and provide details of any dietary restrictions or food allergies at the time of booking.

Tour itinerary

An 11-night trip to Europe’s most forested country to learn about all aspects of Finnish forestry from research, silvicultural practices, processing, manufacturing and forest culture. We will meet leading authorities from different parts of the forestry sector. The tour includes a limited number of places for the first 6 nights which will have a more intensive forestry education focus. The second part of the tour incorporates more sight-seeing and cultural opportunities.

Day 1– Monday 29 August – arrive Helsinki and stay in the Hotel President. Welcome dinner in the evening (approx 7.00pm – details TBC).

Day 2 – Tuesday 30 August – morning: guided tour of the Tree Breeding Station at Haapastensyrjä run by the Natural Resources Institute of Finland. Afternoon: guided tour of the Aulanko Nature Reserve, Hämeenlinna. Overnight stay in Aulanko Hotel

Day 3 – Wednesday 31 August – guided tour and walk in the Päijänne National Park. Stay in Jyväskylä Hotel for four nights until Saturday morning

Day 4 – Thursday 01 September – visit Mhy Päijänne, one of Finland’s largest private forestry owner’s societies.  Presentation and guided walk to learn about private forestry and Finnish silvicultural practices.  Learn about recreation and management of outdoor activities in the Laajavuori Forest Park in the city of Jyväskylä.

Day 5 – Friday 02 September – Morning – visit Metsä Board’s Äänekoski Bioproduct Mill which produces fully coated bleached paperboard for packaging and graphical end uses.  Afternoon: Visit to one of Finland’s largest log house manufacturers.

Day 6 – Saturday 03 September – 11 night delegates visit an organisation responsible for planning and supervising the building of timber houses in Jyväskylä.  Afternoon – free time in the city of Jyväskylä while short stay delegates return to Helsinki by minibus to spend the last day/evening at leisure in Helsinki, spending the night at a hotel in the vicinity of the airport, ready to fly home on Sunday 04 September.

Day 7 – Sunday 04 September – The tour continues to Savonnlina where we arrive in the afternoon to stay at Hotel Seurahuone for three nights. Guided tour of the Olavinlinna castle and an outdoor concert for the group.

Day 8 – Monday 05 September – visit Kerimäki, a village surrounded by Lake Saimaa. Private forestry guided tour with the owner followed by a visit to Kerimaki church, said to be the largest timber church in the world.

Day 9 – Tuesday 06 September – visit the beautiful landscape of Punkaharju. Visit the National Forest Museum at Lusto which focuses on Finnish forest culture followed by a visit to the Natural Resources Institute of Finland. Afternoon cruise on a lake to Savonlinna.

Day 10 – Wednesday 07 September – guided tour of Mikkeli, where Sibelius once lived. Stay overnight in the Lathi Scandic Hotel.

Day 11 – Thursday 08 September – guided tour of Mustila Arboretum followed by guided tour of the historic town of Porvoo, one of the most photographed landscapes in Finland. Return to Helsinki. Overnight in President Hotel.

Day 12 – Friday 09 September – flights home/onward travel.

This itinerary has been created by Chloe Darling (RFS member) with help from Matt Parratt (Forest Research) and Kon-Tiki tours (Finland).

What’s included in ticket price?

Breakfast and lunch every day, a welcome dinner on the first night, a comprehensive tour booklet and entrance fees.  Two Finnish tour guides – a professional tour leader and an Emeritus Professor in Forestry.

What’s excluded from the ticket price?

Flights and transfers to/from the airport.  Evening meals (apart from welcome dinner).

Please note – for the six night option, the cost of train or coach transfer from Jyväskylä back to Helsinki is not included in the initial ticket price as prices are not available at time of writing.  This will be calculated in Spring 2022 and guests will be informed of the cost, which will be added to the final balancing payment.

Ticket prices

6 night tour 

• Single occupancy – £1,670.00 per person
• Double or twin occupancy – £1,383.00 per person

11 night tour 

• Single occupancy – £3,007.00 per person
• Double or twin occupancy – £2,295.00 per person

Deposit and balancing payment

• £300.00 deposit per person taken at the time of booking.
• Guests will be invoiced for the balancing payment in mid June for payment by the beginning of July.   The balancing payment will be adjusted to account for any currency or other fluctuations.

How do I book?

• Call RFS HQ on (01295) 678588 or email events@rfs.org.uk from 1.00pm onwards on Wednesday 05 January.
• Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis and will be secured with a £300 per person deposit payment by credit or debit card.
• As mentioned above, previous bookers who have left their deposit with the RFS have guaranteed places on the tour and will be contacted in early January to reconfirm their places if required.  Any unwanted tickets will be refunded and put back into general circulation.
• New bookers should specify their chosen tour duration (6 or 11 nights), preferred room type (single, double, twin) and provide details of any dietary restrictions or food allergies at the time of booking.
• Once all of the available places are fully booked, we will open a waiting list and will contact members in the order they appear on the list whenever we receive a cancellation.

Am I eligible?

All delegates including partners must be RFS members at the time of application.

Covid and tour itinerary changes

• We will monitor the Covid situation closely in the run up to the tour and will adhere strictly to the prevailing Government guidance in the UK and Finland to keep our members, hosts and guides safe.  If Covid prevents the tour from going ahead, members will be offered the option of retaining their place on a deferred trip or being issued a refund if preferred.
• We reserve the right to change the routing and duration of all excursions if necessary, according to the prevailing weather conditions or if deemed advisable for the sake of safety and the comfort of the participants.
• We reserve the right to amend the price due to changes in exchange rates or other circumstances beyond our control.

If you have any queries please email events@rfs.org.uk or call RFS HQ on (01295) 678588.