We know...
This is possibly one of the most exhilarating tours that we offer. If you’ve been on dog sled safari or snowmobiles before and were left pining for more, then this is the holiday for you, but it is not for the feint hearted.
You set off from Harriniva on powerful snowmobiles and head North for two days. You will spend full days on the snowmobiles and travel up to 200km a day. You will arrive at Kilpisjarvi and discover why the Finns themselves spend their April holidays in this region. The days are long, the scenery unbelievable, the snow deep and the sun will hopefully be shining.
You switch transport in Kilpis and head out onto the trail for two days in the wilderness with a team of huskies and you will spend the night either under canvas or in a wilderness cabin.
On your return to Kilpis you will head back south by snowmobile for the epic journey back to Harriniva.
You get long days, awe inspiring scenery and some serious adventures.
Suitable for
Anybody aged 18 years and over.
Day 1: Flights, Arrivals and Transfers
You will be greeted at Kittila Airport and transferred to Harriniva to enjoy a welcome meal before seeing your accommodation for the night, a wonderful cosy shared log cabin.
Day 2 - Snowmobile safari to Galdotieva (approximately 100km)
After breakfast you will meet with your guide and be issued with your cold weather clothing. Your guide will then introduce you to your snowmobile and give you a safety demonstration and full briefing on these 600cc machines.
You will head North and today you will travel about 100km. There will be a picnic lunch on the trail. Today’s route is remarkable as you can see the landscape changing from endless snowy forests to a more hilly and rugged terrain as you approach the Norwegian border.
You will overnight in cabins at Galdotieva Fell Centre and dinner will be served in the restaurant.
Day 3: Snowmobile to Kilpisjärvi
This morning the safari continues and you are led by your guide through the open, treeless mountain landscape. The scenery today is more dramatic then yesterday’s softer views. You will have lunch en route and in the evening you will reach the beautiful village of Kilpisjärvi, close to the three countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden) meeting point.
You will feel a real sense of achievement on arrival at your cabins as you will have completed a truly thrilling adventure to get here. The sauna and dinner await and you will spend the night in shared log cabins.
Day 4: Husky safari to a wilderness cabin
Today you switch the roar of an engine for the barking of the huskies, eager for you to all get out on the trail. Dog sledding may not be as fast as snowmobiling but the thrills are just as great and you get a sense of being much closer to the wilderness that surrounds you as you aren’t looking at it from behind a visor.
You will meet your team of 4-5 dogs, they’ll probably be making a racket in anticipation of the trail. As soon as you have had your safety briefing you are on your way, the only sound you will hear from the dogs is their paws on the snow. You will sleep in a wilderness cabin or if the weather conditions allow you may stay under canvas tonight after enjoying an evening meal cooked around an open fire.
Day 5: Husky safari to Kilpisjärvi
Once both yourself and the dogs have had breakfast and packed up ready to continue on the safari, you will begin to head back to Kilpisjärvi. By now you will have hopefully, gained the respect of your huskies and you will be able to notice a difference as they will be much more responsive to your commands. This means you have more time to relax, let them do the work and enjoy the beautiful scenery passing you by.
Day 6: Snowmobile along the Victoria Trail (approximately 200km)
Make sure you have a hearty breakfast this morning as you have a good day on the snowmobiles ahead of you! You will travel back to Harriniva today along the Victoria Trail which follows the Swedish border. You will travel approximately 200km; it’s an epic journey through breath taking scenery.
When you arrive back to the hotel, a well earned relaxing sauna and dinner will be waiting for you.
Day 7: Departure, transfers and flights
After breakfast you will transfer back to Kittila Airport for your return flights home.

Available

Limited places

On request
Harriniva Wilderness Hotel
Price per person based on 1 adult
|
Depart |
Adult |
Availability |
|
01/04/2012 |
£2175 |
|
|
18/04/2012 |
£2175 |
|
Pricing Notes
There is no single supplement on this trip!
Getting there
Manchester departures available on request (subject to availability and supplements will apply).
Tourism in Finnish Lapland has become the main income source of employment and income replacing traditional industries such as forestry.
Development from a period of extractive industry to an industrial society has come about quickly. In 1950 the largest part of Lapland’s inhabitants lived in rural areas and more than half the workforce worked in forestry and agriculture. Today 65 % of the workforce are in the service industry, 22 % in processing and 10 % in primary production.
This huge growth in tourism and service provision has been developed in conjunction with a long-term sustainable tourism plan with one of the primary objectives being to maintain nature in its natural state while guaranteeing the traditional way of life.
Much of this has been achieved along with membership of EU development programmes, aimed at diversifying sources of livelihood, effective usage of resources and to increase export.
Approximately a quarter of Lapland’s 100 000 strong workforce was unemployed in 1997. Promoting entrepreneurship, ongoing re-education of the workforce and development of the educational system to suit the needs of enterprises is continuing. The target is to diversify the sources of livelihood, increase the value of refinement production and develop new enterprises particularly in the area of tourism. National measures as well as EU-programme measures support this objective.
We embrace this philosophy, employing local activity providers and using only locally owned hotels. In this manner we help to maintain jobs in an area where unemployment was, until recently, very high. Additionally, the use of local suppliers ensures that the tourism spend filters through to local economies via the tourism multiplier effect.