Winter
The Season for Northern Lights, Husky Sledding Tours, Snow Activities and Fun in the Sun
Northern Lights
Aurora Borealis
Northern lights, or aurora borealis, can be seen easily from the garden or lake directly in front of the cabins. Aurora start in autumn and continue on and off throughout winter until spring, being stronger around the equinoxes. Since we are located in the middle of the wilderness, by a large open space and far from city light pollution, the views are incredible. The picture on the right shows all of our buildings and the aurora, photographed from our lake with an iphone - the cabin lights are obviously not strong enough to obstruct the light from the aurora! The aurora can come and go during the night and sometimes they only last for a few minutes, so when the forecast is good, it's best to be outside as soon as it starts getting dark, as long as the sky is clear. The aurora can be seen from our garden, so it's not necessary to book an aurora tour elsewhere. However, if it is cloudy, we can arrange for you to be transported by a guide to places where there are no clouds, or, if you have hired a car, you can drive to those places yourselves. There are many apps with aurora activity forecasts that are free to download. The apps use data from satellites and since they use a real-time feed, they give accurate predictions for the next 15-60 minutes. See below for help in reading the forecast.
Husky Tours
During this unique sledding experience we'll teach you how to drive your own team of dogs in small groups of six participants and two guides.
We start by getting winter overalls and boots for anybody needing them. Then after the driving lesson we set off with our lively Siberian huskies through the silent forest, following the guide's team, with no snowmobiles spoiling the magic. Participants travel in pairs, so couples can take turns to drive the sled and ride in it, and for families, parents drive the sled, while their children are tucked up warmly in the sled. After the run, you can cuddle the dogs and take photos before we go for a kennel tour, where we tell you all about our dogs. We finish off with a warm drink and cookies in our old, traditional house.
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Our husky tours need a minimum of 10cm of packed down snow on the trails to operate and must to be booked via the button below:
Snowmobiles, Reindeer and Horse Sleigh Rides
Alternatively, the wilderness can be explored with iron dogs! We no longer arrange snowmobile tours on site, but they can be booked through Visit Rovaniemi's website or the Pyhä-Luosto National Park website. We are half way between both places - Rovaniemi caters for many people and Pyhä-Luosto is less crowded. Snowmobile tours include winter overalls, boots, balaclavas, helmets, and of course, a driving lesson. After that, you set off with the snowmobiles following the guide.
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For those interested in more of Lapland's authentic experiences, like going for a reindeer sleigh ride, we recommend going to Jaakkola reindeer farm near Luosto, or if you want to spend a day with a reindeer herding family then this Unique reindeer farm near Misi is worth looking at. For horse riding or real jingle bells whilst riding in a one horse open sleigh, you should get to know Finland's own lovely breed of horse at the Outisen horse riding centre near the Pyhä-Luosto national park area.
Free Activities
Cross-country skis, snowshoes, ice-skates and ice-fishing equipment are included in the price of accomodation, so are free to use on site whenever you want. We make our cross-country ski tracks in spring-winter according to our guests requirements, within reason, and they are maintained as necessary.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoe trekking are a great way to explore the many aspects of our surrounding wilderness. However, our routes can also be hiked in normal winter boots and will take you into the forest where you can experience the rare beauty of our natural landscape. There is a map showing our colour-coded trails in our equipment room which can be photographed, and it's always a good idea to make sure you phone is fully charged and that you have a power bank with you when to go out exploring.
Snow and Ice
Our winter usually lasts for seven to eight months. Sometimes, we have good snow conditions as early as October, but sometimes the snow doesn't arrive until the end of November. Nearly all of our winter activities require snow of varying depths. While it is possible to ski with a little snow, the husky tours require a lot more in order for it to be safe! As conditions can change daily, early season programme availability is hard to predict for November and early December. Likewise, towards the end of the season, snow conditions can deteriorate in late April or continue well into May. If travelling early or late season, please check the snow situation with us before booking to avoid disappointment.
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Temperatures range from 0°C to -40°C, and occasionally, it may be a couple of degrees colder or warmer. However, our winter temperatures are most often between -10°C and -20°C. Winter clothing advice can ce found here.