DAY 1: BROWN BEAR OBSERVATION! (L, S)
Bear-Watching Overnight in a Wilderness Cabin This is the climax of your trip! As you arrive to the limits of Finland, you will already feel the call of the wild! Your guide will lead you to a bear-watching hut in the middle of the wilderness.
You will probably already spot some marks and footprints left by the bears on the ground, as you walk to the remote cabin. Inside the hut, there are many large windows and special places to install our cameras, so that you do not miss anything of the show!
Bear watching is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Quiet, calm, a professional bear-watcher will explain you more about the lives of the bears, while you will be waiting for the massive animals to approach the cabin. Soon, the bears should come, as dusk colours start covering the Autumn sky. They would be looking for food in the surrounding bogs, offering their large furry figures to your eyes and cameras.
Wildlife is always unpredictable, and you may have to wait for a few hours before some bears appear. Cold snacks and drinks will be provided for the evening. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cook in the hut, as the smell and noise may affect the behaviour of the bears walking all around you!Comfortable bunk beds are installed in the cabin, so you can use them whenever you need a rest. Warm sleeping bags and dried toilets will offer you a bit of comfort during this adventurous night!
DAY 2: OULANKA NATIONAL PARK (B,L)After your breakfast, depart in the morning for Oulanka National Park, located in the east of Rovaniemi.This National Park is known for the Oulanka River and its various streams which flow through the park, creating valleys and gorges with impressive panoramic views.It is also famous for its long-distance hiking route, the Bear Circuit : Karhunkierros. Once there, your guide will make you a wood-fired lunch and take the time to introduce you to the history of brown bears.He will give you an insight into the old traditions, fascinating legends and ancestral cults associated with the brown bear.
Depending on your physical level, the guide will choose one of the 4 hikes we offer in the park, with different levels of difficulty.All 4 options do not exceed 4km in total and are quite flat so that they are accessible to as many participants as possible.
After the hike, your guide will take you a little further to the bear hut where you will spend the evening and night.
