Finnish dogsledding adventure
A wonderful playground is waiting for you in Hossa Park: boreal forests, frozen rivers, lakes and the magical silence of the wild North. With our lovely faithful huskies by your side, you can enjoy 125 miles / 200km of fantastic trails which wind through the taiga. Stay in traditional huts and shelters during 3 unforgettable dog-sledding and snowshoeing safaris - a truly enchanting programme.
Itinerary
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Day 1 Welcome to Finland
Arrival at Kuusamo airport and coach transfer to Hossa village located at the entrance to Hossa National Park (about 1 hours drive) - we will escort you to your accommodation where you can enjoy dinner and briefing together.
Accommodation: Cottage or hostel
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Day 2 Dog-sledding Introduction
Today we will learn Finnish dog-sledding techniques and practice our skills. In the morning we will meet the dogs, each sled is lead by a team of 4 to 5 dogs (2 to 3 dogs for children) We will start out on frozen lakes and before we know it we will be exploring the forest with ease, enjoying this magical method of transport. After a picnic at Jatkonjärvi’s hut by the lake, we will journey through the stunning forest scenery in style to Peurapirtti. Here we find a hidden trappers cabin - our accommodation for the night - the wood stove crackles as the camp settles and our dogs finally doze off...
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of dog-sledding (1 per sledge, around 15 miles/ 25km)
Accommodation: Trapper cabin -
Day 3 Dog-sledding Safari
Todays track takes us Northwards to Lakkujärvi, an area where it is usual to see herds of reindeer. We will ride over forest lakes of many different shapes which give way to hidden woodland paths. The wide track sometimes narrows and our dog teams sneak into the heart of Hossas wild taiga. This afternoon, we arrive back at our basecamp where we will look after our loyal dogs and equipment.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of dog-sledding (1 per sledge)
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel -
Day 4 Snowshoe trek with dogs
Time to strap on our snowshoes and head into the park for a two day hiking adventure. Walk over the frozen lakes, explore the boreal forest and discover deep untouched snow. Snowshoeing is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in this beautiful, silent wilderness. Tonight we sleep in a trappers hut and share a traditional style meal prepared and cooked together over a wood fire.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of snowshoeing
Accommodation: Trappers cabin -
Day 5 Snowshoe trek with dogs
Another day exploring the taïga - today we head back to basecamp via the crests trail which has stunning views of Hossa’s boreal forest. Perhaps we will spot moose or a bear or a wolf! We will share lunch over a lovely open fire place and arrive back in the late afternoon in time for a well deserved sauna session. Dinner tonight is a traditional Lappish meal: Käristus, or reindeer stew with cranberries.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of snowshoeing
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel -
Day 6 Dogsledding safari, Jatkonvaara summit
This second dog-sledding safari leads us to the South. The trail goes through the forest to Tolosenvirta where we will stop to rest and have lunch. Our track varies and sometimes narrows, it leads us to the top of the parks highest peak, Jatkonvaara. From here we can enjoy wonderful views of the surrounding landscapes and observe just how vast this Lappish snowy wilderness really is. Tonight we sleep in a hidden trappers cabin near a lake.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of dog-sledding (1 per sledge, 18 miles / 30km)
Accommodation: Trappers cabin -
Day 7 Dog-sledding Safari
Our last day with the dogs - todays trail through the stunning Finnish wilderness passes impressive ridges - a splendid sight for this final day. The joys of dog-sledding are intense, today is a final chance to soak in this magical atmosphere before you have to say farewell to your loyal dog team. Tonight we can reflect on our adventures together over a traditional Lappish meal of Käristus, or reindeer stew with cranberries.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of dog-sledding (1 per sledge)
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel -
Day 8 Transfer
Breakfast and transfer to Kuusamo airport.
Please note that this itinerary, including walking distances and times, is indicative. Our guides aim to provide the adventure that is best suited to the weather, your interests and the demands of the group. Please be aware that in order to achieve this, changes to the programme may be made.
Other trips you may like
The Taïga dream: Master Finnish dog-sledding techniques and discover the secret lives of our huskies. This dog-sledding trip is completely off the beaten trek in the heart of the most magical northern wilderness...
The Ultimate Greenlandic Winter Trip: The Greenlandic winter adventure of a lifetime. Live like local fishermen, learn traditional trapper skills and dog-sledding techniques. Discover the joyous freedom which accompanies this back to basics lifestyle and experience wilderness immersion in an environment like no other...
Dates & prices
Departures for French-speaking groups:
| From | To | Price per person | Guaranteed | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €2,685 | Yes | Book now! | ||
| €2,585 | No | Book now! | ||
| €2,585 | Yes | Book now! | ||
| €2,570 | No | Book now! |
International departures:
No departure for now
Trip code: C2
Included
- Airport transfers to/from Kuusamo airport
- 4 nights in cottage/hostem accommodation
- 3 nights in trappers huts
- Full board from day 1 dinner to breakfast day 8
- Luggage transport
- Activities supervised by professional guides
- All technical equipment needed including cold weather clothing (see 'practical info' / 'equipment' for details)
Not included
- Flights
Additional Options
Please let us
know if you would like to reserve any of the following optional
activities/supplements:
- Single room at the hotel: €190 pp.
Notes
Comfort: 3/5 Various
Some of our trips involve a mixture of accommodation options. This trip includes nights alternating between trappers hut and hostel/cottage accommodation
Level: 3/5 Challenging
You should be in good physical
shape to join our more challenging adventures. You should have a sense of adventure, a positive
attitude and be prepared for a full-on action packed programme including 6+
hours of activity per day. Please note that our difficulty ratings may vary depending on the weather.
Minimum age: 14
International flights
Flights are not included but this trip includes airport transfers to/from Kuusamo airport - please contact us if you require transfers to/from somewhere different.
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
You will be welcomed at the airport by a representative from our friendly team and accompanied for the duration of your holiday. Armed with an abundance of experience and a wealth of knowledge our professional Finland team know the country inside out. All activities are lead by our qualified guides who are English speaking outdoor practitioners with a passion for everything Finnish. It is possible that your group could be international, therefore several languages might be spoken by your guide.
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.
- At the hostel/cottages: Generous buffet style breakfasts and dinners are served with hot drinks and lots of options
- Lunches: Picnic lunches are provided on our activity days including hot food cooked on wood fires
- In the trappers huts: We like when the whole group work as a team to cook a traditional style dinner with their guide during our nights in the cabins - it creates a pleasant atmosphere as we reflect on the days adventures together.
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 includes 4 nights in our cottage and 3 nights in trappers huts. Bed linens, sleeping bags and towels are provided by Norwide. During your Safari in the Taiga, it will be ask of you to clean your cottage as your luggages will be stored in a special cabin.
Our cottages:
- The Classic Cottage has a living room/kitchen area with twin or bunk beds plus a private bathroom and sauna
Trappers huts: We love our back to basics no frills
accommodation options which enable us to get close to nature - these traditional log cabins are just like mountain refuges,
they are all equipped sometimes even with Finnish saunas and they are full of charm! They normally have a single dormitory for 4 to 6 people with one main living room.
Generally there is no running water or electricity; dry toilets are found outside. Wood-stove heating warms the cabins quickly
and efficiently even when it is cold outside.
Budget & exchange
The currency in Finland is the euro. Please budget for the following:
- Personal expenses and drinks
- Any additional activities/supplements
- Deposits may be required for various equipment provided: ie €50 for the boots, €50 euros for the overall & €50 euros for the sleeping bag
Supplied equipment
We will provide you with the following equipment for the duration of your trip:
- Warm snow boots (Sorel). Please let us know if your shoe size is under 34 or above 50, thank you.
- Bedding - linen for hotel/cottage accommodation and warm sleeping bags for the trappers huts/log cabins
- A warm jacket for the cold
- Snowshoes and poles
- A warm protective oversuit
- Waterproof over mittens
- A balaclava
- A durable waterproof bag
- Use of our dogs and dog-sleds!
Please be aware that upon booking you may be asked your size, height and weight in order to reserve the appropriate equipment in advance.
Vital equipment
You must bring with you:
- A sleeping bag liner
- Sunglasses (minimum UV 400)
- A ski mask
- Any personal medication
- Good thermals - top & long johns
- Sun-cream (not water based)
- A head torch and spare batteries
- A thermos flask
- Driver's license for snowmobile
- Credit card for equipment deposit
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:
- Warm (wool) socks
- A warm wind and waterproof jacket
- Suitable warm trousers - windproof ski style, soft shell or fleece lined mountaineering trousers are ideal
- Warm jumper(s) and jacket(s)
- Warm baselayer thermals - very important! (Thin technical fibers as Carline or Polartec are extremely efficient)
- Gloves - multiple pairs for under and over
- A warm hat
- Appropriate neck wear like a warm buff
- Swim suit (sauna)
- Travel towel (sauna)
- Shoes for wearing in the evenings in your various accommodation options
You may also consider packing:
- Wetwipes
- Blister plasters
- A camera (and suitable protective case)
- 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.
Medicine
Your guide is trained first aider and will carry a full appropriate first aid kit. We recommend that you bring with you a small first aid kit as well as any medication you may need with you such as inhalers, plasters and painkillers.
A vaild European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will insure that you can access state-provided healthcare for free or at a reduced cost.
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
Winter in Finland is cold and dry, temperatures in Hossa can drop as low as -25°C (-13°F) but warm clothing, good food and an active lifestyle will keep you warm.
A thick layer of snow covers Finland from December, when it settles, to the end of April, when it melts. The dry cold preserves the snow and makes temperatures feel warmer than you might imagine.
During the winter months daytime is relatively short in Finland but
thanks to the snow and the occassional displays of the dancing Northern Lights
it is never completely black even in the regions where the sun does not rise at
all - winter brings a beautiful blue light with a feeling of permanent dusk. In mid-April, the sun stays above the horizon for 14-16 hours so during
March and April you can enjoy long glorious days of winter sports under a
bright sun. Other winter days include 4 to 5 hours of a light called gray
light, usually 10am to 2pm, with local variations.
The Northern Lights
The beautiful dancing lights are most likely to appear on black nights
in February-March and September-October in the North of Finland. Statistics
show that most are observed in Lapland, in the region of Kilpisjärvi. When the
night skies are clear, the Northern Lights can be observed three nights out of
four in Kilpisjärvi, every other night in the Sodankylä region and one out of
four nights near Oulu-Kuusamo.
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
- Dog sledding Snowshoeing Winter
- Duration
- 8 days
- Group
- 3 to 5 people
- Code
- C2
- Price
- From €2,220
- Level
- 3/5
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Language(s)
- French / English
Strengths
- The stunning and varied arctic landscapes of Hossa National Park
- Discover complete wilderness immersion in harmony with your own loyal team of dogs
- Our experienced professional guides and high quality equipment will keep you warm and safe