FINLAND TOUR - FEBRUARY 10-16, 2025
Get the best Finland photographs in 7 days with no planning needed at your end.
FINLAND…
the winter wonderland, and home to the Northern Lights and… the Santa Claus.
It’s a special place in the world with unique landscapes.
And - it is still under the radar, in my opinion, compared to Norway and other destinations.
There’s a lot to photograph, and experience.
Dates: February 10, 2024 - February 16, 2024
Start/End City: Ruka, Finland
Fitness Difficulty: Moderate
Tour Type: Adventure
Price: €2,400 per person
THE ITINERARY
There won’t be a strict schedule, as we’ll adjust with where is the best light.
However, this is what you can expect:
Day 1: Transportation from Kuusamo Airport to Ruka. Hugo will organize this for you. (If you come from Rovaniemi, Hugo can help you with that as well.)
We check in to our cosy cabin, and we go out for a welcome dinner. Later, we will monitor the conditions - and possibly - go hunt the Northern Lights
Days 2-6: In what order we go through these following places, will depend on the weather. But you can expect to visit all of these:
Riisitunturi National Park
Myllykoski
Konttainen
Valtavaara
Iivaara
Ruuhitunturi
Between shoots we’ll eat at local restaurants, go shopping, rest, and I’ll help out with editing your photos, or give other advice, if you so wish.
We might visit the locations above multiple times, especially Riisitunturi National Park, as that’s one of the highlights of the trip.
We don’t have too tight of a schedule with 6 nights, as rarely are all sunrises, sunsets and nights amazing.
This way, we will have better chances of catching great conditions.
If we have bad conditions on some days, I’ll also host photography and/or editing lessons.
Last day: We have lunch, afterwhich the tour ends. I can drive you to the airport if your flight is leaving that day. Or, I’ll organize your transportation there.
Why February?
This is because of 2 main reasons:
1) There is already more sunlight. Many host workshops in January… but there’s a problem. And that is, that most days are absolutely cloudy!
Of course, we could have bad luck too. But we have much better chances of sunny days, and cloudless nights… and that’s CRUCIAL to see the Northern Lights.
In January, there’s been times where I’ve only seen the sun literally 2-3 times that month.
2) I didn’t choose March, although then there’s great chances for the Northern Lights too… but then, there might not be a lot of snow in the trees anymore.
10-16th of February felt it will give us the best chances for amazing photos.
Photos from places we'll explore:
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(The cabin doesn't actually have a light. But I can teach how to do that in Photoshop or Lightroom)
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Why join a photo tour??
Glad you asked, my friend. There are many reasons why join one:
1) Limited Daylight in Finland.
This means there’s limited time to get from A spot to B spot - and if you do this on your own without a native guide, it’ll be harder for you to manage - and you’re more likely to miss out on stunning photos.
On many days, we’ll aim to photograph both the sunrise and the sunset, and eat in between the shoots. If you’re on your own, it’s much harder to stay on time.
2) You don’t need to bring your own warm clothing if you don’t want to. I’ll get you clothing that will for sure keep you warm. No need to be frozen. (As a non-native, you probably will underestimate how much clothing you actually need.)
3) There’s not great information on all the spots, so you’d need to spend a lot of time figuring out an efficient plan for yourself. And even then, there’s the risk you’ve missed something, and you notice the inefficiency of the plan when it’s too late.
4) What if there’s a snowstorm - or a total white out? There’s always chance the weather goes crazy, and it’s good to have someone with you who has been to these locations before.
5) During this time of the year, there’s not a lot of accommodations available. If you chose to travel alone, you’d need to pay quite a bit for your own room. With us, you’ll get a great accommodation without extra hassle.
6) Language barrier. Although many Finns do speak English, there’s many who don’t, especially in the more remote spots. All the signs are of course in Finnish, so it can be challenging to operate on your own.
7) Seeing the Northern Lights can be difficult on its own, but when you also want to photograph them, it’s even more difficult.
When you have a guide who’s known for his Northern Light work, he’ll make this all easier for you.
I’ll be monitoring the graphs, so you don’t need to understand anything on predicting the Northern Lights. You can just focus on the experience.
8) Slippery paths. If you go on your own, you don’t know where there’s spots to be careful at. I’ve been to these locations, so I know where to be careful.
9) No need to rent your own car. This can be very heavy cost. It’s much more affordable when we go as a group.
10) Struggling with compositions? Sometimes, it’s tough to know how to get most out of a location. When you have me there with you, I can assist you with your composition to help get you the best shots - and make you a better photographer.
11) Risk of ruining your camera. There’s a lot that can go wrong when photographing in the cold, which is why it’s important to know what to do with your gear - and what not to do.
I’ll provide you guidance on the 1st day how to make sure everything goes smoothly and that you don’t ruin your gear.
12) Driving conditions! Have you ever driven in snow, or on ice? If not… know it can be difficult and dangerous.
When you join my tour, I’ll be driving - and I have a lot of experience driving in harsh winter conditions.
Small roads don’t help with this. There’s always some tourists who get their cars trapped when they don’t know how small the roads actually are. With me, this is much less likely to happen.
13) Snow-covered paths. Sometimes, it snows overnight, and that hides ALL the paths and markings. What do you do if it’s your first time there? It’s bad, right? Again, it helps to have someone who has already been there, so he can guide you there in time for the best light, and safely.
14) Access to emergency services. Some spots can have limited mobile connection, but I’ll be bringing in a device through which we can send a distress signal via a satellite in case of an emergency. These can be very costly to buy.
15) Focus on photography, and the experience, not the logistics. Wouldn’t it be nice just to enjoy the sceneries, and snap photos, while not stressing over other things? When you join a tour, this is what you’ll get. I’ll make sure your experience is brilliant by taking care of the plan, the more stressful and boring things. You can only focus on having the best time.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
We’ll share a big cosy cabin in the heart of Ruka, Finland. We’ll have everything we need nearby when it comes to shopping, restaurants and other local activities. Photography spots are a bit everywhere, but thankfully, this is quite in the middle of everything.
What’s included
All accommodation (private rooms)
Transportation from Kuusamo Airport to Ruka (either via my, Hugo’s, pick-up, or by an organized taxi.)
Transportation between photography spots (and to shop, local activities, and restaurants when we go as a group)
Photography Instruction by me, Hugo Korhonen
Hands-on photo editing instruction by me, Hugo Korhonen
All local activities we’ll do (from Husky Sledging to meeting Reindeer)
Access to all National Parks we visit
Snowshoe rental
Winter clothing rental
Coffee & Water
Some snacks for hikes
Hand warmers for each shoot
Finnish Sauna Experience
2 x 1h private calls with Hugo before the trip to ensure best experience for you
What’s not included
Everything not mentioned in the “What’s included”, such as:
Possible flights to Finland
Meals
Alcohol drinks
Travel Insurance
Possible visas
What equipment to bring?
Warm clothing is important, but you can also rent it out at the location. This is something Hugo can cover for you, no problem.
A camera (although you can come without one too, but Hugo won’t be able to provide you with one without extra payment)
More than 1 Battery. Batteries drain in the cold faster than normal. This said I’ve often gone a day of shooting just with 1 battery - but again - it’s good to have one extra. And, this depends a lot on how cold it is.
A tripod - is essential for high-quality Northern Light photography.
Drone (optional). This can allow unique perspectives… but honestly, at these locations, I’ve rarely used it. (Read more on the drone regulations in the FAQ section.)
Wide-angle lens. This is helpful for capturing as much of the night sky as possible for the Northern Lights.
An ND filter if you want to get a photograph like the one of Myllykoski above and a remote shutter.
Specialized Photography Gloves can be useful, but not required.
Laptop if you want to edit your photos whilst here.
Of course, bring other camera gear you have if you want to!
About your guide
Hey! I’m Hugo Korhonen, your guide on this trip. Nice e-meeting you.
I’m a Finnish photographer who has over 7 years of experience under my belt, and I have worked with organizations such as Sony, Etihad Airways and Halti, to name a few.
I’m known for my dreamy Finland, Northern Lights and Arctic photographs. And the locations we’ll visit are perfect to get these for you.
The locations are some of my absolute favourites in entire Finland.
The problem often with shooting is you don’t know how to get to the locations… or if you do, you don’t know how to get the most out of them.
During the winter months, the light is very limited, and that makes getting the photos you want more challenging.
I’ll be making sure you come away from this trip with wonderful memories, and stunning photographs.
Ready to book?
If you’re ready to book, please click the button below to pay the deposit amount.
Final payments will be due 120 days before the tour starts.
For all payment terms and conditions, read this page.
After booking, you’ll be given access to Hugo’s Private Calendar. Through that, you can book your 1st meeting with him to discuss how he can maximize this trip for you.
Get the best Finland photographs in 6 days with no planning needed at your end. Book now.
FAQs
Will we see the Northern Lights?
There are definitely possibilities of seeing them. It all depends on the cloud cover, and the activity of the sun. I will monitor the weather, nothing is guaranteed with this, but we’ll do our best to catch them! We have 6 nights, which means 6 tries.
And now, this winter might have some of the best Northern Light activity in a LONG time. That’s why, if you want to see them, I’d HIGHLY recommend visiting Finland this Northern Light season!
What’s the fitness level required?
Majority of the spots we visit require some hiking. There’s a few longer ones, but most are easy. You should have a basic level of fitness.
The easiest hikes are around 2km. The longest one is 12km in total. But you can choose whether to come for certain hikes or not. :)
How many people will be coming?
The maximum group size is 4 (+ me). So, that’s the maximum. The trip will happen even if this somehow didn’t fill up.
How’s the cabin and the rooms?
We’re staying in a super cosy cabin in the heart of Ruka, Finland.
Most tours require people to share rooms with others. But with this tour, you’ll have your own room. There are 2 beds in each room, so if you’re coming with a partner, you can share the room with them, of course.
How is the Sauna organized?
The cabin has a sauna. We’ll warm it up at some point… maybe once, maybe daily… we’ll see.
You don’t need to join us if you don’t want.
The traditional style of going to the sauna is going naked… however, I know that is strange for people abroad. So, we’ll all have a towel or swimming suit on to make it comfortable for everyone.
How often will we go shoot?
We’ll go photograph as often as possible. You can always choose whether to join us on a given shoot or not. You can also plan other activities as you wish.
But, we might not go shoot more than 2 times a day. This is because I, Hugo, am a human too. And if we stay up photographing the Auroras, I might not be able to operate a sunrise shoot after that. (Maybe some days I can… but not daily, I want to provide you the best experience after all).
What are the drone regulations?
Where we’ll be shooting, in some areas, you’ll be allowed to fly the drone, in other areas not.
Also, the regulations can change without big notice, this isn’t something I can control.
You must have a proper license to fly in Finland. Read more here.
Will I provide drinking?
Coffee and water are covered by me. Alcohol is not.
How expensive is the food in Finland?
Depends on what’s expensive in your eyes, I guess. But it is more expensive than in many countries.
We’ll be eating in restaurants, or ordering food to our place, for convenience. Depending on what you eat, your meal will be somewhere from €15 to €35.
In what restaurants will we eat? Nothing luxurious so that we can eat as a group. I’ll ask for food preferences and if you have some allergies, and then I’ll select some restaurants for us to dine in.
Again, I’ll organize the tables etc for us, so you don’t need to worry on that.
Where should I fly to?
I’d recommend Kuusamo Airport (KAO), but if Rovaniemi (RVN) is incredibly more affordable, that could be worth considering.
Note: The bus from Rovaniemi is a bit less 4h. From Kuusamo, it only is 36 minutes.
How will I get to Ruka?
Don’t worry, I’ll help you out in our call together.
How will eating be organized?
We’ll go shopping on the 1st day, and you can buy whatever you want from the shop as a breakfast or a snack.
The main meals of the day we’ll eat in restaurants to save time from cooking, so we can focus on shooting.
The eating times may vary due to where and when we’ll be shooting.
That’s why, it’s good to have some snacks.
I’ll provide some protein bars on hikes for extra energy.
How good do I need to be in photography?
Honestly, you can be totally new to cameras! I’ll guide you to get some stunning photos. But, you can also join us without a camera! However, you must have patience, as we photographers, can be waiting hours for something to happen. So excitement for special moments is a must. :)
Do I need a travel insurance?
I’d absolutely recommend it. There’s always a chance I’d get injured, or some other unexpected stuff happens which would cancel the trip.
That’s why, it is important to have.
Read more on our cancellation policy here.
Something else I need to know about Finland?
The biggest challenge will be the cold. Even if you think you have enough clothing… you might not have. Even Finns make this mistake, and if you’re coming from abroad, the chances are, you’re underestimating the coldness.
But this is exactly why I have covered the clothing rental costs. That’s how we guarantee you stay as warm as possible - and why I also cover hand warmers to protect your hands.