Holidays
Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure

2 reviews

Holidays

Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure

Finland

2 reviews

Available Departures: Jan, Feb, Mar

7 days from

US$1,505

without flights

View Dates & Prices

Winter

Guided Group

MODERATE

Snowshoe across the frozen lakes and forested ridges of the Hossa National Park on this one week winter holiday in East Finland

Trip Code: WSF

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays

4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays

7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays

10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

Section:

Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure

Highlights

Get ‘off the beaten track’ on a 3 day, baggage supported, cabin to cabin, snowshoe trek
Sleep in remote candle lit cabins; relax in lakeside saunas and try ice swimming
Explore the tranquil, snow covered, wild taiga (boreal forest)
Discover 4000 year old rock paintings

At a Glance

Group Size 1 to 12
5 days snowshoeing
Join In Kuusamo

Accommodation & Meals

All meals included
6 nights Cabin

Overview

With its serene boreal forest, frozen lakes, traditional saunas and cosy, snow-blanketed, cabins the Hossa National Park in Finland is the perfect place for an introductory snowshoe adventure. We begin with 3 nights at our comfortable cabin base, spending a few days getting used to walking with snowshoes, exploring the ice-covered lakes and searching out mysterious prehistoric rock paintings. Having mastered our snowshoeing technique we next head out on a 3 day journey travelling off trail, through an abundance of soft, powdery snow, between remote, candlelit, wilderness cabins. This is a chance to immerse yourself in the tranquillity of the nature in this remote and pristine part of Finland, and to unwind and leave behind the stresses of modern life. Each evening there will be a chance to warm up in a traditional Finnish sauna and, for the brave, there’s also the prospect of cooling down the traditional way post sauna - with a bit of ice swimming! With snowshoes and poles included and weekly, guaranteed, departures from January to March this fantastic holiday is a great introduction to snowshoeing and the ideal winter getaway.

Is this holiday for you?

This moderately graded winter holiday is an excellent introduction to snowshoeing. No previous experience is needed, but a reasonable level of fitness required. We will be trekking for around 6 hours a day on average, covering around 5-8km, over undulating terrain. The walking time includes a lunch stop of around 1 - 1.5hrs. It should be noted that snowshoeing is more tiring than walking, especially in deep powder. During our 3-day, circular, cabin to cabin, trek you will only be required to walk with a light day pack as your baggage will be transferred between accommodation for you. Accommodation throughout will be in remote cabins, some without modern facilities, but all with a warm and cosy atmosphere.

If snow conditions do not permit snow-shoeing on any of the routes, the group will follow an alternative winter hiking itinerary.

Why KE?

Join KE on this Finnish winter journey, which includes your snowshoes, poles, baggage transfers and all meals. All that is left for you to do is to enjoy the amazing scenery, charming cabin stays and traditional saunas.

Itinerary

Download Trip Notes

Day 1

Meet at Kuusamo Airport and transfer to our cabin base on the shores of Lake Jatkonjarvi. A single timed transfer is provided.

Show Details

The group will meet at Kuusamo Airport in the evening where our guide or representative will be waiting for us. Together we will make the 1hr transfer to our cabin base at Jatkonsalmi. We are now in the heart of the Hossa national park. The name 'Hossa' originates from the old Sami word 'Huossa' meaning "a place far away". Throughout the long winter months parts of this area become completely snowbound, accessible only by snowshoe, ski or sled. Our comfortable, isolated cabin, situated on the shore of peaceful Lake Jatkonjärvi, will be our base for the next three nights.

Accommodation

Cabin

Hide Details

Day 2

An introductory day snowshoeing to Lounatkoski Rapids.

Show Details

After taking breakfast it is time to put on our warm clothes and boots and venture out into the snow! Our guide will issue us with our snowshoes and poles and there will be a brief introduction on snowshoeing technique, which is easy to pick up. Our first day trip takes us out to Lounatkoski Rapids, once the fastest flowing rapids in Hossa. We will enjoy a picnic lunch around an open fire next to the rapids before snowshoeing back to the cabin across Jatkonvaara Hill. This evening, after our first full day of snowshoeing out in the cold, crisp air, you might want to take the opportunity to relax and warm yourself in the lakeside sauna.

Accommodation

Cabin

Meals

B L D

Time

6 hrs snowshoeing

Distance

7 KM

Hide Details

Day 3

Snowshoe to the prehistoric rock paintings at 'colour rock'.

Show Details

Today's snowshoe route will take us to see a piece of prehistoric Finnish history. We begin with a short car transfer before strapping on our snowshoes and heading out in search of 'Colour Rock' , on which we will find red and ochre coloured rock paintings, depicting scenes of hunting, that date back 4000 years. The rock paintings in the region also quite often depict a mysterious shamanistic human figure wearing antlers on its head. In the afternoon we return once more to our cabin on the shores of Lake Jatkonjarvi.

Accommodation

Cabin

Meals

B L D

Time

6 hrs snowshoeing

Distance

7 KM

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Day 4

The first day of our 3 day Snowshoe adventure. Walk through the taiga to our first wilderness cabin on the shores of Lake Iso-Valkeinen.

Show Details

Today in the first day of our circular 3 day snowshoe expedition, which will take us from cabin to cabin through the centre of the Hossa national park. Today's route follows the top of a ridge beween two frozen lakes, through the beautiful snow covered pine, spruce and birch forests known as 'taiga' or boreal forest. It is more likely that we will see more reindeer than people today. In the afternoon we reach the northern shore of Lake Iso-Valkeinen and our cabin for the night. Tonight's cabin has a traditional sauna, heated by wood fire; after a full day out in the snow, this could be the perfect time to fully embrace this Finnish tradition, complete with a invigorating roll in the snow to cool off between sauna sessions!

Accommodation

Cabin

Meals

B L D

Time

6 hrs snowshoeing

Distance

7 KM

Hide Details

Day 5

Snowshoe along the forest ridges and across frozen lakes to our last wilderness cabin.

Show Details

After breakfast we continue our circular journey following the ridge line through the Taiga, we will also cross more frozen lakes. The taiga is home to many animals and as we snowshoe through this winter wilderness we may be extremely lucky and spot some of the shy animals that call this area home. Elk, wolves, lynx, and hare can all be found here and we should hopefully be able to spot some tracks in the snow. Bears are also found in this region during the summer but will be safely tucked away hibernating at this time of year. Halfway along today's route we will stop to take our picnic lunch around an open fire, at a small shelter next to a river rapid. In the mid-afternoon we will arrive at the last or our wilderness cabins, named Huosiusjarvi and likoski and situated about 100 metres from each other.

Accommodation

Cabin

Meals

B L D

Time

6 - 7 hrs snowshoeing

Distance

8 KM

Hide Details

Day 6

Snowshoe out to the Hossa Visitor Centre. Overnight at our cabin base at Lake Jatkonjarvi.

Show Details

The last day of snowshoeing takes us back to our start point. We walk out through the forest until we reach the Hossa Visitor Centre where we will have lunch. It is also possible to visit the souvenir shop. We head back to our cabin base at Lake Jatkonjarvi where we have some free time to relax and pack our bags. We should have time for a final sauna, maybe with ice-swimming and then enjoy our last night together over a farewell dinner.

Accommodation

Cabin

Meals

B L D

Time

4 hrs snowshoeing

Distance

5 KM

Hide Details

Day 7

Departure day.

Show Details

We spend a last morning relaxing or exploring around the cabin before transferring back to Kusaamo airport in time for our flight home. A single timed transfer to Kusaamo airport will be provided.

Meals

Hide Details

Download Trip Notes

The Route

Point

Direction

Snowshoe

Transfer

Essential Information

We've compiled some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you learn more about this amazing trip.

Holiday

General

Equipment

What's Included

A professional and qualified tour leader
Snowshoes and poles
Single timed airport transfers on arrival & departure
All accommodation as described
All meals
All land transport required by the itinerary
All activities/excursions/entrance fees mentioned except where specified as ‘optional’

What's not Included

Travel Insurance
Optional extra activities
Miscellaneous expenses - souvenirs and drinks etc.

Joining Arrangements & Transfers

The group will transfer together from Kuusamo Airport to our cabin accommodation on the evening of Day 1 of the Land Only itinerary.

The transfer is timed to coincide with the arrival of the Finnair flight from London Heathrow Airport.

On the last day of the Land Only itinerary, there will be a single transfer back to Kuusamo Airport timed for the check in of the early afternoon return Finnair flight to London.

Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation.

Meal Plan

All meals are included in the holiday price.

Food & Water

Water from the taps is perfectly drinkable on this holiday - please use this to fill your personal bottles for your daily activities. We do not encourage the purchase of single-use plastic bottles.

Breakfast is usually served around 8am and will be taken at the cabins and will consist of bread, cheese, ham, porridge, muesli, yoghurt, coffee and tea. Lunch will be served around midday and will be taken seated around a fireplace on the route and will consist of warm soup, bread, ham, cheese, sausages, coffee, tea and chocolate / biscuits. Dinner is the main meal of the day and will again be served at the cabin by our guide around 7/8pm. There is usually meat or fish, vegetables, fresh salad, bread and dessert. We will usually enjoy a hot drink and snack on returning to the cabin each day, but during the snowshoeing days there is no other food served except the lunch, so it’s recommended to bring some of your own favourite snacks (chocolate, muesli bars etc.) from home. You will be able to make your own hot drinks at the cabins. Beer (2€ per can) and wine (10€ per bottle) is available to purchase.

Special meals are available on request. Please inform any your dietary requirements at the time of booking. Meals are carefully planned ahead of time and it is possible to cater for most dietary requirements if informed in advance.

Accommodation

We will spend 4 nights at a comfortable, spacious, lakeside cabin base, with multiple bedrooms and a separate dining room and kitchen. The cabin base is centrally heated. Accommodation here will be in bunked rooms, either twin share or in segregated rooms of up to 3. At the base cabin we will have shared shower/bathroom/toilet facilities.

During our 2 night expedition we will stay in smaller, cosy, wilderness cabins, with no electricity and heated by wood stoves. At the wilderness cabins we will sleep in non-segregated bunked rooms of up to 4 people. The toilets are in a separate building. Though showers are not available at the wilderness cabins (all water must be fetched from the well!), it will be possible to wash in the sauna. Though the bathroom facilities can appear basic, overnighting in the heart of the wilderness and staying in a traditional forest cabin, more than makes up for the lack of hotel facilities.

FINNISH SAUNA
Saunas are a way of life in Finland.The sauna is considered to be a holy place where both body and soul are washed. We will have the opportunity to enjoy a sauna every evening during the tour, except on arrival night.

At the cabin base we will have use of a separate electric sauna, shared with another nearby cabin. At the wilderness cabins there will be either a small wood-fired sauna attached to the cabin or in a separate building nearby. The guide will arrange 'sauna shifts', with separate times for each cabin, and separate times for male/female. Depending on demand it may be possible to arrange shorter private sauna sessions / washing time.

Finnish people traditionally don't sauna in mixed groups or wearing towels/swimming suits. As we will have exclusive use of the sauna during our designated shifts, if you would prefer not to fully embrace this tradition, it will be acceptable to wear swimwear or a towel.

Group Leader & Support Staff

The group will be led by a professional and qualified tour leader.

Spending Money

Approximately €100 per person should be allowed for tips, soft drinks, and miscellaneous expenses. There is no currency exchange or ATM as Kuusamo airport and there will be no possibility to withdraw/exchange money on leaving Kuusamo. You should the opportunity to exchange money if transitting through Helsinki Airport. There is little opportunity for spending money on this tour and all meals are included. There are small souvenir shops at the Hossa Visitor Centre and at the Reindeer Farm which both accept credit cards, cash will only be needed for tips and for soft drinks/alcohol etc... beer (2€ per can) and wine (10€ per bottle) is available to purchase at the cabins.

Guidance on Tipping

Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ to your leader. Tipping is entirely voluntary and should be dependent on good service. We recommend that you decide levels of tipping and give any tips as a group rather than from individual group members.

Baggage Allowance

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage and a daypack. Whilst on our 3-day hut to hut trek we will be given smaller bags in which to pack the luggage we need for our overnight stays, these bags will then be transported between huts for us so we only have to carry a daypack each day. Any additional luggage can be left at our cabin base. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline.

Group Size & Holiday Status

For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in the ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements.

Group Members

We sell this holiday in conjunction with our local operator in Finland. This enables us to gather together sufficient numbers of like-minded adventurers to get the holiday up and running quickly. For this holiday the minimum age is 14 yrs, however it is unusual to have people under 16yrs.

Passport & Visas

Europe

Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:

less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)
valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

For the latest details on visiting countries within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA), please check the UK Government website

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

Health & Vaccinations

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

VACCINATIONS

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. A good online resource is Travel Health Pro.

Currency

The currency for part or all of this holiday is the Euro.

Preparing for your Holiday

Getting some additional exercise before coming on an active holiday makes a lot of sense. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience.

You should be aerobically fit and comfortable with walking 3 to 6 hours for consecutive days. Hill walking, running, cycling and swimming are good for developing cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

Climate

In January, February and March day time temperatures vary between -5^oC to -20^oC. Cloudy skies, sunshine, cold winds and snowfall are all possible, so you should be prepared for all eventualities.

Travel Aware

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

Single Use Plastic

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

Travel Insurance

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation. When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct. Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Explore International

This holiday is part of our Explore International range. Participants on these trips can book through KE or through one of our international partners. This helps us to gather together sufficient numbers of like-minded adventurers to get your holiday up and running quickly. Led by an English-speaking guide, the cosmopolitan nature of these groups can be an important part of the experience!

Equipment List

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

YOU SHOULD BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

Waterproof hiking boots / snowboots*
Gaiters
Trainers or similar (for evenings at the cabin)
Warm woollen socks
Regular socks
Warm and windproof trousers and/or ski trousers, salopettes
Waterproof and windproof jacket
Daypack of approximately 20-30 litres capacity
Thermal baselayer - leggings
Thermal baselayer shirts - long sleeve
T-shirts / casual shirt
Underwear
Fleece jacket or warm jumper
Warm jacket (down)
Warm and waterproof gloves or mittens
Head torch and batteries
Warm Hat (also see provided items)
Emergency whistle
Survival blanket/bag
Buff/Balaclava (to protect face from wind/cold)
Sunglasses with side protection
Daypack 30 litres
Sun protection (including for lips)
Water bottle (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)
Thermos flask
Washbag and toiletries
Basic First Aid Kit consisting of the following: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters, blister treatment and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). Glucose tablets and multi-vitamin tablets are also a good idea.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL:

Warm jacket e.g. down
Ski goggles (useful if weather bad)
Antibacterial hand wash
Camera
Swim wear (for ice swimming)
Neoprene boots (for ice swimming)
Travel towel (bath towels are provided)
Sleeping bag liner (for use in wilderness cabins)
Slippers (for use in the wilderness cabins)
Pen-knife (remember to put all sharp objects in hold baggage)
Earplugs (especially if you are not the one snoring!)
Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS are Provided:

Snowshoes and Poles (if you wish to take your own walking poles, make sure that they have snow baskets fitted.)
Bed linen at base cabin
Sleeping bags and warm liners at wilderness cabins

NOTE:

The shoes worn for snowshoeing should be warm/waterproof, with a thick sole, and there should be enough space for you to wear woollen socks.

*Sorel/Kamik winter boots are available for hire. Please inform us your shoe size in advance, if you wish to hire boots.

Recommended Outdoor Retailers

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews

Enjoyable holiday ★★★★★

I enjoyed this holiday. It wasn't massively strenuous, so it should be within the capabilities of any adequately fit walker. This isn't a mountain holiday - the terrain is reasonably flat, basically snowshoeing through the forest (including low ridges between the various lakes) and over the frozen lakes (50 cm thick ice). As it's in the forest so there aren't any major views, but it's a different (and nice) experience from snowshoeing in the mountains, and given the nort herly latitude there was plenty of snow. Bear in mind that it could be very cold (it was below -10 C on some days on my trip) so definitely bring the recommended cold weather clothing. As discussed in the trip notes, there were people there from several different European counties who'd booked with various tour companies. But English was the only common language, and all the guiding was in English. The main cabin has hot water, electricity and Wi-Fi and was quite comfortable. The two cabins on the three day trip had no electricity but and were more basic but were still reasonably comfortable - albeit rather cold until the log stoves heated them up. Saunas are available on all days - they didn't do a lot for me but other people really enjoyed them. I'd also recommend taking an extra day before or after to look round Helsinki - easily done as you need to change flights in Helsinki anyway (if flying from the UK).

By Michael from GLOUCESTER | 28 March 2022

Forests and frozen lakes ★★★★

This is a great introduction to snowshoeing, largely flat trails and relatively short days. I'd done snowshoeing trips in the mountains and this is very different, the scenery is less dramatic, all forests and great expanses of whiteness. Crossing the frozen lakes and having lunch round a fire, surrounded by three feet of snow were all great new experiences.

The group is very international, only three British people on our trip, though all the others spoke excellent English a nd we spent a lot of time translating the names of obscure wildlife into French, German and Spanish.

The guide was great, very knowledgeable, laid back and able to cope with a very varied group. The food was good solid winter nourishment though we didn't see a fruit or vegetable all week. the wilderness cabins were not that remote, the food was delivered by car, they were pretty well equipped but you do have to be able to cope with no electricity and running water.

Overall it was a great trip and Finland is a really worthwhile winter destination.

By Fiona from Barnet | 18 March 2020

4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews

Enjoyable holiday

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

By Michael from GLOUCESTER | 28 March 2022

Forests and frozen lakes

★ ★ ★ ★

By Fiona from Barnet | 18 March 2020

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Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure
With Flights

Without Flights
Departure Reference: WSF /08/25/
This trip departs the UK on Sun 23 Mar returning to the UK on Sat 29 Mar

This trip begins on Sun 23 Mar and ends on Sat 29 Mar
This departure is guaranteed. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$350
Download Trip Notes

Land Only Information

The LAND ONLY dates and prices are for the itinerary joining in Kuusamo. Single timed transfer to/from Kuusamo Airport to our cabin base are provided.

BOOK WITH KE CONFIDENCE - No surcharge guarantee

The price of our holidays can change depending on a variety of factors but unlike some other tour operators, KE have undertaken to guarantee the Land Only price of your holiday will not change after you have booked. The price when you book is the price you will pay, whether you are booking for this year or the next. Book early to avoid any tour price increases, get the best flight prices and take advantage of our 'No Surcharge Guarantee'.

KE Adventure is a fully bonded tour operator. We hold an ATOL license (No: 2808) and are bonded with ABTA (Membership No: W4341)

Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure

Holiday Grades

Our Holiday Grades Explained

1 - 3 LEISURELY

4 - 6 MODERATE

7 - 9 CHALLENGING

10 - 12 TOUGH

Finland Wilderness Snowshoe Adventure

Highlights

At a Glance

Accommodation & Meals

Overview

Is this holiday for you?

Why KE?

Itinerary

The Route

Essential Information

VACCINATIONS

YOU SHOULD BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL:

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS are Provided:

NOTE:

Reviews

Traveller Reviews

Enjoyable holiday

Forests and frozen lakes

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DATES & PRICES

2025

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Land Only Information

Flight Inclusive Information

BOOK WITH KE CONFIDENCE - No surcharge guarantee

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