Best wilderness holidays in Europe

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Best wilderness holidays in Europe

There are still barely touched areas of Europe where you can watch wildlife in their natural habitat and spend countless hours staring at the stars or the legendary Northern Lights. Head north to Lapland, and it’s Arctic islands, glaciers and icebergs that set the scene. Further south, the lakes and forests of Sweden, Poland and Montenegro conjure up really wild experiences. Whereas to the north-west, the waterfalls, volcanoes and geothermal lagoons of Iceland offer wilderness adventures of a more seismic kind.

If you’re looking for the best wilderness holidays in Europe, check out 10 of our favourites below. Just don’t forget your map and compass.

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1. Kayaking the Saint Anna Archipelago, Sweden

Imagine exploring in one of Europe’s few wilderness areas as you slip into a kayak and push off into the remote outer islands of the St Anna’s Archipelago. Paddling around this east coast of Sweden with an expert kayaking guide is a thrill, and the possibility of spotting white-tailed eagles and chattering colonies of guillemots and Arctic terns adds to the excitement.

Wild camping and strolls through 300-year-old forests allow you to explore further still. Exploring on land unlocks the secrets of isolated island communities and old lighthouses, while guided sea kayaking trips encourage you to get even closer to otherwise inaccessible Swedish shorelines.

Our top selling trip: Sweden kayaking short break
All our trips: Sweden adventure holidays
Read more: Sweden kayaking guide

2. Northern Lights, Finnish Lapland

Head for the hills as you venture into Lapland and stay in a wilderness lodge complete with a private sauna. Husky sled rides, ice swimming and finding out more about the traditions of the indigenous Sami people make a wilderness holiday in Finland incredibly rewarding.

Urho Kekkonen National Park is a magical place, especially when the forest is bedecked in snow. Taking out a snowmobile allows you to travel deeper into the wilderness, whereas exploring on cross country skis is the ideal way to work up an appetite in snowy silence. There are few better places to see the Northern Lights than an aurora lodge purpose-built for settling down to watch one of the greatest natural phenomena above the planet.

Our top selling trip: Northern Lights activity break in Finland
All our trips: Finland winter holidays
Read more: Finland winter travel guide

3. Bialowieza bison forest, Poland

The rewilding and introduction of bison in Poland’s Bialowieza Forest has been a real success story. These days, there are more than 500 European bison roaming free in the wild. It’s like stepping back in time, with pine martens, foxes and even lynx and wolves all known to inhabit the area. Stay in a family-owned guesthouse and you’ll have access to the walking trails that lead you through the woods. Listen to the knock of woodpeckers by day and the hoot of pygmy owls at night. This is no ordinary walk in the woods by any stretch of the imagination.

Our top selling trip: Poland wildlife tour in Bialowieza Forest
All our trips: Poland wildlife holidays
Read more: Poland travel guide

4. Arctic icebreaking cruise around Spitsbergen

You know you’re heading for a true wilderness when you need to break through walls of ice to get there. North Spitsbergen is frozen solid during the winter so small ship cruises during the early summer have a pioneering element to them. Make for remote fjords, bays and islands, circumnavigating Spitsbergen if the conditions allow, with constant opportunities for thrilling wildlife sightings.

With a maximum of just 176 people aboard a research vessel with a specially strengthened hull, these wilderness cruises really do feel special. Daily excursions by Zodiac are matched with expert-led discussions in the evenings, and at night you may get the tap-tap-tap on the cabin door letting you know that a polar bear, a whale, or a pod of dolphins has been spotted from the deck…

Our top selling trip: Arctic icebreaker cruise, Spitsbergen
All our trips: Arctic cruises
Read more: Arctic cruises travel guide

5. Northern Lights road trip, Iceland

There’s Northern Lights watching holidays and then there are Icelandic road trips. This wilderness experience is one of the best ways to tailor your very own aurora borealis adventure. From Reykjavik and Vatnajokull National Park to the Golden Circle and Gullfoss waterfall – this is where Iceland really comes alive.

There’s much to be said for the freedom of exploring under your own steam on a self drive adventure. There are so many geothermal hot pools and volcanic landscapes to discover that you’ll be hard-pushed to keep to a rigid itinerary. Plus, driving between the small towns of Iceland is an excellent way to meet local people and stay at family-owned hotels and guesthouses. Yes, the Northern Lights are going to bring you here, but it’s the Icelanders that make you want to return.

Our top selling trip: Iceland aurora self drive holiday
All our trips: Iceland adventure holidays
Read more: Northern Lights in Iceland travel guide

6. Lakes & mountains in Montenegro

There’s something magical about Montenegro. Maybe it’s the simplicity of life in the mountains, where there’s certainly something wild and untamed in the air – something that’s stood the test of time and isn’t going anywhere fast. Take a boat trip out onto Lake Skadar, for example, and you’ll become surrounded by natural wilderness. The water is crystal clear and reflections of island monasteries and pelicans in flight add to the tranquil ambience.

Our top selling trip: Montenegro holiday, mountains, rivers, canyons of the north
All our trips: Adventure holidays in Montenegro
Read more: Family adventure travel guide

7. Glamping & hiking holiday in Scotland

Perfect for families wanting to really get away from it all and enjoy some bonding time in nature, this fun holiday also has an additional element that kids will love: you’ll be accompanied by local Highland ponies, always interested in a carrot or half an apple. Easygoing hikes through the beautiful pine forests of the Cairngorms immerse you in the area’s biodiversity, and you’ll sleep in comfort every night in spacious tipis with hot showers.

Our top trip: Cairngorms glamping and hiking holiday
All our trips: Scotland walking holidays
Read more: Scotland walking travel guide

8. Wilderness walking in Armenia

Hike with an experienced mountain guide in the alpine landscapes of Armenia. This trip doesn’t do things by halves, taking you to the storied capital of Yerevan, monastery complexes of Lori, forest trails of Dilijan National Park, cave towns and hanging bridges, and even along parts of the Silk Road. It’s a fascinating illustration of how people have forged a home in the Armenian wilderness for thousands of years.

Our top trip: Armenia small group walking holiday
All our trips: Armenia walking holidays
Read more: Armenia travel guide

9. Tour the Faroe Islands

Millions of seabirds, but just a few thousand people; almost no trees, instead: vertiginous, mossy-green cliffs. Scotland to the south, Iceland to the north, and a tumultuous sea between. The sun? little more than a legend.

We’re talking about the Faroe Islands, which you can explore thanks to bridges, ferries, and subterranean tunnels. The salt spray is flying, the storm petrels are wheeling, and you’re cosy inside a naturally-insulated turf-roofed house powered by busy wind turbines. You’re eating local lamb and eyeing up your host’s woolly jumper. Who said wilderness can’t be cosy?

Our top trip: Faroe Islands tour
All our trips: Faroe Islands holidays
Read more: Faroe Islands travel guide

10. Driving between Finland's national parks

Once used for commercial forestry, Repovesi National Park in Finland has been given back to nature, and now the vast stretches of pine and birch trees, broken only by lakes and rivers, provide the perfect setting for a wilderness hut. Stay a night with no electricity, but the promise of possibly spotting flying squirrels or lynxes. It’s one of the highlights of a self drive holiday around Finland’s national parks.

Top seller: Finland self drive holiday, National Parks
Read more: Finland self drive holidays article