Winter Week At Jeris

DAY 1 Kittila
Fly to Kittila (via Helsinki), where on arrival you are met by your local guide. It is then a mere 45-minute transfer to Jeris, in the heart of Finnish Lapland. Settle into your rooms, before a welcome dinner in the hotel restaurant and the chance to meet your fellow guests.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. This morning is free for you to explore the immediate surrounds, which is caked in a cloak of pristine white snow. After lunch, transfer to a local husky farm for a short tour and the opportunity to meet the 100 strong pack of dogs, each with their own name and howling their eagerness for an afternoon run. After instruction, you will head out in to the wilderness. Driving in pairs, you will each take it in turns to sit in the sled and mush. This has long been a favoured form of transport for the Lappish, and you can soon see why. It is an extraordinarily peaceful experience surrounded just by the nature and the soft panting of the dogs, as they make their way through the snowclad forest and across frozen lakes. Return to Hotel Jeris for dinner. Later, there is a talk about the Northern Lights and the myths that surround this dazzling natural phenomenon. Afterwards, join the guide for a walk to a Northern Lights hot spot and where, if the conditions are right, you can toast marshmallows over an open-fire whilst waiting for the lights to appear.

This morning is spent mastering the simple yet effective art of snowshoeing. Both cross-country skiing and snowshoeing have been used in the region for centuries and are perfect for immersing yourself in the surrounding nature. You will feel a certain sense of achievement as you return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon your guide will take you down to a safe spot on the frozen lake and after drilling a hole in the thick ice, cast your line and endeavour to catch a snack. 

After breakfast today, it’s a 10-minute bus transfer to Torassieppi Winter Village and Reindeer Farm. Visit the 100 year old Lappish farmhouse and museum; try your reindeer herding skills with lasso-throwing and enjoy a short reindeer safari (3km) through the forest. Lunch is served in the ice restaurant of the snow igloo, which is adorned with some impressive ice art. Replenished, head back to Jeris and an afternoon at leisure. Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant.

After breakfast today, head off with your guide on cross-country skis, following the tracks that start right by the hotel. Lunch will served back at the hotel. In the afternoon experience the thrill of a snowmobile ride. Receive a full safety briefing and instruction on how to drive these motorised beasts, before heading out (driving in pairs) on specially marked tracks through the perfect fell scenery. There are ample photo opportunities as well as the chance to swap drivers, should you so wish. Return to Hotel Jeris for a well-deserved dinner.

Day at leisure.  

A farewell dinner complete with delicious Finnish specialities is served to celebrate the completion of your Arctic adventure.

Breakfast and bid farewell to Jeris, before returning to Kittila airport in time for your flight home.