Finland family winter adventure
| country: | Finland |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you between December and April |
| price: | From £775 - £845 (4 days) per adult, £475 - £520 per child (under 12 yrs) including flights from the UK, based on 2 adults & 2 children. Activities from £25 - £100 per adult. Please ask about upgrades, extra nights etc No age restriction |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Ruka and Kuusamo are the ideal destinations for combining Nordic activities with downhill skiing and snowboarding. You can drive a snowmobile across frozen lakes and snowy plains during the day and then take to the ski slopes until 7pm most evenings.
Tailormade winter holidays
Build your own winter holiday. One of the great attractions here is that you can combine the Nordic activities with some of the best alpine skiing in Scandinavia. You can also include a fabulous afternoon at Santa’s Winter Cottage, making cards, baking Christmas goodies and meeting the great man himself. Simply decide when you want to travel and for how long then match up your preferred accommodation with the activities.
Activities
Snowmobile safaris:Introduction to snowmobiling (15-20km) - learn the basics before setting off on a forest trail safari. Night snowmobile safari (30-40km) - head into the snow-covered forest; if you're lucky, see the Aurora Borealis. Snowmobile to a reindeer farm (20-30km) - meet local herders before a short reindeer-pulled sleigh ride. Snowmobile to a husky farm (30-40km) - meet the dogs, ride in a husky-pulled sled and sit around a campfire.
Ice fishing: Your fishing guides will help you drill through the ice before feeding your line into the cold water below. If you land a fish you can cook your catch over an open fire and you don’t get fresher than that! Warm drinks and a snack are included.
Snowshoeing: Try stepping onto deep snow before and after strapping on your snowshoes. The difference is remarkable, instead of sinking to your thighs in the white stuff you can walk comfortably across the thick carpet of snow.
Snow fun: This morning is spent in the forest trying out various winter sports including tobogganing, snowshoeing and a short snowmobile-pulled sleigh ride. Warm drinks (served by an elf no less) included.
Cross-country skiing: Many people try cross-country skiing once and find it becomes a lifelong passion. It’s remarkably easy to grasp the basics and with some expert tuition you should very quickly be confident enough to try skiing up and down some gentle slopes. The skis are yours for the rest of the day so why not follow some of the well marked trails during the afternoon?
Husky safari: You will meet the huskies and receive instruction on how to handle your sled before setting out on a 10 to 20km safari (distance depends on the quality of the trails and the local weather).
Reindeer farm and safari: After arriving at the farm you will meet a local herder who will tell you about the importance of these remarkable animals to the regional culture. The fun continues as you take the reins for a 5km reindeer-pulled sleigh ride. Reindeer driving licence, warm drink and locally made cookies included.
Santa's winter cottage: Santa lives in a beautiful lakeside cottage. We organise tobogganing on the snowy slopes before going indoors to meet Santa and his helpers. You will bake gingerbread and sweet buns and make cards before every child gets to chat with Santa and receives a small gift from their hero.
Accommodation
Choice of 3 accommodations. For easy access to the ski slopes try the Hotel Rantasipi Rukahovi or, for a more child friendly option, we recommend the Kuusamon Tropiikki.
Ruka - Hotel Rantasipi Rukahovi: The ideal choice for combining Nordic & Alpine activities and less than 50m to the ski centre, making all the facilities, bars and restaurants easily accessible. The hotel has 180 rooms, all of which have en-suite shower rooms, air-conditioning, TV, mini-bar, pay per view video channel, hair dryer and clothes drying cupboards. The hotel has two restaurants, 3 saunas (free to guests), bars and a sound-proofed basement night club. Apartments have a twin bedroom and a further bedroom with single upper and double lower bunk beds. It is also possible to sleep two more people on a sofa bed in the lounge. Each suite has a shower, sauna, separate WC, drying closet, balcony, an open-plan living/dining area with sofa, TV, DVD, CD player, free broadband dataport and full kitchen with 2-ring hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, kettle and coffee maker.
Kuusamo - Hotel Club Kuusamon Tropiikki: A winter oasis combining warmth, relaxation and comfort; the perfect retreat after a day of winter activities. The hotel has 142 comfortable rooms of a high standard. Each room has its own colour TV complete with satellite channels and minibar. Also included are bath towels and bathrobes, sandals and hairdryer. The hotel has superb spa and treatment facilities with saunas, jacuzzis, a sun cave and a great pool area. In addition, there is a ten pin bowling alley as well as tennis and badminton courts. You also have a choice of three restaurants: Café Piazza, The Mango Restaurant and the Sports Bar serving a huge range of dishes. Regular buses run from the hotel to Ruka’s ski slopes taking approximately 25 minutes each way.
Kuusamo - Sokos Hotel Kuusamo: Located in the centre of Kuusamo, a small town bordering the rugged, natural surroundings of the Oulanka National Park. The hotel is just 6km from the airport so there are no long transfers required once you arrive in Finland. The hotel has 179 comfortable en-suite bedrooms of which 153 are non smoking. For relaxation after a day in the sub-zero temperatures you can enjoy a swim in the pool before taking advantage of one of five saunas. Refreshed from your sauna and swim, there are plenty of dining options. The recently renovated Torera, a spanish style restaurant, offers grilled delicacies as well as Lappish specialities and a variety of tapas if you are in need of a snack. After dinner you can retire to the popular Olli’s Bar or dance the night away at the Hotku nightclub.
Please note that while there is no age restriction on this holiday, certain activities may have minimum age requirements. To drive a snowmobile you must be at least 15 years old with a valid driver’s licence. Children will travel in a sleigh behind the guide’s snowmobile. All snowmobile safaris include fuel, maintenance and insurance with a maximum personal liability of €505 and are based on 2 people sharing a machine.
Tailormade winter holidays
Build your own winter holiday. One of the great attractions here is that you can combine the Nordic activities with some of the best alpine skiing in Scandinavia. You can also include a fabulous afternoon at Santa’s Winter Cottage, making cards, baking Christmas goodies and meeting the great man himself. Simply decide when you want to travel and for how long then match up your preferred accommodation with the activities.
Activities
Snowmobile safaris:
Ice fishing: Your fishing guides will help you drill through the ice before feeding your line into the cold water below. If you land a fish you can cook your catch over an open fire and you don’t get fresher than that! Warm drinks and a snack are included.
Snowshoeing: Try stepping onto deep snow before and after strapping on your snowshoes. The difference is remarkable, instead of sinking to your thighs in the white stuff you can walk comfortably across the thick carpet of snow.
Snow fun: This morning is spent in the forest trying out various winter sports including tobogganing, snowshoeing and a short snowmobile-pulled sleigh ride. Warm drinks (served by an elf no less) included. Cross-country skiing: Many people try cross-country skiing once and find it becomes a lifelong passion. It’s remarkably easy to grasp the basics and with some expert tuition you should very quickly be confident enough to try skiing up and down some gentle slopes. The skis are yours for the rest of the day so why not follow some of the well marked trails during the afternoon?
Husky safari: You will meet the huskies and receive instruction on how to handle your sled before setting out on a 10 to 20km safari (distance depends on the quality of the trails and the local weather).
Reindeer farm and safari: After arriving at the farm you will meet a local herder who will tell you about the importance of these remarkable animals to the regional culture. The fun continues as you take the reins for a 5km reindeer-pulled sleigh ride. Reindeer driving licence, warm drink and locally made cookies included.
Santa's winter cottage: Santa lives in a beautiful lakeside cottage. We organise tobogganing on the snowy slopes before going indoors to meet Santa and his helpers. You will bake gingerbread and sweet buns and make cards before every child gets to chat with Santa and receives a small gift from their hero.
Accommodation
Choice of 3 accommodations. For easy access to the ski slopes try the Hotel Rantasipi Rukahovi or, for a more child friendly option, we recommend the Kuusamon Tropiikki.
Ruka - Hotel Rantasipi Rukahovi: The ideal choice for combining Nordic & Alpine activities and less than 50m to the ski centre, making all the facilities, bars and restaurants easily accessible. The hotel has 180 rooms, all of which have en-suite shower rooms, air-conditioning, TV, mini-bar, pay per view video channel, hair dryer and clothes drying cupboards. The hotel has two restaurants, 3 saunas (free to guests), bars and a sound-proofed basement night club. Apartments have a twin bedroom and a further bedroom with single upper and double lower bunk beds. It is also possible to sleep two more people on a sofa bed in the lounge. Each suite has a shower, sauna, separate WC, drying closet, balcony, an open-plan living/dining area with sofa, TV, DVD, CD player, free broadband dataport and full kitchen with 2-ring hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, kettle and coffee maker.
Kuusamo - Hotel Club Kuusamon Tropiikki: A winter oasis combining warmth, relaxation and comfort; the perfect retreat after a day of winter activities. The hotel has 142 comfortable rooms of a high standard. Each room has its own colour TV complete with satellite channels and minibar. Also included are bath towels and bathrobes, sandals and hairdryer. The hotel has superb spa and treatment facilities with saunas, jacuzzis, a sun cave and a great pool area. In addition, there is a ten pin bowling alley as well as tennis and badminton courts. You also have a choice of three restaurants: Café Piazza, The Mango Restaurant and the Sports Bar serving a huge range of dishes. Regular buses run from the hotel to Ruka’s ski slopes taking approximately 25 minutes each way.
Kuusamo - Sokos Hotel Kuusamo: Located in the centre of Kuusamo, a small town bordering the rugged, natural surroundings of the Oulanka National Park. The hotel is just 6km from the airport so there are no long transfers required once you arrive in Finland. The hotel has 179 comfortable en-suite bedrooms of which 153 are non smoking. For relaxation after a day in the sub-zero temperatures you can enjoy a swim in the pool before taking advantage of one of five saunas. Refreshed from your sauna and swim, there are plenty of dining options. The recently renovated Torera, a spanish style restaurant, offers grilled delicacies as well as Lappish specialities and a variety of tapas if you are in need of a snack. After dinner you can retire to the popular Olli’s Bar or dance the night away at the Hotku nightclub.
Please note that while there is no age restriction on this holiday, certain activities may have minimum age requirements. To drive a snowmobile you must be at least 15 years old with a valid driver’s licence. Children will travel in a sleigh behind the guide’s snowmobile. All snowmobile safaris include fuel, maintenance and insurance with a maximum personal liability of €505 and are based on 2 people sharing a machine.
travellers' tales
Best short break I have ever been on and superbly organised. FIVE STARS.....well done...top marks !! (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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The common objective of North East Finland, including the Kuusamo and Ruka municipalities, is to develop from nationally well-known tourist resorts into an internationally attractive outdoor tourist region. Tourism is the most vital industry in the area and gives work to about 1000 people generating an annual total tourist income of over 104 million.
 Tourism has a positive impact both socially and economically on people living in these remote areas. Local authorities, tourism organizations and tourism providers all work together in various fields, continuously developing programmes which will ensure that tourism in the region is managed sensibly and impacts positively on local communities and the environment. The philosophy in the region is to ensure that tourism providers use, to the greatest extent possible, local providers, be it for hotels, activities or employment and visitors are positively encouraged to try locally produced food and drink. Where activities such as snowmobiling may have a minor impact on the environment, such pastimes are carefully managed and are part of every day life in these parts. Trails are clearly defined and managed with tourists only allowed to drive snowmobiles under the close supervision of fully qualified instructors. We adopt the same philosophy in this region, using locally or Finnish owned hotels and activity partners based in Ruka or Kuusamo hence ensuring that the local community benefits. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |