Overview
What's included?
- Flights: return direct flights from London Gatwick to Kuusamo. Flights routes are 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 ‘Personalise’ 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
As one of the largest ski resorts in Finland, Ruka boasts excellent snow sports facilities, as it lies in the heart of action and adventure. Not only this, but the area’s untouched, natural beauty and pure mountain air make it the perfect place to spend a snow-filled week away, with a mixture of tranquillity and excitement.
You have the freedom to design your own itinerary, complete with as many activities as you like, which can be found in the ‘Personalise’ tab for this trip. You can jam-pack your week with exhilarating ventures, add a touch of culture to your week, or leave space in your schedule for some relaxation.
You can ride over the rolling fells on a husky sled or reindeer sleigh, speed over the mystical snow on a snowmobile and take a tranquil walk through the thick blankets of white powder by snowshoes. Ruka also offers many opportunities to eat, sleep and live like the locals. Why not spend the night in a cosy wilderness hut, cooking your own dinner over the open fire, or enjoy a traditional Finnish dinner followed by an exciting night in an igloo? For a more relaxed holiday, don’t forget to make time for the fantastic sauna and jacuzzi facilities that are available (payable locally), including your own private sauna in your accommodation. There is something to suit every preference.
Your beautifully decorated private apartment is the perfect base for relaxing after an exciting day, whilst still being in the heart of all of the adventure, as the activities courtyard is right on your doorstep.
The holiday price includes direct flights, airport transfers and cold-weather clothing for the duration of your stay, as well as seven nights in a private apartment.
Please note: many activities require a minimum number of participants in order to run so all activities are subject to availability.
Dates & Prices
Thank you for your interest in this Artisan Travel 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 785 085 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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Prices are based on 2 adults sharing an A or B apartment
Agenda
Agenda
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DAY 1
Arrival and Welcome
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation at Ruka, where you can settle into your cosy apartment and explore the shops and restaurants at the Ruka Centre. You will have a welcome meeting once you arrive, where you will be given all of the information you need for your trip and you can ask any questions that you might have.
The great thing about our tailor-made option is that you can choose exactly what you want your trip to involve.
The base price includes your flights, transfers, accommodation for seven nights, cold-weather clothing for the duration of your stay, and fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors during your chosen activities. You select the activities you would like to do from the list shown in the 'Activities' section, ensuring your holiday can be as active or gentle as you wish.
Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you craft the ideal itinerary.
Included Meals: None -
DAY 2 - 7
Design Your Own Holiday
Fill these days with as many or as few activities as you wish, selecting from the options listed in our 'Personalise' section.
There are many activities to choose from and should you need advice on the best options for you please speak to one of our Travel Experts. They will be happy to help prepare the perfect itinerary for you.
Included Meals: None -
DAY 8
Departure
You will be transferred to the airport ready for your flights home.
Included Meals: None
Accommodation
Accommodation
Included in price
Vanha Karhu Apartment
Nights: 1-7
Within walking distance to Ruka Centre and only 1km from Ruka’s downhill slopes, Vanha Karhu Apartments offer the ideal base for a winter trip.
Well-known for its wellbeing facilities there are several saunas and outdoor hot tubs available for guests and your apartment even offers its own private sauna.
The newly renovated, modern yet cosy décor of the interiors, provides a warm atmosphere which is perfect for relaxing after a busy day in the snow.
Hotel facilities
- Your apartment has a fully equipped kitchenette, supplied with fridge, freezing compartment, toaster, microwave oven, electric stove, coffee machine, kettle and dishwasher so they are ideal for self-catering
- The central point of your accommodation will be the Ruka Centre, where you will find restaurants and shops. You can buy food for the duration of your stay here, and it is accessible by foot or via the free shuttle bus which runs daily from 9.30 until 19.00
- The starting point for all your activities is in the same courtyard as your accommodation so you never have too far to go
Room Type
Apartments A and B:
Your beautifully decorated, spacious apartment has its own living area (with a TV), fully equipped kitchenette, shower and toilet, private sauna and two twin bedrooms. Each cabin also has its own terrace/porch. Wifi is available and hairdryers are provided.
Image credits: Ruka Safaris
Other options
Vanha Karhu Apartment C Upgrade
For larger groups, or simply those seeking more space in their accommodation, it is possible to upgrade to apartment C. The apartment is bigger than apartments A and B and offers an extra twin bedroom and a sofa bed in the lounge area. Exactly the same amenities are provided, plus an additional washing machine.
Image credit: Ruka Safaris
Special Nights
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 7 pm, 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 2018 to 30 March 2019)
©Ruka Safaris
Personalise
Personalise this tour
Our pick
Snowmobile Safari and Visit to a Reindeer Farm
This activity is packed with exciting new experiences, as not only will you travel to the reindeer farm by snowmobile, but you will also enjoy a magical sleigh ride once you arrive. This day is also brimming with culture, as the farm is local and the reindeer herders are eager to teach others about the reindeer and their importance to Finnish economy, history and culture. You will travel with two people per snowmobile, covering around 50km of the idyllic landscape overall (the driver must hold a full driving licence).
Read moreDuring the experience, you will enjoy a hot drink, sausages and a sweet snack.
Guide, instruction and equipment included.
Total duration: approximately 4-5 hours
Minimum participants: 4 adults
Available: Wednesday at 10 am
Other options
Activities
Introduction to Snowmobiling
This introduction to snowmobiling is perfect for those who have never tried this thrilling activity before, as you will receive full instructions on how to drive over the rolling fells on an exhilarating journey. You will receive a full safety briefing before you drive, two people per snowmobile, through the mystical forest scenery (the driver must hold a full driving licence and be at least 18 years old). This activity also includes a break with a hot drink and a sweet bun.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Total Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours
Available: Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday at 10 am, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day at 2.00 pm
Image credit: Ruka Safaris
Fat Biking
If you enjoy a bike ride then you simply must try the unique experience of fat biking in the Arctic. The wide tyres of the bike help you travel of the snowy trails as you follow your guide to see more of the impressive 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.
Available: Thursday & Saturday 11am
Duration 2-3 hours
Minimum height: 160cm
Snowshoe hike to Oulanka National Park
During this activity, you will take a tranquil snowshoe hike to Oulanka National Park – a true Winter Wonderland as the thick, shimmering snow covers every inch of scenery that the park has to offer. Hiking along river Kitkajoki, you will see the Myllykoski old mill which sits beside the river with a blanket of snow on its roof-top. In total, the hike is around 4km long and you will stop to enjoy a hot drink and a sandwich for lunch.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Trip Duration: approximately 5 hours
Available: Tuesday at 10 am
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is an extremely popular, traditional hobby in Finland. You will take a peaceful snowshoe walk of around 1km until you reach the perfect fishing spot on a beautiful, frozen lake. You will then be shown how to drill a hole into the frozen lake and wait for a catch. You can enjoy a hot drink and admire the stunning, frosty surroundings while you wait to catch perch, whitefish, roach, pike or grayling. If you are lucky and you make a catch, your guide will show you how to prepare the fish and cook it over the open fire, so your hard work will not go to waste.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Trip Duration: approximately 3 hours (including 10-minute return transfer)
Available: Wednesday & Saturday at 10 am
©Ruka Safari
Husky Safari (5km, 10km or 20km)
Husky sledding is one of the most popular activities in Lapland, and this brilliant Husky Safari promises to be spectacular. The huskies are always bursting with energy and will be extremely eager to meet you and take you on your sleigh-ride. You will take a ten-minute transfer to the local husky farm, where you will have time to get to know the excitable huskies. You will learn about their life at the husky farm before it is time to hop on your sled ready for an exhilarating ride. You will drive with two people per sled, and you can choose between a 5km, 10 km or 20 km trip. A hot drink and sausages by the fire are also included in the price.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
There are three possible distances and durations for this trip:
5km
Total Duration: approximately 2 hours (depending on weather conditions)
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12.30 pm
From: £131pp
10km
Total Duration: approximately 2.5-3 hours (depending on weather conditions)
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Friday at 10 am
From: £156pp
20km
Total Duration: approximately 3- 3.5 hours (depending on weather conditions)
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Tuesday and Saturday at 10 am
From: £210pp
Visit to the Reindeer Farm
This activity offers a combination of culture and excitement as you are transferred to a local reindeer farm by car. You will feed the reindeer and learn about their life and history from the knowledgeable reindeer herders, before experiencing an idyllic reindeer sleigh ride in the snow. You can choose whether your sleigh ride is either approximately 300m or 1.5km in length – please note that the 1.5km sleigh ride will incur an additional charge, please speak to our Travel Experts for further details. On your return from the ride, you will enjoy a hot drink, reindeer sausages and a sweet snack.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
300 metre Sleigh Ride Price: £76
1.5km Sleigh Ride Price: £115
Available: Wednesday at 11.30am
Total Duration: approximately 3 hours
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Wednesday at 11.30 am
©Ruka Safaris
Starlight sledging to Search for the Northern Lights
This unforgettable Northern Lights search will take you on a magical sleigh ride beneath the stars. You will ride through a variety of landscapes so that you can really appreciate all that Finnish nature has to offer. For around one and a half hours, you will ride on a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile that carries up to six people, until you reach the camp. Here, you will prepare a fire with help from your guide, before enjoying hot drinks and grilled sausages, possibly beneath the dazzling Aurora Borealis.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Total Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Wednesday & Friday at 7 pm
Snowshoe Northern Lights Search in the Fell Scenery
Snowshoeing is renowned for being a peaceful and tranquil activity, as you are surrounded by sparkling blankets of pristine snow while you take a relaxing walk through the landscape. Following an old reindeer trek route of approximately 4km, you will stop now and again to admire the surrounding nature. You can also appreciate the twinkling stars hanging in the sky and, hopefully, the swirling Northern Lights. Along the way, you will stop for a hot drink and your guide will teach you about the Northern Lights and the local wilderness.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Total Duration: approximately 3 hours
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Tuesday & Thursday at 7 pm
Evening Snowmobile Northern Lights Hunt in a Taiga Forest
You will head out into the night on your snowmobile on this twilight adventure in a coniferous forest (covering approximately 30km). You will drive through the night with two people per snowmobile and, should the conditions allow it, you may catch a spectacular show of the phenomenal Northern Lights dancing with the stars in the sky above (driver must hold a full driving licence). During the safari, you will stop to enjoy a coffee, bun and sausages by the fire.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Total duration: approximately 3 hours
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Wednesday and Friday at 7 pm
Snowmobiling to the Russian border
Travel 480m above sea-level to the top of the spectacular Kuntivaara Hill on this snowmobile safari. Driving solo on your snowmobile, you will venture to the Russian border and reach the magnificent view of the beautiful Arctic wilderness (the driver must hold a full driving licence). Overall, you will cover around 100km, stopping for a soup lunch and a hot drink in a cosy wilderness restaurant along the way. Previous driving experience with a snowmobile is highly recommended.
Read more about this activityGuide, instruction and equipment included.
Total duration: approximately 6 hours
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Available: Wednesday and Saturday at 10 am
©Ruka Safaris
River Floating
For an unforgettable winter experience, river floating gives you the opportunity to get as close as possible to nature. After full instructions, you’ll be given your floating suits, life vest and helmet. These specifically-designed suits will keep you above water and most importantly, warm as you float down the river twice. Hot drinks will be served after this brilliant experience.
Available: Monday – Saturday 11am
Duration 2-3 hours
Minimum height: 160cm
RZR Buggy Rally
This activity promises to be exhilarating, fast and a lot of fun, as you take to the enchanting fells and snow-filled forests on an RZR buggy. Each car holds two people, so you can work as a team to speed through the stunning scenery and try to win the prize for the fastest driver at the end.
Read more about this activityPlease note: drivers must hold a valid licence (T-class minimum)
Guide, instruction and equipment included, including helmets and seat belts.
Total duration: 2 hours (approximately)
Minimum Participants: 4 adults
Maximum Participants: 12 persons per group
Available: Tuesday & Saturday at 2 pm
©Ruka Safaris
Cross-Country Ski Lesson
Cross-country skiing is one of Finland’s most-loved hobbies, so it’s a must-do for any visit here. You don’t need any prior experience as the guide will teach you the techniques. You’ll then have a short tour on the official ski track to hone your skills.
Available: Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 3pm
Duration: 1.5-2 hours
Little Extras
Christmas Dinner
Though a Finnish Christmas is traditionally on the 24th, you might want to save your main festivities for the day itself. If you’re travelling with us over Christmas, you could celebrate in style at the forest restaurant Kontioluola. There will be a brilliant buffet selection for your starter and dessert and a delicious menu to choose from for your main course. Enjoy your meal on your candlelit table by an open fire. The transfers are included in the price, so you will be taken to Kontioluola and brought back to your accommodation.
Christmas Eve Dinner
Enjoy Christmas as the Finns do with a celebration on Christmas Eve. Travelling to the 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 meal 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.
Finnish Sauna Experience and Wild Food Dinner
After an exciting few days in the snow, what better way to spend an afternoon than unwinding in a traditional Finnish lakeside sauna? Once you arrive at the sauna in Iisakki, a local guide will teach you about the origins of sauna culture. Then, you will be able to spend two whole hours experiencing the traditional Finnish routine of unwinding in the warming sauna, plunging into the chilling ice pool and then heading to the bubbling jacuzzi – before repeating the cycle all over again. Please note that there will be other people enjoying the sauna experience with you. You will be served berry juice, water and tea, along with some small snacks.
Read more about this activityAfter this relaxing and traditional experience, you will watch a short film about the Northern Lights in a rustic outdoor barn in Lisakki Village. Then, you can look forward to a wild food buffet dinner in Lisakin Talo, with delicacies such as fish, wild game and berries on offer.
Please note: The Wild Food Dinner is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Activity Duration: approximately 5-6 hours overall (the official sauna experience lasting around 2 hours)
Available: Wednesday & Friday at 4.30 pm
©Ruka Safaris
Traditional Wild Food Dinner
For this traditional dining experience, you will be transferred to Lisakki Village, which is home to many beautiful old buildings and striking snow sculptures. You will watch a short film about the phenomenal Aurora Borealis in a rustic barn before entering Lisakin Talo, Lisakki Village’s old main house. Here, you will taste the delicious local cuisine, trying wild food delicacies such as fish, wild game and wild berries.
Read more about this activityPlease note: this experience is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Duration: approximately 3 hours (including transfer)
Available: Wednesday & Friday at 7.00 pm
Special Nights
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 7 pm, 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 activityThe 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 2018 to 30 March 2019)
©Ruka Safaris
Reviews
Traveller Reviews
This holiday was the perfect combination of relaxation and activities. The self catering apartment provided us with spacious accommodation in which to lounge around in, while the village of Ruka and the Ruka Safaris lodge offered an array of activities and entertainment options. It was nice to have the ability to cook meals in house and also enjoy the many superb restaurants located in the village…
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centre. Only a 10 minute walk away, Ruka had something for everyone.
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You did a fabulous job and we really appreciated it.