Finland: Turku & Åland Islands Bike Tour
Six nights; five days of bicycle touring on quiet roads and pathways through the Turku Archipelago and the Åland Islands.
“What a beautiful part of the world to experience by bike” - Marlene H.
WHY THIS TRIP?
- Excellent cycling culture; quiet roads, paved paths, coastal vistas.
- Tiny, brightly coloured seaside villages.
- Deliciously fresh fruit and vegetables and craft beer.
- Friendly, charming inns.
- Complex history.
- Ferry hopping to beautiful small islands.
ROUTE EXPECTATIONS:
Click here to learn about our difficulty rating system.
40-60km daily of easy cycling from vibrant Turku to the low-lying coastal roads of the Turku & Åland Islands Bike Tour. Options available for afternoon sea kayaking on day five.
Daily Distance:
- 1: Introductions.
- 2: Turku to Korpo Island ~56km.
- 3: Ferry to Åland Islands (~5hrs), cycle to Saltvik ~45km.
- 4: Vardö Loop ~64km.
- 5: Saltvik to Havsvidden ~56km (Optional sea kayaking and hiking available).
- 6: Havsvidden to Mariehamn ~68km (Optional ride to Järsö).
- 7: Farewells
(Click image to enlarge)
Activity Levels
The easiest routes we offer, these are generally flat and cover relatively relaxed distances. You will be comfortable riding a hybrid bike, walking in sneakers, or paddling a light kayak, and will normally have time to take many photos and enjoy extended lunches.
This is primarily an easy route, but some days may fall into the moderate category. You can expect time to stop and smell the roses, but some of the rides may be on more hilly terrain.
Requiring moderate fitness levels, these cover terrain with hills and valleys, and tend to include distances of 50-80km (30-50mi.)/day cycling, or 3-6 hours of walking per day. Most Freewheeling Adventures fall into this category, and are suitable for most ability levels.
This is primarily a moderate route, suitable for most ability levels, but some days may be a little more challenging. You can expect some long distances, and/or some big climbs/descents.
The most challenging trips, these include longer distances, bigger hills, long hikes, exposed paddling, and full days of activity. We recommend a higher degree of fitness and training to make the most of the experience.
There is also a rare double black diamond, reserved for only the most difficult adventures.
Start: Turku, Park Hotel, 16:00, day one.
Finish: Mariehamn, 10:00, day seven. Flights and ferries available to Stockholm, Helsinki, Riga and Tallinn.
Meal inclusions: Listed for guided trips only, please see dates & pricing section for accurate inclusions per support level.
Please contact us to arrange alternate meeting and departure plans, if necessary.
DAY 1:
Introductions.
Meet your guides in Turku, the oldest city in Finland and former national capital, for a bike fitting and short warm-up ride before dinner. Recognized as a European Capital of Culture in 2011, medieval Turku is split by the lazy Aura River and is home to cobblestone streets, an impressive castle, and a charming riverside promenade.
Meal Inclusions: Dinner.
Park Hotel, or, Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel, Turku.DAY 2:
Turku to Korpo Island ~56km.
Starting in Pargas, today’s route follows the archipelago trail, a popular bike route that winds its way toward the open ocean across several islands with the help of bicycle-friendly ferries. Set amongst quiet forests, today’s smooth paved roads seem like they were built for bikes, not cars. The route finishes on the island of Korpo at a humble inn. Settle in for a relaxing night and prepare for your ferry trip to Åland tomorrow morning.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Hotel Nestor, Korpo.DAY 3:
Ferry to Åland Islands (~5hrs), cycle to Saltvik ~45km.
After breakfast you will board an inter-island ferry at 10:00 to head to Fasta Åland, or Åland mainland. Winding through the archipelago, and calling in at several outlying islands on route, we like to think of this as more of a cruise than a ferry ride. Upon landing on Åland you will hop on your bike and head north toward the town of Saltvik and your cosy, family-run inn.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Kvarnbo Guest House, Saltvik.DAY 4:
Vardö Loop ~64km.
With the help of bicycle ferries, today’s route circles out from Saltvik to Vardö Island, birthplace of two notable Finnish authors, Sally Salminen and Anni Blomqvist. On the way enjoy a picnic at the 19th-century Russian fortress at Bomarsund, a battleground during the Crimean war. After more island hopping the route loops back, via ferry, to Fasta Åland, and your inn in Saltvik and an independent dinner.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch.
Same lodging.DAY 5:
Saltvik to Havsvidden ~56km (Optional sea kayaking and hiking available).
Today’s route heads north toward the cliff-side resort at Havsvidden where you can relax and rejuvenate with a proper Finnish sauna experience. The afternoon can be spent exploring the rocky coastline or lounging about your uniquely modern hotel.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Havsvidden Hotel, Havsvidden.DAY 6:
Havsvidden to Mariehamn ~68km (Optional ride to Järsö).
Today you ride south along the western coast of Fasta Åland toward Mariehamn, the islands’ only city. Mariehamn, home to two ice-free harbours, an international port and a square-rigged floating museum, is one of Scandinavia’s most intriguing cities. Riders looking for more mileage today have the option to continue riding south along route 30 toward Järsö before returning to Mariehamn for the night. Your guides will bid you farewell this evening following dinner.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Hotel Pommern, or, Hotel Arkipelag, Mariehamn.DAY 7:
Farewells
Your tour concludes this morning following breakfast. From Mariehamn there are flights and ferries to many destinations throughout the Baltics and Scandinavia including Turku, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn or Riga.
Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.
All details and pricing are subject to change without notice.
SELECT A DATE BELOW TO RESERVE:
2026 DATES:
2027 DATES:
Please contact us for your preferred dates
OR CHOOSE A NEW DATE:
Small groups or private tours, fully supported with drivers/guides and vehicles, all lodging and most meals included. Choose from existing dates or request new departures.
Semi-supported, independent tours including welcome briefing, lodging, luggage transfers and necessary vehicle transfers. Choose from existing dates or request new departures.
PRICING
Our tour costs are ALL IN, including fees & taxes.
Guided: C 5995 (per person, double occupancy)
Includes 7 days, 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, 5 dinners, 5 lunches, full time vehicle and guide support, maps and route instructions, hybrid bicycle rental, taxes.
Small groups or private tours, fully supported with drivers/guides and vehicles, all lodging and most meals included. Choose from existing dates or request new departures. Read more on our “What to Expect” page.
Self-Guided: C 4565 (per person, double occupancy)
Includes 7 days, 6 nights, 6 breakfasts, inn to inn luggage transfers, maps and route instructions, essential transfers, on-call emergency support, hybrid bicycle rental, taxes.
Semi-supported, independent tours including welcome briefing, lodging, luggage transfers and necessary vehicle transfers. Choose from existing dates or request new departures. Read more on our “What to Expect” page.
Single Occupancy: Add C 995
Tour cost excludes airfare and travel to and from the starting point, costs for activities listed as optional, bar and beverage bills, meals not shown as included, gratuities for your driver and/or guides.
Bike Rentals:
Hybrid-Fitness: Included
Change to E-bike: C 250
All details and pricing are subject to change without notice.
Please see above for accurate pricing and inclusions, unless we have proposed a customized trip for you and those details are provided in your custom proposal.
1. Choose an advertised date to join a small group, or see our Join a Group page to see where groups are already forming.
2. Pick your own dates. We will confirm quickly and are happy to talk with you as you make your choice. If you would like a private guided departure, this usually involves a surcharge depending on the details. Those who prefer to travel self-guided typically need only two participants to initiate a new date at the advertised price, and we can sometimes offer reduced rates for larger groups. Please get in touch for more information.
BEST TIMES
The summer season in Finland is brief, from June to August. Daily temperatures during that period range from 10°C - 20°C, though temperatures of 30°C are not unheard of.
Autumn is from September to November. The temperatures start dipping below 0°C at night but stay between 5°C - 15°C during the day.
Winter last roughly from late November to late March. Temperatures may range between -5°C - 20°C. In mid winter they have been seen to drop as low as -30°C.
The spring season is April and May, with daily temperatures rising to zero. The days grow longer and the snow starts to melt.
GET TO THE START
Fly into Turku International Airport (TKU). Your support person will meet you at the airport at a pre-arranged time, or will meet you at your hotel in Turku if you arrive early.
Buses are an easy and economical choice for the short trip from airport to city centre, which is approximately 8 km. Taxis are also readily available from the airport.
AFTER THE FINISH
Your tour ends in Mariehamn on day seven. Mariehamn is a major ferry port with daily connections to Sweden, Estonia and mainland Finland. Flights to most major European destinations can be reached through Mariehamn Airport.
BEFORE AND AFTER
If you have one day:
We recommend arriving early to Turku if time allows to explore Finland’s oldest city. Feast on the best Finnish cuisine with tasting tour on the Turku Food Walk; check out the city’s vibrant night life; or just meander along the lovely River Aura.
In Mariehamn, take time to stroll the tree-lined esplanade connecting the two ice-free harbors on the city’s east and west ends which made this charming, walkable city an important shipping centre in the Baltic. Check out the square-rigged Museum Ship Pommern and Åland Maritime Museum, or simply enjoy an afternoon walking either harbourfront.
MORE READING
Not exactly Swedish, but not entirely Finnish either, the autonomous Åland Islands, a rocky chain of some 6500 skerries and islands spread across Finland’s Archipelago Sea, are a unique Nordic cycling destination. Scraped flat by enormous glaciers during the last Ice Age, the islands of Åland - and the nearby Turku Archipelago - are a cyclist's dream, laced with empty roads, coastal vistas, and tiny, brightly coloured seaside villages.
Starting in Turku, Finland’s oldest city, the route snakes westward through the southernmost islands of the Turku Archipelago before traveling via ferry to Åland. Turku, the most important city in Finland’s long history, is the gateway to the Archipelago Sea, and, in our opinion, the perfect starting point to explore the region’s islands.
Of Åland’s many islands, your route circumnavigates Fasta Åland, the largest and most populous, home to the largest city, Mariehamn, and the hulking Russian fortress of Bomarsund. Hopping on and off several small bike ferries, the route weaves around the coast, finishing back in Mariehamn where your trip ends. This charming maritime city has myriad options for further exploration of the Baltics, with direct flights and ferries to Stockholm, Helsinki, Riga and Tallinn.
Book Recommendations for Finland
David Kirby : A Concise History of Finland
Dense and comprehensive, this excellent volume will suit a reader seeking to learn all they can of Finnish history.
Jennifer Brewer, Marcus Lehtipuu : Lonely Planet Finland
A practical guide to Finland featuring numerous maps and plenty of information on history, culture, and attractions.
Fred Singleton, Anthony F. Upton: A Short History of Finland
A concise, thoroughly readable and scholarly history of Finland, from early settlement to Finland's admission into the European Union in 1995.
Robert M. Goldstein: Riding With Reindeer, A Bicycle Odyssey Through Finland, Lapland, and Arctic Norway
Goldstein pedaled solo from Helsinki through forests, stopping at remote villages and continuing across the tundra (accompanied by Reindeer) to the Barents Sea in this entertaining account, enlivened by the author's photographs and rich detours into the history and culture of Finland and Lapland.
Tove Jansson: The Summer Book
A modern Scandinavian classic, Jansson's sweet, slender novel follows a young girl and her grandmother as they while away a summer on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland.