Finland's Coastal Winter Tales Small Group Tour

Fly to Kokkola via Helsinki and meet your host on arrival for the transfer to Kalajoki. Check in to Santa’s Hotel Sani, ideally located among the famous Kalajoki sand dunes, with views across the frozen Bothnian Bay. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at Restaurant Välke. Overnight in Kalajoki. (D)

After breakfast, venture onto the frozen Bothnian Bay on a snowmobile coastal safari. Depending on conditions, meet local fishermen, try your hand at ice fishing or admire the towering ice ridges sculpted by the sea winds. Along the way, take turns aboard a hovercraft and glide across the frozen seascape. Return to shore for lunch at Safaritalo. This evening, sample locally brewed beers alongside a three-course traditional meal at the Sandy Kelt gastro pub. Overnight in Kalajoki. (B,L,D)

Discover Kalajoki’s unique blend of local traditions and outdoor adventures. Try winter windsurfing, invented here by enthusiasts who fitted skis to their boards rather than putting them away for the winter. Weather permitting, give it a go yourself or watch a demonstration by a local surfer. Then join local fishermen on the ice and try ice fishing beneath the frozen sea.

After lunch at Tapion Tupa, explore snowy slopes and sandbanks on sliding snowshoes, a fun cross between skiing and snowshoeing. Pause at a lean-to shelter for a snack and a slice of local pie. This evening, opt for a night-time sledging adventure across the sea ice, complete with a campfire, hot drinks and stargazing through a telescope. Overnight in Kalajoki. (B,L)

Drive north to Liminka Bay, one of Finland’s most important wetlands, and enjoy a warming soup lunch. Explore the nature exhibition on bird migration or join an optional e-fatbike tour through the frozen landscape. After a candlelit three-course dinner, join a local guide for the Polar Night Experience. Discover the importance of darkness through the stillness of the snowy landscape, ending with a guided meditation. Overnight in Liminka Bay. (B,L,D)

Start early and drive north to Tornio-Haparanda, the twin towns on the Finnish-Swedish border. At Lapland Lagoon, put on a specialist rescue suit and venture onto the frozen sea for a unique floating experience among the ice, accompanied by a professional guide and rescue specialist.

Check in to Merilinna Lodge, a charming former coastguard building dating from 1935, a rare survivor of the Second World War. After dinner at nearby Restaurant Magasiini, travel by sled across the frozen sea to Tervakari island. Explore the island, grill sausages over an open fire and look out for the Northern Lights, weather permitting. Overnight in Tornio-Haparanda. (B,L,D)

Explore the peaceful forests of the Tornio River Valley on a relaxed snowshoe walk with a local wilderness guide. Return for a traditional lunch in a kota, a Lappish wooden hut, then unwind at Lapland Lagoon’s seaside Sauna World. Choose from traditional and modern saunas, with outdoor whirlpools overlooking the frozen sea towards Sweden. Enjoy dinner at Restaurant Magasiini. Overnight in Tornio-Haparanda. (B,L,D)

After breakfast at the lodge, transfer to Oulu airport, around two hours by road, for your flight home via Helsinki. (B)