Best time to go on a Finland winter holiday

It's a dog's life in Finland and, and although husky safaris are not a traditional way to get about (they began in the 1960s) it's a terrific way to do so. For any dog lovers out there, let us put your mind at rest. If you go on a husky holiday, you will soon realise that the Finns adore their dogs. There is no shouting or coercing of the animal; the human is being led by the dog, not the other way around.

Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are very much part of local culture as is outdoor life. It is a wonderful sport to adopt, whether you are eight or 80, and once you realise that it isn't all about posing on the pistes but rather about being at one with nature, you will be hooked. From the greater Helsinki area to the wilds of Oulanka or Hossa National Parks, there are carved out tracks everywhere. Read an in depth interview with one of our travellers on a Finland snow shoeing holiday.

Finland is awesome when it comes to the Aurora Borealis because there is a lot of very dark inland terrain, particularly in Lapland. Lakes Inari and Menesjarvi, for example, are top spots, where glass roofed cabins are all the rage so that you can fall asleep under the greatest light show on earth. Or trust your guide's 'Aurora alarm' when you are woken in the middle of the night to be taken off to some distant woodland spot.

Forget the indigenous Sámi people, who have been stewards of these incredible landscapes for generations. When you see reindeer, remember that the Sámi are the traditional herders. If you are lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, and do so from a traditional Sámi kota tepee, remember that traditionally the lights were thought to be the souls of Sámi ancestors. And if you hike on ancient paths, remember that these may have been semi nomadic Sámi trails, or a route to a seita - a holy stone and gateway to the spirit world. It is well worth taking the time to meet with them and support their tourism initiatives.

Wander off into the wilds of Finland alone. If cross country skiing, for example, and a newbie either to the sport or to the country, you are best doing so with a local expert guide. If you are having a day to yourself to explore, always tell your hosts where you are going and when you are due back. And definitely never go wild skating without a local expert and all the necessary safety equipment.

Leave your children behind. Finland doesn’t understand the phrase ‘family friendly’ because it would be unheard of not to include young people in everything. No wonder Santa comes from here. Step away from the commercial aspect of Christmas, however, and embrace magic in a different way by snow shoeing across winter plains, being stopped in your tracks by an elk posing like a mirage, having saunas then running into the snow, going reindeer sledding in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, and the list goes on.

“It was easy to put too many layers of clothing on when doing sporting activities such as skiing. Take your own balaclava or two and glove liners. You can rinse out your clothes it you get too sweaty and dry them in electric dryers that each hotel has. So you don't need to go over the top with too many winter clothes. The warm winter clothes they supply are excellent and all you need are some thermals for a couple of days.” – Thomas White

“Get fit before you go. Get some experience on cross country ski techniques, especially if you are an alpine skier like me - crsos-country is different! Take clothes that you can layer on top for when you stop skiing... I really enjoyed the total immersion in the beautiful Finnish wilderness and the ability to enjoy its peace on your own, at your own pace, whilst also knowing you had a great team to catch up with. The locations and cabins were just stunning. The best thing about the whole trip was the peace. By Day 3, skiing was a meditation and I simply enjoyed the peace... take a day to visit Helsinki on the way home – very cool city.” – Paul Cundy

“Do it! Buy some good thermal underwear. Buy a bulk pack of hot hands hand warmers from amazon as they were worth their weight in gold!... It was wonderful. We all loved different activities... The cross country skiing and snowshoeing required more skill than we expected. However, the scenery for every activity was stunning and definitely the star.” – Susannah Stewart

“Pack light – the outer gear provided is good. Get fit – chopping frozen reindeer meat, lugging wood and water to the wilderness cabins is hard work in deep snow. Bring a camera – our camera worked but our phones switched off in the cold.” – Ruth Stevens on a husky safari holiday

“Take a lot of socks.” – Louise Robertson

“Be reasonably fit and you will enjoy the trip more, and don't go directly from a warm climate without acclimatising somewhere for the cold beforehand... The scenery was just fantastic, and I really enjoyed being with the huskies. The whole experience was like nothing I've ever done before.” – Jonathan Gilbert on a winter activity holiday