Northern Lights Hiking in Three Countries (Finland, Norway & Sweden)

Three Countries in Six Days

Beginning from the small settlement of Kilpisjärvi in Finland with a boat trip across the lake (payable locally), your hike will take you across the border into Norway and south into Sweden, before swinging east to complete a circular route and enter Finland once more.

The daily itinerary and route taken is flexible to a certain extent to take account of weather conditions and the ability of the group. The intention is to include at least one "peak tour" to one of the local summits. During the week you will be hiking at around 600-1000m above sea level.

The tour includes summiting one of the many peaks in the area for a real appreciation of the scale of the landscape. Photo: AWG.

Along the way you will be camping wild on all five nights of the tour. Wild camping adds a whole new dimension to any outdoor experience - the freedoms afforded by the Rights of Public Access in the Nordic countries are truly a privilege.

With such freedoms come a few challenges - you'll be carrying everything you need with you for your hiking tour on your back - personal clothing, provisions and a share of camping and other communal equipment - so should expect that your backpack will weigh around 15-20kg.

Camp wild each night during your tour for the ultimate "room with a view" - with the world to yourself! Photo: AWG.

While the hiking and terrain may be relatively demanding at times, daily distances are moderate, between 10-15km (covering around 70km in total over the course of the tour) and the tour is suitable for any adult participant with generally good fitness and experience of hiking with a backpack.

Tent, cooking equipment and provisions supplied

High-quality tents (shared one per two persons), cooking stove, fuel and utensils are all included. A provisions pack is provided (paid separately on arrival) for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.

You need only bring your backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, personal clothing, some extra snacks and of course your sense of adventure!

You'll be carrying everything you need with you during the tour, including camping equipment and food. Photo: AWG.

Seeing the Northern Lights in Autumn

Northern Lights Hiking in Three Countries takes place in mid-September, when the landscape is glowing with the rich tones of autumn, and, with luck, the skies are glowing with the Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights can be seen anytime when the skies are dark enough - provided there is activity, the skies are clear and you're not asleep of course!

After the long (for some weeks endless) daylight hours of Arctic summer, by early September the night skies are once again becoming dark enough for the Aurora to be visible. Camping far (very far!) away from light pollution gives you a wonderful vantage point from which to enjoy the show.

Included

• Camping equipment: Tent (shared one per two persons - solo travellers will share tent with other same gender participant or have solo tent if odd-numbered group), cooking stove and fuel, cooking and eating utensils. Tents are typically 2-person Fjällräven or Helsport, weight 2-2.5kg. NB: Sleeping bag, sleeping mat and provisions are not included (provisions are provided but paid locally - see under "Prices").
• Activities: 6 days' hiking as per itinerary.
• Guide: Services of experienced guide. The guide will carry emergency safety and communication equipment (normally InReach communicator and First Aid kit).

Not Included

• Travel: We do not arrange flights or domestic travel, but are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey. See under "Getting There" for general travel information.
• Food. A provisions pack is paid for locally on arrival (see under "Prices") and will provide provisions for breakfast, lunch and dinner (from dinner Day 1 to lunch Day 6). Participants should also bring own snacks, etc, for additional energy between meals. Please advise in advance if you have any special dietary requirements.
• Boat across Lake Kilpisjärvi on Day 1. Boat is payable locally, price €35/person.

Required

Health requirements/experience:

Suitable for adults (min. age 18 or min. 16 if travelling with an adult) with general good level of health, fitness and stamina who are used to multi-day hiking with a reasonably heavy backpack (typically 15-20kg/person) on mixed terrain for daily distances of 10-15km. Total distance covered over the week will be around 70km.

The tour features wild camping on all nights in shared 2-person tents. You should have previous camping experience and be used to living in close proximity with others.

You will be around 600-1000m above sea level for most of the week, starting at 470m and climbing to around 700m on the first day, after which the tour climbs gently to around 1000m then descends 500m to Rostadalen, followed by two more uphill sections up to 700-850m.

There are few steep ascents - terrain is mostly undulating and height gain/loss moderate - but if conditions are suitable, the tour will include at least one hike up to one of the peaks in the area. Terrain may be rocky or wet at times depending on conditions.

What makes this "Medium"?

The tour takes place in a remote area with mixed terrain, and the element of wild camping also adds to the level of challenge. You will be carrying all equipment with you for the full duration of the tour, so backpacks will be reasonably heavy.

However, daily distances are moderate, between 10-15km with total around 70km during the course of the tour, and the trail is generally good. The emphasis is on enjoying the beauty and remoteness of the area. There is a certain amount of flexibility to adjust the level of challenge depending on conditions and the ability of the group.

NB: Perception of difficulty is very subjective. What is hard to one person may be easy for another and vice versa, depending on factors including level of fitness, age and previous experience. Weather conditions/temperatures can also dramatically affect the actual level of challenge encountered.

Equipment/clothes needed:

For information on any equipment and/or clothing included as standard for this experience, please see under "What's Included".

A detailed recommended packing list for personal items to bring will be sent with your booking documentation.

NB: We advise you not to buy equipment or clothes for your trip or to incur other non-refundable expenses such as flights until you have received confirmation of your booking from us in writing. Note of course that the most appropriate clothing to use as well as the level of challenge experienced during any outdoor activity may vary significantly depending on factors such as the time of year and the particular weather/temperature conditions during your trip.

Preparing for your trip:

For further reading, we also have a number of general information articles to get you ready for your trip, covering a wide variety of topics from what to do on a city break before/after your tour, advice on packing, eyewear for winter and considerations for female travellers.

Minimum number:

This experience requires total minimum 4 persons to be confirmed to run. You are of course welcome to book as a solo traveller.

Groups

Max. group size for public tours 10 participants. This experience is also suitable as a private tour for groups. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Eco Info

This provider has a detailed written environmental policy.