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VISITING: Finland BROCHURE CODE: 5042
All prices include: transfers, accommodation, guided activities, meals and cold weather clothing; all as listed.
Sample a spread of unmissable Finnish activities in Luosto and return each day to the comfort of your homely log cabin. Over a week, you’ll experience Arctic favourites such as cross-country skiing, dog sledding and tracking the Northern Lights on snowshoes. There’s also a snowmobiling trip to the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine for a taste of local culture.

What's included?

  • Flights: return flights from London to Finland are included. Either direct or via Helsinki depending on your date of Travel. Regional departures may be available and subject to a supplement. Please ask our Travel Experts for more information. Flight routes are subject to change
  • Transfers: return airport transfers
  • Accommodation: 7 nights in log cabin accommodation
  • Meals: half board
  • The following activities and equipment are included: reindeer park visit and sleigh ride, cross-country skiing, snowmobile safari to Amethyst Mine, Northern Lights snowshoe safari, 10km husky safari (the order of activities will vary depending on the departure date and are subject to availability)
  • Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
  • Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors during activities

Try out a complete collection of classic Finnish activities during our Taster Week in Luosto in Lapland.

We waste no time in getting you immediately acquainted with Nordic favourites and local highlights. You will snowmobile through the snowy wilderness surrounding Luosto to its famous Lampivaara Amethyst Mine. Travelling all the way to this part of the world and not visiting this location would not be right. A fascinating presentation about the gems is followed by a visit to the surface mine. You will even be given the chance to dig for your very own piece of amethyst to take home with you – if it is small enough to enclose with your fingers!

You will also enjoy the delights of cross-country skiing during a ski lesson before taking to the trails which surround Luosto. A highlight of this holiday has to be the husky safari, where bounding dogs carry you through the breathtaking surroundings. A further animal-related experience comes with a reindeer park visit, allowing you to enjoy a magical reindeer-pulled sleigh ride in the forest.

As Luosto is well within the Aurora Zone, you will also have high chances of spotting the glimmering Northern Lights, and we will improve your chances with an Aurora snowshoe trek.

Retreating each day to your own cosy winter cottage is a joy. Each has a wood-burning stove and private sauna, making for a relaxing stay. You will also have access to the pool and well-being facilities at the nearby Tunturi Hotel, where your half board meals will be served. 

If you are travelling over the New Year then you will be joining in with the hotel’s wonderful celebrations. These will normally include a celebratory meal and live music on New Year’s Eve. Please ask our Travel Experts for further information.

Please note: some elements of this itinerary (including transfers and some activities) are shared with our sister company Activities Abroad and are popular with families during the school holidays.  If a child free holiday is important to your party when travelling, please speak to our travel experts for recommendations.


©Graham Greenway and  Miika Hämäläinen

We include more, no hidden costs

On each of our holidays you will see a clear outline of exactly what's included in the price of your holiday. We never use 'headline' or 'lead-in' prices like so many tour operators, as we prefer to include as much as we can, rather than see our clients incur considerable additional costs in our destinations.
Price guarantee

Please note: the arrival day of this holiday changes depending on the date of travel chosen and the available flight routes. Because of this, the order of activities is a sample of how they may run and as a result, it may change. Your final itinerary will be provided to you upon arrival at Luosto but all will be included in your holiday (subject to availability).

For our full booking terms and conditions please click here

The Specifics

Holiday group size (approximate)

This holiday requires a minimum of 2 participants on all dates.

You will be joined by other visitors for the activities and the maximum group size is typically around 24 people.

Group Size

We always try to provide an approximation of the group size you can expect to be with for the duration of each of our holidays. It may be that you are joined by others for parts of your holiday (such as transfers and particular activities) but the above number reflects those you can normally expect to be with from beginning to end. If group size is something which is particularly important to you, please speak to our Travel Experts and they can suggest the best holidays for you.

Tailor-made holiday group sizes will vary for all activities as will the group size for any additional activities you book.

Minimum and maximum age

If a specific minimum age applies to this holiday, it can be found in the Key Facts box on the holiday Overview page.

Unless otherwise stated in the in the Key Facts box on the holiday Overview page, the minimum age for participation in an Artisan holiday is typically 8 years old (there may be younger children in some destinations who have booked with other companies). If an adult-only environment is important to you, then please contact our Travel Experts and they will advise on the best dates and destinations for you. If you are looking for a holiday designed specifically for families then please see our sister company www.activitiesabroad.com

Itinerary amendments

The order of activities listed in this agenda is provided for guidance only, your final and detailed itinerary will be provided either with your final travel documents (which are uploaded into your online account around a week prior to departure) or upon arrival.

Medical History and Advice

We want our holidays to be accessible as they can be and will do our best to accommodate any special requests and requirements where possible. We have a wide range of holidays and destinations and so our travel experts will help find the best holiday for you.

In order to give us the best possible chance to do this we ask that if you or any member of your party has any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements, that you tell us at the time of enquiry or booking. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. You may need to provide a doctor’s note and proof of insurance in some cases as the health and safety of our clients is absolutely paramount.

In providing this information you are allowing us to work with our expert local partners to ensure that your whole party can enjoy the holiday. By letting us know in advance we can discreetly work with you to adapt any part of the holiday which may potentially be challenging. Being able to prepare for this in advance makes an incredible difference to what we can offer and minimises any impact on your party and the rest of the group.

Unfortunately, if you choose not to share this information with us in advance then it may limit some or all of the itinerary you have booked, and we cannot be held accountable for any additional costs or missed activities resulting from this.

Insurance

Insurance is not included in your holiday, but it is a pre-requisite to travelling with us. You will need to ensure that you have cover for all the activities that you will be participating in during your holiday.

It is extremely important that you take out a suitable travel insurance policy at the time of booking. Plans do sometimes change, and you will need this policy should you need to cancel your holiday.

If you are struggling to find a suitable policy then details of our preferred provider, who will cover you for all the activities we offer, can be found on our website by clicking here. Please note that this policy is available to EU residents under the age of 75 only.

The UK Foreign Office Advice

Our clients’ safety is at the centre of everything we do, and our operations team continually assesses and monitors the destinations we feature. We carry out thorough risk assessments and work closely with all of our suppliers to continually follow best practice. For up to date travel advice the UK government offers its Travel Aware website as well as the advice detailed below.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice

We receive all updates from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) with regards to travel advice and we always ensure that we follow this advice in our operations. The FCO issues travel advisories for countries based on a very wide range of factors. They may provide notification about things as simple as a football match and crowds, or they may go so far as to advise against all travel to a region. We ask all our clients to refer to the relevant Travel Advice by Country for the destinations they are visiting in order to make an informed decision on the safety of the destination based on the details provided. It also provides vital information regarding entry requirements, embassy information, local laws and customs as well as specific safety and health. Guests should take responsibility for keeping themselves up to date with this advice. Please also ensure that, if you are transiting through another country, you have read the advice and meet the entry requirements for that destination too.

The FCO travel advice is applicable to British Passport Holders. Most governments will issue their own travel advice for a region and, if you are not a UK resident then you can find some helpful links below:

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/                                                   

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/                                                 

Canadian Consular Affairs Bureau http://voyage.gc.ca/                                                                                                     

The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english.html

If the FCO deems that there is an unacceptable level of risk for UK citizens then, together with the government, they may issue an advisory against all travel to a region or country. If such an advisory is published, then we will act accordingly, and this may require the cancellation, curtailment or amendment of a holiday itinerary. These decisions are made on the basis of ensuring our clients’ safety and will affect all clients on the holiday, regardless of their nationality.

If one of our local experts suggests an amendment due to a situation which develops locally then we may also take the decision to amend an itinerary appropriately.

If we have to cancel your holiday prior to departure you will be offered the option of an alternative trip (where any price difference will either be refunded to or covered by you) or a full refund of the monies paid.

If we have to curtail a holiday, then you will be refunded for any costs for the elements we have been unable to deliver, where we have been able to secure a refund from our suppliers. If we must reroute a holiday, then any basis for refund is determined on a case by case basis and dependent on whether the central holiday experience was provided or not.

Booking activities locally

Additional activities can be booked locally in almost all our destinations. However, as per our booking conditions, we cannot be held responsible for any injury or loss incurred through participation in activities which are booked at your destination outside of our holiday itinerary (see our ‘Terms and Conditions’ for further details).

When arranging any such activity please always ensure that safety is your primary concern.

In some of our destinations, you can borrow or hire equipment for use in your free time. You do so entirely at your own risk. You must ensure that you are properly prepared, have the necessary equipment and knowledge (maps, etc) and ensure that where applicable, you follow marked routes. We recommend discussing your plans with the local teams who will be able to advise on the most suitable options for you.

Always let the reception/guide know where you are planning to go and take a torch and mobile phone (with the hotel/guide’s phone number stored). It is also a good idea to leave your contact number and the time you expect to return to the hotel should the hotel need to contact you.

Brexit information for British Passport holders

For the most up to date information on how the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your holiday please click here to view our Brexit information for British Passport holders.

Flight schedule changes and connecting transportation

On your documentation, we will confirm your flight schedule. Sometimes the flight number, routing and timings might change prior to your departure. If the change is classed as a significant change then we will contact you to discuss this. Please see our booking conditions for details.

Flight schedule changes can impact on your pre and post-holiday travel arrangements if these have been booked separately to your holiday. We strongly recommend that you do not book transport (such as trains or transfers), car parking or non-connecting flights to the departure point for your holiday until you have received your final confirmed travel times when your final travel documents are issued. We are not responsible for the effect of any schedule change on your pre or post travel arrangements. We strongly recommend that you do not purchase non-flexible or non-refundable tickets to avoid cancellation and penalty charges.

Booking your own flights - cancellation disclaimer

If you have chosen to book your own flights, then you will need to wait until we confirm to you that the holiday departure has met the minimum numbers required to run (if applicable to your chosen holiday). Once the holiday is guaranteed to run, you will be informed and you can then make your arrangements.

If transfers are included in your holiday, please ensure that any potential flights will be met by our standard transfers (speak to one of our Travel Experts for advice) otherwise private transfer supplements may be applicable. Once your flights are booked, please send us a copy of your detailed flight itinerary.

Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable in the case of cancellation. For this reason, we strongly advise you check the rules of the ticket and check the limitations of your cancellation insurance before booking. We cannot be held liable, in the unlikely eventuality that we should be forced to cancel or amend your trip, for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made.

Terms and Conditions

Our full booking terms and conditions can be found on our website: https://www.artisantravel.co.uk/booking-conditions

Minimum travellers 10, Maximum travellers 20

Local doctor call out charges for Luosto

If you need to call a doctor out to assist you during your holiday in Luosto the following charges will apply:

Call out to Luosto approx - €400 ( min 350€)

To make an appointment and go to the clinic during the week is as follows (plus taxi costs):

20 mins - €62
30 mins - €77
45 mins - €102
60 mins - €142

Weekends an average of €134

The doctor on call does accept credit card payments (except American Express) and depending on your insurance policy you may be able to claim these charges back upon your return to the UK. Please carefully read your policy documentation or speak to your insurance company to double check this and you may also need to produce a receipt to assist with your claim.

  • Please note: This is a sample itinerary which will vary depending on the arrival day of your holiday. All activities are subject to availability at the time of booking.

    Upon arrival, you will be met by a driver and transferred to Luosto, where you can get settled into your cosy log cabin. Dinner will then be served in the hotel restaurant.

    Included Meals:  Dinner
  • Following breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to a local reindeer park to meet with some of the animals. You will learn a little about the traditions of reindeer herding, many of which still play a prominent role in the lives of herders. A reindeer-pulled sleigh ride ends this wonderful experience.

    Warm drinks and snacks will be provided around a campfire.

    Spend the afternoon relaxing in your cabin before dinner in the hotel restaurant.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • Finish breakfast and spend today as you wish in Luosto. You might like to try out some local activities or simply relax in your cabin. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • This morning you will be introduced to the world of cross-country skiing. After breakfast, an instructor will show you the best techniques before you take to the local trails. This is one of the most popular activities in Lapland and it can be very addictive.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • After breakfast, you will drive snowmobiles to the Amethyst Mine. You will be given full instructions on how to operate the vehicles before following a guide on the marked snowy trails through forests and wild landscapes. You will travel two people per snowmobile and if you wish to drive you will need a full driving licence. If you do not wish to be on a snowmobile, you can sit in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. It is also possible to upgrade to riding one person per snowmobile.

    At the Lampivaara Fell, you will settle down in a warm kota and hear the story behind this fascinating destination. From there, you head to a covered section of this surface mine to hunt for your own gemstones. If you find one small enough to enclose in your hand, it’s yours to keep! You will then snowmobile back to Luosto.

    Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant.

     

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • On this second free day, you can book more local activities. After the previous day’s skiing, you might like to book out cross-country skis to explore at your own pace. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant, leading into a Northern Lights search by snowshoe. You will be guided into the night-time countryside to search for the Aurora, stopping along the way for hot drinks.

     

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • Once you’ve had breakfast, there will be time to visit the hotel pool or take to the snowy trails outside.

    The afternoon brings what is often seen as a highlight of a holiday in Lapland: the thrilling husky safari. You will be taken by car to a husky ranch, where you can get to know the dogs and learn how to harness them to a sled. You will then enjoy a stunning ten-kilometre ride through the great outdoors. Returning to the ranch, you can relish a hot drink by a fire while talking to the mushers about their incredible lifestyle.

    Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant.

     

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Dinner
  • Tuck into a last breakfast before being transferred to the airport for your flight home.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast

Included in price

Luosto Log Cabins

Nights: 1-7

Luosto is a charming ski village in Finnish Lapland with a picturesque backdrop of forested fells and frozen lakes, making it the ideal winter retreat. With its handful of shops and cáfes, the village manages to maintain a traditional Northern Finnish feel and the guests have easy access to local facilities.

The Luosto Log Cabins are owned by the Luosto Tunturi Hotel, which is one of only two hotels in Luosto. They are just a short walk from the main hotel building, so you are within easy reach of Tunturi's facilities.

Hotel facilities

  • In the main building, you will find the two hotel restaurants
  • The Tunturi Restaurant (used for the majority of our packages), serves a wide range of local and international dishes in buffet style. 
  • The hotel also has the Bistro restaurant, which is a smaller restaurant
  • The Kelo Log Cabin restaurant is an additional restaurant, situated a short walk away from the hotel, and is usually used on one night of the itineraries
  • A popular feature of the Luosto Tunturi is the pool and spa area, which offers an ideal retreat after a day's activities. In addition to this, there is also a hot tub and a sauna wing where both Turkish and Finnish saunas are heated daily. These facilities are available to log cabin guests for a small supplement
  • At the Amethyst Spa area, you can also book a range of massage and beauty treatments in advance or on arrival (subject to availability)
  • There are seven neighbouring downhill ski slopes and ski hire is available locally. The hotel will also help you arrange ski passes. Also, cross-country skis and snowshoes can be hired locally for you to explore the variety of trails surrounding the hotel.
  • Free Wi-Fi is also available throughout the hotel

Guest bedroom types

Log cabins: The log cabins are situated just a short walk from the hotel and are perfect for a private retreat. The cabins are ideal for a couple. The cabins are comprised of essentially one main room with a kitchenette, dining area and a television. A cosy wood burning stove provides a warming centrepiece. The beds are arranged in a unique bunk format with the lower bunk formed of two double beds and the upper bunk housing two single beds. Each cabin is en-suite with a private sauna.

Please note: pool, spa and gym usage is not included when you stay in a log cabin, however, this can be added to your package. Please speak to our Travel Experts for further details.

Personalise this tour


Our pick

Multimedia show and Northern Lights hunt

From £62pp

Get fully immersed in the science, myth, and legend behind the Northern Lights with an expert-led audio-visual show. This will have you fully prepared for the Aurora hunt that follows, with a guide taking you to a special outdoor spot for watching and taking photos. Camera tripods will be available and hot drinks will be served by a campfire.

NB: This is a very similar presentation to the one included in the visit to the Aurora Kota; we do not, therefore, recommend booking both of these activities.

Availability: Monday

Duration: 45 minutes presentation and 2 hour Northern Lights hunt on foot


Other options

Activities

Visit to an Aurora Kota by car

From: £92pp

You will transfer to the Aurora Kota for an engaging presentation on the Northern Lights. A ‘kota’ is a typical tent used by Finland’s native Sámi people and makes for a highly atmospheric venue; this version is crafted from wood so it is nice and cosy.

NB: This is a very similar presentation as included in the Multimedia Show and Northern Lights hunt so we do not recommend booking both of these activities.

Availability: Tuesday

Duration: 2 hours


Image credit: Vicky Mowbray (client)

Ice fishing by snowmobile

From: £118pp

Having been shown how to safely operate a snowmobile, you will follow your guide through frozen forests and the Lapland countryside to a specially chosen spot on an icy lake. Here, you will be taught how to drill through the ice and set up a line. Then it’s just a matter of patience to see whether you make a catch! Your guide will offer insider tricks and tips, and coffee will be served with a snack by a campfire.

Availability: Thursday and Sunday

Duration: Approximately 3 hours


Image Credit: Lappikuva & Jani KäRppä

Traveller Reviews

We absolutely loved our trip. Would highly recommend Finland as a destination and artisan travel as a company to book through. Thank you! 29 March 2019 by Matthew & Roisin Robertson Greig

The lodge was absolutely beautiful, the reps from Lapland safari couldn't have been any more helpful. They were knowledgable, kind and made sure we were well kitted out and cosy our whole trip. The food choices were great and there were plenty of options for both meat eaters and vegetarian. We got to try to local cuisine but also had more time options for the days we wanted to get something
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quickly. The skidoo trip to the amethyst mine was particularly amazing. We had perfect weather, the snow suits provided by the company meant that we were nice and cosy on the trip up. The guide was really knowledgable but the best bit was the story telling from the local guide at the mine. She was fantastic, her English was spot on and she was so engaging. She told fantastic tales of why the amethyst is there and the chemical properties in the stone. Tbe mining was really exciting as well as we found a really big amethyst! The guides seemed just as excited as we did which was fantastic fun. I would like to make particular mention of our guide, Marion who took us across country skiing. She was absolutely wonderful. She was fun, engaging and made sure to take things at our pace as we were beginners. She was wonderful!
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All of the included activities were amazing 13 March 2018 by Rhiannon Beacham & Andrew Way

All of the included activities were amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed them. We booked an additional activity on our second day, however, which was a highlight for us both. This was the daytime snowshoe hike. The guide was excellent and it was our first experience close up of the spectacular scenery in the fells.

An amazing experience in this beautiful winter wonderland!! 15 January 2017 by Rachel and William Andrews

Booked Lapland for my husband's 30th and what a trip it has been!! We booked through Artisan Travel which was so easy and straight forward! The staff at Artisan were so helpful and the whole holiday was amazing. Every activity was booked and organised and we just felt so relaxed during our stay. We stayed in the log cabins at Luosto Tunturi and it was so cosy! We had all we needed, very rustic and
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quaint. The cabins were kept so warm and had a lovely wood burner and sauna which was fab after a day out in -20 degrees! Our package was half board which meant breakfast and dinner were included which was adequate for us. Both sittings were buffet style and although nothing fancy, were sufficient. Dinner was held at the Kelo Restaurant on Tuesday's and Friday's, just a short walk from the hotel which had a lovely atmosphere.We felt that the hotel kept to the feel of the place. Everything was kept to an excellent standard and all staff very friendly. Whilst in Luosto we went on five excursions which were included in our package; husky sleighing, the amethyst mine, the reindeer farm, cross-country skiing and snowshoe walking to find the Northern Lights!! Each activity was brilliant and we would highly recommend them. We also arranged an ice fishing experience which was fantastic and managed four outings on the slopes as we learnt to snowboard for the first time...which I have to say we fell in love with! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would definitely book again! Thank you very much for such an amazing experience in this beautiful winter wonderland!!
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Luosto is the perfect location 08 January 2017 by Connie Glover and Claire Brunnen

From start to finish our experience with Artisan was great. They were more than helpful at every step of the way and provided excellent customer service. The online trip document service is an extremely efficient way to deliver information. The holiday itself was incredible. Everything ran smoothly and without any hitches. From the moment we landed and were collected from the airport we knew
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this holiday was going to be one to remember. We stayed in one of the Log Cabins which just added to the magic of the holiday. It gave us more space and was set in beautiful surroundings. Greta who met us at the hotel was an excellent host and representative of Artisan. She was really welcoming and was on hand whenever we needed her to answer questions or just to have a friendly chat. We can't speak highly enough of her, she is a real asset to your team. The activities were extremely well organised, so much fun and gave us a real taste of life in Lapland. Having cold weather gear provided for the week also took the hassle out of preparing for the holiday. We were so warm and snug. We would highly recommend the husky safari, which was truly brilliant, the snowshoeing at night time which was a real adventure and snowmobiling is a must for anyone looking for that adrenaline rush. The reindeer provided us with much entertainment due to their antics and misbehaviour.... all the guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and seemed genuinely happy to be taking us out on trips! For those looking for a break from reality, peace and quiet in stunning scenery and some unforgettable activities, Luosto is the perfect location. We would definitely recommend Artisan to others and hope to use you again.
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Absolutely fantastic 28 February 2016 by David & Julie Balfour

Absolutely fantastic. Would recommend 100%. Spot on.

Our reps (Karen and Graham) were really lovely and helpful... 27 February 2015 by John Robinson

Our reps (Karen and Graham) were really lovely and helpful and whenever they saw us would come over for a chat and see how we were getting on, nothing like any reps I've known on holidays in the past who have often been completely absent or only there to try to sell trips!

Fantastic holiday, loved every bit of it 16 February 2015 by Stuart Lowney-Reger

Fantastic holiday, loved every bit of it, Karen and Graham were excellent, very approachable, gave lots of useful information and very caring, even brought us a bottle of wine for our birthday celebrations. The activities were brilliant, we did the taster week and got to experience so much and enjoyed every activity, the guides were also amazing and patient with us. The food was delicious in the
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Kelo Restaurant, but the main buffet was not as good but still tasty. Our transfer there was smooth however on the way back the flight got changed and was disruptive however it could not be helped and we landed home on time with our luggage. All the equipment was provided for the whole stay and was very useful, I would have brought my own mitts as the ones provided were very big and snow games only had 1 size. We loved all the activities but must enjoyable was the husky safari, everyone had a great time, and was such an amazing experience. The guide Laura was excellent very clear and lovely to talk to. Although the snow trek to search for the northern lights was fun there was a big group of us, would have preferred smaller groups on the trek. Most activities there were just 3 couples which was a good number of people. Also the reindeer safari was probably the most slow paced but still fun and glad we did it. The log cabin was great, very homely.
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