Best of Lapland : Sauna, Ice Swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights*

Best of Lapland : Sauna, Ice Swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights*

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based on 
#
 customer 
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This tour is ranked 5/5 on TripAdvisor!

Overview

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about traditional Finnish adventure? Finnish sauna, Norther Lights, or traditional Lappish dinner in a cozy wooden cottage away from the city buzz? Correct! On this tour you will get all of the above and even a little more!

Highlights

✔️ Enjoy a delicious smoked salmon for lunch or dinner

✔️ Finnish woodburned sauna

✔️ Arctic lake swimming

✔️ Enjoy the beauty of Lappish nature

✔️ No special skills required

✔️ Small group experience

Availability

year round

Duration

~ 4 hours

Departure

11:30, 14:00 or 16:30

Pickup & Drop off

Yes

Minimum age

10 years

Price from

149.00

 EUR

ABOUT THIS TOUR

Winter, summer, midnight or evening, the joy of sauna bathing is a totally delightful event.

Once the sauna is all set up it's your time to relax. Let the heat purify your body as the mellow wintery magic of Lapland purifies your soul. Let go of the stress and enjoy the presence of your loved ones. While we do our best to prepare you for an evening in the wilderness, it's up to you decide how you want to spend your time. The classic Nordic way is to spend 10-15 minutes in the sauna and then jump into ice cold water, or even a big pile of crystal white snow! A cold plunge after a steamy session increases your blood flow, relieves pressure and boosts up your endorphin levels!

Ice swimming in an arctic lake after a sauna is an excellent way to unwind. The sudden drop in temperature activates the body's adrenaline, a hormone that elevates mood and speeds up blood circulation. It also triggers the release of endorphins, hormones that ease pain and increase activity. The added benefits are glowing skin, increased energy, and enhanced immunity.

After this unique Finnish spa experience, it's time to get back to our little cozy wooden cottage to enjoy smoked salmon dinner by a fireplace.

Sauna bathing has become such a deeply ingrained Finnish tradition that not even the difficult circumstances have been able to interrupt or alter it. It is a part of Finnish culture, customs and social pattern, passed inevitably from one generation to the next. The sauna effect is created by making the body hot throughout, almost like simulation a fever. This high temperature, coupled with the tranquil view and the later breathing of the stimulation lake air creates the benevolent effect always associated with sauna.

The Northern Lights observing is one of the most attractive things to do in Finland. Seeing flickering shades of blue, green, violet and sometimes even crimson red is one of the most epic adventures you can have. Aurora sights are never guaranteed, as nature is unpredictable. So, that makes this experience even more special. The thrill of the chase, an amazing sauna experience and a traditional dinner in a wooden cottage by the arctic lake are what we call The best of Lapland.

The best time to see the Northern Lights is between October and middle of March, on an evening departure (5pm). Keep in mind that we will do our best to make you comfortable, warm and entertained, but there's one thing we can't promise you - seeing Northern lights. Nature is unpredictable and Northern lights sights are not guaranteed. That's why our tour is so fantastic; you won't feel sad if you miss the frolicking lights in the sky.

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Included

✔️ Main dish for lunch or dinner is a delicious smoked salmon fillet

✔️ Professional English speaking guide

✔️ Hot drinks and cookies

✔️ *Northern Lights (October - mid March), if lucky and weather is right, evening departure ONLY

✔️ Dinner cooked on the open fire

✔️ Towels, slippers for the sauna

✔️ Arctic Lake swimming (ice-swimming in Winter time)

✔️ Firewood sauna experience 2 hours

✔️ Hotel pickup & drop off

What to bring

⚡ Swimming suit

⚡ Camera and drinking water

Not included

❌ Swimming suit

Please Note

  • ⚠️ Northern Lights are a natural occurrence and we are unable to guarantee activity, vibrancy or colour on the evening of the safari. All you need is luck, dark and clear night.
  • That is not possible to see the northern lights on a day's departure (11:00 or 14:00). But you will have a great opportunity to take daytime photos and enjoy our place in the daylight.
  • Northern Lights season October - end of March
  • For lunch or dinner, our main dish is a delicious smoked salmon fillet. Let us know if you have any questions or dietary restrictions, and we'll be happy to accommodate you.
  • All tours listed are for a minimum of 2 persons paying a full (adult) price, unless mentioned otherwise
  • Minimum age of participant - 10 years
  • Tours include a pickup & drop off from listed hotels. The time for meeting point and place will be confirmed upon the reservation by email and/or text message.
  • Missing the pick-up does not entitle you to a refund of the price paid for the services. You are responsible to be ready for pick up at the assigned pick up point from the start of the pick up time in order to not miss our guides when they arrive to pick you up
  • Nordic Adventures reserves the right to make alterations to the programs, price, duration or form of transportation without prior warning. This is also applied  to changes in programs due to weather conditions

Cancellation terms 

(See all terms here)
  • More than 3 days notice – 90% refund. 10% is non-refundable, as this represents our direct cost of booking and preparing your tour.
  • Less than 3 days or no show notice – no refund.

Frequently asked questions 

(See all questions and answers here)
Q:

- I have gluten / lactose intolerance / other diet. What should I do?

A:

Please let us know your diet before or after booking your adventure. We will take into account your wishes and prepare the food suitable for you.

Q:

- When is a booking for a tour with Nordic Adventures confirmed?

A:

A booking is confirmed when you receive a confirmation email. If you think you have made a booking and have not received an email confirmation, please send us an e-mail with an inquiry through our contact form, and we will figure this out together.

Q:

- How do i pay for a tour with Nordic Adventures?

A:

You can pay through the internet, through our website. This is by far the easiest, safest and fastest way to reserve and pay for your adventure. You will receive a voucher as a confirmation via e-mail which you will need to bring with you for your trip. You will always get a voucher by email: REMEMBER TO PRINT IT OUT AND BRING IT ALONG OR MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN SHOW IT ON YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICE!

Q:

- Can you see the northern lights in Rovaniemi?

A:

If luck and weather are on your side, then you will be able to see the Aurora Borealis above the inviting streets of Rovaniemi. Whether you see the lights or not are dependant on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Rovaniemi.

Q:

- What months can you see the northern lights?

A:

The Northern Lights season is said to be from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your chances of seeing them, it is best to wait until the clear winter months of mid-September until March.

Q:

Will i definitely see northern lights on the tour?

A:

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we unfortunately cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

Q:

- Do i have to book in advance?

A:

There are a few different ways you can book our trips. First of all, you can book almost all our trips right here on our website. There is a booking window on each tour page and we do recommend that you book and pay for your trip there, preferably in good time as we keep our groups small and some tours tend to sell out.

If the trip you would like to book is not bookable online, you can call or email our office directly, the phone number is +358 40 744 2567. Another way is to send us an e-mail with an inquiry through our contact form. What we need to have is your name, how many people are in your party, where you are staying, a way of contacting you either an e-mail or a phone number and what tour you are trying to book.

Q:

- How is it best to be ready for a pick-up for a tour with Nordic Adventures?

A:

This is a nice question. We ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pickup time indicated in the voucher. Please be at your assigned location at the start time that you chose when booking the tour.

Here you should wait for your guide. Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.

Q:

- How to dress right and feel comfortable in Winter?

A:

1. Start with thermal underwear and warm socks.

2. If it’s really cold, –20 or below, wear an additional fleece layer on top of your thermals. Another pair of socks, preferably woolly or thermal, will keep your feet warm.

3. Wear pants with thermal lining. Don’t underestimate the importance of a neck warmer or a scarf. Slip into your winter boots and do them up well.

4. Almost done! Throw on your winter jacket, put on a warm hat and thermal gloves. Don’t forget to tuck your gloves into your sleeves and zip your jacket ALL the way up

Nordic Adventures is happy to tell you where you can rent costumes if there is such a need!

Q:

- What are the best camera setting for photographing the Northern Lights?

A:

Unfortunately there isn’t just one simple answer to this question.​

There is not just one single setting for your camera that ensures great captures.  but if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.​

​Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

​If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in slight star movement.

​Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length​.

Be sure to remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length.

Q:

- When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

A:

The best time to see the northern lights is when the sky is clear of any clouds. Some people claim the aurora comes out when temperatures are colder. This isn’t the case – it’s just that when the skies are cloudless, temperatures tend to drop.​

The northern lights are most commonly seen between 17:00 and 02:00. They don’t usually exhibit for long – they may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning. A good display may last for no longer than a quarter or half an hour, though, if you’re really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer.​

The waxing and waning of the moon makes no difference to the northern lights. While a full moon lightens the sky, and may therefore reduce the visual intensity of a display, the northern lights can be seen at all stages of the moon’s cycle. In fact, seeing the Northern Lights behind a full moon is quite a spectacular sight.​

Our guaranteed nightly Norther Lights hunting departures are from the end of September to April!

Q:

- I need to cancel or change my adventure booking, what should i do?

A:

Please, send us an email hello@nordicadventures.fi

Cancellation

More than 3 days notice - full refund, 25 € cancellation fee will be charged.

Less than 3 days no show notice - No refund

For all bookings of day tours operated by Nordic Adventures, a minimum of 72 hours notice of cancellation is required for a full refund. If cancellation is made after these time limits pass no refund is given.

Some tours have exceptions, please read the cancellation policy when booking a specific tour.

Changes

For any changes to the reservation, please inform Nordic Adventures via e-mail at hello@nordicadventures.fi and refer to your booking number. All changes or alterations to be made to the reservation shall be made in writing within office hours in Finland. The requested changes are subject to the written approval of Nordic Adventures. Any changes to reservations depend on availability. Any extra costs incurred for making the change will be charged to the customer. Cancellation of any tour, product or service included in a reservation will not be considered a change for purposes of this section and will be governed by the applicable cancellation terms.

Q:

- It says you need a minimum of 2 people

A:

You can join an already scheduled safari where we have other participants. This way you only pay for yourself.

Please let us know (hello@nordicadventures.fi) the dates when you would like to join the activities and we will be happy to make it happen.

Q:

- Would the price of the tour be different if we do not need the transfers?

A:

The price of the tour is the same, no matter if you use our transportation option or not.

Q:

- Do you provide transportation to your adventures?

A:

Most of our tours (please see specifications under each tour) include transfers from accommodation in Rovaniemi city area. It is included in the adventure price.

The pick up is usually 5-20 min before the start of the safari (time in your voucher). Transportation back is immediately after the end of the safari.

We try to provide exact pickup time one day before the start of the tour by email or text message/whats-app, which is why it is important that you provide your valid email and phone number when booking a tour.

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See what people are saying about us

Based on 1 customer reviews

Tripadvisor reviews

chens24

March 6, 2019

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This tour is amazing! Alex and his wife are very friendly. He explained everything clearly about Sauna and wildlife in Rovaniemi. Their house is very warm and lovely. We had fresh Salmon for dinner.

INDEED THE BEST OF LAPLAND

February 18, 2019

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We booked the sauna, ice swimming, Lappish dinner, and northern lights on our 3rd day. Alex, the owner, picked us up on time and drove us to their private compound far from the buzz of the city.
I and my friends are the only tourists so it really felt personal and exclusive! Alex explained how to do the experience with the sauna and ice dipping. He instructed us to spend 15 to 20 minutes in the sauna then go outside the cabin to feel the cold then go back again. He told us to do this 3 times or when we feel we are ready, we should dip ourselves on the lake! Then go straight back to the sauna! We spent 2 hours in and out of the sauna then we finally had the courage to jump in the lake and boy it was freezing! But surprising very exciting and relaxing at the same time! After that, we went to meet Alex and his wife Tanya for dinner in a small cottage with an amazing interior and ambiance . The dinner was cooked by themselves! There were Salmon, potatoes, bread, fresh vegetables, biscuits and drinks! It was so delicious! A wonderful way to end the experience. They also shared stories and interesting facts about the wild animals, mushrooms, and berries in Finland. We really felt their passion for nature and for what they do. We even met their very cute dog Lumi!

Sensationelles Erlebnis

February 2, 2019

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Wir haben bei Alex einen Abend in einer echten finnischen Sauna gebucht, inkl. Dinner.

Die max. Kapazität der Sauna beträgt 6 Personen, so dass die Gruppe auf keinen Fall gross wird. Wir hatten den Luxus, die Sauna (eine separate Hütte, genau so, wie man sich das vorstellt) ganz für uns zu haben. So mussten wir auch nicht auf irgendwelche Befindlichkeiten betreffend Kleiderordnung Rücksicht nehmen sondern konnten - wie es sich gehört - die Sauna splitternackt geniessen. Alex holte uns in Rovaniemi ab, denn das Anwesen ist mitten im Wald an einem privaten See gelegen. Alles war bereits liebevoll vorbereitet, so dass wir sofort zum Schwitzen konnten. Zuerst probierten wir die Abkühlung mit dem frischen Schnee, aber bei -25°C war das doch etwas kalt. Daher zogen wir es ab dem 2. Gang vor, ebenfall nackt in den eiskalten See zu springen. Was für ein Erlebnis! Es empfiehlt sich lediglich, bei solchen Temperaturen richtige Badeschlappen mitzubringen, denn die Füsse tun nach kurzer Zeit im Schnee weh, und die bereitgelegten Schläppchen sind zwar gut gemeint, können aber wirklich nur als Notbehelf dienen.

Anschliessend gab es noch ein zwar einfaches aber trotzdem hervorragendes Dinner mit geräuchertem+gebratenen Lachs. Wer hier etwas anderes als heissen Saft und Wasser trinken möchte, muss Bier und Wein selbst mitbringen, da Alex keine Lizenz zum Ausschank alkoholischer Getränke hat. Dafür hatten wir während des Essens netten Smalltalk und erfuhren noch einiges über die Bewohner und die Natur. Mit der Nordlicht-Jagd war leider nichts, da nach einem wunderschönen Tag abends Wolken mit etwas Schnee aufzogen. Ansonsten haben wir uns aber extrem wohl gefühlt und werden das beim nächsten Besuch sicher wiederholen.

Experiencia inolvidable

January 8, 2019

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Alex - Nordic Adventures excelente guía y compañía para llevarte a disfrutar de una tradición laponesa maravillosa de sauna y hielo, cena deliciosa y búsqueda de Auroras Boreales; con la confianza de pedir algo especial para tu pareja y el apoyo invaluable que hemos recibido.
Simplemente: Gracias!!

Fabulous must do experience but very cold obviously...

December 29, 2018

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The area that Alex lives in is very remote with the nearest property being a couple of miles away. You drive down a single lane track with Alex happily telling you how often he has to take the snow plough out and clear it just so he has access to everything. Once he explains how the sauna works he leaves you to it for a couple of hours and goes to prepare the BBQ salmon and potatoes. The sauna itself is a wood burning one and for me it was a million times better than the saunas you are probably used to in hotels etc. I usually cant last very long in those places.
It's just a short walk through the snow to the frozen lake and I'm so glad i was brave enough to jump in as it really was a once in a lifetime experience. Would highly recommend it to everyone.
The food we had was amazing and also in such an idyllic location. This is the food experience that everyone else is trying to recreate in all the hotels and restaurants. We had the same type of meal of salmon and potatoes and sour cream a couple of other times on the trip but this was the best by far...
Do yourself a favour and book this trip.

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