The start point of our trip. We landed at Helsinki airport at 11 AM and decided to go for a city tour before starting our actual lapland trip. We walked along the city centre and harbour, enjoyed some warm lunch and soaked in the atmosphere. Our guided tour started at 10.15 PM from the Helsinki RW Station. We embarked on an overnight bus ride northwards to Vasatokka.
On way to Vasatokka
Our first stop next morning was the snow castle of Kemi. The castle resort is open all year around to tourists. There is an indoor exhibition of snow and ice sculptures. The art is exquisite and worth a visit. In addition, they also offer accomodation options for people interested to stay back and enjoy the area.
We crossed the arctic circle and arrived at the Santa Claus village. The village was magically decorated and there is always the Christmas vibes with the Santa Claus and his post office. You can have send postcards and greetings around the world stamped from the Santa Claus village.
We reached Vasatokka in the afternoon and were briefed about the tour and the accomodation.
Later in the evening we went for a snowshoe trek in the wilderness. We explored the snowy forest on a short 3 km hike in the forest next to Vasatokka.
Trip to the arctic ocean
Next morning, we crossed Finland, travelling towards the fjords and reached one of the dream locations in Norway, the picturesque village of Bugøynes in Northern Norway. The landscape was breathtaking with beautiful snow capped colorful houses. The highlight of the day was the cold dip in the Arctic Ocean and quick run to warm saunas. It felt surreal and would recommend it to everyone atleast once in their lifetime.
On our way back we stopped at Utsjoki to taste traditional soup in a local restaurant with blue cheese. Several restaurants in the area offer variety of soup and bread menus. One can drop by to also interact with locals and hear about some food traditions.
Reindeer Farm visit
The main activity of the day was a visit to the reindeer farm, feeding the reindeers and evening spent with the Saami people listening to reindeer stories and sipping hot tea inside a cosy cottage.
Finnish Sauna
We spent the day in Vasatokka, walking around the forest, enjoying the warm sauna and relaxing abit. In the evening, we were lucky to experience it very first northern lights right outside our accommodation. The sight was mesmerizing and lasted for 30 min. Once you have seen it, you cannot get enough of it. The beautiful waves of shades of green flowing above you are a sight you would never forget.
Husky Safari
We hopped onto the bus leading us to the Alaskan huskies. After a brief introduction about these string dogs, we took a ride on the sledge with 6 huskies pulling our sled through the snowy landscapes. At the end of the tour, we could pet these cute dogs and play abit with them. After the safari, we headed back south towards Helsinki.
Arrival back to Helsinki
We arrived next day at Helsinki, tired but filled with so many amazing memories and momentos that it filled our hearts with satisfaction. We spent the a couple of hours shopping some souvenirs, had a warm lunch and headed to the airport to fly back home.
