Finnish winter week on snowshoes

On this trip, you can enjoy the tranquility and untouched nature of Finland on snowshoes. Together, you will explore the fells and forests of southern Lapland on unique hikes through white, glistening snow. On your way, you will cross deep forests, hike up hills, walk along mountain ridges, and over frozen lakes. In between, you can look forward to traditional culinary delights and insights into Finnish Lapland culture.

Finnish winter week on snowshoes: The itinerary

Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival at Oulu airport or train station, your guide will be waiting to take you on an approx. two-hour drive to your accommodation in Syöte National Park. On this occasion, you can already get familiar with your new surroundings and look out the window at the passing nature. Once you reach the accommodation, you can make yourself comfortable in the cozy rooms and meet the rest of the group over dinner. This will be followed by a short briefing with an equipment check, and you will receive important information about Syöte National Park, maps, and the planned program for this week.

Day 2: The first snowshoe hike
After a Finnish breakfast with local specialties, you strap on your snowshoes to go on your first tour. You start directly at your accommodation and hike through an old spruce forest. At lunchtime, you will find yourself in a wooden shelter on the shore of a frozen lake for a delicious picnic. Afterwards, you will continue uphill until you are offered a unique view over the Syöte National Park. Finally, after a few more ascents and descents, another snack awaits you before you hike through a bog area back to your accommodation. Once there, you can recover from your tour, relax in the sauna, and enjoy a hearty dinner. The distance covered on this day is about 11 km (7 hours).
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Day 3: Knowledge & Hiking
The day starts again with a hearty breakfast before you leave for the Syöte National Park Visitor Center, where you will get an interesting guided tour through an exhibition. After that, it's finally time for the next snowshoe hike! As you walk through forests and over hills, you will get great views of the surrounding area and its beautiful lakes. Afterwards, you will enjoy a well-deserved lunch around an open fire before it is time to continue your way through snow-covered spruce forests. When you reach a lonely wilderness hut, you can warm yourself by a fire and rest for a short while. You will then make your way back to the visitor center, where a snack and hot drinks will greet you at the café. Finally, you will be taken to your accommodation to end the day with dinner, sauna, and some quiet moments. In total, this day will cover about 8 km in 7 hours (including breaks).

Day 4: The northeast of Syöte National Park
After breakfast, you will go to the northeastern part of Syöte National Park. There, you will hike on snowshoes through forests, past small frozen ponds, and across large ice-covered bogs. Lunch will be served in a shelter in the middle of the wilderness. Afterwards, make your way to the car to return to your lodging. The hike on the fourth day is about 10 km (8 hours, including breaks).

Day 5: Visit to Pentik House & Northern Lights Observation
As every morning, you will have a nutritious breakfast before heading out on the tour for the day. Today, a 1.5-hour transfer will take you to your starting point for the snowshoe hike. In addition to this, a visit to the northernmost ceramics factory in the world, the "Pentik House", is on the program. You are welcome to look around, buy souvenirs, and take a coffee break. Your hike today will take you to a vantage point on the top of a hill, from where you may be lucky enough to observe the Northern Lights. Afterwards, you will head back to your accommodation to enjoy the sauna and dinner. The length of the hike is about 9 km in 5 hours (including breaks).

Day 6: Rytivaara Crown Forest Farm
After breakfast, you will hike over various terrain, up hills and down again, and over the ice layer of swamps and lakes. Besides, you will visit Rytivaara Crown Forest Farm, which was built in the 19th century. At the end of the hike, you will be driven to your accommodation by a one-hour transfer so that you can strengthen yourself at dinner. The walking distance today is about 10 km in 6 hours (including breaks).

Day 7: Hikes around Kaunislampi
After breakfast, you will head to Lake Kaunislampi, about an hour away. Together, you will hike on your snowshoes around its enchanting shore before heading across its frozen surface to a wooden shelter on the south side. There, you will stop for lunch at the end of the hike. A celebration dinner will be held in the evening to conclude the tour. Today's hike is on a circular route and runs for about 8 km in 4 hours (including breaks).

Day 8: Departure
Today, unfortunately, the last breakfast in dreamlike Finland awaits you. Afterwards, you will pack your bags and be taken to the airport or train station in Oulu. With you in your luggage are many beautiful memories of an unforgettable time.

The tour service starts with pick-up and dinner on the first day and ends with breakfast and transfer back to Oulu on the last day.

Accommodation:
The accommodation on this trip is located in the area of Pytkynharju in the hiking area Syöte. Taigalampi Holiday House is a log house built in 1988, that was renovated in 2010 and 2021. The vacation house is an ideal place for larger groups and extended families to enjoy their vacation together. It has a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious common room for dining, gathering, and relaxing. It also has its own sauna, three toilets, a dressing room, and a terrace for cooling off. Taigalampi Holiday House has 8 bedrooms for 2 persons. The whole cottage can accommodate a total of 16 guests.
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