Finnish Wilderness Week

Explore the remote snowy wilderness of Oulanka National Park with a chance to see the Northern Lights

In the heart of Finland’s Oulanka National Park is Basecamp Oulanka, a welcoming huddle of wooden lodges overlooking Juuma Lake. From here, explore one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe by snowshoe, ski and dog sled, including a nighttime snowshoe excursion in search of the Northern Lights. With all Arctic gear provided, plus winter wilderness experts by your side, you’ll feel completely at home in this remote, snowy wonderland.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

You’ll also find Thriving Nature, Thriving People moments across our trips. These experiences are often a highlight of your adventure, while also benefiting the natural world or local communities.

On this trip, we:

• Learn the ancient local art of quinzee building with the chance to sleep in your temporary shelter and immerse yourself in cultural heritage

This trip includes a few of our Citizen Science Departures. These special departures offer you the opportunity to be involved in the collection of freshwater samples during the trip. The environmental DNA information derived from this sample will contribute directly to the eBioAtlas; the world’s largest repository of flora and fauna species data, contributing to the conservation and restoration of biodiversity both locally and globally. To book onto one of these special departures, see the Dates & Prices tab. For more information on these departures and the eBioAtlas, click here.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Activities: This is a mixed-activity week with an excellent balance of guided activities and free time for independent exploration or relaxation. None of the activities require previous experience; however, a good level of fitness is needed to make the most of this adventure.

Provided equipment: Basecamp provides excellent kit for the conditions, with a layered system allowing you to keep warm and dry.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Finland

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Finland

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Finland. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/finland
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/finland
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/finland/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Finland.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, five lunches and seven evening meals are included.

The food at Basecamp is a delicious range of locally sourced (Finnish food) prepared by the in-house chef.

Starters consist of a salad buffet with three to four different choices. The main courses consist of wild game such as elk, chicken and salmon. Vegetarian options are also available. Dessert consists of lingonberries, blueberries and cloudberries, which have often been picked by the chefs. These berries are served with a selection of quark kurd, cream, ice cream, cakes and pancakes.

Lunch is normally a hot soup with elk, salmon or a vegetarian option.

If you have any dietary requirements, please inform your customer operations executive at the time of booking, so Basecamp can prepare. Vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free diets are easily catered for on this trip.

Weather

In the regions close to the Arctic Circle, temperatures during the season range from -30C to 5C (-22F to 41F). Christmas is normally the coldest (usually below -20C/-4), but the temperatures rise as the days lengthen, and early April can see temperatures around -10C to 5C (14F to 41F). Recent years have seen massive fluctuations in the space of a few weeks with lows of -40C (-40F) and highs of 7C (47F) just a few days apart. If the thought of such temperatures scares you, then think again. When dressed in the Arctic clothing provided, with insulated boots, woolly hat and large mittens, -20C (-4F) can feel very pleasant. The Arctic cold is a dry cold, there is usually no wind, and we will keep you active.

Daylight hours

At extreme latitudes, the days shorten and lengthen much faster. So, while in midwinter (December/January) the sun remains just below the horizon, by April there are more daylight hours than in the UK, and the midnight sun is only weeks away. Even in midwinter, it is not dark, as the sun is just above the horizon and there is plenty of light reflected off the snow.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are visible from September to late April on most clear nights at latitudes close to and above the Arctic Circle. They can be seen further south but will be less spectacular and less frequent. Solar activity is greater around the equinoxes (September and March), and at lower latitudes, this can be the best time to see them. At Basecamp, you need to have a clear window of weather with no clouds, and then your chances of seeing them are quite good as there is hardly any light pollution. With most Northern Lights tours starting from Arctic cities, you have to drive a bit of a distance to avoid the light pollution. The benefit of Basecamp is that, if the conditions are good, you just need to go outside and look up.