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8 days | Independent | Dec-Apr | Finland | Kittilä
The best of Lapland with winter activities and an overnight husky safari.
Enjoy the best of Finnish Lapland, staying at the countryside resort in Harriniva, near Muonio in the country's northwest (roughly an hour's tranfer from Kittilä airport). Located 230km north of the Arctic Circle, Harriniva offers a wide range of winter activities. Comfortable Nordic style accommodation is paired with a wellness centre offering a range of therapies and treatments, so you can settle into a proper winter adventure, with the Northern Lights an added possibility along the way.
During your stay you get to know huskies and reindeer and head out snowmobiling. You can also venture out on snowshoes and experience a Finnish sauna. As an optional excursion, we offer an evening snowmobiling safari in search of the Northern Lights.
For a shorter introduction to the same area, our Harriniva Arctic Winter and Northern Lights itinerary covers five days at a gentler pace and suits families and first-time visitors. Lapland Adventure Week is the longer, more immersive counterpart, adults only, with an overnight husky safari deeper into the wilderness.
You can also explore other Northern Lights trips with us.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Dogsled, snowmobiles, transfers, snowshoes and sleds.
Aurora Alarm, which can be arranged at reception on arrival, approximately 12 euros. An aurora sighting SMS is sent to your phone during your stay at the cabins.
Portage to your cabins, subject to availability.
Arrival at Kittilä airport and transfer to Harriniva, about an hour's drive (75km / 47 miles) to the resort near Muonio in western Lapland. Set 230km north of the Arctic Circle on the bank of the Muonionjoki river, Harriniva offers a wide range of winter activities.
Accommodation in cosy double rooms with shower and toilet. Dinner in the restaurant.
A day spent with reindeer in their natural surroundings. You set out by sleigh, pulled by a snowmobile through forest and open Arctic landscape, to reach the herd. On arrival you have time to observe the animals up close, learn how they are cared for, and hear about the year-round cycle of reindeer herding from a local herder. Partway through, you stop at a lean-to hut to warm up by the fire with coffee and local snacks.
Return to Harriniva in the afternoon, where a warm sauna is waiting. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
After breakfast, your guide runs through driving and safety instructions, and then it is time to start your engines (2 persons per snowmobile). A snowmobile is straightforward to handle, even for beginners, and soon you are travelling through snow-covered forest and across frozen lakes, taking in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland.
Lunch is prepared over an open fire in the wilderness. The excursion lasts around 5 hours and covers 40–60km. Return to Harriniva for a sauna, dinner and overnight in your cosy hotel rooms.
After breakfast, you pack your equipment for the two-day safari and get acquainted with the huskies. You visit the Harriniva Arctic Sleddog Centre, home to nearly 400 dogs, and hear about the life of these Arctic working dogs. Your guide teaches you how to handle the sled, and you meet your own team of four to five dogs. Each person drives their own sled. Lunch is by an open fire en route, with about 25km covered over the day.
In the afternoon you reach your wilderness cabin, where you can try your hand at the basics of wilderness life: making a fire, feeding the huskies and heating the lakeside sauna. Overnight in the cabin with shared facilities.
You set off again in the morning, continuing the safari for around 25km, with lunch by an open fire en route. Return to Harriniva in the afternoon and check in to your hotel rooms. Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
A day in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, the largest fell area in the region and home to air the Finnish Meteorological Institute has measured among the cleanest in the world. Strap on snowshoes and head higher up the fell to take in the open views and the quiet that define this part of Lapland.
Continue your stay in the region with a free day to enjoy the winter environment however you choose.
Optional activities on offer include:
Your evening begins at Arctic Sauna World with an aperitif by the frozen lake, before your sauna host introduces you to Finnish sauna traditions. Move between the different saunas and cool off outdoors between them. Afterwards, sit down to a signature dinner of local ingredients, partly cooked over an open fire and served in a lakeside setting.
Enjoy a leisurely morning before your transfer to Kittilä airport after lunch.
All prices listed are per person. Departure every Saturday and Sunday.
There is one scheduled December departure in 2026, departing on 27 December.
Suitability and age
This tour is designed for adults and travellers aged 18 and over. It is not suitable for children under 18.
Contact our destination specialists for similar, more child-friendly tour options.
Booking around Christmas
The week leading up to Christmas is very busy, and accommodation is difficult to secure. Early booking is recommended for travel during this period.
Accommodation on the husky safari
At the wilderness cabins on the overnight husky safari, there are no single or private room options. Accommodation here is shared.
Extending your stay
You have the option to add nights at distinctive accommodation elsewhere in the Harriniva group, all a short transfer from the resort.
Weather and activities
Weather conditions may occasionally affect certain activities, and the schedule may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience for all guests. For multi-activity stays, the order of activities is often confirmed locally on arrival, and activities may vary slightly in duration or location due to weather and local conditions. Any activity that cannot be rescheduled due to weather will be refunded as a general practice, as determined by the activity provider.
The Nordic winter is not something to endure. For those who lean into it, it is one of the most extraordinary travel experiences the world offers: landscapes of impossible stillness, skies that come alive with light, and activities that feel genuinely unlike anything else. Our team at 50 Degrees North have spent years finding the best of it, and here are the winter adventures we recommend most.
Now is a great time to book your winter holiday in the Nordics for the next snow season, but you better hurry! Imagine having a white Christmas and / or New Year, full of hearty food and amazing snow sports and adventures... And if you're worried that you'll be cold and house-bound due to the weather... Think again!
Hot air ballooning in Lapland whilst watching the Northern Lights, hiking up volcanoes, glamping in Greenland, a private meeting with Santa or climbing three peaks in Norway - see our collection of unmissable travel experiences across our Nordic and Scandinavian region.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.
This is a general packing checklist for Scandinavian winter travel. You don’t need everything every day, but these items cover most winter conditions across the region.
If you’re new to winter travel, start with our guide to travelling in Scandinavia during winter to understand what conditions are really like. For practical advice on managing luggage and day-to-day winter travel, see our Lapland winter packing advice, and for detailed guidance on what to wear and how to layer, read our Snow Clothing Essentials guide.
Outer layers
Base and mid layers
Accessories for warmth
Footwear
Everyday and practical items
Health, documents and electronics
Sun and eye protection
