Arctic Circle Adventure - Finland
Fatbike, Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe in the Arctic Circle on This Small Group Adventure
This is the perfect week-long adventure for those wanting to explore Finnish Lapland in many different ways. With daily activities organised by our guides, you’ll learn how to use Nordic backcountry skis to glide across frozen lakebeds, snowshoe up fells and ride a fat bike through snow-laden forests. In the evenings, relax and warm up in the sauna and around the campfire while keeping your eyes peeled for the Northern Lights.
Based out of our cosy basecamp cabin deep in the Finnish wilderness, we'll immerse ourselves in the magic of a true Arctic winter. This is a fully supported, small-group adventure built for those who want to experience Finnish winter in the wild without roughing it.
Collaborating with our good friends at Sidetracked Adventures, we've crafted a very special immersive Sisters in the Wild winter experience — intimate, expert-guided, and completely unforgettable. If you’re looking for an authentic Lapland experience and want to soak up all that the magical winter has to offer then this is perfect for you.
Highlights
✔Fat biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
✔Daily wood-fired saunas
✔ Hunting the Northern Lights every evening
✔Cooking over an open fire
✔Finnish winter culture: sauna, fire, forest and wilderness
How Booking Works
£300 Deposit
Secures your spot at booking
We Confirm
We let you know the trip is running
Balance Due
60 days before the trip start
Tip: pay with bank details to avoid card processing fees.
Please note: this trip requires a minimum number of riders to run. We recommend not booking flights until we've confirmed — your deposit is fully refundable until then. You'll see a Guaranteed badge next to any dates we've already confirmed to run.
Still Have Questions?
Ask us anything about the trip, or register your interest for future dates.
Itinerary
Location: Lapland, Finland
With a nice cosy log cabin as our base we will head out each day on a different adventure. Spending the week learning how to use nordic backcountry skis and fat biking around the forest with lunch around the camp fire. Once it goes dark we will spend our evenings looking for the northern lights, hoping we get to see the skies dance.
Spending the week with a qualified wilderness guide you have the chance to learn some new skills; building the perfect fire, how to whittle a spoon but most importantly how to truly enjoy the Finnish Sauna. This is the perfect week for anyone wanting to have a real authentic Lapland adventure.
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Make your way to our cabin in Kiilopää, on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park. Aim to arrive by 6pm for a welcome meet with your guides and the rest of the group. If travel throws a spanner in the works, don’t worry — the cabin will be waiting for you whenever you arrive. The evening is spent over dinner getting to know each other and hearing about the adventure ahead.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Dinner included
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Your first morning on two fat wheels. Your guides will give you a proper fat-biking briefing before you head out — how to handle the bike on snow and ice, and what to expect from the terrain. Then you’re off into the forest trails surrounding Kiilopää, winding through snow-laden pines with the national park stretching out around you. Lunch is cooked over an open fire at a wilderness cabin hidden in the trees — sausages on sticks, hot drinks, good company. The afternoon brings more riding and stunning views before heading back to basecamp, where the sauna will be fired up and waiting.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Breakfast, lunch (campfire) and dinner included
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Today we swap wheels for planks. Your guides will teach you the basics of backcountry nordic skiing before you set off from the cabin onto the open fells. Classic-style skis let you glide off the groomed tracks and out into untouched snow — following reindeer trails, crossing frozen landscapes, and finding your rhythm in one of Europe’s great wildernesses. As your confidence builds through the day, you’ll venture deeper into the park. A cosy wilderness cabin provides the perfect mid-day pitstop for hot chocolate around the fire before the return glide home.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
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Back on the fat bikes, and today we head up onto the fells for bigger views and new trails. With a day’s riding already in your legs, you’ll feel the difference — more confidence, more flow. The landscape opens up as you climb above the treeline, with the vast sweep of Urho Kekkonen National Park laid out before you. Testing our skills on different terrain, we explore further into the park before descending back through the forest. Evening sauna, big dinner, and another chance to scan the skies for the northern lights.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
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Our biggest biking day, and our most rewarding. We ride out towards the nearby village of Saariselkä, stopping en route at a local café for coffee, cake and a taste of Finnish village life. With two route options throughout the day — a longer and a shorter — everyone can find their challenge level. This evening is one to remember: a traditional Finnish smoke sauna followed by a dip in the ice hole (for the brave ones). The contrast of searing heat and icy cold water is the most Finnish thing you can do — and once you’ve done it, you’ll wonder why you ever doubted yourself.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Breakfast and lunch included; dinner out independently in Saariselkä (the one evening not included)
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Our final full day, and we pull on snowshoes to explore in a completely different way. We hike up to Kiilopää fell, scanning the national park for wild reindeer — they’re out there, and their tracks are everywhere even when they’re not. Snowshoeing is wonderfully meditative: slower, quieter, and deeply connected to the landscape around you. We take in sweeping views across the park before heading back to the cabin for our celebratory final dinner together — your last evening under an Arctic sky.
Accommodation: Basecamp cabin, Kiilopää
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
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Breakfast together before check-out at 10am. Ivalo Airport is approximately 39km away (around 30 minutes). Bus connections run after each flight; taxis are also available. See the Travel & Arrival section for full transfer details.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s Included?
Included ✓
This is a fully supported camp — we've thought carefully about what makes a week like this truly special, and made sure it's included.
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Our trip will be guided by a local expert wilderness certified guide & our British Cycling and First Aid qualified Sisters in the Wild guide
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6 nights in our Finnish woodland cabin!
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Three days fatbiking, one day snowshoeing and one day cross-country skiing are included in the price
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All activity equipment is included and provided locally
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All meals are included apart from one dinner on your own to explore the local area.
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Not Included ✗
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You’ll have one night to explore the local area and have dinner on your own.
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Travel to/from basecamp is not included. We’ll share travel information in the trip guide.
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Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our trips, and highly recommend that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your trip.
If travelling overseas, your insurance must include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation or repatriation your baggage and equipment. It should cover the specific activities (for example, fatbiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing) involved on your SITW trip.
We also highly recommend taking out a policy which also includes personal liability (which includes our planned activity), cancellation and cover in the event you are unable to join your trip due to illness or injury, curtailment, loss of luggage or personal effects, or for any other reason.Laka, Bikmo and Yellow Jersey are well known adventure specific insurers.
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If you are travelling internationally, please check visa requirements before booking.
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Personal drinks and snacks are not included
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While activity specific equipment will be provided, you will need to bring your own winter clothing
Accomodation & Food
Basecamp
Your home for the week is a traditional log cabin set in the Finnish forest! The cabin comes with a large living area and log burner, fully equipped kitchen, and a Finnish sauna to warm you up after a long day outside.
Food
You will be cooked for in the cabin for the week by one of the guides, except for one evening where you can go try one of the local restaurants. The food will be home made and using local produce. We will cook some traditional Finnish meals, and eat most of our lunches around the fire. Breakfasts will be buffet style/help yourself and we will have a big dinner together each night.
Signature Experiences
We've woven in a variety of activities through the week to give you the authentic Finnish winter experience!
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The Sauna Ritual
Daily woodfired saunas are non-negotiable. Plus a dedicated excursion to a proper local Finnish sauna — followed by an ice-hole dip if you dare.
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Northern Lights
February is prime Northern Lights season in Finnish Lapland. With low light pollution from our remote basecamp, every clear evening is an opportunity.
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Fat Biking In The Arctic
Three full days on fat bikes exploring snow-covered forest trails and frozen terrain. No experience needed — just a sense of adventure.
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Campfire Culture
Cooking over the fire is a Finnish wilderness staple. We'll do it properly — sausages on sticks, hot drinks, big skies. Vegan options included.
About The Activities
We have rated this trip a Challenge Level 2–3, suitable for those who are active and enjoy the outdoors. You don't need prior winter sports experience. Fat biking is beginner-friendly on flat snow terrain; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are introductory level.
Challenge Level
Terrain
Snow-covered forest trails, frozen lake crossings and groomed tracks. Predominantly flat to gently rolling terrain. No technical snow experience required.
Daily Duration
Each activity day runs for approximately 3–5 hours of active time, depending on conditions and the pace of the group. Days are designed to feel full and rewarding without being exhausting — there’s always time to stop, take it in, and warm up with a hot drink along the way. We return to basecamp each afternoon, leaving evenings free for sauna, food and (hopefully) northern lights.
Experience Required
No prior experience of any of the activities is needed for this trip. All three — fat biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing — are beginner-friendly in the terrain we’ll be covering. Your guide will brief and support you fully on each activity before you set off.
Fat biking: No cycling experience required. Fat bikes are stable and forgiving on snow and ice. If you can ride a bike, you can fat bike.
Cross-country skiing: Complete beginners welcome. We’ll cover the basics at the start of the day. Classic (not skate) style on groomed tracks.
Snowshoeing: The most accessible of all three — essentially winter hiking with wider feet. No experience needed whatsoever.
Remoteness & Weather
We’re based in the Finnish wilderness, which means genuine remoteness — but never without support. Your guide is with you throughout every activity day, and all routes are chosen with safety and conditions in mind. February temperatures typically range from -5°C to -15°C, with cold snaps possible. Wind chill can make it feel significantly colder, so dressing in proper layers is essential. That said, when the sun is out and you’re moving, it’s magical. Snow is reliable and consistent at this time of year. Always expect the unexpected with Arctic weather — flexibility is part of the adventure.
Support Style
Fully Supported, Entirely Flexible
This is a supported camp designed to let you experience the Finnish winter your way. All the activities are optional, you are more than welcome to opt out of any of them and explore the surroundings yourself or enjoy a day in the cabin. As we have a base for the week there is no pressure to join us with activities.
Guiding
Two guides throughout — your SITW guide plus a fully wilderness-certified local Finnish guide. Between them you're in expert hands: local knowledge of the terrain, conditions and culture, combined with the SITW experience you know and trust.
Pace & Support
Your guide sets the pace to suit the whole group — no one gets left behind. Days are flexible by design: if conditions change, or someone needs a rest, we adapt. This is a small group of maximum 9, which means a genuinely personal experience and plenty of attention from your guide. There is no “keeping up” culture here — just a group of people moving through a beautiful landscape together.
FAQs
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Ivalo airport is a short bus journey from the starting point of our trip or Rovaniemi airport is around 3.5hrs from the starting point. Always check the bus times before you book your flights as buses do not run after every flight.
If you fly into Ivalo airport there is a local transfer bus after every flight that can drop you off 10 minutes away from the cabin. The busses are less frequent from Rovaniemi so it’s worth checking before you book.
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We keep our groups nice and small for this trip, so we run the trips with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 9.
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We will try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions for meals that we prepare. If you have serious allergies, please email us before booking on hello@sistersinthewild.com.
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You don’t need any previous experience we will teach you everything you need to know but you will need a good level of fitness to enjoy the trip. If you have skied before it will help with the basics but the skiing style is quite different so it will be a new experience for you.
You need to have a good level of fitness and be happy to be outdoors for 5-6 hours in the day. The conditions can be very testing so you need to be able to manage your layers in the cold, too.
All the activities are optional, you are more than welcome to opt out of any of them and explore the surroundings yourself or enjoy a day in the cabin. As we have a base for the week there is no pressure to join us with activities.
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We meet from 5pm in our cabin on the first day of the trip and you are free to leave anytime on the final day of the trip as there are no activities planned.
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Temperatures typically range from around -5°C to -15°C, with cold snaps pushing to -25°C or below — especially at night. Wind chill can make it feel significantly colder.
Snow is pretty much guaranteed in February — it's the heart of winter, so the snowpack is well established and reliable. Great news for fat biking, skiing and snowshoeing.
Daylight is limited but growing — you'll get around 7–8 hours of daylight in early February, rising slightly through the month. Sunrise around 8:30am, sunset around 4:30pm.
Northern Lights — February is one of the best months. Long dark nights and statistically good solar activity make it prime aurora season.
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Preparing for a winter adventure is all about staying warm, dry, and comfortable so you can fully enjoy your time in the snow. The right gear makes all the difference — not just for your safety, but for your overall experience.
Below you’ll find a recommended packing list.
Kit list
Backpack 20–30L
Head torch (plus extra batteries — cold drains them fast)
1L thermos bottle
Sleeping bag liner
2/3 season sleeping bag
Clothing
1 x mid layer
2 x warm jumper/fleece
2 x base layer set
2 x wool or thick socks
2–3 sock liners
Hat
Thick buff
Liner gloves
Thick gloves
Shell jacket
Salopettes
Warm down jacket
Swimsuit (for the sauna!)
Normal clothes for inside the cabin and restaurants
Winter snow boots for biking/showshoeing — go a size up to allow room for extra socks and airflow
Ski goggles
Optional
Camera/tripod
A good book
All provided: ski boots, skis and poles, fat bikes, snowshoes and poles, cup, bowl and spork.
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Yes of course - most people that join us do! It’s a great trip to meet new like-minded friendly people.