Feel the crisp, fresh air on your face, immerse yourself in the tranquility of the vast Finnish wilderness and set off on adrenalin-fuelled winter activities – this is what our winter family holidays are all about.
Winter in Finland is utterly magical and a destination that children will love. At night time, cosy wooden cabins shed soft light over Oulanka National Park, where vast forest landscapes are blanketed in snow and punctuated by frozen ice-blue lakes. You can discover this Narnia-esque paradise on a snowshoeing tour or hone your skiing skills and glide across the icy landscapes. Adding even more excitement to your family tour, a dogsledding adventure with your own pack of huskies will take you over frozen lakes and through snow-drenched forests that make up this enchanting winter wonderland.
Snowmobiling is a fabulous winter activity for the thrill seekers of the family, and it allows you to cover more distance across the wilderness. But if you prefer something with a more relaxed pace, visit a traditional reindeer farm, meet the animals and enjoy a reindeer sleigh ride.
Finland is a great destination for going in search of the Northern Lights as its dark night skies and arctic location provide the perfect canvas for them to perform their mesmerising dance. The best times to see the Northern Lights in Finland are between the months of October and February and you’ll need to head out to where there is no pollution from artificial lights. Although sightings can’t be guaranteed, if you are fortunate enough to see the Aurora Borealis, you’ll be captivated by their beauty.
We have a dedicated winter family trip to Finland, so everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy the wintery wonderland.
Snowshoeing: Traversing the Arctic wilderness on snowshoes is one of the easiest ways to get around when there’s deep snow on the ground. You’ll be given instructions on how to walk in snowshoes before you head across remote landscapes, past icy rivers and forests. There’s something very therapeutic about exploring the land at a slower pace as you have more time to absorb the sights, sounds and smells of the scenery around, noticing things that you might miss when zipping along on a snowmobile. Expert guides will be on hand to steer you to the most picturesque places and teach you about the local wildlife.
Dogsledding: Anyone who loves dogs will love a dogsledding adventure. As well as meeting the dogs at a local husky farm, you’ll also enjoy an exhilarating dogsledding tour. You’ll be given tuition on how to drive the sled before embarking on a wilderness adventure with your own team of huskies. While the parents steer, the children can sit back and enjoy the scenery from the inside the sled. Riisitunturi National Park in Finnish Lapland is a beautiful area for exploring on a husky tour where you can put your mushing skills to the test.
Cross-country Skiing: A fun and easy way to explore the winter scenery, cross-country skiing is suitable for all ages and is a great activity for all the family. The base of the skis is designed for travelling on deep snow, which is particularly useful when visiting Finland in the winter. A professional instructor will teach you how to use the skis and lead you on a guided tour of the surrounding landscape, through beautiful forests and along frozen lakes. Cross Juuma Lake and immerse yourself in the silent and picturesque scenery.
Northern Lights Tour: The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis as they are also referred to, are one of the greatest natural spectacles. The colourful light display is most often seen swirling across dark skies in countries that lie above the Arctic Circle, such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. During the winter months you can go on Northern Lights tours that are led by experienced guides who know the best places and times to see them. There is never any guarantee that you will see them as they are unpredictable, however, you can still enjoy exploring the Arctic wilderness on your winter holiday.
Snowmobiling: One of the fastest ways to travel across the thick snow and cover more ground is on a snowmobiling adventure. This is a thrilling experience for both adults and children as you glide over frozen rivers, through dense pine forests and across the vast wilderness. As you journey through remote wintry scenery you might even be lucky enough to witness the Northern Lights on your travels.
Meet the host
“Imagine thousands of hectares of forest and frozen lake, and in the very centre of it all, our lodge. There’s no secret to what makes this place so special. It’s nature in its purest form, a silent world that awaits your arrival. There is an energy that runs through this place, the river and trees, right into your body. Everything we do here is routed in the wilderness conservation. Totally removed from stresses and strains from every day life, our activities give guests a way to experience the natural world.”
Keijo Salenius is the founder of Basecamp Oulanka, the wilderness lodge where we stay on our family winter holidays in Finland