Find your perfect family holiday

All prices include: flights, transfers, accommodation, guided activities, cold weather clothing and guides; all as listed.
VISITING: Finland
BROCHURE CODE: 1917

Key facts

  • Duration:7 nights
  • Suitable for: Anybody aged 4 years or over (younger children may join the holiday, but may not be able to participate in all the activities). Please see terms for details
Download Holiday Overview Download Trip Notes

What's included?

  • Duration: 7 nights
  • Flights: return from London to Kuusamo (either direct or via Helsinki depending on departure date). Flight routes subject to change.
  • Transfers: return airport transfers
  • Accommodation: 7 nights accommodation in an apartment type A or B (upgrades available - supplements apply)
  • Meals: not included (your accommodation consists of a fully equipped kitchen and is within walking distance to shops and restaurants)
  • Activities: choose from our extensive range which is detailed in the ‘Activities’ section of the holiday page (activities are priced individually). The order of activities you select is subject to change. Fully qualified guides and instructors are present during activities
  • Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay

Ruka is located in the north of Kuusamo, a Finnish municipality that is renowned for its natural beauty and almost untouched wilderness. Ruka, one of the largest ski resorts in Finland, is among the country’s major holiday destinations, due to its excellent snow sports opportunities. This is a place that lies in the heart of excitement and adventure.

Ruka offers a number of activities for the family to enjoy, and you have complete control over your holiday as you can choose exactly what you would like your week to consist of. You can snowmobile or husky sled over the snowy fells, or relax in the saunas and Jacuzzis in Iisakki Village during an authentic sauna experience. Why not treat yourselves to a unique overnight stay in a cosy igloo that sits amongst the snow in Iisakki Village? There is something to suit every member of the family due to the diverse range of options available.

The holiday price includes seven nights in a private apartment and cold-weather clothing for the duration of your stay. Return flights and airport transfers are also included.

Please note that many activities require a minimum number of participants in order to run so all activities are subject to availability.


©Ruka Safaris,  Harri Tarvainen & Visit Finland
Show full agenda

Included in price


Other options


Special Nights

Igloo night

From: £175pp

Around 10 minutes from Ruka Centre lies Iisakki Village, where a selection of snow igloos provide a truly memorable night of accommodation.

Guests are transferred to this remote spot at around 7pm, and on arrival will enjoy a set three-course meal in the restaurant. Following dinner, you can check into your igloo. You will sleep on a bed made of ice which is covered with a mattress and cosy reindeer skins. The inside temperature is a constant -5C and you will be provided with a military grade sleeping bag to keep you warm during the night. There is a heated area for guests to use situated a short walk from the igloos and this contains the toilet facilities.

The next morning you will enjoy breakfast at the Iisakki before being transferred back to your accommodation in Ruka.

Trip Duration: Overnight stay

Available: Monday to Sunday at 7 pm (20 December to 30 March)

Personalise this tour


Our pick

  • Snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm

    This snowmobile safari will have you driving through beautiful forests and ice-covered lakes to an idyllic and private reindeer farm. Your trip will also consist of a short reindeer sleigh ride, the chance to feed the reindeer and learn about their lives in Finland. When you return with your reindeer you will receive a certificate and enjoy a hot drink, sausages and a sweet snack. The driver must be 18 years or older and hold a valid driving licence.

    Read more

    Overall, you will cover around 50km on your snowmobiles, with two people on each snowmobile and children below 140 cm travelling on a sled pulled by your guide.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Total duration: Approximately 4-5 hours
    Minimum age: 10 years (children below 140 cm will travel in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile)
    Available: Wednesday at 10am

    From £140 per adult
    From £94 per child

Other options

  • Snowmobile introduction

    This basic snowmobile safari introduces first-timers to the thrill of snowmobiling. Before you begin, your guide will give you a thorough safety briefing and introduction before you take to the snow. You will cover around 20km, with two people per snowmobile, driving through the stunning snowy forest scenery (driver must hold a full driving licence and be 18 years or older). Children below 140 cm will travel in a sled pulled by the guide.

    During the drive, you will stop for a break of coffee or tea and a sweet bun.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Minimum Age: 5 years (children below 140 cm will travel in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile)

    Total Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours

    Available: Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday at 10.00 am and 2.00 pm

    From: £78 per adult
    From: £50 per child
  • Husky safari (5km, 10km or 20km)

    This truly fun and thrilling activity will crank up the energy levels for the day and fill your family will excitement. First, you will take a ten-minute transfer to meet your husky team, getting to know the life of the huskies at the husky farm, with time to cuddle and play with them! After learning how to drive the huskies, you will share an exhilarating ride with your family as your energetic and enthusiastic huskies take you, two people per sled, on a 5, 10 or 20 km ride. The programme also includes coffee and hot sausages by the fire.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    There are three possible distances and durations for this trip:

    5km
    Total Duration: Approximately 2 hours
    Minimum Age: 3 years

    Available: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12.30 pm

    Price from: Adult: £131; Child: £119

    10km
    Total Duration: Approximately 2.5-3 hours
    Minimum Age: 3 years

    Available: Wednesday and Friday at 10 am

    Price from: Adult: £162; Child: £143

    20km
    Total Duration: Approximately 4-5 hours
    Minimum Age: 8 years

    Available: Tuesday and Saturday at 10 am

    Price from: Adult: £218; Child: £187

    Image credit: Ruka Safaris
    From: £132 per adult
    From: £119 per child
  • Visiting Santa Claus's secret cottage

    This is a truly magical and essential activity for a Christmas family holiday. Nothing is more exciting to children at Christmas time than the thought of Santa Claus! You will take a 30-minute transfer to Mr and Mrs Claus’s secret cottage, where you will spend time with Santa, bake cookies in the cottage and play with Santa’s helpers in some outdoor activities.

    Read more about this activity

    More about this Activity:

    Minimum Age: N/A
    Activity Duration: Approximately 3 hours

    Minimum participants: 4 people

    Available: Saturdays (December to end March)

    From: £90 per adult
    From: £90 per child
  • Finnish sauna experience and wild food dinner

    Relax and unwind at Iisakki’s lakeside sauna. A local guide will talk you through the origins of sauna culture and why it is so important to Finns before you take to the sauna yourself. You will have a real, authentic experience, spending two whole hours warming up in the sauna, dipping into the ice pool, lazing in the Jacuzzi and repeating the cycle! You will be served berry juice, water and tea as well as small snacks.

    Read more about this activity

    Afterwards, it's time for dinner, consisting of wild food delicacies such as fish, wild game and berries.

    The Wild Food Dinner is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

    Minimum Age: 3 years old
    Activity Duration: 5-6 hours overall, including transfers (The official sauna experience lasting around 2 hours)

    Available: Wednesday & Friday at 4.30 pm

    From: £110 per adult
    From: £74 per child
  • Snowshoe hike to Oulanka National Park

    This tranquil snowshoe hike will take you to the most beautiful part of Kuusamo as you arrive at the Oulanka National Park under its winter blanket. You’ll hike beside river Kitkajoki to see the Myllykoski old mill amongst the incredible winter scenery. You will hike a total of around 4km and during the programme, you will enjoy a coffee and sandwich break.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Minimum Age: 5 years old
    Trip Duration: Approximately 5 hours

    Available: Tuesday at 10 am

    Image Credit: Harri Tarvainen & Visit Finland

    From: £79 per adult
    From: £54 per child
  • Ice fishing

    Ice fishing, or as the Finnish say, ‘pilkki’, is a traditional hobby of the locals. After drilling a hole into the beautiful frozen lake, you will set up your pilkki to lure in the fish beneath the ice. You might catch perch, whitefish, roach, pike, or even grayling, and if you are lucky to catch something, a guide will show you how to prepare the fish over an open fire. The experience includes a short snowshoe walk of around 1km in order to reach the ideal fishing spot and a coffee break on the lake.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Minimum Age: 3 years old
    Trip Duration: 3 hours (including 10-minute return transfer)

    Available: Wednesday & Saturday at 10  am

    From: £57 per adult
    From: £40 per child
  • Visit to the reindeer farm

    You will be picked up from the Safari Centre by a car transfer and taken to an idyllic reindeer farm. This is a great family activity, as the reindeer pull two people per sled through the snow for around 300m OR 1.5km, depending on which length you book. You even have the chance to feed the reindeer and listen to stories of their life and history. When you return with your reindeer, you will receive a certificate and be served a hot drink, reindeer sausages and a sweet snack.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Please note: the longer sleigh ride will incur an additional charge, please speak to our Travel Experts for further details.

    Read more about this activity

    300 metre Sleigh Ride:

    Total Duration: Approximately 3 hours
    Minimum Age: 2 years

    Price from: Adult: £79; Child: £55

    Available: Wednesday and Friday at 12pm

    1.5km Sleigh Ride:

    Total Duration: Approximately 3 hours
    Minimum Age: 5 years

    Price from: Adult: £119; Child: £109

    Available: Wednesday and Friday at 11.30am

    From: £79 per adult
    From: £55 per child
  • Starlight sledging to search for the Northern Lights

    This is an unforgettable adventure for families, as you drive away into the forest with up to six people per sled. The route will take you through varied landscapes so you can really absorb the scenery. After around one and a half hours of sledging, you will arrive at the camp, where you will make a fire with your guide and prepare coffee, tea and grilled sausages. If you are lucky you may catch sight of the Northern Lights in the sky while you travel.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Total Duration: Approximately 3 hours
    Minimum Age: 5 years

    Available: Wednesday & Friday at 7 pm

    From: £62 per adult
    From: £42 per child
  • River Floating

    This unforgettable Arctic experience will see you and your family gently float down a lazy river for a unique way to get close to nature. After full instructions, you’ll be given your life vest, helmet and floating suits which have been specifically designed to keep you above water and most importantly, warm. Then it’s time to lie back in the river and enjoy the surroundings as you float by. You will float down the river twice and afterwards, you can enjoy hot drinks while you discuss the incredible experience you’ve just had.

    Read more about this activity

    Available: Monday – Saturday 11am

    Duration: 2-3 hours

    Minimum age: 15 years (minimum 160cm tall)

    Image Credits: Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association

    From: £75 per adult
    From: £75 per child
  • Snowshoe search for the Northern Lights

    During this peaceful activity, you will follow an old reindeer trek route of around 4km in the beautiful fell surroundings. Every now and then the group will stop to admire the nature and snow-covered scenery. If the sky is clear you will see the myriad of bright stars in the sky and, with a little luck, the colourful Northern Lights. You will also break for a hot drink along the way, and your guide will tell you stories about the Northern Lights and nature.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Total Duration: Approximately 3 hours
    Minimum Age: 5 years

    Available: Monday to Saturday at 7 pm

    From: £61 per adult
    From: £42 per child
  • The land of the Northern Lights

    This promises to be a memorable evening as your snowmobile safari will take you through an enchanting blue twilight forest. With two people per snowmobile (driver must hold a full driving licence and be 18 years or over), covering around 30km, the darkness will provide additional excitement to your snowmobiling experience and if the sky is clear and you are lucky enough, you might even see Northern Lights. During the safari, you will stop to enjoy coffee, bun and sausages by the fire.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included.

    Read more about this activity

    Total duration: Approximately 3 hours
    Minimum Age: 8 years (children below 140 cm will travel in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile)

    Available: Wednesday and Friday at 7pm

    From: £105 per adult
    From: £69 per child
  • Snowmobiling to the Russian border

    On this snowmobile safari, you will venture one person per snowmobile west to east, to the top of the magnificent Kuntivaara Hill, which is 480m above sea level. The Russian border is just around the corner and the breath-taking scenery over the Arctic wilderness is a sight that you will cherish forever. The journey is around 100km in total and is well worth the challenge. During the safari, you will enjoy a soup lunch and coffee in a cosy wilderness restaurant.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included. This tour is only recommended for people with snowmobiling experience - the snowmobile introduction activity will provide the necessary skills and experience required to undertake this longer safari.

    Read more about this activity

    Total duration: Approximately 6 hours
    Minimum Age: 18 years

    Available: Wednesday and Saturday at 10am

    From: £189 per adult
  • RZR Buggy Rally

    In this programme, you can test your driving skills through an enchanting snowy forest. Each RZR car holds two people, so you can share the fun as you take to the tracks. There will also be a small contest between your group with the fastest driver winning a special prize!

    Drivers must hold a valid licence and be 18 years or older.

    Guide, instruction and equipment included, including helmets and seat belts.

    Read more about this activity

    Total duration: 2 hours
    Minimum Age: 5 years
    Maximum Participants: 12 persons per group

    Available: Tuesday and Saturday at 2 pm

    From: £75 per adult
    From: £45 per child
  • Fat Biking

    If you’re a family who loves bike rides then don’t let the wintery conditions stop you. Using fat bikes, with wide tyres perfect for travelling across the snow, you’ll follow the guide over the trails to see more of the brilliant frozen landscape. You’ll travel around 4-5km, stopping along the way to enjoy hot drinks and snacks by the fire. Please note, average physical condition is required for this activity.

    Read more about this activity

    Available: Thursday & Saturday 11 am

    Duration: 2-3 hours

    Minimum height: 160cm

    Image Credit: Juho Kuva & Visit Finland

    From: £61 per adult
    From: £61 per child
  • Cross-Country Ski Lesson

    Try one of Finland’s national hobbies when you learn how to cross-country ski. You don’t need any prior ski experience as the guide will teach you the technique before you take to the official ski track to practice together as a family.

    Read more about this activity

    Available: Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 4 pm

    Duration: 1.5-2 hours

    Minimum Age: 7 years old

    Image Credit: Harri Tarvainen & Visit Finland

    From: £49 per adult
    From: £49 per child
  • Christmas Dinner

    Christmas is traditionally celebrated on Christmas Eve in Finland but we know some families prefer to save the festivities for the day itself. If you’re travelling over Christmas, you can celebrate in the forest restaurant Kontioluola with a memorable meal by an open fire. Choose your starters and dessert from the brilliant buffet selection and your main course from the menu, as you enjoy the delicious food on your candlelit table. There is also a children’s option for main meals. The transfers are included in the price, so you will be taken to Kontioluola and brought back to your accommodation.

  • Christmas Eve dinner

    If you are here for Christmas Eve, you can celebrate with a delicious dinner in forest restaurant Kontioluola. Dinner is served in a buffet-style and you can choose a starter, main course and dessert from the delicious selection. Enjoy your food by the open fire on your candlelit table, as you look forward to Christmas Day. The transfers are included in the price, so you will be taken to Kontioluola and brought back to your accommodation.

  • Traditional wild food dinner

    You will be picked up from the Safari Centre and transferred to the wilderness restaurant, Kontioluola (Bear's Cave), which is nestled in the snow-laden woods

    Here you will have the opportunity to taste local, wild food delicacies such as fish or wild game – there is something for all of the family to enjoy.

    This experience is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

    Trip Duration: 3 hours

    Available: Wednesday & Friday at 7.00 pm

    From: £61 per adult
    From: £42 per child
  • Igloo night

    Around 10 minutes from Ruka Centre lies Iisakki Village, where a selection of snow igloos provide a truly memorable night of accommodation.

    Guests are transferred to this remote spot at around 7pm, and on arrival will enjoy a set three-course meal in the restaurant. Following dinner, you can check into your igloo. You will sleep on a bed made of ice which is covered with a mattress and cosy reindeer skins. The inside temperature is a constant -5C and you will be provided with a military grade sleeping bag to keep you warm during the night. There is a heated area for guests to use situated a short walk from the igloos and this contains the toilet facilities.

    Read more about this activity

    The next morning you will enjoy breakfast at the Iisakki before being transferred back to your accommodation in Ruka.

    Trip Duration: Overnight stay

    Available: Monday to Sunday at 7 pm (20 December to 30 March)

    From: £175 per adult
    From: £147 per child

Thank you for your interest in this Activities Abroad family experience.

We have found that this holiday is better tailored exactly to your requirements, so please email our Travel Experts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us on 01670 789 991 to discuss the various options available to you.

Our Travel Experts have been to all the destinations we feature and love to share their experiences and insight. We want to match you with your perfect trip, so if you have any questions please get in touch; we will be happy to talk through the destinations and itineraries with you.

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Traveller Reviews

  • Ruka - Pick and Mix 29 December 2019 by The Coffman Family

    All activities were MADE by the excellent quality of the Ruka Safaris guides. Knowledgeable, made you feel safe, sense of humour, interested and interesting.

  • Everything was seamless 22 December 2019 by The Woods Family

    The team over in Ruka were fantastic. Nothing was too Much trouble. They were extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. The guides on the snowmobiling activity really took care of our girls during the ride and when we got to the camp fire. It was a particularly cold evening of -22 and the girls were extremely cold and crying. The guides helped with the boots when my husband and I were trying and
    Read more
    failing due to freezing cold hands and getting them sat right next the fire. They were so helpful we really appreciated their help. There was such a wide variety that we experienced that each one of us had our own favourite. My husband loved the snowmobiling to the northern lights. My oldest daughter loved the husky ride and my youngest daughter loved the cross country skiing. I think being in charge of the huskies and driving them for an hour was probably my favourite! The ladies that looked after me- Jade and Emma were fantastic. They were able to advise and responded to me promptly. If they didn’t know, they were quick to find out and let me know. Excellent customer service. Everything was seamless, from the moment we got on the plane in Gatwick to when we returned.
    Read less


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