Article mis à jour le 7 Mar 2023
One week trip to Lapland in Pyhä-Luosto in Finland ?
I had the chance to travel again in Finnish Lapland and this time in the regions of Pyhätunturi and Luosto that I did not know at all.
In order to organize your trip to Lapland, you will find in our first article all the practical information for a week in Lapland:
- What is the best period to go to Lapland?
- How to see the Northern Lights?
- What is the budget for a week?
- What equipment to wear for the cold?
One week trip in Lapland: what to do?
Day 1: Arrival in Luosto
As a reminder, Lapland is a region that stretches over 4 countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway and part of Russia.
To get to the Pyhä-Luosto region, I took a flight to Rovaniemi which is the main city of Finnish Lapland. Most flights to Lapland have a stopover in Helsinki ✈️.
I then quickly picked up my rental car at Europcar. I was even pleasantly surprised by the speed of the service! Whichever car you choose, they will be equipped with snow tires and you will have no problem driving on the snowy roads which are very well maintained.
After 1h15 of driving, I finally arrived in Luosto, at the Santa Aurora Hotel. I had the chance to sleep 2 nights in a glass igloo, which allows to watch the stars or the Northern Lights for the lucky ones! The hotel is also a restaurant and I didn’t wait to try their grilled reindeer, a typical Lapland dish. It was delicious! I also recommend you to try the beet risotto which was excellent.
Day 2 of the trip in Finnish Lapland: Bike tour and Amethyst mine.
If you are in Luosto, the amethyst mine is a must! Located in the national park, this small purple stone is extracted entirely by hand by the miners who also act as guides during your visit.
To get there, I advise you to book an electric bike tour, obviously adapted to the snow with Bliss. This allows you to ride around the national park with a guide and admire the landscapes in all tranquility. Contrary to what you might think, it’s not difficult at all because the paths are well marked.
I then put my bike in a small café where the meeting point to go to the mine was located. You have 2 options to get there: either by foot for the more athletic, or with the “train” which looks like a huge snowmobile with cabins. When you arrive, you will be given a lot of explanations about the creation of the mine before looking for your gems yourself!
It was a lot of fun to put yourself in the shoes of a miner. You can also leave with one of your Amethysts at the end of your visit. This activity provides a living for about ten people in the region. Book your tour to the Amethyst Mine from Rovaniemi if you are not staying in Luosto.
For lunch, I went to the restaurant Punakettu (red fox in French) where I could taste the Glögi, which is a typical Finnish hot wine. Special mention for the vegan meatballs which were delicious.
Day 3: Snowmobiling and ice fishing in Lapland
You can’t make a trip to Lapland without planning a snowmobile trip. I went with Lapland Safari which offers different outings according to your desires. I was able to drive through the snowy fir trees to a big frozen lake where we were going to fish. Don’t panic, the ice is very thick so there is no risk of it collapsing!
Equipped with an instrument to pierce the ice, I made a hole to cross the meter of ice and reach the water. The guides provide you with a fishing rod and bait, but it’s not that easy! I waited 20 minutes before catching my first fish.
For those who don’t want to fish, a fire is prepared on the lake where coffee and tea are served to warm you up. The whole trip lasts about 2 hours and the return by snowmobile is done at night to enjoy the landscape in a different way.
Day 4: Horseback riding
For this 4th day, I went to Lucky Ranch which proposes horseback riding in the forest. After brushing and preparing my horse, I went with the guide in the forest until the lake. This allows to appreciate the quietness of the forest and the beauty of the Finnish Lapland landscapes.
We also stopped in a small café during our walk to drink a hot chocolate and to visit the igloos built by the ranch in which we can also sleep. The guide, Anu, was very nice and explained me a lot about the horses and the life at the ranch.
Finally, I went to my new hotel Ski-inn which offers many apartments in the heart of Pyhä, which allowed me to discover the center of this ski resort. As in many Finnish apartments, I had a private sauna in my studio, which is perfect to warm up after a day in the cold ????
Day 5: Snowshoeing and Northern Lights for your trip in Lapland
The ski resort of Pyhä is not very high (500 m) but offers a great view on the surroundings. So I took the chairlift to go up to the top and do a snowshoeing tour with a French guide. The light was superb since we could see the sun in the distance and the view was incredible. The circuit we did around the peak was accessible for all levels and we walked back down, but you can also take the chairlift down if you want. Book your snowshoe tour.
? If you don’t know where to have lunch, I advise you to go to Café Neidon Sydän because they make delicious hot sandwiches at really reasonable prices. Special mention for the berry cheesecakes which are very good.
How to photograph Northern Lights in In the late evening, I decided to go hunting for Northern Lights since the sky was clear. Click here to learn all about the Northern Lights and how to see them.
Day 6: Skiing in Lapland
Even if the resort is not very high, the ski slopes are really nice in Pyhä because the snow is always there. I booked a ski lesson with Bliss in order to discover the area, with a beautiful view on the surroundings. Don’t worry if you don’t have a very good level because the slopes are wide and there is something for all levels. The lifts open at 10am until the evening and you can take the opportunity to try night skiing, a really fun experience ⛷️!
For dinner, I highly recommend the Huttuhippu restaurant with a view on the slopes and the resort. I loved the mushroom risotto, the local beer is very good and the atmosphere is pleasant.
Day 7: must-do activities in Lapland
I was looking forward to this day because it combined my two favorite activities!
Meeting with the reindeer
The reindeer is the most common animal in Lapland. If it was once used for transportation, it is nowadays only used for its meat or tourism. I went to the reindeer farm Kopara Reindeer Park to make a sled ride in the forest. The sleds slide easily on the snow so the weight is not heavy for the animal and they only make one short ride per day.
After admiring the beautiful scenery, I had time to feed the females before warming up with a nice blueberry juice by the fire!
Ride with the sled dogs
The kennel of Arctic Husky Farm is located right next to the reindeer farm and I was lucky to have a French musher for this ride. I was able to drive the sled for 10 km in the forest: a real sport for the dogs as well as for me and strong sensations guaranteed! It is really my favorite activity in Lapland since I love dogs. We also went around the kennel where the musher told me the story of some dogs and showed me some little puppies of only one month old ????.
On the way back, I stopped at Santa Claus Village. You should know that this tourist village also offers many activities for children, souvenir stores, restaurants and hotels. You can visit it by booking a tour as well.
I hope to have helped you in the organization of your one week trip to Finnish Lapland! Feel free to leave me a little comment below if you have any questions.
Je suis Aurélie, co-créatrice du blog et de l’Instagram Amoureux du Monde. Depuis 2016, j’ai eu la chance de visiter de nombreuses destinations et de me former à la photographie via ces expériences. Ce que je recherche en voyage, c’est l’apaisement devant un magnifique paysage, l’émerveillement devant la beauté de la nature et l’émotion devant un coucher de soleil.
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