Welcome to cycle along our new route from Finland's capital, Helsinki, to Finland's oldest city, Turku. This cycling package consists of slightly longer daily stages and primarily passes through forests and farmland. The hotels along the route are of a higher standard. From Turku, you will travel back to Helsinki by train with your rental bikes.
The journey begins in Helsinki, where you will pick up your rental bikes and other equipment. If you wish, we can help you book a ferry from Stockholm, Mariehamn, Tallinn or Travemünde to Helsinki, or book a hotel night before you start cycling. The capital offers much of the best that Finland has to showcase in museums and architecture. As well as the impressive sea fortress Suomenlinna (Sveaborg), one of the largest in the world!
From Helsinki, you will cycle to Kirkkonummi (Kyrkslätt), where you will stay overnight at the luxurious spa hotel Majvik, by a lake inlet. The route here passes through Espoo, a beautiful suburb of the capital, known for its museum of modern art.
The next day, you have a fairly easy ride to Siuntio (Sjundeå), where you will stay at the lovely Hotelli Siuntio. Both Kirkkonummi and Siuntio were part of the so-called "Porkkala area," which was leased to the Soviet Union from the end of the war in 1944 until 1955. Few traces remain from this time, but instead, there are beautiful castles and churches to visit!
From Siuntio, you continue along the route via Inkoo and the old ironworks village of Fagervik, until you reach Raseborg (Raasepori), where you will stay overnight at Raasepori Spa. The town gets its name from Raseborg Castle, a 650-year-old fortress and a popular tourist attraction that offers both summer theatre and jousting tournaments with real knights.
In the middle of your route lies the small town of Ekenäs (Tammisaari) by a sea bay. You will stay one night at Hotel Sea Front. Here you can stroll along narrow pedestrian streets without car traffic or visit the floating restaurant down by the harbour.
Your longest cycling stretch goes from Ekenäs to Teijo National Park, which is a paradise for nature lovers. Overnight stay with a touch of everyday luxury at Hotel Mathildedal near the national park entrance.
Continue the next day through the national park to the city of Salo, located on the Uskela River. Here you will be accommodated at Hotel Fjalar. There is a large golf course in Salo, in case you want to play a round.
The longest leg of the trip goes from Salo to Turku (Åbo), a city with a lot to experience in culture and history. Overnight stay in the city centre at Hotel Helmi, and a comfortable train ride back to Helsinki the next day – unless you stay an extra night, or continue your journey to the archipelago.
With this rate, you will sleep in double rooms every night. For example, if you are a group of four, you will have two double rooms at your disposal. You never have to share rooms with other groups.
Trekking bikes are included as standard in this package, with bottle cages, mudguards, an aluminum frame, and hydraulic brakes.
We also offer simpler step-through bikes, and e-bikes with batteries that last all day.
If you travel with your own bike, we offer a discount on the price.
Accommodation in private rooms at your hotels. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms.
Breakfast is included in all accommodations.
Bike panniers with a capacity of 20 liters are included. Your empty bags can be kept when you collect the rental bikes, or stored in safe lockers in the Mariehamn ferry terminal.
Clean sheets and fresh towels are provided at every accommodation, so you don't have to bring this.
Our itinerary is sent to you as a PDF document, specially formatted to be easy to use on any smart phone. The itinerary contains your route description, map links to all important and interesting places, and all ferry departures you need to mind to travel between islands.
We send you a digital travel calendar that you can easily add to your telephone to remind you of important times and places. The calendar works on every model of telephone.
We also send your routes for each day in GPX file format, that can be used with bike computers or offline maps.
Day 1: 29km biking
Day 2: 31km biking
Day 3: 41km biking
Day 4: 24km biking
Day 5: 52km biking
Day 6: 29km biking
Day 7: 53km biking
Day 8: Train back to Helsinki
Would you like to spend an extra night on any of the stops, or somewhere else? Write a request with your booking and we'll take care of it.
We have new and comfortable electric bicycles, with batteries lasting you the entire day.
You start your journey in central Helsinki, where you pick up your rental bikes and equipment. Finland's capital is also its largest city. If you have time, we recommend you take advantage of the cultural experiences that can only be found in the capital. The bikes can be taken on trams and subways. The Central Railway Station is one of the world's oldest still standing, built of robust granite. Worth a visit to admire the architecture. Another landmark - the city's most famous - is the great cathedral at Senate Square. Built during the era when Finland was part of the Russian Tsar's empire. Overall, the city has much to see for those who enjoy architecture.
This large sea fortress is a popular historical attraction, drawing over a million visitors annually. In Finnish, this fortress is called "Suomenlinna," which means "Castle of Finland", and in Swedish it's called "Sveaborg", meaning "Fortress of Sweden". The fortress was built during the Swedish era and served as the main base for the archipelago fleet. Regular ferries depart from the Market Square. At the quay is the traditional marketplace, where fishermen from near and far sold their catch, mainly herring.
If you want to get to know Finnish food culture and the people's culinary traditions, there is no better place than Hakaniemi Market Hall, right in the city center. Salmon soup and Karelian pies are the crowd-pleasers!
You leave Helsinki on the beautiful Western Route along the coast and cycle through Espoo until you reach Hotel Majvik, for your first stop along the route. In Espoo, you can take a detour to visit EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Espoo is also where the company Nokia was founded. At Majvik, there is a luxurious spa department with wonderfully designed pools and saunas. In the nearby forest, there is a small castle built in Art Nouveau style.
From Majvik, you continue through Kirkkonummi to Siuntio. After World War II, the areas of Kirkkonummi, Siuntio, Degerby, and Inkoo were occupied by the Soviet Union until 1955. The region was called the "Porkkala Area" and was a Russian military base at a strategic distance from Helsinki, until it was returned to Finland when relations between the countries improved. At the Igor Museum, you can learn more about the region's military history.
In Siuntio, you will stay overnight at Hotel Siuntio, with a restaurant, swimming pool, gym, nature trails, and proximity to a golf course. Among the sights in Siuntio are Svidja Castle from the 15th century and the manor house Sjundby. Both are near your hotel.
Today's cycling route leads mainly through countryside and farmland. About halfway, you will pass through the small harbor town of Inkoo, with nice restaurants down by the water. The route then leads via Fagervik to Raasepori Spa. You can also make a detour via Karis, where Fiskars has its factory.
Fagervik had an ironworks that was the largest in Finland in the 17th century. One of the old industrial buildings has been converted into a café and museum by the road, perfect for a coffee break.
After a short distance, you will arrive in Snappertuna, where you can visit the ruins of Raseborg Castle. The castle is 650 years old and was likely built to defend Swedish interests against the German Hanseatic League in Estonia. As Helsinki and Ekenäs grew into cities, the castle was abandoned until restoration began in the late 19th century. In addition to the ruins, there is a restaurant and a café. During the summer, there are also theater performances and tournaments with real knights!
We also have tips for you on various extra excursions today to beautiful nature areas and hiking trails in the archipelago. In Ekenäs, you will stay overnight at Hotel Sea Front, and can stroll through the pleasant little town in the evening, or cycle down to the beautiful recreational area of Ramsholmen.
This day involves a long ride through sparsely populated areas to Mathildedal, located in Teijo National Park. The road passes through dense forest and along open farmlands. Upon arrival, you check in at Hotel Mathildedal. If you have plenty of energy, you can visit the national park; otherwise, you can do it tomorrow.
In addition to wonderful nature, Teijo (Tykö) National Park has cycling trails, hiking trails, a variety of pleasant rest areas, barbecue spots, and viewpoints. You can also rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards for a change of pace from cycling.
From Mathildedal, you cycle along the national park up towards Salo. Along the way, you pass Teijo ironworks, where you can visit the old blast furnace. In Salo, you will stay overnight at Hotel Fjalar, located in the Halikko district. Nearby is the large Wiurila Manor, which is also a golf club. If you don't want to play golf, you can instead visit the restaurant, art exhibitions, the museum, or play a game of padel.
Salo is known for its very popular summer market, with performances and shows, all sorts of cafés and market food, and fresh produce. In the city center, there are also several museums, many restaurants and shops, as well as the small recreational area of Vuohensaari. The Uskela River flows through Salo and empties into the archipelago.
From Salo, you continue cycling on country roads towards Turku. Halfway lies the town of Paimio (Pemar), suitable for a lunch or coffee break. Before Turku, you cycle through Kaarina (Sankt Karins), where you can take a trip to Kuusisto (Kustö) and visit the Bishop's Castle ruins.
If you are interested in history or culture, there is much to see here in Finland's old capital. Such as Turku Castle with hundreds of objects in its permanent exhibition, or the cathedral, which was built in the 13th century. Otherwise, you can enjoy the weather and mingle with the locals on the banks of the river Aura, or board one of the restaurant boats. For the culturally inclined, there is the Turku Art Museum, the Sibelius Museum, Forum Marinum, and the Swedish Theatre.
You can also sample the offerings in the large Market Hall and among local bakeries, to put together a nice picnic basket. You'll sleep centrally at Hotel Helmi.
We will book a suitable train from Turku back to Helsinki for the return of your rental bikes. If you wish to stay an extra night in Turku or in the nearby seaside resort of Naantali, we are happy to arrange that. Or continue cycling to Mariehamn! If you are traveling with your own bikes, you can also end your trip here in Turku.
