Snowshoeing from a traditional Finnish log cabin in Lapland, from Tromsø (8 days)

Experience Finnish Lapland on snowshoes and a husky sled tour in winter! Join me on this 8-day unique experience in the middle of winter, when the chances of seeing the Northern Lights are very high. Visiting Tromsø, in Norway, offers an interesting contrast to this great winter trip.

Darkness, lots of snow, sauna, Aurora Borealis, are all words that  spontaneously come to mind when we think of Finnish Lapland.  And although winter is cold here, it is dry, so you feel the cold less than in a more humid climate. At this time of the year, it is dark in Lapland, but even now you have daylight. In July there are already 6 to 7 hours of daylight, thus not much less than in Central Europe.

There is plenty of snow everywhere, which sticks to the trees and transforms them into various fantasy figures. In this region – also rightly advertised as “Tosi Lappi” (“the true, genuine Lapland”)- we will only sporadically be in sparse forests, but mostly over the tree line.

In the tri-border region, we will enjoy unique views over large frozen lakes, the gentle Tunturi (Finnish fells) of Finland and the steeper fells and mountains of neighboring Norway and Sweden. Depending on the circumstances, a day tour will include the celebration of the sacred mountain of the Sami, the Saana. Yes, and the Northern Lights are there too, although seeing them may take a little more time than going for a sauna!

We will fly comfortably with a direct flight From Zurich to Tromsö, Norway, and from there a shuttle bus will take us to the log cabins in Kilpisjärvi, in the northeast of Finland, far above the Arctic Circle. From there, we will take star-shaped snowshoe tours, most of them directly from the hotel and sometimes a bus will take us to the tour starting point. So you can decide every day, whether you want to participate in the tour or do something different on your own.

We will take our time for snowshoeing, experiencing nature, the silence, the seclusion of the area, and we will also visit a tupa or kota (simple huts), where we kindle a fire, warm up and grill something to eat, if we can.

Along the way, I will tell you stories and legends of the Sami, originally nomadic people in the polar region of Europe, who have long roamed the area as nomads before settling down here. We will also visit Tromso, with the northernmost university and cathedral of the world, and nearly 80,000 inhabitants offers a strong contrast to the sparsely populated Kilpisjärvi, with just 100 inhabitants.

We will probably also see a reindeer during our time here, as this is their natural habitat! In the afternoon and evening we will look for the Northern Lights, as they draws its orbits in different colors in the sky.

I am a multi-lingual hiking guide, and I also speak fluent Finnish. I have personally organized this journey. I have been touring Finland and especially Lapland for many years, so I know the different areas from west to east, north to south and I am always enthusiastic about going there again.

We will also be traveling with huskies in the Norwegian fjords one day of the tour. These fjords are very close to our Finnish base, but they are very different. Put on winter clothes and enjoy the landscape as a musher of a dog-sledding club, getting a different perspective on the winter scenery. Of course, a sauna experience is also included in the program.

So, if you are in for this unique winter tour in Finnish Lapland and Tromso, check the date below and book your place! Get ready for an unforgettable winter adventure!