Finland dogsledding holiday
| country: | Finland |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec |
| price: | From £1529 - £1849 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £1169 - £1449 excluding flights. Single supplement £180 |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
Mushing husky teams in remote Finland from a comfortable wilderness lodge.
There is something very special about travelling by dogsled. Once running the dogs need little care, leaving the 'musher' free to enjoy the scenery and the silence. But there can also be exciting moments, as the teams can travel up to 20 kilometres per hour, and you'll need to learn to take the corners. Our base is in the far east of Finland, in the lakeland region of North Karelia, only 15 kilometres from the Russian border. On this exciting but relatively comfortable trip we stay for five nights at Erakeskus lodge, taking day trips.
Towards the end of the week, in groups of four, we take a three-day expedition, travelling from cabin to cabin and carrying our gear in the sleds.
Accommodation: Our lodge is set in a lovely lakeside location and has 9 comfortable twin rooms, all with private facilities. In an adjacent building are the restaurant, bar, lounge, a large open fire, and two saunas. During the expedition we use simple log cabins heated by wood-burning stoves; there are saunas instead of showers, and an outdoor toilet. The whole group is generally accommodated in one large room.
There is something very special about travelling by dogsled. Once running the dogs need little care, leaving the 'musher' free to enjoy the scenery and the silence. But there can also be exciting moments, as the teams can travel up to 20 kilometres per hour, and you'll need to learn to take the corners. Our base is in the far east of Finland, in the lakeland region of North Karelia, only 15 kilometres from the Russian border. On this exciting but relatively comfortable trip we stay for five nights at Erakeskus lodge, taking day trips.
Towards the end of the week, in groups of four, we take a three-day expedition, travelling from cabin to cabin and carrying our gear in the sleds.
Accommodation: Our lodge is set in a lovely lakeside location and has 9 comfortable twin rooms, all with private facilities. In an adjacent building are the restaurant, bar, lounge, a large open fire, and two saunas. During the expedition we use simple log cabins heated by wood-burning stoves; there are saunas instead of showers, and an outdoor toilet. The whole group is generally accommodated in one large room.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly from Heathrow to Joensuu via Helsinki; transfer to Erakeskus Lodge (approx 1 hour 30 mins). |
| Day 2: | Practice dogsledding day, with instruction and getting to know the dogs, followed by a 22 km tour. |
| Day 3: | A longer day tour, usually 35 km, as we head towards the Russian border. |
| Day 4-6: | Three-day cabin-to-cabin dogsled expedition. Two nights spent in log cabins. |
| Day 7: | Free day at Erakeskus; snowshoes and cross-country skis are free to use, or there is an optional snowmobile safari. |
| Day 8: | To Joensuu airport; fly to London via Helsinki. |
travellers' tales
The most memorable part of the holiday was how beautiful and peaceful Finland was where we were staying and how peaceful and quiet the sled dogs were once they were working... The best holiday we have ever been on as a family. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
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Our whole ethos of an 'snow' holiday is about promoting alternative versions of winter tourism that use nature in its unspoilt condition, rather than seeking to alter it. We use small villages and family run hotels, chosen for their access to unspoilt mountain terrain, rather than number of lifts and resort facilities.
Many peoples experience of dogsledding is a 15 minute excursion from Santa Park in Rovaniemi, the highly commercial pre-Christmas Lapland destination. For a real dogsledding experience, 'mush' your own team on an extended journey through the Arctic wilderness, with nights in log cabins. Our groups stay in a small rural guesthouse on the edge of the wilderness in remote North Karelia, and spend the week learning to drive their own dog teams in groups with a maximum of just 8 people. We will ensure that our operations do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people so we ensure that our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to local conditions and operate within the limits set by local appropriate infrastructure and carrying capacity. We have teamed up with Friends of Conservation to support projects at Ranthambore, India, Nava Kiran Orphanage, Nepal and on the edge of the Masai Mara, Kenya. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |