Finland´s eastern wilderness

Winter bestseller - a guided cross-country skiing tour through Finland's eastern wilderness. 100 km in five skiing days.

This guided cross-country skiing tour takes you to the beautiful Hossa national park and to the remote eastern area of Finland. You will ski through a wilderness of pristine untouched nature with very few other skiers. To give you the best experience, the maximum group size is 12 skiers, plus an expert tour leader. If you are lucky, and conditions are right, you might witness the Northern Lights' dancing in the night sky to top off your skiing week!

Finland ski tour holiday highlights:

* Pristine wilderness - a real escape to the nature
* Picnics around an open fire
* The snow-white landscape
* Evening saunas
* Hossa National Park

Programme information

Season

Feb 1-Apr 5

Guaranteed departures 2023

19.02.-25.02., 26.02.-04.03., 05.03.-11.03., 12.03.-18.03., 19.03.-25.03. and 26.03.-01.04.

Other departures for groups on request.

Duration

7 days/6 nights

Persons

Guaranteed departures without minimum number of participants, max. 12 persons.

Place

Hossa, Suomussalmi

Joining point

Kuusamo airport, please see "good to know" for further information.

Difficulty

Easy

Price 2023

1110 eur

Included in the price

*6 nights accommodation in rooms for 2-4 persons with shared facilities (on days 3 and 4 some rooms with private facilities available) *6 x breakfast, 4 x outdoor lunch and 1 x lunch, 5 x dinner, snack on arrival night, 5 x afternoon coffee/tea with snack *English speaking skiing guide *Snowmobile guide who makes the track on days 3-6 (especially for this group) and prepares outdoor lunches *Luggage transportation between accommodations *Single-timed group airport transfers *5 x sauna, 1 x ice-swimming *Bedlinen and bath towels

Supplements

Ski equipment hire 60 eur (skis, boots, poles)

Detailed program

Day 1: Arrival
Arrival at Kuusamo airport where your guide will welcome you. Transfer (1 hour) to Rajakartano guesthouse located in close proximity to Hossa national park.

Day 2: Day tour in Hossa 17 km
After breakfast we start our skiing week along well-prepared tracks of Hossa national park whose nature is dominated by handsome pine heathlands, ridge-lines, small lakes and streams. The terrain is variable with a few steep but mainly short up hills. We eat lunch at the Hossa Visitor Centre, which also has a small souvenir shop. It is said that there's nothing more Finnish than sauna and on return to the accommodation you can relax in the steaming hot, traditional Finnish sauna. The more adventurous amongst us can even try ice swimming!

Day 3: Day tour at Martinselkonen 17 km
This morning we will take a short car transfer (45 min) to Martinselkonen wilderness centre where we will stay for the next two nights. Our circular tour takes us north through Martinselkonen nature reserve which has been set up to protect the Finnish wilderness, especially the swamp areas with its many birds and insects. Martinselkonen has mires, ponds and lakes, ancient forests and spruce trees draped in beard lichen. The terrain today is mainly flat, like it will be for the rest of the week. There is a picnic stop at one of the wilderness huts operated by the Finnish Forest and Park Service.

Day 4: Day tour at Martinselkonen 23 km
Today we take another tour in Martinselkonen area, this time heading south. We will ski over frozen lakes and swamps and through forests covered in a deep, white, snowy blanket. The silence is almost tangible, the only the sound is that of skis and poles touching the snow.

Day 5: Martinselkonen-Arola 22 km
It's time to say goodbye to our hosts at Martinselkonen and head north through the nature reserve. These ancient forests are home to a brown bear population, however in winter they are hibernating. Also, other Finnish large carnivores - wolves, lynxes and wolverines - inhabit the area but they are extremely elusive, and we may only spot their tracks in the snow. In the afternoon we will arrive at Arola guest house, famous for delicious local food.

Day 6: Day tour from Arola 20 km
For our last day, we will take a day tour around Arola. At the half-way point, we will once more enjoy hot soup and a selection of sandwiches around an open fire. In the afternoon we return to Arola to enjoy its cosy atmosphere and the warm hospitality of our hosts. There is a chance to have a final sauna, then after that, a well-deserved farewell dinner made from local ingredients will be served in the traditional log house.

Day 7: Return
Breakfast and transport to the Kuusamo airport.