FAM Trip Bothnian Coastal Route

Two countries united by the sea

12 - 15 September 2025
Skellefteå - Luleå - Haparanda - Oulu

FAM trip for tour operators
Program & Registration

© Fredrik Broman

Bothnian Coastal Route - Coastal pearls in the north of Finland and Sweden

We warmly invite you to get to know the northern destinations Skellefteå, Luleå, Haparanda and Oulu along the Bothnian Bay on a fam trip from 12 to 15 September 2025!
You will meet representatives from the various regions and local providers and they will show you what awaits you on the Swedish and Finnish coasts.

We warmly welcome you and hope that this trip will inspire for creative product development along the coastal route in Sweden and Finland!

Bothnian Coastal Route

 

Two countries united by the sea

The Gulf of Bothnia is the wide, shallow, northernmost part of the Baltic Sea. The northern part is tideless - but due to the upwelling in constant slow motion - land that slowly rises from the sea.

Nature experiences, activities, culture, food, history, cities and a natural and a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as two European Capitals of Culture. From the Kvarken, “throat of the sea” in the southmost point all the way up to the Finnish-Swedish border in southern Lapland, the coast along the Bothnian Bay offers experiences in all seasons – in two distinct, yet similar countries.

Welcome to Sweden and Finland

This natural coastal route with more than 800 km of low-traffic road passes through an area of the Nordic countries that is uncrowded, making it a perfect destination for slow travelling. The route combines urban coastal charm with the best of nature, local culture and flavours in the two different yet similar Nordic countries. A common focus in the region is sustainability - all destinations along the Bothnian Coastal Route work together to offer the most responsible and sustainable experiences. The main stops on the Finnish side are the towns of Vaasa, Kalajoki and further north Oulu, before crossing the border into Sweden via the twin towns of Haparanda and Tornio and then travelling further south to Luleå, Skellefteå and Umeå on the Swedish side. To complete the journey along the coast, there is a second border crossing by sea via the Kvarken strait on Wasaline's sustainable, year-round ferry Aurora Botnia.

The coastal region is also home to some of the least known archipelagos in Europe, consisting of thousands of islands with fascinating nature, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kvarken and two national parks in the archipelago south of Haparanda-Tornio. The islands are the perfect place to switch off and enjoy the relaxed lifestyle of the Nordic archipelago.

Accessibility

There are several options for travelling to the Bothnian coastal route and between destinations, by car, bus, train or plane. The ferry journey with Wasaline between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden across the Gulf of Bothnia takes just 3.5 hours. By plane, you can reach the various cities via Helsinki and Stockholm.

This FAM trip is a cooperation between the regional tourism organisations of Visit Umeå, Visit Skellefteå, Luleå Business Region, BusinessOulu, City of Kalajoki and Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK and is being realised as part of the Bothnian Coastal Route project.

The Bothnian Coastal Route project, which includes destinations in northern Finland and Sweden, aims to promote the coastal region around the Bay of Bothnia and the Kvarken Strait as an attractive travel route for international tourists and locals.

Bothnian Coastal Route AURORA EU Logo

Contacts

Visit Umeå
Erja Back

Tel. +46 70 647 62 78
erja.back@visitumea.se

Visit Skellefteå
Bo Wikström
Tel. +46 70 597 7331
bo.wikstrom@visitskelleftea.se

Luleå Business Region
Karin Åberg
Tel. +46 70 288 26 90
karin.aberg@luleabusiness.se

BusinessOulu
Sari Kasvi
Tel. +358 40 724 9419
sari.kasvi@businessoulu.com

City of Kalajoki
Jaana Sirkiä
Tel. +358 40 359 14 57
jaana.sirkia@kalajoki.fi

Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK
Peter Källberg
Tel. +358 40 844 2058
peter.kallberg@vasek.fi

Bothnian Coastal Route Logo

Program FAM-Trip

Preliminary program, changes possible


Day 1: Friday, 12 September 2025

Arrival day: Skellefteå
  • 15:20 h: Arrival at Skellefteå Airport, Welcoming of the group by NordicMarketing tour guide and destination's representative
  • Transfer to The Wood Hotel - ca. 20 km (22 min.)
  • Check-In at The Wood hotel
  • A guided walk with culture, history and with different flavours along the way. We'll follow the Skellefteå river to Nordanå open air museum area and continue to Skellefteå's historical church town Bonnstan. Some stops for tasting en route. 
  • 18:00 h: Dinner at restaurant Bryggargatan 
  • Overnight stay in Skellefteå

Day 2: Saturday, 13 September 2025

Skellefteå - Luleå

  • Breakfast and Check out
  • Meeting the group in the lobby
  • Guided inspection of The Wood hotel and Sara Kulturhus, one of the highest and most sustainable wooden constructions in the world
  • Transfer to Luleå - ca. 130 km (1.5 h)
  • 12:30 h: Lunch in the city
  • Transfer to Luleå's historical church town Gammelstad - ca. 10 km (10 min.)
  • Guided tour in UNESCO world heritage Gammelstad Churchtown
  • Transfer to Cape Wild - ca. 10 km (10 min.)
  • Meet the moose and the reindeer at Cape Wild
  • Transfer to Luleå city - ca. 8 km (10 min.)
  • Check in at Clarion Hotel Sense
  • Time for the spa at Clarion Hotel Sense with a nice view of the Luleå river outlet
  • 19:00 h: Dinner at Hemmagastronomi
  • Overnight stay in Luleå

Day 3: Sunday, 14 September 2025

Luleå - Haparanda - Oulu

Day 4: Monday, 15 September 2025

Departure day

  • Breakfast in Hotel and Check out
  • Meeting the group in the lobby
  • Chocosomnia factory visit and chocolate tasting
  • 11:30 h: Lunch at hotel Lasaretti
  • Transfer to Oulu Airport - (ca. 20 - 30 min.)
  • 14:15 h: Return flights back home via Helsinki

Anbieter entlang der Bothnian Coastal Route

Västerbotten_Sweden_Höjdpunkten Norrsken Chris

Aussichtspunkt Höjdpunkten

Wir nehmen Sie mit auf einen Motorschlittenausflug zum beliebten Aussichtspunkt Höjdpunkten, wo Sie die Stadt Lycksele von oben sehen können. Dort oben werden wir ein paar heiße Getränke zu uns nehmen und der brisanten Geschichte lauschen, wie und warum diese Attraktion gebaut wurde.

General conditions

Our Bothnian Coastal Route fam trip is aimed at a limited number of selected tour operators from the DACH and Benelux markets whose customers are interested in quality travel experiences in the coastal regions of northern Sweden and Finland and place great value on sustainability.

FAM trips with NordicMarketing
NordicMarketing's FAM trips are realized together with the partners and clients and are aimed exclusively at selected tour operators. After receiving the registrations, the destination makes the final selection of participants. 

The number of participants is limited, so please register as soon as possible. If the number of participants has already been reached, we will of course put you on our waiting list.
 
Deadline for registration: tba
 

Flight connections:

Important note: For this fam trip, all flight costs to and from the destination have to be covered by the participants themselves. Please consider that before signing up to join this fam trip.

The following flight connections are suitable for participation in our FAM trip:

Friday, 12 September 2025: Arrival in Skellefteå via Stockholm Arlanda
For example: tba

Monday, 15 September 2025: Departure from Oulu via Helsinki
For example: tba

BCR FAM_2_Visit Skelleftea_Pite_rönnskär

FAM-Trip in cooperation with Bothnian Coastal Route

This FAM trip is being realised together with our local partners, the regional tourism organisations of Visit Umeå, Visit Skellefteå, Luleå Business Region, BusinessOulu, City of Kalajoki and Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK. The trip is a part of the Bothnian Coastal Route project and is aimed exclusively at selected tour operators from the DACH & Benelux markets. As with all NordicMarketing FAM trips, the number of participants is limited and deliberately kept small for quality reasons. The FAM trip will be hosted by the representatives of the respective regions. 

Your benefits:

  • Get to know destinations and products on-site
  • Establish or deepen personal contact with contacts in Scandinavia

Accommodation, local transport and meals included 

During this FAM trip, the costs of the trip are partially covered by the destination. This includes local transfers (by bus, no inland flights), accommodation, meals, activities, and sightseeing. For this reason, certain requirements and criteria apply to the selection of potential participants for FAM trips in terms of position or responsibility within the company as well as specialisation or product portfolio of the tour operator.

Bothnian Coastal Route FAM trip in September 2025