Matka 2027 Pre Tour | Finnish Lakeland

Q: When will I know if I have been accepted for a tour?

Registration is open from 1 to 30 November 2026. After registration closes, NordicMarketing will review all applications together with the host destinations. We aim to accommodate as many preferences as possible, taking into account your selected tours, professional profile and the available places. All applicants will be informed of their tour allocation by 15 December 2026 at the latest. Please note that places are limited, and some tours may be more popular than others. Participation in your preferred tour cannot be guaranteed. The final selection is made by the host destination. If we cannot offer you a place on one of your preferred tours, we may contact you to discuss a suitable alternative.

Discover Finnish Lakeland: A Journey Through the Heart of Finland

Pre Tour · 16–19 January 2027 · 3 nights

Discover the heart of Finnish Lakeland on this Pre Tour ahead of Matka 2027. For tour operators, this journey offers inspiration for itineraries combining the beloved Moomin characters, rich sauna culture, gastronomy and authentic encounters with Finnish life. Finnish Lakeland is one of Europe's largest lake districts, offering a landscape of sparkling waters, forest-covered shores and countless islands. Each destination has its own character, from Tampere's vibrant urban atmosphere to Jyväskylä's Alvar Aalto design and cultural heritage to Kuopio's distinctive Savo traditions and warm hospitality.

The Best Kept Secret of Lakeland Finland

Travelling from Tampere via Jyväskylä to Kuopio, explore a region shaped by thousands of lakes, peaceful forests and distinctive local traditions, such as the unique sauna culture of Finland. From traditional healing sauna to modern igloo saunas, experience the many ways to enjoy Finland’s best kept secret to happiness: The relaxation and calm only a good löyly can bring after a day full of outdoor activities! Meet tourism businesses along the way and experience the diversity of Finnish Lakeland through its nature, culture and culinary highlights.

Did you know, that Moomin can live on ice as well? From the world’s only Moomin museum to the Moomin Ice Cave, Tove Jansson’s adorable Moomin characters travel along this journey. In winter, the region offers plenty of opportunities to experience the Finnish outdoors, from exploring snowy landscapes with energetic husky rides to enjoying the silent beauty of winter nights – discovering local traditions and the relaxed lakeside way of life.

Getting to Finnish Lakeland

The tour starts in Tampere and continues through Jyväskylä to Kuopio. Tampere and Kuopio both have airports with connections to Helsinki. Depending on the final itinerary, other transport options may also be available.

The final travel arrangements and transfers for the Pre Tour will be confirmed closer to the event.

Visit_Tampere_Tampella_drone_view_winter_talvi_2020_copyright Laura Vanzo Visit Tampere

Helsinki - Tampere

Day 1: Saturday, 16 January 2027

Arrival Day: Tampere, Muumi & Sauna

4:00 - Finnair flight from Tokyo arrives in Helsinki
Note: other arrival times from other destinations possible
Train to Tampere
8:00 - Arrival in Tampere, check-in (hotel tbc)
10:00 - Lobby call
10:15 - Guided tour in the world´s only Moomin museum
11:30 - A Moomin lunch at Restaurant Tuhto
13:00 - Transfer to Finlayson Area
13:15 - Guided tour in the old area, visits to Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, Finlayson factory outlet and the Stable Yards
14:15 - Afternoon coffee at Tallipiha Café
15:00 - Transfer to the hotel
16:00 - Lobby call and transfer to Tahmela Villa for a Finnish sauna evening with Alexander Lembke, a sauna guide and a sauna master
19:00 - Dinner at Gastropub Fenno

Jyväskylä winter activities © Tero Takalo-Eskola _ Visit Jyväskylä Region

Tampere - Jyväskylä

Day 2: Sunday, 17 January 2027

Tampere - Jyväskylä: Aalto & Sauna

Breakfast at the hotel
9:30 - Lobby call, check-out
10:00 - Craft workshops by Desing on Tampere and TaitoPirkanmaa
12:00 - Lunch
13:00 - Luggage pick-up and transfer to the railway station
14:06 - Train to Jyväskylä
16:00 - Transfer to the Aalto2 Museum
Centre
16:15 - Guided tour in the Aalto2 Museum Centre: Aalto2 Museum Centre combines two museums together: the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland. We will have a guided tour and introduction to the most famous Finnish architects, Alvar Aalto’s, designs. The series of thirteen Aalto buildings and sites form a single thematic entity, which is being proposed as a World Heritage Site under the title “Aalto Works”. Three of these thirteen buildings are located in Jyväskylä: the Aalto University Campus, the Säynätsalo Town Hall, and the Muuratsalo Experimental House.
17:00 - Walk to University campus with a guide and a tour at Alvar Aalto campus:
The three defining features of the Aalto Campus in Jyväskylä are the park environment with its classical themes and network of routes, modern brick architecture within forested nature and children’s architecture. Read more on the Finnish Heritage Agency website
17:45 - Transfer to the Revontuli Lakeland Village (abt. 50 minutes)
18:30 - Check-in to Revontuli, accommodation in igloos: Revontuli Lakeland Village is a beautiful lakeside resort which offers relaxing sauna experiments, all kinds of activities eg. golf, and unique accommodation with a breath-taking lake view.
19:30 - Dinner & sauna at Revontuli:
Sauna-hopping – experience multiple different sauna types in one evening, including smoke sauna, igloo sauna and barrel sauna.

Jyväskylä - Kuopio

Day 3: Monday, 18 January 2027

Jyväskylä - Kuopio: Muumi & sauna

7:00 - Breakfast at the Loimu Restaurant
9:00 - Inspection at the Revontuli Lakeland Village
10:00 - Winter activity - (confirmed later)
12:00 - Lunch at the Loimu Restaurant
13:00 - Bus transfer to Sawo Husky located in Suonenjoki
14:00 Husky safari 1,5 h: Meet the energetic huskies and gentle reindeers of SawoHusky! A mini husky safari and a possibility to get to know the dogs, greet the gentle reindeers and hear the business introduction from the owner.
15:30 - Bus transfer to Moomin Ice Cave located in Leppävirta
16:00 - Moomin Ice Cave visit: Meet the Moomins sculpted on ice. Dive in to the 30-metre deep ice cave transformed into a Moomin wonderland! Alongside Ice Cave, the Winterpark offers fun activities for families. The temperature of the Ice Cave is -3 °C.
16:45 - Bus transfer to Kuopio
17:45 - Arrival & accommodation at Lapland Hotels Kuopio
18:30 - Traditional Finnish sauna & dinner (location TBA): Experience traditional Finnish sauna evening with professional Traditional Sauna Healer. The healing and calming properties of sauna experienced in a unique atmosphere.

Kuopio - Helsinki

Day 4: Tuesday, 19 January 2027

Departure Day

7:00 - Breakfast at Lapland Hotels Kuopio
9:00 - Winter activities (ice skating, kick sleds etc) at the Kuopio Passenger Harbour at M/S Queen R Ship: Activities include possibility to try ice skating on natural ice on Kallavesi Lake, kick sledding, ice fishing etc. Please note that the activities may vary depending on the weather conditions and thickness of the ice.
10:00 - Bus transfer to Puijo Peak
10:15 - Visit at Puijo Tower & lunch:
Stunning panoramic Lakeland views atop the 75-metre-tall Puijo Tower; over 200 metres above the Lake Kallavesi – all situated in the heart of the culturally rich city of Kuopio. 360° view over Kuopio area. Lunch at site (TBC).
11:45 - Bus transfer to Kuopio Airport
14:15 - Flight from Kuopio to Helsinki (AY366)
15:15 - Arrival at Helsinki airport

Day 3: 18 January 2027

Oulu - Nallikari - Ii

Breakfast at the hotel & check-out
Transfer to Nallikari
Site inspection at Nallikari By the Sea
Winter activity on the frozen sea with Nallikari Safaris
Visiting the reindeer farm Kellon Kuusi
Lunch in a traditional Finnish kota
Transfer to and check-in at Merihelmi Aurora Sea Resort
Guided Ice Fishing on the frozen sea
Kantele Apprentice - learn to play Finland's national instrument
Dinner at Merihelmi Aurora Sea Resort
Possibility for Seaside sauna and outdoor hot tub
Overnight stay at Merihelmi Aurora Sea Resort

Day 2: 17 January 2027

Oulu

Day 4: 19 January 2027

Departure Day: Ii - Oulu - Helsinki

Breakfast at Merihelmi Aurora Sea Resort
Activity
Light lunch in a traditional Finnish kota hut by the sea
Transfer to the airport
Flight to Helsinki

FAQ for Tour Operators

A Pre or Post Tour is a hosted familiarisation trip organised before or after Matka Travel Fair and Matka Workshop Day.

It gives international tour operators the opportunity to experience a Finnish destination first-hand — beyond brochures, presentations and short meetings. Participants can meet local tourism suppliers in person, test selected products and activities, inspect accommodation options and gain a deeper understanding of how the destination can fit into their own travel programmes.

For tour operators, this is a valuable way to discover new product ideas, build trusted local contacts and assess the destination’s potential for future sales. A Pre Tour takes place before the main event, while a Post Tour takes place after the event.

The Pre and Post Tours are designed for international tour operators, travel agencies, product managers and buyers who are interested in developing new tourism products in Finland.

Participation is only intended for professionals who are already taking part in Matka Travel Fair and/or Matka Workshop Day 2027.

As places are limited and some tours are particularly popular, participation is generally limited to one person per company per tour.

We kindly ask for your understanding, as we want to give as many different tour operators as possible the opportunity to experience our Finnish destinations.

Exceptions may be possible: If places remain available and the host destination agrees, we may allow a maximum of two participants from the same company to join the same Pre or Post Tour. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: Two or more representatives from the same company are welcome to apply for different tours. The one-person limit applies to each individual tour, not to the company’s overall participation in the Pre and Post Tour programme.

Buyers can indicate their preferred tours during the registration process. NordicMarketing will review all registrations together with the tour organisers and, where relevant, with the partners involved in the overall programme.

The final allocation depends on the buyer’s profile, business focus, market relevance, available places and the suitability of the tour programme.

Please note that participation cannot be guaranteed. The final decision is made by the destination or tour organiser, and places are limited. If demand is high, not all interested buyers may be able to join a tour.

Registration is open from 1 to 30 November 2026. After registration closes, NordicMarketing will review all applications together with the host destinations.

We aim to accommodate as many preferences as possible, taking into account your selected tours, professional profile and the available places.

All applicants will be informed of their tour allocation by 15 December 2026 at the latest.

Please note that places are limited, and some tours may be more popular than others. Participation in your preferred tour cannot be guaranteed. The final selection is made by the host destination. If we cannot offer you a place on one of your preferred tours, we may contact you to discuss a suitable alternative.

Your initial registration is not yet a binding booking. During the registration process, you can select up to three preferred tours. NordicMarketing will review all registrations together with the destinations and will try to match buyers with their preferred tours whenever possible.

However, participation in a specific tour cannot be guaranteed. If your preferred tours are fully booked or not the best match for your profile, we may suggest an alternative tour and will discuss this with you directly.

Once you have confirmed your participation in a specific tour and the destination has booked and paid for services such as flights or other travel arrangements on your behalf, your participation becomes binding.

If you cancel after this point, the destination reserves the right to charge any costs that have already been incurred.

The main language of the Pre and Post Tours is English. Presentations, communication and guiding during the tours will generally be provided in English, unless otherwise stated in the specific tour programme.

The group size is usually 4–8 participants per tour. This ensures a personal atmosphere, high-quality networking and enough time for meaningful discussions with the local hosts and tourism companies.

The tours are generally organised on a hosted basis. This means that the host organisation usually covers the buyer’s costs on the route Helsinki–destination–Helsinki, including the services included in the confirmed tour programme.

Buyers are responsible for their own travel to the starting point, unless otherwise agreed or confirmed separately.

Yes. Buyers can provide information about dietary requirements, allergies and other relevant food preferences during the registration process.

The tour organisers will do their best to take these into account. However, availability may depend on the destination, local suppliers and the specific programme.

Please bring comfortable clothing suitable for the season and the activities included in the programme. For winter tours, warm outdoor clothing, proper shoes, gloves, a hat and layered clothing are strongly recommended.

More detailed packing information will be provided before the tour, depending on the destination and programme.

If special equipment is needed for specific activities, this will usually be mentioned in the tour programme.

In some cases, local suppliers may provide activity-specific equipment such as overalls, helmets, snowshoes or other gear. Details will be confirmed before the tour.

In most cases, participants will stay in single rooms. If shared accommodation or another special accommodation arrangement is part of a specific tour, this will be clearly mentioned in the tour description in advance. This may apply, for example, to special wilderness experiences such as an overnight stay in a wilderness cabin.

Some tours may include outdoor activities, walking, snow activities or other experiences that require a normal level of physical fitness. However, nobody is required to take part in an activity if they do not feel comfortable or fit enough. There will usually be a Plan B or an alternative option.

Please let us know during registration if you have any health-related limitations or concerns, so that we can take this into account when assessing the suitability of the tour.

Yes, we strongly recommend that all participants have valid travel health insurance and travel insurance covering the full duration of their trip. Participants are responsible for their own insurance coverage, including medical care, accidents, travel disruptions and personal belongings.

Please let us know during registration if you have any health-related limitations or concerns, so that we can take this into account when assessing the suitability of the tour.

Lakeland Finland: Where Moomin, sauna and culture meet