Finland, our way
Finland
|
Oct 1 - Oct 10, 2026
We had a great time on our trip to Finland. Alise did a first rate job of working with us to find activities that aligned with our interests, plus following up while we were in country to make sure everything was going off smoothly, coordinating on-the-fly adjustments with the tour operators when the weather didn't cooperate, etc. We arrived at our hotel on the first night to find a goody bag left for us by Alise, waiting in our room!
Some especial highlights from our trip were:
Aurora watching tour in Inari
Joining a Sami family for cooking and eating a meal together
Visiting a husky farm
The amythest mine in Pyha/Luosto was also a nice side activity.
Hands down the best accommodations was the LapinTintti eco-cabin in Inari. The other accommodations were very nice, but they were businesses, and felt like it. Terhi, our host at the eco-cabin, is on a whole different level, down to a container of hand picked cloudberries waiting for us.
There were two items I would suggest as an opportunity for improvement:
1. The KimKim app was only OK. It had the locations, times, and descriptions. On a previous trip we used an app that offered a range of sites of interest for each day on your trip, with descriptions, locations, best times to visit, etc.
2. The overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi got the job done, but is not super pleasant even with the sleeper car. There wasn't anything "wrong" with it, but trying to juggle two fifty-somethings, all of our luggage, etc. made for a rough experience. Nothing that Alise or KimKim could have done differently, and I would have loved it if I were 20 years younger, but it is something to be aware of.
Hotel Reviews
A+: This is a guest cottage owned by a couple, who pay exceedingly good attention to detail, in a wonderful setting. Far off the beaten path, with abundant nature and views. One warning: you need to go down a flight of stairs to get from the sleeping area to the bathroom during the night.
The aurora cabin is a nice idea, but didn't really add much to the experience. We were there when the place was almost empty, but I can imagine that it would feel cramped at full occupancy.
A very nice city hotel (with a great breakfast spread), but nothing overly special.
It's a train with sleeper cabins. It gets you where you need to go, but best suited for the adventurous young couple.
Pleasant, but that's about as far as it goes.
Very nice. They weren't serving breakfast while we were there, so they LOADED the fridge with a ridiculous assortment of foods for us to make our own breakfasts. They also had an option for us to do some laundry mid-trip so we could pack less.
Activity Reviews
The highlight of our trip. After four hours of spending time together cooking, conversing, meeting the family, etc. it was one of the most impactful times we had. This is *not* a touristy accommodation. This is a wonderful woman welcoming us into her home.
Meeting the dogs, getting mauled by puppies (our choice), a ride behind a team of 12.
A wonderful wood fired sauna *way* out in the woods.
We were taken out to a great spot to see the aurora.
Hi Dan,
Thank you for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review! I’m so glad you had a wonderful time exploring Finland and that you got to experience some truly special moments, from meeting a Sámi family to seeing the Northern Lights. I also appreciate your feedback, which is always valuable as we continue to improve.
I hope you enjoy looking back on all the beautiful memories and Northern Lights photos, and I’d be delighted to help you plan another trip to this part of the world if you ever decide to return!
All the best,
Alise