Riisitunturi is a national park roughly 150 kilometres east of Rovaniemi, in the hills of Finnish Lapland. It's famous for photogenic winter scenery: thick blankets of snow and ice turn the spruce trees into giant, puffy snow sculptures that draw photographers and nature lovers alike.
Your guide picks you up in the morning for the roughly 2-hour drive through the Arctic wilderness, taking in the winter views along the way. Once you arrive, you'll set out on a 4-kilometre hike through the national park — snowshoes are brought along whenever fresh snow calls for them.
As you walk beneath snow-laden trees (a mature spruce can carry up to four tonnes of snow), your guide shares stories about the wildlife, nature and life at the Arctic Circle. Around an open fire, you'll warm up with a traditional Finnish campfire lunch, and watch your guide light it the old way — with flint, steel and natural tinder, no matches needed, even at -30°C.
The full excursion takes about 8 hours door to door, including transport, hiking and time by the fire, with return to Rovaniemi around 16:00. Groups are kept to a maximum of 8 people, so your guide can focus on you and your questions along the way.
