This 7-day guided and all-inclusive summer holiday package in Hossa national park is designed for those who want to experience the northern wilderness and get to participate in the most enjoyable and recreating outdoor activities, with your local guide taking you canoeing and hiking on his favorite trails and lakes in this vast wilderness area. Day distances of the walks/canoe trips vary from 14-16 km / 6-7 h and they´re planned so that you will get to see different types of forests and changing habitats during these days.

Visiting the must see-natural wonders of the beautiful Hossa National Park area (the Colored Rock, Julma-Ölkky canyon), enjoying the sauna and tasting some local wild foods are integral parts of this active and all-inclusive nature holiday trip, another highlight being the two nights spent camping and sleeping outside in the Hossa national park, providing a great contrast to staying in a holiday apartment with all the modern comforts. On this tailor-made tour you´re guided by a hospitable and experienced local person who´s totally committed to ensuring that you have a memorable and enjoyable holiday, deep in the wilds of Finland.

This trip is suitable for families, couples, groups of friends and individual passengers and a certain level of physical condition is required to be able to do the hikes. Both beginners and experienced outdoor enthusiasts will find this a nice combination of activities and experiences and the program can also be tailored to suit the special needs and requests of your own group, so don´t hesitate to contact us and request for a tailored proposal.

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Day 1 (Saturday) Day of arrival

Arrival to Kuusamo or Oulu airport, transfer to Hossa and welcoming dinner at this cozy holiday apartment, where you´ll be spending the first three nights of your Finland holiday.

Day 2 (Sunday) 15km hiking, 6-7h

After breakfast it´s time for our first hike and after a 30 min transfer south by car, we will start our walk on the Eastern border hiking trail. This 15 km walk over vast marshlands and through old-growth forests takes you completely off the beaten path, offering versatile views to a very pristine Finnish wilderness where elk, great grey owls, flying squirrels and brown bears roam. We´ll be observing nature and wildlife, enjoy a picnic lunch around open fire along the way and once we are back at the house around 4 pm, we´ll heat up the sauna, swim in the lake if you´re up for it and have dinner at around 7 pm.

Day 3 (Monday) 14 km hiking, 5-6h

This morning after breakfast we will make a 30 min transfer to the Hossa National Park, where we´ll be doing a circular walk around a beautiful canyon lake and visit the must-see wonder of the Hossa National Park, the 4000 years old rock painting made by the shamanistic Stone Age hunter-gathering people who lived in the area thousands of years ago. The landscapes vary from several small lakes to pine-dominant and mixed forests with permanent inhabitants being pine-martens, the Siberian Jay and Capercaillies for example. We will have a picnic-lunch around open-fire during the day again with the total walking distance being 14 km on terrain that is rather challenging at times. Dinner and sauna again in the evening once we have made it back to the holiday apartment.

Day 4 (Tuesday) 10 km canoeing, fishing and camping in Hossa national park

On day 4 we´ll start our combined 2-days / 2-nights canoe camping trip, where we´ll be following a chain of lakes on the southern edge of the Hossa National Park. After breakfast we pack the things we need for the two nights spent outdoors and after a 40-minute transfer we are at our starting point, where we´ll learn the basics and safety issues of canoeing and then off we go. Route is mainly paddling on lakes with four small, beginner-friendly rivers on the way. We´ll stop for a picnic lunch by the fire around half way at some point and after app. 10 km of paddling, we will reach our destination and set up our camp for the first night outside. We will have some fishing equipment with us, so today you´ll also have the chance to learn how to fish with a spinning reel, practice casting the lure and try your luck in catching your own dinner. Sitting by the campfire in the evening, maybe dipping in the lake, simply enjoying the surrounding wild and sleeping the night under the northern sky will make this a day to remember.

Day 5 (Wednesday) 10-12 km canoeing, fishing, foraging and camping in Hossa national park

Waking up in a tent in the woods, having slept well after an active day outdoors is a good start for the day. We´ll have breakfast, take down our camp and start our second day of canoeing and fishing on the nearby lakes, the total paddling distance to the next camping site being around 12 km. The wind plays a huge role on how demanding the canoeing ends up being, so today we´ll at least start easy and see how we end up covering distance. Picnic lunch around the fire around halfway again and possibly some stops for fishing in some good spots on the way. Depending on the exact time of this week, during these camping days we might also try to collect some berries and/or mushrooms to supplement our meals. And as yesterday, dinner is served around the fire at our final camping site (your luggage awaits) after we have set up our camp for the second night in the forest. Here there´s also a good shore/beach to swim in the lake and wash away the sweats of the day, before falling asleep in a warm sleeping bag in a cozy tent. During the 2 canoeing days we will have the chance to relay on built structures of the National Park, meaning dry outdoor toilets on the camping sites and along the marked trails.

Day 6 (Thursday) 13 km hiking, 5-6 h

We´ll prepare our own light breakfast by the fire, dismantle the tents and begin our 13 km hike towards our final destination, a nice holiday apartment located in the Hossa village where a lakeside sauna, shower and fresh sheets await after the two long days spent outdoors and sleeping in a sleeping bag. This last walk takes us through pristine pine-forest, up and down steep ridges and around several beautiful lakes; all those things that truly distinguishes and characterizes the Hossa national park and thus is a great way to wrap up the whole week spent exploring all around this vast and wild area. We will have an abundant buffet lunch at the Hossa Visitor Centre on the way and reach the apartment around 3-4 pm in the afternoon (your luggage awaits so hiking with a daypack). Last evening dinner will be served at your apartment later in the evening, after enjoying the sauna and swimming in the lake of course!

Day 7 (Friday) Day of departure

Breakfast and transfer to the airport / hotel, depending on your travel plan.