Guesthouse to Guesthouse – Karelia à la carte Sauna Tour
An Authentic Finnish journey of saunas, local flavors and peaceful countryside Step into a world of authentic relaxation on this unique guesthouse-to-guesthouse holiday in North Karelia.
During the week, you will experience four different Finnish saunas, each with its own atmosphere and distinctive ”löyly” – the gentle steam and soothing heat at the heart of Finnish sauna culture. Feel the warmth on your skin, Breathe in the pure countryside air and let Everyday stress melt away.
The journey also introduces you to local culinary traditions through House Specialties – Karelia à la carte. At each guesthouse, your hosts serve their own specialties prepared from local and seasonal ingredients. Hands-on workshops, outdoor activities and guided cycling complete this memorable journey through the beautiful landscapes of North Karelia. If cycling isn't for you, you can also travel between the guesthouse by car.
Discover the Flavors of Karelia
Karelian cuisine combines hearty countryside cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients. Fish, mushrooms, root vegetables, rye, barley, oats and wild berries all play an important role in traditional dishes. Karelia is also famous for its delicious pastries and slow-cooked comfort food.
Our meals are prepared with locally sourced ingredients, and organic products are used whenever possible. Each guest house brings its own character, recipes and culinary traditions to the journey.
Highlights
- Experience four different Finnish saunas: a traditional wood-heated sauna, a riverside sauna, a traditional log sauna and a smoke sauna.
- Enjoy House Specialties – Karelia à la carte, featuring each guest house's own dishes and local flavors.
- Learn about Finnish food traditions in hands-on workshops using herbs, wild vegetables, berries and seasonal ingredients.
- Cycle with a guide through the peaceful countryside from one guesthouse to another.
- Meet your local hosts and discover authentic Finnish and Karelian culture.
- Relax in the forest, swim in clean natural waters and enjoy the unhurried rhythm of rural Finland.
- We transport your luggage between the guesthouses.
- To support more responsible travel, your bed linen is transported with your luggage from one guesthouse to the next. You will receive a fresh towel every day.
Sauna experiences
- During this sauna adventure, you will experience:
- A traditional wood-heated Finnish sauna at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
- A riverside sauna at Laitalan Lomat
- A traditional log sauna at Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki
- A traditional Finnish smoke sauna at Minna's
At selected sauna experiences, you will enjoy the house sauna basket filled with the guesthouse's sauna delicacies.
Group size: 2–12 people
Guided departures: 5.6.-12.6.2027 / 26.6.-3.7. 2027 / 14.8.-21.8.2027
Programme
Day 1 | Welcome to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
Your sauna journey begins with a warm welcome from your hostess, Minna.
After settling into the guesthouse, you will meet the group and receive an introduction to the week's program. In the evening, enjoy your first taste of House Specialties – Karelia à la carte.
* Overnight stay at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
Day 2 | Wild herbs, berries and seasonal flavors
Karelian pasty workshop and learn how to cook, bake or preserve wild vegetables. Depending on the season we have herbs, blueberries, lingonberries, mushrooms, apples and other ingredients found in the surrounding nature.
In the evening, relax in the traditional wood-heated sauna at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu.
* Overnight stay at Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
Day 3 | Cycling to Laitalan Lomat and the riverside sauna
After breakfast, we cycle approximately 25 kilometers to Guesthouse Laitalan Lomat. Guests may also travel between the Guesthouses in their own car if preferred.
Your hostess, Henna, welcomes you and shares stories about Laitala, its history and its sauna traditions. After lunch, we head into the forest with hammocks for a peaceful relaxation experience. Choose your own place among the trees, listen to the sounds of nature and enjoy the stillness. We also collect natural ingredients and prepare a traditional sauna hair rinse.
The sauna experience begins with a non-alcoholic, tar-flavored welcome drink on the main building's terrace. From there, we walk across the fields to the sauna located by the Karhujoki River.
Henna shares her tips for heating a traditional Finnish sauna and creating the perfect steam ”löyly”. Guests can wash up using locally handmade, eco-friendly soaps crafted from ingredients gathered in the Finnish wilderness. There is also an opportunity to take a dip in the water from the sauna’s pier.
While sauna bathing, you can enjoy the house sauna basket, filled with the guesthouse’s own sauna treats. The evening continues with a House Specialties – Karelia à la carte dinner by an open fire in Laitala’s atmospheric hut.
* Overnight stay at Laitalan Lomat
Day 4 | Finnish baking and canoeing
Today, Henna teaches you how to bake traditional Finnish sweet buns. These soft, cardamom-spiced buns are typically enjoyed with coffee or as a dessert.
You can also prepare cinnamon rolls or a cheesecake made with local berries.
In the afternoon, we enjoy a leisurely canoeing trip on the river, accompanied by a picnic lunch. The day concludes with a relaxing sauna and dinner.
* Overnight stay at Laitalan Lomat
Day 5 | Cycling to Puukarin Pysäkki Guesthouse
After breakfast, we cycle approximately 18 kilometers to Puukarin Pysäkki Guesthouse, a charming Karelian guesthouse set amidst peaceful countryside.
Upon arrival, your hosts will welcome you and share stories about the house's history, atmosphere, and traditions.
In the evening, we relax in a traditional log sauna. While cooling off, we enjoy sauna baskets filled with the guesthouse own sauna treats. The day culminates in a House Specialties – Karelian à la carte dinner, where you can savor the flavors and specialties of Puukarin Pysäkki.
* Overnight stay at Puukarin Pysäkki Guesthouse
Day 6 | Seasonal food workshop at Puukarin Pysäkki
Today, we participate in a hands-on food workshop inspired by the seasonal harvest. Ingredients and recipes vary depending on what is currently available from the garden, the fields, and the surrounding nature. You will learn more about traditional Karelian cooking and prepare seasonal dishes together with the guesthouse staff.
In the afternoon, there is time to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the guesthouse. The evening features a sauna session and the House Specialties – Karelia à la carte dinner.
* Overnight stay at Guesthouse Puukarin Pysäkki
Day 7 | Cycling back to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu
After breakfast, we cycle approximately 40 kilometers to Guesthouse Pihlajapuu.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy an authentic Finnish smoke sauna experience. Before entering the sauna, we will craft traditional sauna whisks from natural materials such as birch, juniper, and aspen. The experience includes eco-friendly ”Ole Hyvä”- washing products, sauna hats, bathrobes, towels, and bench covers.
Weather permitting, you can paddle the approximately one-kilometer distance across the lake from Guesthouse Pihlajapuu to Minna’s smoke sauna. If the weather is unsuitable for paddling, transport to the sauna will be arranged by car. There is also an opportunity for swimming. After the sauna, you can enjoy the house specialties dinner – Karelia à la carte – by an open fire in an atmospheric ”kota” (traditional grill hut).
Day 8 | Time to say goodbye!
Price: €1,495 / person | 8 days / 7 nights
Single room supplement + 40€/day
Price includes:
The price includes: Full-service sauna trail from Guesthouse to Guesthouse: overnight stays in double/twin rooms, bed linen, full board (breakfast, lunch, sauna menu dinner, sauna), guesthouses have rooms with shared bathroom and toilet. Services according to the programme include bikes, guidance, luggage transfers from one accommodation to the next, and group transfers from/to Kuopio airport or Train Station Nurmes.
Transfers & Arrival Details
Make your Finnish sauna adventure effortless from the very first moment. We ensure a smooth and comfortable start and finish to your journey through Karelia’s authentic sauna culture.
Arrival by Plane or train to Kuopio:
- Your experience begins with a stress-free group transfer from Kuopio Airport (recommended flights arriving around 17:00) or from Siilinjärvi railway station (train arrival around 16:00).
On the final day, enjoy a comfortable group transfer back to Kuopio Airport (flights around 14:00) or Siilinjärvi railway station (trains around 13:00).
Departure from the guesthouse is at 11:00 AM.
Additional private transfers to/from Kuopio Airport or Siilinjärvi railway station are available at €400 per taxi.
Arrival by Train to Nurmes:
We offer pick-up from Nurmes railway station at 14:00 or 20:00.
On departure day, trains from Nurmes leave at 6:35 (morning) and 15:40 (afternoon).
If you travel to Nurmes by train, you will need to spend an additional night in Helsinki due to the train schedules.
We would be happy to include accommodation in Helsinki as part of the same holiday package, making your journey as smooth and convenient as possible.
!Note:
The contents of the menus and sauna basket may change depending on the availability of raw materials and the season.
Travel insurance:
Travel insurance is highly recommended for overseas travel. A comprehensive plan should include coverage for trip interruption, delay and cancellation, medical expenses, emergency medical transportation, loss and damage to baggage.
