FAQ
See also Practical information for plenty of useful information about travelling in Finland.
For most tours we offer guaranteed departure dates. There is no minimum number of participants and when you book, we guarantee the tour will run. Groups on guaranteed departures are multinational and the guiding language is English.
Tours with guaranteed departures
*If you book online, you’ll get the instant confirmation.
*If you book by email, the booking won’t be valid until you get our confirmation. We recommend no flights are booked until you have had our reply.
Tours on request
When bookings are, ‘on request,’ it means availability for the chosen accommodations needs to be checked. If any accommodations are fully booked, we will contact you to discuss alternative accommodations or dates.
On guaranteed departure dates the program is fixed. Tours for groups can be tailored to your requirements. If you wish to have a proposal for a tailored group tour please contact us.
Our tours take place in north‑eastern Finland, mainly in the Hossa and Kylmäluoma areas. The joining point is Kuusamo airport, with only a few exceptions. Hossa National Park is located approximately one hour from Kuusamo airport, while Kylmäluoma can be reached in around 45 minutes by road.
The easiest way to reach the area is by flying to Kuusamo airport, which has regular connections from Helsinki (flight time approx 1,5 hours). There are also direct flights from selected airports in the UK and Germany.
Travelling by train and bus from Helsinki is also possible. You should first take a train from Helsinki to Oulu (approx 6 hours) and continue by bus to Kuusamo (3 hours).
We provide one scheduled group transfer for each tour, so please check the transfer timetable with us before booking flights or making other travel arrangements.
Yes. Many of our guests travel alone and join a small international group. Our tours are an excellent way to meet like‑minded people who enjoy nature, outdoor activities and active holidays in Finland. Some tours may require a single supplement only if you prefer a private room. You will be warmly welcomed on any of our scheduled group tours if you are travelling alone.
For families, we organize winter multi‑activity holidays that are suitable for children from 7 years old. Teenagers aged 14–16 are welcome on most tours, as long as they have the required fitness and meet any other possible requirements.
Our guests travel from all over Europe and overseas. During the winter season, we typically welcome travellers from around 30 different nationalities.
Most guests are between 40 and 60 years old, although we also host travellers over 80 years of age. The youngest guests travelling independently are usually in their early twenties.
What our guests have in common is a passion for nature, outdoor activities and authentic travel experiences.
You must book your flights yourself or through your local travel agent. Be sure to book your flights after you have received the final confirmation from us.
Yes. It is possible to travel by bus/train from Helsinki to the departure point of the trip. We can help you to find the most suitable connections but we can’t book tickets for you.
We can suggest hotels, but we recommend making the booking yourself.
Typical daytime winter temperatures in our area of Finland range from –5°C to –20°C between late December and March. However, temperatures can occasionally rise above freezing or fall below –30°C.
In March, the sun becomes noticeably warmer, and there is often a significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. After a cold night, temperatures can rise quickly once the sun comes up. Weather conditions vary considerably from year to year, so one winter season may be very different from another.
When preparing for a winter trekking holiday in Finland, it is important to be ready for low temperatures. The colder the weather, the more carefully you need to dress for outdoor activities. Special attention should be paid to protecting the face, fingers and feet, which are particularly vulnerable to the cold.
We recommend dressing in layers, using wool or technical clothing as the base layer and a windproof outer layer. A detailed equipment and clothing list for each tour is available in the tour information document, which can be requested from us.
The Northern Lights can be seen throughout the winter in Finland, although their appearance cannot be predicted and clear skies are essential. Late winter, especially March, tends to have more sunny and clear days, increasing the chances of spotting the Northern Lights. However, they are also seen regularly during early winter.
If the Northern Lights appear, they are easy to observe just outside your accommodation, as there is no light pollution in the surrounding wilderness. Because the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed, we recommend considering them a memorable bonus to your winter holiday in Finland.
The best time to visit Finland for cross-country skiing is from mid-February to early April. During this period, snow conditions are usually at their best, the days are significantly longer, and there is often plenty of sunshine. All of our week-long cross-country ski tours take place between mid-February and early April.
Most of our tours are suitable for people with a moderate level of fitness. You should be comfortable spending several hours outdoors and being active on consecutive days. The daily activity level varies depending on the tour. Our multi‑activity holidays include easy activities and do not require previous experience, while some other tours (cross‑country skiing) require previous experience.
If you enjoy walking, hiking, cycling, running or other regular outdoor activities, you are likely to be well prepared for most of our holidays in Finland. If you are unsure whether a particular tour matches your fitness level, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.
Our tours are designed for active travellers looking for an authentic holiday in Finland rather than a demanding expedition. However, we also offer a couple of backcountry skiing tours that require a higher level of fitness.
Our tours are designed for travellers who want to experience Finland’s nature in an active and authentic way. Guests stay in peaceful wilderness areas away from the busiest tourist centres of Lapland, allowing for a more personal connection with nature. If you enjoy exploring nature, being outdoors and discovering less‑visited parts of Finland, our tours may be the perfect choice for you.
The tour price includes accommodation, all meals from dinner on the arrival day to breakfast on the departure day, guiding services, luggage transfers (if included), scheduled group airport transfers, and sauna access (usually daily). The tour also includes all activities and arrangements described in the itinerary.
Depending on the tour equipment (cross-country skiing equipment, snowshoes and poles or winter clothing) can be rented separately if needed.
No. We aim to be fully transparent about all costs before you book. The main expenses not included in the tour price are flights to and from Finland, travel insurance, optional equipment hire, and any optional supplementary transfers. Tipping in Finland is voluntary.
Kuusamo and Ruka information
The joining point for Upitrek tous is Kuusamo airport, with only a few exceptions. If you have some extra time before your airport transfer or flight, below you’ll find suggestions on how to spend your free time in Kuusamo. You’ll also find information about accommodation and activities in Kuusamo and Ruka if you are planning to extend your stay.
A short stopover
If you have 3–4 hours we recommend visiting Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki to enjoy the spa or have a meal at the restaurant. There is an airport shuttle to the hotel, read more below. Alternatively, you can spend some time in Kuusamo town centre, where you’ll find shops, cafés and restaurants.
Please note:
* There is no bus service from the airport to the town centre; a taxi is required.
* On Saturday afternoons and Sundays, most small shops are closed.
* Luggage storage is not available in Kuusamo town centre or at Kuusamo Airport.
* Please make sure you return to Kuusamo Airport in time for your designated pick-up.
Half a day or more
If you have some more time, you can also visit Ruka Ski Resort by bus (journey time approximately 30 minutes). However, few hours are usually only enough to explore the village, enjoy the scenery, and have a meal or a coffee rather than take part in activities. Luggage storage is available at Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Information, located in Shopping Centre Kumpare. Please check the opening hours on the Tourist Information website. Please note that skis cannot be stored.
KUUSAMO
Accommodation in Kuusamo
Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki – spa hotel located approx. 5 km from Kuusamo town centre and 6 km from the airport.
Spa: Open Mon–Sat 12 am–8 pm & Sun 12 am–7 pm. Tickets adults 25 €, 4–14 v 19 €.
Activities at the hotel
Equipment rental: Escaperoom Kuusamo, located in the same complex with Tropiikki, offers eg. cross-country skis for rent
Hotel Kuusanka – Family hotel located in the centre of Kuusamo.
Hostel Aurora – Budget-friendly accommodation located about 2 km from the town centre.
Getting to hotels
Taxi fares from the airport to hotels start from approximately €24.
We recommend pre-booking your taxi eg. with these companies:
Otaxi
Rukan Taksi ja huoltopalvelu
If you have booked a post-tour night at one of the previously mentioned hotels, the hotel drop-off is available at prior request.
Airport shuttle to Holiday Club Tropiikki
You can reach Holiday Club Kuusamon Tropiikki also by airport shuttle. The service is available for
scheduled Finnair, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa and airBaltic flights. Please note that the airport shuttle does not serve charter flights (e.g. TUI).
We recommend booking your ticket no later than 24 hours before departure. However, if seats are available, you can also purchase your ticket when boarding.
Tickets can be purchased on the Matkahuolto website.
Route: Kuusamo Airport–Tropiikki (Kuusamo). Price 8,90 €/person/one-way.
Returning to the airport
* The shuttle to Finnair flights departs from Tropiikki 1 hour 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
* The shuttle to Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa and airBaltic flights departs from Tropiikki 2 hours 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
* If you need to return to the airport for your pick-up, please check the flight schedule for that day and choose the shuttle that best matches your pick-up time.
RUKA
Accommodation in Ruka
If you are extending your stay, Ruka offers a wide selection of hotels, apartments and holiday cabins.
These two hotels are centrally located in the heart of Ruka village:
Scandic Rukahovi
Hotel Arctic Zone
You can also choose from numerous apartments and cottages throughout the resort.
Things to do in Ruka
Equipment rental (cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing)
Ski passes
Downhill skiing and cross-country skiing lessons
Winter weekly program
Husky safaris
Snowmobile safaris
Getting to Ruka
The airport shuttle to Ruka is available for scheduled Finnair, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa and airBaltic flights. Please note that the airport shuttle does not serve charter flights (e.g. TUI).
We recommend booking your ticket no later than 24 hours before departure. However, if seats are available, you can also purchase your ticket when boarding.
Tickets can be purchased on the Matkahuolto website.
Route: Kuusamo Airport–Ruka. Price: €15.90/person/one way.
Returning to the airport
* The shuttle to Finnair flights departs from Ruka 1 hour 45 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
* The shuttle to Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa and airBaltic flights departs from Ruka 2 hours 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
* If you need to return to the airport for your pick-up, please check the flight schedule for that day and choose the shuttle that best matches your pick-up time.
Ruka ski bus has several daily connections between Kuusamo town centre (including the bus stop “Ervastin aukio”) and Ruka.
Schedule for the winter season 2026–2027 will be available later.
https://www.ruka.fi/sites/ruka/files/inline-files/ruka-kuusamo_skibus_aikataulu_2025-2026.pdf
Links
Kuusamo&Ruka ski trail map
Google map of the locations