We know...
Situated 230kms north of the Arctic Circle, this wilderness hotel combines Scandinavian style accommodation, the warmest of welcomes and a great range of activities designed to take you to the very heart of Lapland's winter wilderness.
You know...
“Wow, what an absolutely amazing experience! Well worth every single penny. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family. I would also recommend the time of year we went as perfect.
It was not too cold (max cold it got was -25. Normally was around -5 to -10 with about -16 wind chill factor when on the sleds), there was still plenty of snow (we were waste deep when we jumped in it) and the sun was out so we could really experience the fresh air.
The wilderness cabins let you experience life in a completely different way, and they are clean and cosy. I loved the saunas!
The dogs are friendly, and once you got to know them, there was always a cuddle available!
Our guide was Petri, and he always entertained us with stories, and his sense of humour is something we all missed as soon as we said goodbye to him once we were back at the main resort. He is also a very good cook!” Fiona Bain - March 2011
Suitable for
Suitable for anybody aged 16 years or over.
Duration: 6 or 7 nights
Day 1: Flights, arrival and introduction
On arrival at Kittila Airport you will be driven to the Wilderness Hotel for a welcome dinner.
Day 2 to 6: Five day husky safari
After breakfast you will meet with your guide for a full briefing on the days to come. Next you will meet with your huskies and will have full instruction on how to handle the sled, the dogs and all the equipment you will need.
After lunch it’s time to depart into one of Europe’s most pristine wildernesses. The huskies will pull your sled through the beautiful winter scenery close to the Pallas-Yllas National Park in North West Lapland. You will pass through forests, across fells and over frozen lakes and rivers covering between 25 and 40km per day depending on conditions and terrain.
The sound of paws on snow is the only noise to break the silence and you very quickly realise that you have well and truly left behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
You will stay in simple but cosy wilderness cabins with no showers, indoor WC or electricity. This is real wilderness accommodation, however, you can relax in some style. Hearty evening meals will be prepared on open fires by your guide. A wood heated sauna will be available - the Finns do wilderness well!
This far north there is a great chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis and with no light pollution in the sky we sometimes have to drag people back into the cabins if the Lights are showing.
Everybody takes care of their own dogs so you should be prepared to muck in and get your hands dirty. Breakfasts and dinners are prepared together and depending on local conditions, you will have lunches around warming fires out on the trail.
After lunch on Friday, the final leg of your wilderness journey takes you back to the relative civilisation of the Wilderness Hotel. It’s a sad farewell to the huskies but many clients find that the hot showers and saunas help them get over this quite quickly.
Day 7: Free day or departure (6 nights duration)
For those people travelling on dates which are 6 nights in duration it is time to say goodbye to Finland. For those staying 7 nights you can fill your free day with a range of additional activities (payable locally) or perhaps spend the night at Lainio Snow Village.
Day 8: Departure, transfer and flights (7 nights duration)
Available
Limited places
On request
Pricing Notes
Lainio Snow Village
Opening dates: Thursday 8 December 2011 until Sunday 8 April 2012.
Price includes: Overnight stay, transfers, dinner in the ice restaurant and cold weather clothing.
Getting there
Flights
Flights vary depending on departure date and are based on direct charter flights from Gatwick to Kittila except:
* 7 nights duration with scheduled flights from Heathrow to Kittila (via Helsinki).
** 6 nights duration with scheduled flights from Heathrow to Kittila (via Helsinki)
Manchester and Bristol departures subject to availability (supplements will apply).
Please note: Christmas, New Year and February half term dates are 6 nights due to unavailability of direct flights. We have to use more expensive scheduled flights via Helsinki which are unavailable for 7 night options.
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 is 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.