Dutch outdoor FAM trip 2024
Tallinn and South-Estonia, May 29 - June 2 2024
Visit Estonia is delighted to greet You in Estonia and call out to culture scouts, natural nomads and flavour seekers! A country where the social influencers are centuries old, where attitudes merge a Nordic mindset with medieval mystery, where the fast food comes as fast as it grows and where fewer crowds lead you to deeper conversations.
This time we set out to introduce our 'deep south' and our great outdoors. We take pride that on such a small territory we have a big variety of nature sites and are happy to test some of the activities with you to enjoy the nature to the fullest. We hope that you will enjoy the discovery of Estonia's serenity, the taste of local produce and a selection of outdoor activities for a dash of fresh air and untouched wilderness.
Below you will find your programme, details will be added along the way.
Scroll down for more information and articles!
NB! In our corner of the world, as you perfectly know, it is always wise to keep a water and windproof jacket at hand, there might be surprises. Also, pack something warmer for longer outdoor stays and swimwear for some wellness, too 😊 We hope you will keep an open mind and have a good time! Welcome!
Source: Oliver Oberg, a bog landscape
YOUR PROGRAMME:
May 29 (Wed): Day 1, Tallinn
Arrivals to Tallinn:
13:05 one guest from Brussels airport;
13:15 five guests from Amsterdam airport
You will be met by Visit Estonia representative, Kristiina Talisainen at the airport, we hope the earlier arriving guest will not mind waiting for 10 extra minutes to join the group.
14:15 lunch in old town, restaurant Pegasus
15:30 a guided walk starts in front of the restaurant, discovering the medieval Old Town and Rotermann Quarter, a former derelict industrial area, now home to inofficial city centre. Our guide for the day (and also for later in Tallinn) Jaan Laur will introduce you the city stories.
17:15 check in and settling in the hotel Metropol Spa, at the verge of Rotermann district.
Option to use their wellness area - bring a swimsuit!
19:15 gathering in the hotel lobby for a drive to dinner in Noblessner, a former shipyard, now a new elegant seaside area, in constant development
19:30 dinner in Lore Bistro
Transfer back to the hotel
Overnight in Metropol Spa Hotel, in Rotermann Quarter.
Source: Tallinn, Visit Estonia
May 30 (Thu): Day 2, South-Estonia
09:00 off towards South-Estonia
10:45 our first stop for an activity is Endla bog, where the nature tour company Activest will meet us for a guided bog walk. Bogs cover many areas in Estonia and provide not only fantastic peaceful hiking opportunities but also are a significant resource for absorbing CO2. We stroll on wooden paths of the wetland, get ourselves a nice view over the landscapes from a watchtower and enjoy the freshest of air.
For lunch we drive a little more towards Tartu - our stop will be 35min from the hiking place, Resto 135.
16:00 arrival to Tartu, the European Capital of Culture 2024. We check-in to the historical boutique hotel Antonius, facing the education cradle - Tartu University.
Tartu is very compact, with most sights, restaurants and nightlife nestled across a couple of parallel streets. Being the second largest town in Estonia and a hot bed for creative and scientific culture, there is always something on from theatre performances to concerts and festivals.
19:00 dinner in TOKO, walking distance from the hotel, at the riverside
Tips for the next time in Tartu: the bohemian and creative side, the wooden districts and street art of Karlova and Soup Town with a tour on an e-bike! Or, a 1h trip on a historical barge along the river Emajõe (this time around not enough time😊)
Source: Visit Estonia, bog landscape
May 31 (Fri): Day 3
09:00 please be checked out - we take our luggage to the bus and our discoveries continue in South Estonia, the area of hilly landscapes, ancient rivers and inviting wilderness.
10:00 our activity of the day will be electric FAT bike trip in Taevaskoja Nature Reserve and its sandy outcrops, starting in Mammaste Sport Centre. The bike ride will be guided by a nature activity company Matkajuht and will take around 2 - 2,5hrs, depending on the fitness level of the participants.
Next stop, 13:15 at KODAS, an established cider and puree producer, where we will have a tour of the premises and production site as well as a meal in their restaurant. We will spend around 2,5hrs there before driving to our accommodation of the day.
16:00 Arrival in Remote Now Club - a place for our overnight stay and dinner and as immersed in the nature as it gets (opened only recently). So kindly be open minded for some nature inspired inconvenience! The accommodation will be in individual modern cabins, but as they are built next to a bog lake, the bathroom facilities one needs to use in the main building.
Before dinner - the experience will also include sauna the real Estonian way, on a lake and why not try swimming in the lake right after. As this sauna is located in the middle of wilderness, no water system is attached but one can enjoy a hot tub in the other sauna on-land as well as the showers there.
19:00 dinner in the Remote Now Club.
Source: Katrin Laurson, Taevaskoja
June 1 (Sat): Day 4
07:30 breakfast is served
09:00 checked out, we start from the accommodation towards Ahja river, our very own Amazonas
10:00 the canoeing adventure starts in Koorvere, again provided by Matkajuht. It should be a rather relaxed ride and will take around 3hrs to complete. The tour ends in Kiidjärve, where the bus will meet us again.
We are turning the nose of the bus back towards the capital and drive a bit over an hour, to have our lunch 14:00 in Oberpahlen, the restaurant of Põltsamaa castle.
15:30 resuming the drive back to Tallinn, remaining time ca 1h20min.
17:30 settling in the heart of Telliskivi Creative City, in Hektor Container Hotel, a great sustainability example and an experience accommodation with small container rooms.
19:00 dinner in Fotografiska top floor restaurant, 5min walk from the hotel. You will be accompanied by Jaan-Laur, the tourguide from the 1st day.
Overnight stay in the Hektor Container Hotel
Source: Visit Estonia, Ahja river
June 2 (Sun): Day 4, Tallinn
09:30 please be checked out and dressed for cycling (windproof would be great!), to start your final discoveries of Tallinn. The bicycles will be brought to the hotel, where your guide Jaan Laur will take you to a ride along the seaside areas of the capital. The bicycles will be provided by a cycle tour company Waypoint, who can offer a choice of different cycling tours in and outside the city.
Your route will include some of the seaside areas like Kalamaja, Pirita with its promenade and a handful of significant landmarks, Kadriorg park and KUMU museum and more.
12:00 light lunch will be provided before you head to the airport. Your luggage will be brought by bus to KUMU where you end your cycling tour.
13:00 bus transfer to the airport
15:15 Air Baltic flight to Riga takes off
Source: Telliskivi Creative City
Your flights with Air Baltic:
29 MAY AMSTERDAM - TALLINN 09:55 - 13:15 direct
02 JUN TALLINN - RIGA BT 314 15:20 - 16:10 via Riga
02 JUN RIGA - AMSTERDAM BT 619 17:00 - 18:20
29 MAY BRUSSELS - TALLINN BT 852 09:40 - 13:05 direct
02 JUN TALLINN TLL - RIGA BT 314 15:20 - 16:10 via Riga
02 JUN RIGA - BRUSSELS BT 603 17:00 - 18:25
Checked in luggage is included in the ticket.
PS The organiser keeps the right to make minor changes to the programme.
Your contacts:
Kristiina Talisainen
B2B Marketing
Visit Estonia / Estonian Tourist Board
Kristiina.Talisainen@eas.ee, mob: 00372 5288088
Aviareps, Visit Estonia representative in the Netherlands
Britt Koen
bkoen@aviareps.com
Service providers or other useful contacts:
Tourguide:
Jaan-Laur Tähepõld jaan.laur.tahepold@gmail.com; Ph: 0037256466455
ActivEst - nature tours, birding, brown bear, mammals, experience tours
Triin@activest.ee, bert@activest.ee;
Their sister company Nature and Wildlife Tours in Estonia - NaTourEst https://natourest.ee
Outdoor activities in South-Estonia:
Matkajuht info@matkajuht.ee - cycle guide - Levo; canoe instructor - Margit
RMK - State Forest Management Organisation
The most focused place to find camping sites, hiking trails, nature visitor centres and more. An extensive hiking map available.
Last updated
03.06.2024