Sweden and Finland with Heath Ceramics

Välkommen till Stockhom! Our adventure begins, after transfers from the airport, at our hotel. We’ll take a moment to get settled before meeting for a welcome reception and dinner to kick off our journey together. Over a delicious meal, we’ll get acquainted with one another and our hosts from Heath Ceramics, toasting to unforgettable days ahead.

Today we head to Artipelag, beautifully located in the Stockholm archipelago. This international meeting place for art, good food, events, and activities will be our home base for the day as we partake in a guided walk of the museum and its exhibits. Before sitting down for a family-style lunch, we’ll enjoy a lecture on ice sculpting—the perfect way to break the ice (ahem!) for an amazing journey.

Afterward, we will travel back to the city center, stopping on the way to get a birdseye view of how the city was built on 14 different islands, and then onward to Svenskt Tenn. What started as a small pewter business by Estrid Ericson in 1924, later transformed into one of Stockholm’s most elegant interior design stores and has been a huge inspiration for the work at Heath. While there, we’ll belly up to their famous bar for uniquely Scandinavian small plates—think black cod with whipped gouda—and a beverage.

The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore Stockholm and dinner is at your leisure.

Our day begins with an opportunity to discover the treasures of Stockholm on a private, artist-led tour. Lunch is on your own today, but afterward, we will reconvene for a picturesque canal cruise (weather permitting) for some sightseeing of historic buildings such as the Royal Swedish Opera and Stockholm Palace, as we pass under a dozen bridges and indulge in an afternoon aperitif. Our boat ride will culminate in an exclusive after-hours visit to the Carl Eldh Sculpture Museum, where we’ll be immersed in 20th-century Swedish architecture, reflecting a blend of functionality and artistry.

Dinner tonight is in the heart of the city at Ett Hem, a hotel designed by the famed Ilse Crawford. In a private lounge, we’ll dine on a delicious Swedish meal made of seasonal produce and see creations by Birgitta Watz, a well-known Swedish ceramicist.

After breakfast and checking out of our hotel, we’ll head over to a local gallery for a morning fika—a moment of pause and connection over freshly brewed coffee and pastries—and conversations with an artist. 

Later in the day, we’ll embark on a guided tour of the Fotografiska Museum. Within one of the world’s leading museums for contemporary photography, we’ll get a peek at their featured exhibition while indulging in a sparkling aperitif.

Once we’ve finished our last sips and completed the tour, we’ll have an early dinner at the museum before making our way to the ferry terminal. From there we will take an overnight journey to our next stop on this adventure: Turku, Finland.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to wake up at sea, today is your chance to find out. You’ll awake to the view of the Baltic Sea below a wash of pink sky as the sun begins to rise and enjoy breakfast aboard the ferry before arriving at the rocky shores of our destination, Turku.

Once we’ve disembarked, we’ll begin an Aalto walking tour of downtown Turku focusing on the work of world-­renowned architect and designer Alvar Aalto and three buildings in the city center designed by him: the Southwestern Finland Agricultural Cooperative Building, the Standard Apartment House and the Turun Sanomat Newspaper Building. Along the way, we’ll learn how he heralded midcentury modernism in design and his time in the city.

In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a light lunch and marvel at a few other sites before bidding farewell to our first stop in Finland and drive to Helsinki. On our way, we’ll stop to visit the Paimio Sanatorium, an architectural masterpiece by Alvar and Aino Aalto and a key site of furniture design and innovation in Finland.

Once we’ve arrived in Helsinki, we’ll reconvene for a group dinner and check into our hotel for the evening.

Today we’ll dive into Helsinki’s rich history of design. Our tour schedule begins with a walk through Aalto’s House and studio, which was once a working architectural office and the birthplace of their iconic midcentury modern style. Then we’ll stop at Artek’s new workspace, learning all about how the business, brand, and emissary of modern design philosophy was born all those years ago. With the help of our expert guides, we get an inside look into Artek, the iconic Finnish design house founded in 1935 by Alvar and Aino Aalto. We’ll learn about the Aalto’s nearly 100-year ode to a modern culture of living and even get a chance to do some shopping at the brand’s flagship store.

Lunch will be on your own today, but we’ll reconvene this evening for a multi-course meal and wine pairing at the iconic Savoy. The interior of the restaurant was designed by architects Aino and Alvar Aalto who brought their human-centered and functional touch to every detail. While gazing over the expanse of the city, you’ll savor dishes with ingredients like cured whitefish, Icelandic wasabi, and fresh crepes with local wild berries.

Our immersion into Helsinki’s design and textiles continues with a morning visit to Marimekko Printing Factory. Since opening in 1951, they’ve led the way in featuring bold and bright designs, utilizing the talents of local artists. Today, almost a million meters of fabric a year are printed on-site. We’ll go behind the curtain with a factory specialist and then enjoy lunch at the cafe onsite. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to embellish.

This morning we’ll enjoy a slow, relaxing, Finnish-style start to the day before hopping on a flight to Rovaniemi. 

Once we’ve landed, we’ll head out for an exquisite meal of Finnish cuisine and contemporary flair. From hearty reindeer dishes to fresh fish caught from nearby lakes,  locally sourced ingredients emphasize the rich culinary heritage of the region.

Following lunch, we’ll explore Rovaniemi with a Post-War focused tour. In World War II, approximately 90 percent of buildings in the town center were destroyed, but the rebuilding process started quickly, led by Alvar Aalto. As we travel through the city, we’ll be able to see some of his famous works.

This evening culminates in a traditional Finnish sauna, a cherished tradition of relaxation and connection, followed by a private dinner. 

As we near the end of our time together, we’ll switch gears a bit today and venture out into the Arctic for a day filled with Sami traditions and a special Reindeer and Husky farm visit. We’ll bundle up for a walk with the herd as we learn about reindeer herding—a central part of indigenous Sami culture and ancestry. We’ll also spend some time at their husky kennels before we tuck into lunch on the farm. 

The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy. For dinner, we’ll regroup at a local restaurant, where classic Nordic design and local art bring the interior to life. Over three courses, we’ll taste the delicate flavors of fresh whitefish, the creamy richness of Västerbotten cheese, and the tartness of cloudberries as we feel the warmth of stories shared over a rustic smorgasbord.

All good things must come to an end. It’s time to say farewell to Finland and Hei Hei to all of our new friends. We’ll fill up on a hearty porridge breakfast and reminisce on all of the new memories we made, before transferring to the airport. Näkemiin hyvää matkaa!