Description »
Stunning Arctic landscapes to explore by day, comfort and sauna by night
Winter 2025: We strongly recommend booking immediately if you wish to travel next winter, as the majority of tour dates are often fully booked well in advance.
Syöte is Finland's southernmost fell region, located just south of the Arctic Circle, and receives the highest snowfall in the whole country. Led by experienced local guide, Snowshoeing in the National Parks of Southern Lapland will bring you out into the varied and beautiful landscapes of the Arctic.
Snowshoeing is simply a wonderful way to experience the beauty of winter in Finnish Lapland, allowing access to the wilderness even when the snow lies fresh and deep. The silence of Lapland will envelop you while the crystal clear, pure air fills your lungs and the magic of the winter world around you fills your heart.

When snow conditions are right, "candle trees" create an other-worldly landscape for your adventure. Photo: HT.
A snowshoe tour is not for "eating up the miles", but for taking time to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and tranquility of where you are. Daily snowshoeing distances are around 8-11km, usually with 6-8 hours "out" each day and lunch outdoors around open fire. Snowshoe equipment is included and there is also the option to hire winter boots and winter clothing if you do not have your own.
In the evenings, you return to your comfortable accommodation for dinner, sauna and relaxation, with good chances that the Northern Lights will offer some extra evening entertainment.

With luck, the night sky may well dance with the Northern Lights during your time in the Arctic. Photo: HT.
Iconic Lapland landscapes and a taste of local life
If you're used to hiking, you will take easily to snowshoeing. No previous snowshoeing experience is required for the tour. From your base at comfortable cabin or hotel accommodation, you will head out each day to discover some of the jewels of southern Lapland:
- Syöte National Park, with its old-growth forest and magnificent views over the surrounding wilderness.
- Rissitunturi National Park, a photographer's paradise famed for its magical "candle tree" landscapes in winter.
- Kaunislampi, the "Beautiful Pond", a protected wilderness area formed by retreating glaciers.
- You will also visit two local farms for a taste of life past and present in this remote region.

Elevated areas offer glorious views of a winter wilderness stretching to the horizon. Photo: HT.
Choice of comfortable cabin or hotel accommodation, with sauna each night
Snowshoeing in the National Parks of Southern Lapland offers two accommodation options as your base for the tour:
- Option 1 (Cabin): A large, modern cabin sleeping up to 16 persons in 8 x 2-person rooms, with social/dining area, sauna and shared bathroom facilities. Meals are taken together with the other members of your group staying at the cabin.
- Option 2 (Hotel): For extra comfort, this option offers 2-person rooms with en-suite facilities. The hotel has gym and sauna and breakfast buffet and dinner is served in the restaurant.
The two accommodation locations are approx. 5km apart. Guests staying at the hotel will be transferred to/from there in connection with each day's snowshoeing. Whichever you choose, sauna is available each night (this is Finland after all!).

Comfortable cabin is the standard accommodation option for the tour, with upgrade to hotel available for extra luxury! Photo: HT.
Join a public tour or arrange a private experience with friends
Scheduled tours are offered between February and March and are ideal for solo travellers, couples or guests travelling with friends. Private tours for groups of 4-16 persons can also be offered on other dates from January to March by arrangement.
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Itinerary »
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive to Oulu airport or train station, from where transfer to your accommodation (approx. 2 hours) is included.
Transfers will meet Finnair flight AY455 arriving Oulu 17.25. If you arrive with an earlier flight, you are welcome to wait at the airport (which is very small) or travel into Oulu town to spend time there before pick-up.
Guests arriving by train or bus to Oulu should arrive by latest 17.30 for pick-up from Oulu town. Guests may need to wait a while in Oulu before pick-up depending on transfer schedules.
You'll have an introductory meeting for the week ahead, discussing equipment, the proposed routes, and safety in winter conditions in the Arctic, and have dinner together.
Sauna is available to relax after your journey, before retiring for your first night in Lapland.
Day 2: Romevaara Fell
Your first day of snowshoeing in Finnish Lapland begins from the cabin accommodation, taking you through old-growth spruce forest on an undulating route to reach the lunch shelter at the frozen lake of Kellarilampi. After lunch, you continue up towards Romemaara Fell, where Syöte National Park spreads out beneath you.
After an afternoon stop at Riihitupa hut, the last part of the day takes you across the frozen bog back to the cabin, where sauna and dinner await.
Distance: 11km, approx. 7 hours (with breaks).
Day 3: Syöte National Park and Visitor Centre
After breakfast, a transfer brings you to the National Park visitor centre to see the exhibition there. Then it's time to put on your snowshoes to begin the day's hike in the Teerivaara area. You'll stop at a suitable spot for lunch around open fire, continuing to the Annintupa wilderness hut for some stories from the area before making your way back towards the visitor centre.
There will be a short mindfulness exercise for the group in the evening before dinner, sauna and relaxation at your accommodation.
Distance: 8km, approx. 7 hours.
Day 4: To the North-East of Syöte National Park
Today you are transferred to the north-east section of Syöte National Park - one of southern Lapland's largest areas of untouched wilderness.
Your tour today takes you through ancient forest to the highest point in the area at Tunturivaara, a truly beautiful spot. You continue along the hills before making your way down from the side of the ridge to the wilderness shelter at Vattukuru gorge. The afternoon brings you back to the transport vehicle and home for dinner and sauna.
Distance: 19km, approx. 8 hours.
Day 5: Riisintunturi National Park
A 1.5-hour transfer today brings you to Posio, with a visit to a local cow farm to meet the farmer and experience a little of what it's like to farm here in the Arctic. You will also make a stop at the world's northernmost ceramic factory, Pentik.
You then reach Riisitunturi National Park, a real Arctic experience where conditions can be exposed. Your path takes you up to the hills and across a large frozen lake.
You climb to Riisitunturi fell - depending on the time of year, the tour will normally be timed to do the hike at dusk (afternoon/evening), as this is an ideal spot to see the Northern Lights if there is activity (headtorches will be provided). Riisitunturi is well-known among photographers for its landscapes and especially for the "candle trees" in wintertime.
Returning to the car for transfer to your accommodation for dinner and sauna.
Distance: 9km, approx. 8 hours.
Day 6: Rytivaara
After an early breakfast, today you visit Rytivaara Crown Forest Farm, which dates back to the 19th century and is a real time capsule, transporting you back to see what life was like for small farmers in this remote region in the past.
Your snowshoeing route today takes you through varied terrain, with some ups and downs, and during the hike you'll hear many stories of life from the area. At the end of the route, you have transfer back to your accommodation for sauna and dinner.
Distance: 10km, approx. 6 hours
Day 7: Kaunislampi
A 1-hour transfer brings you to Kaunislampi, a protected wilderness area just outside the National Park boundary. The landscape here was formed by retreating glaciers more than 9,000 years ago, when the melting ice raised the sea level so that only the tips of the fells were above water.
Lunch is at a wooden shelter by Kaunislampi pond, before a short hike back to the vehicle to return for your last evening sauna and dinner at your accommodation.
Distance: 8km, approx. 4 hours
Day 8: Departure
Breakfast and departure transfer to Oulu airport or train station for onward travel.
Transfers will meet Finnair flight AY436 departing Oulu 11.20. If you depart with a later flight, you are welcome to wait at the airport (which is very small) or travel into Oulu town to spend time there.
Guests departing by train or bus from Oulu should plan for departure time similar to the departure flight at 11.20.
Dates & Prices»
Dates 2025
Public tours run Saturday-Saturday from mid-February to mid-March.
- February: 01.02-08.02.25, 15.02-22.02.25, 22.02-01.03.25
- March: 01.03-08.03.25, 08.03-15.03.25
Private tours for groups on other dates are also possible at standard prices (except for special dates such as Christmas and New Year) based on min. 4 persons, dates on request between 1st December and early April. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Prices 2025
Standard Prices | |
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Option 1 (Cabin)/person (based on 2 persons sharing) | GBP |
Option 2 (Hotel)/person (based on 2 persons sharing) | GBP |
Single occupancy supplement/person (optional*) | GBP |
*Solo travellers or odd-numbered person in group: Accommodation is in shared rooms as standard. Single supplement is not required for solo travellers but is available to choose if you wish to guarantee private room. Please specify on booking if required.
Optional Extras (see description below) | |
---|---|
Winter clothing package/person (jacket, trousers, mittens, hat, boots) | EUR (pay locally) |
Winter boots only/person | EUR (pay locally) |
Northern Lights search by car/person | EUR (pay locally) |
- Winter clothing package: Includes winter boots (for snowshoeing and general use during the tour), outer jacket, trousers, mittens and hat. Please give sizes in advance.
- Winter boots only: If you have suitable clothing but do not have boots for snowshoeing, winter boots are available to hire separately. Please give sizes in advance.
- Northern Lights search by car: Your snowshoe tour gives very good chances to see the Northern Lights in the evenings at the accommodation. A Northern Lights tour by vehicle is also available to book. A vehicle tour can take you to areas with clear skies within driving distance if conditions are cloudy locally, increasing your chances of seeing a display.
What's Included »
Included
Accommodation:
- Option 1 (Cabin): Shared 2-person rooms in large log cabin. The cabin has modern facilities with total 8 x 2-person rooms (5 with twin beds, 3 with bunk beds), spacious common room for dining and socialising, three bathrooms, dressing room, and sauna with terrace. Solo travellers or odd-numbered person in group will share with other same-gender participant unless solo occupancy supplement has been requested.

Cabin accommodation with example rooms (inc. floorplan). Photos: HT.
- Option 2 (Hotel): Shared 2-person twin or double rooms with en-suite WC/shower. Breakfast buffet and dinner is served in the hotel restaurant (except Day 1, when the group has welcome dinner together at the cabin). Gym and sauna facilities. Solo travellers or odd-numbered person in group will share with other same-gender participant unless solo occupancy supplement has been requested.

Hotel accommodation with example rooms. Photos: HT.
Meals:
All meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8. Lunches during each day's snowshoeing are taken on the trail, normally at a wind shelter or around open fire.
You may wish to bring own energy bars, etc, for additional snacks during the day.
Guide:
Experienced and knowledgeable local guide(s).
Equipment:
Snowshoes and poles (boots for snowshoeing and general use during the tour are available to hire as optional extra if required).
Transfers:
- Return transfer between Oulu airport or train station and your accommodation on arrival/departure day at fixed times as per itinerary.
- Local transfers as required for each day's snowshoeing as per itinerary.
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.
- Winter boots and winter clothing. Guests should normally bring own winter boots suitable for snowshoeing, but these are also available to hire on request if required.
- Alcoholic drinks.
Good To Know »
Required
Health requirements/experience:
Suitable for adults or older children (min. age 14 with suitable fitness). No previous snowshoeing experience is required, but you should be used to hiking in summertime and have general good level of fitness.
Terrain is varied and will include forest, frozen lakes and more exposed landscapes, with some steady uphill and downhill sections. You will typically be "out" for around 6-8 hours per day, including regular breaks, with daily snowshoeing distances around 8-11km as per itinerary.
What makes this "Medium"?
Accommodation is in comfortable cabin or hotel with modern facilities on all nights of the tour. When snowshoeing, you will need to carry with you only personal items for the day (packed lunch, thermos, extra clothing layers).
The terrain is varied with some ups and downs, and snowshoeing can be physically demanding. Daily distances are relatively short and the emphasis is on enjoying the experience, with plenty of rest stops. Weather and temperature conditions in the Arctic can be very changeable and you will be snowshoeing in exposed terrain at times.
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:
Scheduled tours required a minimum of total 4 persons to be confirmed to run. You are of course welcome to book as a solo traveller.
Groups
Max. group size 16 persons. This experience is suitable for private groups (at standard per person prices based on min. 4 persons, except for special dates such as Christmas or New year). Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Eco Info
This provider has a written ecotourism policy.
Getting There »
Getting There
See below for a summary of travel options. To learn more about how to travel to this experience, please get in touch!
Detailed information on travel will be provided in response to your enquiry. We are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey.
NB: Please ensure that you make a booking with us first and wait for confirmation that your spaces are reserved before making any travel arrangements.
Travel Summary:
By Air:
Fly to Helsinki for onward travel to Oulu by domestic flight (1 hour), day train (6 hours) or night train (9 hours) to Oulu. Transfers between Oulu and the start/end point (2 hours) are included at fixed times.
Without Flying:
Train from UK to Stockholm (Sweden) for ferry to Helsinki and onward train to Oulu.