Autumn Wilderness Adventure

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Lapland

From Kittilä Airport to Äkäslompolo | ~40 km | ~45 minutes

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Your journey into Finnish Lapland begins with a transfer from Kittilä Airport, winding through forests already turning gold and copper as autumn settles over the fells. Once you've arrived, take the rest of the day at your own pace. Wander the village, pick up a coffee, or simply unpack and get your bearings before dinner.

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Your apartment is set within the hotel's grounds in the centre of the village, with a bedroom with a king bed, a combined kitchen and living area warmed by a fireplace, a bathroom and separate toilet, and your own private sauna. A loft above sleeps two more, with a double bed and a single - ideal for families or small groups travelling together. Dinner tonight is at the hotel restaurant.

Day 2: Full-Day Hike in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

Breakfast is buffet-style at the hotel, so take your time this morning before your guide collects you for a full day in the national park.

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Pallas-Yllästunturi is at its best in autumn, when the fells and wetlands turn deep shades of red, orange and gold - Finns call this ruska, and it's one of the most photographed times of year in Lapland. Your guide leads you to the park's most beautiful trails and viewpoints, through rocky fells, ancient forest and open wetland, sharing the history of the landscape and the animals that call it home along the way. At a suitable spot, you'll stop for a light, tasty lunch out in the open. Duration: ~6 hours

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Back at the apartment, there's time to enjoy your private sauna before dinner - a good way to ease tired legs after a day on the trails. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant, and after a day like this, you'll sleep soundly.

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Day 3: Reindeer Farm & Evening Canoe Tour

After a buffet breakfast, you're off to meet the residents of a local reindeer farm - young reindeer full of curiosity, and older ones a little more sure of themselves, both showing off their half-wild nature as you feed them by hand. This is Finnish reindeer country rather than Sámi homeland - the Sámi's traditional lands lie further north - but reindeer husbandry has deep roots here too, carried on today by local herders who've grown up around these animals.

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Your host shares the story of reindeer in this part of Lapland over coffee brewed on an open fire, with berry juice and homemade buns on the side. Duration: ~1–1.5 hours

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The rest of the day is yours. Explore the village, pick up lunch at a local café, gather a few things from the supermarket for a picnic, or simply put your apartment's kitchen to use.

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Dinner is at the hotel restaurant, and afterwards you're out on the lake by canoe, gliding across the water under the autumn sky, far from any light pollution. It's a peaceful way to end the day, and if the skies are clear and the aurora active, this is exactly the kind of quiet, open spot you'd want to be in. Duration: ~2 hours.

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Note: For participation swimming ability required

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Day 4: Wilderness Hut Adventure by Bike

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel this morning. Then pack a small bag for tonight - you're heading off into the forest for an overnight stay at a wilderness hut.

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Choose your bike (fatbike, e-fatbike, mountain bike or e-mountain bike) and set off with your guide, leaving the marked trails behind as you make your way to a simple hut deep in the forest, beside a small and beautiful lake. We set the pace according to your skills: an easier route along quiet trails and forest roads, with time to pick berries or mushrooms along the way, or a livelier ride with varying terrain and the odd detour onto some of the most enjoyable single track around. Distance ~19-25kms, duration ~2-3 hours

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This is a traditional wilderness hut - no electricity, no running water with just a simple outdoor toilet and a sauna by the lake. You’ll learn to heat the wood-fired sauna the traditional way, and carry water up from the lake to use inside it. While the sauna heats, there's time to try your hand at fishing from the shore, or forage in the surrounding forest for whatever the season offers. Then it's the sauna itself - long, gentle heat, broken up with invigorating dips in the cool lake water in between.

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Dinner is eaten by candlelight, and afterwards there's little to do but sit with the stillness, enjoy each other’s company watching the sky - if you're lucky, the northern lights may make an appearance, dancing across the darkness above the fells. Then it's off to sleep, tucked into your sleeping bag in one of the hut's bunk beds for the night.

Day 5: Paddle Back by Packraft

Breakfast is at the hut this morning, and if you're feeling brave, a swim in the lake before you set off.

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A small, beautiful river runs from the hut, and today you'll follow it back towards Äkäslompolo by packraft - an agile, ultra-light inflatable kayak built for adventures on the water and off it. Weighing just a few kilos, it's easy to carry over the trickier spots, which means your guide can lead you down smaller rivers you'd otherwise have to skip, walking a little further with the "boat" on your back when the water runs out.

Distance: ~6-12kms, duration ~ 4 hours

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Note: For participation swimming ability required

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Back in Äkäslompolo, dinner tonight is at the hotel restaurant.

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Please note: If you are not keen on the packraft trip, you can return to your hotel on bikes.

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Day 6: Free Day & Northern Lights Night Hike

Today is yours. After breakfast, take it easy around the village, or if you're feeling energetic, hire a bike to explore the region's many trails, or book yourself onto another guided hike in the national park.

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After dinner, you're out again - this time on foot, hiking up to one of the best north-facing viewpoints in the area for a chance at the aurora. If the skies are clear, this is the show you've been hoping for. If it's cloudy or the lights don't appear, there's still something to it: standing quietly in the dark, senses sharpening, the forest and fells around you. Either way, it's an experience that stays with you. Duration: ~3 hours

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Day 7: Departure

From Äkäslompolo to Kittilä Airport | ~40 km | ~45 minutes

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After breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to Äkäslompolo. Transfer to Kittilä Airport for your onward journey.

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Images: Visit Finland, Yllas Experience, Hotel Yllashumina, Villa Vaamila, Visit Yllas: Eetu Leikas, Christer Adahl