5 Magical Winter Adventures That Capture the Spirit of Hygge
Some places simply know how to do winter well.
Across the Nordic and Baltic regions, colder days are an invitation to make the most of the season – heading into snowy forests, gathering around crackling fires and finding moments of warmth and togetherness both indoors and out.
Hygge sits at the heart of it – and from Finland’s frozen lakes to Iceland’s geothermal waters, we’ve picked five winter adventures that show just how many forms it can take.
What is Hygge?
Hygge is a Scandinavian concept centred on finding comfort, contentment and pleasure in life’s simple moments.
There’s no neat English translation, but you know it when you feel it: hands wrapped around a steaming cup of gløgg, stories shared beside a crackling fire, or the warmth of a sauna after a day in the snow.
More than simply getting cosy, hygge is about slowing down, enjoying good company and appreciating what’s right in front of you. At a time when many travellers crave slower, more meaningful adventures, hygge is a welcome reminder for you to slow down and really savour the season.
1. Husky Sledding and Campfire Evenings, Finland
In Finland, embracing winter means adventure and comfort often go hand in mitten. On our Finnish Wilderness Week trip, you venture out from Basecamp Oulanka, a welcoming huddle of timber lodges overlooking frozen Juuma Lake.
Days here are made for getting out into the snow. Strap on snowshoes to follow forest trails beside the Kitka River, master the basics of cross-country skiing on the frozen lake and, after dark, head out in search of the Northern Lights. There’s a sauna and hot tub waiting back at Basecamp when you’re ready to warm up.
Then there are huskies. Learn how to handle your sled before gliding through Riisitunturi National Park behind a team of eager dogs and appreciate the close bond they share with their mushers.
You also master fire-making, before gathering around together to roast marshmallows and sausages under the warming glow. It’s here you discover hygge in its purest form: simple rituals, good company and the quiet joy of winter.
Discover the full itinerary:
Finnish Wilderness Week
Mixed activity week in a remote part of Finland
2. Dark Skies & Cardamom Waffles, Norway
On our Cross-country Skiing in Skåbu adventure, winter starts at the door of family-run Skåbu Fjellhotell. Set between three national parks, the little-known mountain village of Skåbu is surrounded by an extensive network of cross-country trails, winding through snow-covered birch forests and climbing onto open plateaus.
By day, explore snow-covered forests on cross-country skis. One evening, if conditions are right, you and your group will head into the mountains for a two-hour Dark Sky experience. Beneath some of Europe’s darkest skies your expert guide shares tales of Norse mythology and ancient navigation written in the stars that once helped people find their way.
Skåbu does warmth rather well, too. Skåbu Fjellhotell is all fireplaces, shared stories and hearty mountain cooking after a day outside. Best of all are the Norwegian cardamom waffles, served with Røros sour cream and homemade jam or traditional brown cheese (brunost). Add snow settling outside, and suddenly staying awhile seems like a very good idea.
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Cross-Country Skiing in Skåbu, Norway
Our guides have the inside track on all the best trails in this little known area
3. Sámi Stories, Saunas and Log Cabins, Sweden
Hygge takes many forms in Sápmi. On our Swedish Lapland Winter Adventure, travel 125mi (200km) above the Arctic Circle to Sápmi (Lapland), where frozen rivers and vast forests set the scene for a week spent embracing winter.
You get the opportunity to meet a Sámi reindeer-herding family and travel by foot and traditional reindeer sled to their kata (Sámi shelter), where you help feed the herd.
Inside, the fire is lit, and lunch and hot coffee are shared as you spend a couple of hours together, hearing firsthand about life and work as reindeer herders, Sámi culture and the complex challenges the community faces today. It’s a rare chance to move beyond simply seeing reindeer to spend meaningful time with the people whose lives and livelihoods are closely connected to them.
Later, a two-day forest ski expedition leads across frozen lakes and pine-clad hills to a remote log cabin, traditionally used by forest workers.
Everyone pitches in to prepare dinner, using water collected from the frozen river, while log burners warm the cabin. There’s even the option of a sauna before bed – unless, of course, the Northern Lights give you a reason to stay up a little longer.
Discover the full itinerary:
Swedish Lapland Winter Adventure
Discover Europe's last remaining wilderness
4. Christmas Markets & Coffee Houses, Baltics
Follow the festive trail through five European capitals, where winter is embraced rather than endured. On our Winter in the Baltics, Helsinki & Stockholm adventure, you could browse handcrafted gifts beneath Tallinn’s medieval skyline, warm up with glögi in Helsinki’s historic Old Market Hall, and soak up the twinkling lights of Riga’s Christmas Market.
The Christmas spirit follows you from capital to capital, where one particularly sweet tradition awaits. In Estonia’s oldest coffee house, try your hand at an art stretching back centuries: marzipan painting.
Under the guidance of a professional, mix edible colours and carefully hand-paint your own marzipan figure, adding the finer details by brush, before settling in over coffee and sweet treats. Winter has rarely felt so inviting.
Discover the full itinerary:
Winter in the Baltics, Helsinki & Stockholm
Experience the magic of winter in five European capitals: Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm
5. Geothermal Pools and Kósí, Iceland
Iceland does winter cosiness particularly well. There’s even a word you’ll hear for that warm, snug feeling: kósí. And after days spent watching waterfalls thunder through frozen landscapes, exploring volcanic craters and tracing the wild coastline, you’ll understand the appeal.
On our Iceland Explorer trip, winter days are spent in the elements. Walk among the steaming mud pools and colourful geothermal landscapes around Lake Mývatn, watch icebergs drift through Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and, if the skies play along, keep an eye out for the Northern Lights after dark. All of which makes coming in from the cold feel rather good.
Perhaps the cosiest moment comes on the Troll Peninsula. Stop for an optional dip in the remote geothermal pool at Hofsós, where naturally heated waters overlook the mountains and Skagafjörður Bay.
With the cold Icelandic air on your face and the rest of you happily submerged in warm water, there’s little incentive to rush anywhere.
Discover the full itinerary:
Iceland Explorer
Discover Iceland's attractions and vast glaciers, fjords and coastline.
Hygge looks a little different for everyone. You might find yours roasting marshmallows outside with newfound friends, painting marzipan houses over steaming coffee, or sinking into geothermal waters beneath Icelandic skies.
Discover our winter holidays and see where a little winter hygge could take you.
