Rail tour through Lapland - INTI Tours

Rail travel in general in Finland: The night train is a comfortable way to travel in Finland. The compartments are each for two people and in some trains two compartments can be combined. You can sleep at night and wake up refreshed at your destination. There is a restaurant on each train where you can buy drinks, snacks and meals.

From Helsinki, take a local train to Tikkurila. In the evening (19:43 or 23:59) change to the night train to Kemi, where you will arrive in the morning. 

Upon arrival in Kemi, you will check into your boutique hotel right next to the train station, or you can store your luggage there until you check into your room. It is a beautifully renovated old wooden building with a relaxed atmosphere. Later in the morning, a 20-minute walk will take you to Kemi's Lumilinna Snow Castle. This is rebuilt annually and is only open from the end of January, but you can have an exotic lunch in a special ambience at the snow restaurant, which is open all year round. At noon, transfer to Kukkolankoski, where an adventurous river rafting tour awaits you amidst beautiful scenery. The landscape of Western Lapland, as well as the life of the locals, is dominated by the great river Kukkolankoski, which forms the border between Sweden and Finland. The Kukkolankoski rapids stretch 3.5 kilometres and have a relief of 13.5 metres, making them the largest rapids in Finland. You can choose traditional rafting in a rubber boat (twice the height of the rapids) or gentler rafting in a larger wooden raft (the only alternative for fellow travellers under 15). The rafting tour lasts about two hours. After this great activity, experience how white fish is traditionally prepared in this area. Enjoy a delicious 3-course meal. Afterwards transfer back to Kemi to the boutique hotel.

Early in the morning (around 6.00 am) you start by train and travel in just under three hours to Kemijärvi. The journey continues for another 3/4 hour to the Pyhä Luosto National Park. This is known for its 35-kilometre-long chain of hills and its exceptionally beautiful nature. Leave your luggage in the vehicle and set off on a spectacular canoe trip on the Pyhä River, which will take you about five hours to discover the region's fabulously beautiful landscape. Finally, in Luosto, you will reach your overnight place in the unique log cabin district, which is surrounded by the most beautiful Arctic forests and hills. All is quiet and authentic. You are welcome to enjoy the sauna. There is less artificial light in the village, which makes Pyhä-Luosto one of the best places to observe the Northern Lights during the aurora season (September to November and, February to April).

After breakfast you have the opportunity to go on an extensive fishing trip (about three hours) including lunch of the catch from the grill. The afternoon is free for walks, sauna and relaxation. After dinner, you are invited to join a midnight sun hike of about three hours (June to mid-August) or an equally long Northern Lights photography hike (mid-August to April).

After breakfast, start for a hike to Isokuru Gorge and Pyhänkasteenputous Waterfall (6.5 kilometres, about 2.5 hours) - lunch included. In the afternoon, you will set off on a photo tour to the famous Amethyst Mine. This is located approximately in the middle of the national park and is the only gemstone mine in the world that welcomes visitors. The mine hides amethysts up to 2,000 million years old. If you are lucky, you may see Lapland's most famous gemstone - the so-called Shaman's Jewel. Later you return to your log cabin accommodation.
 

After breakfast check-out. You will drive to the historic village of Suvanto and the Naava Natural Heritage Centre. The exhibition gives information about the geology of the Pyhä-Luosto National Park and the cultural history of the Sámi people. You will have lunch in the nice attached restaurant. In the afternoon, the bus will take you to Rovaniemi in just under two hours, to the "Santa Claus Village" bus stop. Between June and August you can visit the "Father Christmas Village". Transfer to the Panorama Hotel in Rovaniemi and dinner. Your hotel is situated on a hill so you can admire the ever-changing Arctic nature.

The provincial capital of Rovaniemi was rebuilt in the late 1940s, as almost 90% of the city's area was destroyed in World War II in October 1944. The city's main attractions are the Arktikum Museum and Arctic Science Centre, the Korundi House of Culture with the Rovaniemi Art Museum, which exhibits art from 1940 to the present day, and of course the Arctic Circle with Santa's Post Office.
After breakfast, hike of about 2 hours on Ounasvaara Mountain with local guide. Then transfer to the city's main attraction - the Arktikum, where you first have lunch. An extensive visit to the Arktikum - Arctic Nature Centre & Museum then awaits you. The Arktikum and the Arctic Nature Centre with Museum tell about life in the Arctic. You will learn about the history, nature, customs and culture of the Arctic. Also about the eight seasons of Lapland and you see an informative multimedia programme about the seasonal changes. The building itself is architecturally interesting with its glass-roofed passageway. Afterwards, a special "summer sauna experience" awaits you. After dinner, you say goodbye to Lapland and take the night train back to Helsinki.

Arrive in Helsinki in the morning at Tikkurila station. You can have your breakfast (not included) on the train. If you want to leave immediately, you can take the transfer to the airport. Or you can spend one or more days in the wonderful Finnish capital Helsinki. Contact us if you need help or would like to book one of our Helsinki packages.

There is plenty to explore: Helsinki, also called the Daughter of the Baltic Sea, is the capital of Finland and is located on the south coast. The city is characterised by four large art nouveau districts. The best-known sights are the Church of the Rock, the Chapel of Silence, Market Square, Senate Square, the Oodi Library on Civic Square and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.