Arctic Basecamp Experience

Arctic Basecamp Experience in Lapland is a six-night winter adventure in Ylläs for first-time Arctic travellers. You stay in comfortable accommodation while learning essential winter skills.

Level Beginner Friendly

6 days

Price

2700€

(incl. VAT 25,5%)

Book now

Availability

February

Location

Ylläsjärvi

Meeting point

Ylläs

Difficulty level

Entry level

Duration

6 days

Adventure facts:

2026:

December 12th – 18th

2027:

February 6th – 12th

Day 1 – Arrival in Lapland

Arrival at Kittilä Airport or Kolari Railway Station and transfer to Ylläs. You settle into comfortable accommodation in a quality hotel, guesthouse or B&B. In the evening, you meet your guides and the group, enjoy dinner together and get an introduction to the week ahead.

Day 2 – Understanding winter

We begin by getting familiar with essential winter expedition gear. Through practical demonstrations and hands-on sessions, you learn how clothing systems, tents and stoves work in cold conditions. In the afternoon, we head outdoors for snowshoeing, experiencing movement in deep snow and learning how to stay warm and comfortable.

Day 3 – Skiing and pulka skills

Today you step onto fell skis and learn how ski with them. You practise also skiing with a pulka, understanding balance, pacing and technique. This is the foundation of multi-day winter travel in Lapland.

Day 4 – Winter camp and night outdoors

After preparing and packing together, we head out for your overnight winter camp. You set up tents on snow, organise the campsite and cook outdoors in Arctic conditions.

In the evening, we settle into the quiet of the winter landscape and spend the night outside. This is often the highlight of the week — a real and safe experience of winter camping under the northern sky.

Day 5 – Easy winter day and local culture

After breakfast outdoors, we return to our accommodation. The final full day is intentionally lighter. We visit reindeer “farm”, and explore the SnowVillage, a unique structure built entirely from snow and ice. In the evening, we gather for a farewell dinner and reflect on the week’s experiences.

Day 6 – Departure

After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye and head home with new skills, stronger confidence and a deeper understanding of Arctic winter life.

The nearest airport is Kittilä Airport, 35 km away, and Kolari train station is 37 km away. Both have bus connections to Ylläs. You can also book a private transfer through us for €150 – ask for more details. We will inform the accommodation address after booking.

  • All nights in a quality accommodation in Ylläsjärvi (two persons/room), For an extra price you can ask private room.
  • All food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, small snacks). Dinner at accommodation or in restaurants.

Easy / Entry level

  • Pihka Outdoors instructor
  • All the gear needed
  • All the day activities
  • All food (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Internal transports
  • Accommodation
  • Flights/train/bus to Ylläs, Finnish Lapland (nearest airport Kittilä, only 35 km away & nearest railway station Kolari, only 37km away)
  • Transportation to the accommodation (there is a direct bus from Kittilä airport and Kolari train station to Ylläs). NOTE! You can book a private airport transportation with us for 150 EUR.
  • Personal outdoor clothing (gear list will be provided)
  • Own travel and accident insurance (mandatory)

Will be provided after booking

Detailed information:

Description

Arctic Basecamp Experience in Lapland

Arctic Basecamp Experience – This is your gateway to Arctic winter expeditions

Do you dream of Arctic adventures in the wild but lack the skills and experience? Arctic Basecamp Experience week is designed as your first step into the world of winter expeditions –  guided by us local professionals and made easy for you as an all-inclusive holiday.

You stay in comfortable accommodation in Ylläs for six nights, while gradually learning the essential skills needed for safe and confident winter travel in Lapland. One optional night is spent camping outdoors in winter conditions, guided and supported every step of the way.

This experience combines learning, practice and genuine Arctic atmosphere in a safe and inspiring environment.

arctic basecamp experience, pihka outdoors

Who is this Arctic Basecamp Experience designed for?

This week long program is designed for:

  • First-time winter adventurers
  • Travellers curious about winter camping but not ready for a full expedition
  • Active women and men who want to build confidence in Arctic conditions
  • Solo travellers who prefer learning in a small supportive group

No previous winter camping experience is required. A reasonable level of fitness and willingness to be outdoors in winter conditions is enough.

What makes this Arctic tour different?

Unlike a typical Expeditions tour, this week gives you more understanding and confidence.

You will learn:

  • What to wear and how, for Arctic winter conditions
  • How to choose and use winter gear
  • How to set up a winter tent properly
  • How to use camping stoves (gas, fuel) safely in cold temperatures
  • How to ski with backcountry skis (fell skis) on varied terrain
  • How to ski with a pulk

We combine indoor briefings and visual presentations with daily outdoor practice.

A comfortable basecamp with a real Arctic night outdoors

For six nights you stay in comfortable accommodation in Ylläs. This allows you to rest well, recover properly and process what you learn.

During the week, we spend one night camping outdoors in winter conditions. You will set up the tent yourself, inflate your sleeping matress, melt water for drinking and experience what winter camping truly feels like – safely and under professional guidance. Near the accommodation. We use professional level sleeping bags (comfort -20c degrees) so it will be nice and cosy inside.

That one night in a winter tent often changes how people see winter camping. It is not that bad as it sounds like.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival and meet the team and instructors
Day 2: Getting familiar with winter expedition gear, Snowshoeing
Day 3: Skiing with nordic backcountry skis and with a pulka
Day 4: Getting ready for a winter camp
Day 5: Easy day activity, meet the reindeer, visit SnowVillage made out of ice and snow. Farewell dinner.
Day 6: Home

Please note: You can ask extra nights for a longer stay!

The Arctic environment in Ylläs

February in Lapland usually offers:

• Deep snow
• Magnificant winter light and colors
• Cold winter days
• Possible Northern Lights
• Conditions may vary between -5°C and -30°C. Learning how to operate comfortably in this range is part of the experience.

Group size and atmosphere

We keep the Arctic Basecamp Experience group small to ensure personal guidance and a supportive atmosphere. We cannot forget stupid jokes too during the week! To this experience we take only max. 8 participants. Our professional guides teach and show things with over 10 years of Arctic winter surviving experience.

Many participants leave with:

• Stronger self-trust
• Practical winter skills
• A deeper understanding of Arctic nature
• The readiness to join more demanding winter tours

Terms of Service

  • Ask more on WhatsApp
Message Joona
Message Minttu

Book your spot:

Adventure gallery

Customer reviews

Five star rating
These guys are champs. Very skillful guides with loads of experience and a pleasant laidback style. Good sense of humor as well ;-). Strongly recommend them for off the beaten track trips in Finnish Lapland!
Thijs
Joona and Tommi are super professional and social guides. The experience with Pihka Outdoors was just amazing! Top nodge gear, phenomenal sceneries and once in a lifetime trip!
Jim
Just had a great 5 day trip with Pihka! Great experience...very well prepared and organised, all equipment provided excellent, and great guides who also provide plenty of tips and tricks during the trip. Atmosphere with them wonderful, lots of fun and they know what to do and not to do. Leave your worries home and enjoy maximum!
Xander
Great trip, from novice to pro in four days😃. A truly artic adventure fun cold and plenty of snow. Thanks to all at Pihka, especially our lovely guide Minttu. Hetta-Pallas 4 days ski trek
David
A winter wonderland, for an Irish lad. Hetta- Pallas, 4 day trek, on skis/ snow shoes. Challenging and rewarding time spent in Lapland. The guides Minttu, Tommi & Joona were just like friends of old, in a short time, with there laid back comfortable manner, clearly very competent in the roles as outdoor specialists. Also did a very nice ice fishing trip at the end. "The big one got away"
James
Joona and Tommi from Pihka Outdoors were incredible guides. Safely navigating us on snowshoes through the incredible scenery along the border or Norway, Sweden and across into Finland. They were incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming to the whole group. From the northern lights to racing us to build a snow cave and so many frozen lakes! Although not always accurate when I asked how long there was left to walk! Plus or minus 10 kilometres 🤣🤣🤣. They provided all the support and jokes to get me to the end of the trek! Can't wait to come back in Summer!
Kate
Our guides Tommi and Joona were extremely experienced and professional Adventurers! They kept our crew safe through the Arctic Circle yet challenged to ensure everyone got the most out of the experience. There wasn’t a day where we weren’t entertained by their knowledge and humour. I couldn’t recommend Pihka Outdoors enough! I can’t wait to come back to Finland !
Karina

Frequently Asked Questions

The tour price includes all required equipment for the trip, transportation, a full food package, safety planning, guide services and accommodations.

We offer cross-counry ski tours in winter and backpacking hiking tours in summer at different difficulty levels. Our goal is to always provide an proper adventure. We can also tailor or customize adventures to many different needs.

You do not necessarily need previous hiking experience. It is enough to have a positive sense of adventure and a reasonably good fitness level. As professionals, we can recommend the right tour for your ability.

After your booking we will send you a detailed gear list. It includes personal clothing recommendations and small personal items that are useful to bring. Pihka Outdoors provides all other equipment needed for the tour. You can always ask more!

Daily distances vary quite a lot. In summer we do wild camping, which allows us to adjust the day distance more freely. Summer days typically range from 5 to 20 kilometers.

In winter we travel hut-to-hut and daily distances are also around 5 to 20 kilometers. Skiing with a pulka is different from skiing on groomed tracks.

In summer during multiday hiking tours we sleep in professional level tents (Fjällräven). High quality inflatable sleeping pads and appropriate sleeping bags are included in the price.

In winter reserved wilderness huts provide the overnight shelter. The huts have a wood stove for heat, mattresses and pillows ready for use. Pihka Outdoors provides all overnight equipment needed for every tour. On our all tours comfortable indoor accommodation before and after the tour is included in price.

On our hiking tours the main food is dehydrated meals. It is an easy, fast and practical solution when spending time in the wilderness. We use only high quality and great tasting dehydrated food packs and brands. The tour price also includes a snacks pack with treats such as chocolate and nuts etc.

We can also provide food packages for different dietary needs, for example vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and milk free.

Transportation from the accommodation to the trailhead and back is always included in the price. There is a bus connection from Kittilä Airport or Kolari train station to Ylläs. You can also ask us about a private airport transfer for an additional fee. We will help you to find a perfect and safe solution.

We respect the conditions of nature and client’s safety is always our top priority. During the tour we make weather appropriate decisions. The guide is responsible for safety throughout the entire hiking or cross-country skiing tour. We reserve the right to delay the start or adjust the route if the weather requires it.

Professional guides have the tools and skills needed to ensure safety. On cross-country ski tours we use professional level winter tents that can handle storms and strong winds. We also check every participant’s clothing / gears so that no one starts the tour with inadequate gear.

We ensure safety on our tours by choosing safe routes and avoiding unnecessary risks. Our high quality equipment is part of that safety and can be trusted even in difficult moments. A Garmin satellite communicator is also with us for situations where there is no mobile signal.

Bring a power bank with you. It is the only source of electricity on our tours.

Reindeer, foxes, rabbits,many bird species and moose can be seen in Lapland. There are also wolverines and bears, but they avoid people in the Nordics.

Yes, in Lapland the Northern Lights light up the sky on average every second night. The sky must be clear and there should be no light pollution from streetlights or other sources. The best time to see them is from October to March.

In summer trekking tours the water source is crystal clear streams and rivers. It is generally drinkable, but we recommend using a water filter or purification tablets. In winter drinking water is made by melting snow and boiling it.

We try to schedule our summer hiking tours for the time when the worst mosquito season is already over. We don’t like them either!

Travel insurance should cover all accidents, cancelled flights and any costs caused by interrupting the trip.

Ylläs is easy to reach. It is about a thirty minute drive from Kolari train station and from Kittilä airport. There is a bus connection to Ylläs from airport and railway station. The area belongs to the municipality of Kolari and includes two  villages, Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi, located on opposite sides of the Ylläs fell (mountain).

We use a wide range of gear and only choose high quality and reliable equipment. We always test them well before use. The brands we work with include for example Fjällräven, Fjellpulken, Madshus, Crispi, Alfa, Marmot, Primus, Rottefella and Real Turmat

We keep our group sizes small on our hiking tours. This allows us to offer as  personal as possible and high quality experience and service. The group size is also limited by the accommodation capacity. Our group size is usually 3-10 persons.

Absolutely, just send us an inquiry and let’s plan a perfect adventure travel holiday for you and your group.

We do not take children on long hiking tours for safety reasons. Services and products designed for children and families are planned separately. Ask us for more information about this option.

Yes, we are happy to organize events and hiking tours for teams, work groups or management groups. Ask us for more details and we can plan the experience together. Various training sessions are also possible.

Mainly Finnish and English.

No one is left behind. We move as one group on every hiking tour and follow the pace that the situation allows. These hikes are not meant to be fast sprints, the purpose is to enjoy the surroundings and the experience itself.

You can cancel your participation free of charge up to 32 days before the tour. Cancellations made after this will incur administrative costs of about 20 percent of the tour price. This covers expenses already caused to us, such as accommodation reservations and food orders.

Send us an email or contact us through the inquiry form. First we discuss which tour option suits you best. Once a good choice is found we add you to the participant list. After that you will receive the hiking materials such as the gear list.

The tour is paid by a normal invoice after the hike. The price has no hidden costs and remains the same unless something else is agreed individually.

Contact us and we can talk more. If you have normal basic fitness, can do regular walking and maybe some running, and you do not injure yourself when lifting about twenty kilograms, you are very likely suitable for our tours.

It varies a lot! Sometimes we are moving in the area where you doesn’t have mobile connection.

In summer hikes we normally sleep in tents. Normally two people share a tent, although the tent size is meant for three. The camp is always set up in the nicest possible place, usually near water so drinking and cooking water is easy to access. After long days it is sometimes possible to wash in the lake or river as well.

Lets go for an adventure.

Fill in the form below to book your adventure. We will send you an email confirmation and further instructions.

 

Arctic Basecamp Experience

2700,00 €