A Finnish getaway
Spend your holiday in the heart of stunning Finnish wilderness. Discover a peaceful land of lakes and forests and enjoy our comfortable lakeside accommodation options with sauna access. This trip is fully flexible, choose from a range of activities each day according to your interests. Explore the National Park by canoeing, swimming or hiking; go bear-watching, mountain biking and relax in our sauna...
Itinerary
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Day 1 Welcome to Finland
Transfer by bus or by car to Hossa (about 1 hour) and time to get settled in your log cottage or hotel room. We will meet you for a welcoming dinner.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 2 Day at leisure in Hossa
Explore the Hossa National Park. There are lots of things to do here, choose from a selectin of activities either with or without a guide.
- Non-guided rental options: canoeing, nordic hiking, hiking, mountain bikes, rental of boat with or without an electric motor
- Guided activities: canoeing, hiking, cani rando, bear watching, mountain biking.Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 3 Day at leisure in Hossa
The National Park contains many varieties of flora and fauna, why not explore this rich and diverse area by following one of the many hiking trails found here?
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 4 Day at leisure in Hossa
Finland is known as the country of thousands lakes - Hossa is no an exception! Why not go sailing, canoeing or fishing...
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 5 Day at leisure in Hossa
We recommend exploring the Russian border. You can rent a mountain bike for the day and follow trials through the Taïga, along the border and stop for a cooked lunch at one of the many firepits found scattered throughout the park.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 6 Day at leisure in Hossa
Today, why not visit our kennels and say hello to our 160 lovely dogs? They can't wait to see you!
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 7 Day at leisure in Hossa
Hossa park is well know for its fishing - Large trout, and pike are very common at this lattitude. A peaceful day fishing at one of Hossas many lakes is highly recommended and you can cook your catch over one of the many fireplaces here.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel
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Day 8 Transfer
Breakfast and transfer to Kuusamo airport.
This itinerary, including walking distances and times, is indicative and fully flexible.
Other trips you may like
Fishing in Lapland: The freedom of this trip is sure to delight. We will provide you with a fishing license and use of a fishing boat for the duration of your stay plus comfortable accommodation with access to Lake Hossanjoki and a traditional sauna...
Finnish Family Getaway: Try your hand at Finnish bushcraft skills, learn traditional fishing techniques and uncover the fascinating history of the National Park- a real adventure designed to bring the whole family together...
Period & budget
When to travel?
The best period for travelling is during the following months:
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Price
Two people: from €655
The budget is an indication of the price per person, subject to availability. Your local agent will send you a customized quote with the exact price. The price can vary according to availability, level of services, period of travel, number of participants, booking time frame and other items.
Included
- Transfers from / to Kuusamo airport
- 6 nights cottage / hotel accommodation
- Full board (from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8)
Not included
- Flights
Additional Options
- Car rental
- Single room accommodation options: from €220
- Lots of optional outdoor activities including guided and non-guided rental options
Notes
Comfort: 4/5 Comfortable
Well-equipped accommodation options like basic hotels or charming guesthouses
are rated 4/5 for comfort. Please note that depending on the destination this
does not necessarily guarantee private bathroom and kitchen facilities. This trip uses our hotel or cottage accommodation options.
Level: 1/5 Easy
Normally our ‘easy’ trips involve less than 6 hours of activity per day, no previous experience in the activity/activities is required and time to relax and unwind is included - accessible to all people in fair health with a sense of adventure and a positive attitude. This is your adventure, you can choose how strenuous or how relaxing each day is.
Terms and conditions
Booking conditions
Booking a trip with Norwide implies acceptance of the terms and conditions of sale. Each customer is required to complete a registration form and, subject to availability at the time of registration, travellers are expected to pay a deposit of 30% of the total price to complete their booking. Payments can be made online or by bank transfer. You will receive an e-mail with your booking confirmation.
Invoice procedure
Once your booking is confirmed you will receive an invoice by e-mail. The full balance of the trip must be received at least 30 days before your departure date. Norwide reserve the right to cancel your booking, free of charge, if this deadline is not respected.
Cancellation policy
If for any reason you have to cancel your trip, Norwide require written confirmation of your decision. The money you have paid will then be refunded according to the following deductions:
- Cancellation received more than 30 days prior to the departure date: a sum of €50 per person will be retained
- Cancellation received 30 to 21 days before the departure date: your deposit, 30% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 20 to 14 days before the departure date: 50% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 13 to 7 days before the departure date: 75% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received less than 7 days before the departure date: 100% of the total trip price will be retained
Special cases:
Please note that, regardless of the date of cancellation or modification if you have agreed to pay for services such as hotel reservations, flights or additional activities, these services are usually non-refundable so additional fees may apply.
- Fixed airfares: if your airline ticket was issued in advance, often done to avoid significant surcharges, you will be charged 100% of any non-refundable fees if you wish to change or cancel your flight plan.
- Fixed in-country costs: early charges for firm bookings will be charged if you cancel or modify your trip.
- Insurance costs: if you have taken out comprehensive or cancellation insurance, the cost of insurance is due and cannot be refunded.
Please note that fees apply according to the date we receive your cancellation or modification request in writing.
If we have to cancel a departure due to an insufficient number of participants, you will be informed no later than 21 days before departure and a full refund will be issued, you will not be entitled to further compensation. We reserve the rights to cancel departures due to exceptional circumstances which may impact the safety of participants. Such circumstances include those amounting to 'force majeure' in which case participants will receive a full refund but they will not be entitled to any compensation.
Changes to travel contract
If you wish to make a change to your booking please contact us in writing; you will be expected to pay any fee which might arise from this change. In the event of unforeseen external events, Norwide may change some aspects of the travel contract. If any changes are necessary you will be informed as quickly as possible.
Pricing
The prices on our website are updated regularly and all of the prices we advertise are accurate when published. We reserve the rights to make changes to any of these prices. Before you make a booking we will give you the up-to-date price of your chosen holiday including any supplements, upgrades or additional activities you may have requested. If the number of travellers is fewer than the indicated number of participants on the website, a small group surcharge may be applied. For all of our trips we include details of services, prices and what is/is not included but please be aware that changes to the prices may be necessary in accordance with exchange rates or price changes of various components of the journey.
Contract transfer
If you are unable to travel for any reason, you can transfer your booking to another person in which case our modification conditions apply. Both the transferor and transferee will be jointly and severally liable for payment of the total holiday price and other associated expenses. Some airline carriers treat name changes as cancellations and you may be required to pay for the cost of a new ticket.
Insurance
Practical info
Staff
Armed with an abundance of experience and a wealth of knowledge our professional team know Finland inside out. We are here to ensure you have the best possible trip so ask us anything, we love sharing our local knowledge! Please be aware that this is a non-guided trip - optional guided activities like canoeing or mountain biking are available.
Food
This trip includes full board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8. You will have the chance to try some traditional Finnish meals like smoked fish, salmon soup, reindeer stew and traditional cakes - please be aware that fresh fruit and vegetables are rare in our isolated northern location.
- Generous buffet style breakfasts and dinners are provided at your accommodation
- Lunches: Picnic lunches are provided including hot food to be cooked on wood fires
Please let us know about any dietary requirements when you book the trip and we will work with you to cater for your needs.
Accommodation
Our basecamp is located in the heart of Hossa National Park, more than 60 miles (+100kms) away from a village or shop - no mass tourism hubs or Santa Claus Village here with us! There are 23 inhabitants in and around Hossa, most of them are reindeer farmers and yes, there are more bears here than people!
We live here peacefully and we work closely with authorities to protect and preserve this stunning National Park.
During your stay, you will not have many opportunities to meet local people since there are very few of them but you may cross paths with ice fishers or Nordic skiers and visit local reindeer farms.
This trip uses our hotel or cottage accommodation. Bed linens and towels are provided by Norwide.
Our hotel: found beside a beautiful lake and our hotel has 25 rooms (single, double and triple). All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom, shower, practical storage units, and a T.V with international channels. You will also have free access to our sauna, after a full day of activities it is the perfect place to unwind and reflect...
Our cottages:
- The Classic Cottage option has a living room/kitchen area with twin or bunk beds plus a private bathroom and sauna access
- The Premium Cottage has a separate bedroom with a double bed, a living room, kitchen, a private bathroom and sauna access
Transportation
This trip includes transfer by coach and 4x4
Budget & exchange
The currency in Finland is the euro. Please budget for the following:
- Personal expenses and extra drinks
- Any additional activities/supplements
- Deposits will be required for use of some of our technical equipment
Material
We prefer that you do not wear any cotton clothing, including underwear, when participating in activities. When cotton gets wet from water or sweat it ceases to insulate and it does not dry fast. The best materials for outdoor activities are fast drying materials like polyester or materials which are warm when wet like wool. The most powerful materials against the wind and rain are 'breathable' materials like Gore-Tex or Nikwax.
Our advice for keeping warm
Winter in Finland can be very cold, please think carefully about what clothes you bring, although we will provide warm outer layers, the layers you wear next to your skin make the biggest difference. We recommend:
- No cotton
- Bring dry spares of everything, including underwear and gloves
- Wear multiple layers including:
- A warm breathable base layer
- A second thermal layer
- Wind and waterproof protective out layer (we provide a quality jacket and over trousers for activities)
Helpful equipment
We recommend packing:
- Sturdy hiking boots
- Sunglasses and suncream
- Swim stuff for saunas and water activities
- A wind/waterproof jacket with hood
You may also consider packing:
- A camera (and suitable protective case)
- Wetwipes
- Blister plasters
- Plastic bags for wet/dirty clothing
Luggage
You may bring a hold bag (up to 20kg) as well as a cabin bag.
For you hold luggage please bring a soft bag like a ruckack rather than a hard cased suitcase because it is more practical. We also recommend that you pack your clothes in plastic bags inside your rucksack so that they stay dry in the event of bad weather.
Do not forget to bring a small rucksack to use as a day bag (25/30L). You can bring this as hand luggage on the plane. You will carry your lunch, water, spare layers and any personal medication with you each day in this bag.
Passport
You will need a passport that is valid for at least three months after your return date.
Visa
UK passport holders do not require a VISA to visit Finland which part of the Schengen cooperation.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland lists the accepted travel documents and visa requirements for every country.
Mandatory vaccines
There are no specific health risks
Weather
Between early June and early August, temperatures reach +20°C (+68°F) in the day and sometimes even +30°C (+86°F) (37°C (98.6°F) in Joensuu in July 2010!).
The summer is relatively warm but also very bright - Finland enjoys long sunny days.
In the far north, the sun does not set from mid-May to the end of July.
In the center and the south, the summer sun shines for 18 to 20 hours.
The temperature of the lake water is between 18 - 24°C, the waters are shallow and warm up quickly with the long sunny days and the good Finnish summer temperatures.
The midnight sun is visible in summer in Lapland and in the regions above the Arctic Circle.
Electricity
Finland uses the standard Europlug socket with two round prongs (50Hz/230 volts)
Local time
Finland uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)+2 and observes Daylight Saving Time making it GMT+3 during the summer months
Topography
Area:+130502
square miles (+338,000 km2) which consists of around 10% water, 69% forest and
only 8% cultivated land
Size: It is the
seventh largest country in Europe,+720 miles (1160km) North to South and +335
miles (540km) East to West
Borders: Sweden,
Norway, Russia and the coast
There are said to be 187888
lakes here in Finland and 179584
islands including a concentration of islands off the South West coast which
forms the largest archipelago in Europe.
Sustainable tourism
As adventure and wilderness travel experts who run trips to some of the most remote parts of the world, we take responsible tourism very seriously.
Here in Finland we work in partnership with Metsähallitus to
protect Finnish waters and forests - an exclusive agreement which enables
us to use the roads of Hossa National Park. Our kennel is cleaned daily and
subject to regular veterinary and we work with MyClimate to offset all
carbon emissions produced by snowmobiling activities and transfers.
We respect the ‘Leave No Trace’ outdoor ethical code and try to explore this beautiful location whilst causing minimal environmental damage.
The Leave No Trace policy can be summarized in 7 simple steps which we hope you will follow during ourtrip...
- Be prepared
- Stick to trails and camp overnight right
- Stash your trash and pick up waste
- Leave it as you find it
- Be careful with fire
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Over the years we have built up good relations with our local suppliers and we are keen to support local businesses as much as possible. We are a small company and we pay our local partners and suppliers directly insuring fair rates. Our small group sizes not only provide a more intimate adventure but also cause less impact on the environment and local communities.
We expect all who travel with us to support and uphold our Sustainable Tourism philosophies.
My local agent
Alix
- Passionnée par la marche, les grands espaces et les voyages d'Aventure, je me ferai un plaisir de vous écouter et de répondre au mieux à vos demandes.
- Region
- Hossa
- Activity
- Hiking Multi-activités été Self-guided Summer
- Duration
- 8 days
- Code
- INDE01
- Price
- From €800
- Level
- 1/5
- Comfort
- 4/5
Strengths
- Being in the heart of the stunning National Park surrounded by peaceful Finnish nature
- Our comfortable lakeside accommodation with sauna access
- Our smooth logistics, expert staff and fully flexible itinerary with its range of options