Today we start our adventure and cross the Arctic Circle on a flight to the Finnish Lapland!

We'll take an early flight from Helsinki to the Ruka-Kuusamo area, right above the Arctic Circle.

Ruka is a beautiful, pristine area where we will have the chance to do all kinds of amazing activities.

The options for today are:

• 12:00 PM: Extreme ATV through the Petäjävaara Wilderness
• 5:00 PM: Sauna yoga. That's right! Finland is the country of saunas, so we couldn't go to Finland without experiencing an authentic Finnish sauna. But we're taking it to the next level with a yoga class in a sauna! *
• 10:00 PM: Canoeing outing under the Midnight Sun! Our first chance to see the Midnight Sun! We'll go out on canoes and be right on the water at 12:00 AM to look at the horizon and watch the sun go down and then come back up! Seeing the sun at 12:00 AM is an indescribable experience! The picture up on the left is an actual photo of the Midnight Sun where we will be!

Accommodations: Arctic Zone Hotel or similar 

Meals: Breakfast

*  They might not offer the yoga class if they don't have an instructor at the time. If that's the case, we can still enjoy a Finnish sauna experience without yoga. We will know in advance.

Today, right after leaving the hides and having breakfast locally, we leave Finland and the Finnish Lapland. However, we are not done with Lapland! We now embark on a 7-hour scenic drive into country #2, Sweden, and the beautiful Swedish Lapland. We will be even further north now, so our views of the Midnight Sun will be even more dramatic!

Our home base in the Swedish Lapland will be Kiruna, a city surrounded by mountains, which will offer us plenty of fun activities and great spots to see the Midnight Sun. We'll arrive in Kiruna mid-to-late afternoon, check into our hotel, and have the rest of the evening free. With plenty of activities planned for tomorrow, including a Midnight Sun hike, we might just want to have dinner and relax for the rest of the day. We'll see how we feel, but a Midnight Sun outing is still a possibility...

Accommodations: Best Western Arctic Eden or similar 

Meals: Not included today, as we weren't in a hotel last night.  We spent the night at the bear hide, so we'll need to stop for breakfast after we leave.

We'll start our day with one of the coolest hikes we will ever do—not because we're hiking to anywhere special (although I'm sure any hike in Kiruna is beautiful), but because we will have very special leaders for this hike: huskies! That's right! Everyone will have an adorable husky on a leash as we go on a light, 3-hour hike. How cool is that?

In the afternoon, we will visit the world-famous Ice Hotel—the original. Built in 1989, the Ice Hotel was the first of its kind. Over the years, many ice hotels have been built, but the one in Jukkasjärvi, a city near Kiruna, was the pioneer and remains the only one that stays open during the summer! We will get to visit and see it, and, as if that wasn't unique enough, we will also take an ice sculpting class!

We will return to our hotel mid-to-late afternoon so that we can rest before the last (optional) activity of the day at 10:00 PM: watching the Midnight Sun while riding Icelandic horses!

What a day!!!

Accommodations: Best Western Arctic Eden or similar 

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we'll go on a full-day guided city tour of Stockholm from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

We will see the Royal Palace, Stockholm Old Town, the ABBA Museum (we can't go to Sweden and not see something about ABBA!), the Skyview, and all the must-see attractions in Stockholm.

We'll be done a 6:30, and have the rest of the night free. Our last night in Scandinavia! It's Saturday night, and Stockholm is a very lively city. I think that calls for a fun night out... 

Accommodations: Clarion Amaranten Hotel or similar 

Meals: Breakfast

PRICE: 

• $3,495 for double occupancy (you will be paired up with someone of the same gender).
• $4,495 for single occupancy (having your room at all the hotels). *  

          * Doesn't apply to the bear-watching hide or Trolltunga.

DEPOSIT TO GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT (MOVABLE): $500

THE SIGN-UP PROCESS:

1. Send the deposit (simply click the "join" button and follow the instructions). 

2. If this is your first trip, we will need to schedule a 15-minute Zoom call with Eduardo to make sure we are a good match.

3. We will send you a contract to sign, which you will need to sign within 72 hours, along with sending us a copy of your passport and filling out our questionnaire. You can check the contract in advance here.

4. Since we are now under 3 months before the beginning of the trip, you will have until 72 hours after making your deposit to make your final payment. Once we confirm your registration, all payments will be non-refundable. 

INCLUDED

• All hotel stays at double occupancy (single supplement available).
• Meals: Breakfast at every hotel.
• Internal flights: Helsinki-Kuusamo, and  Kiruna-Stockholm. 
• Transportation and entrance to all activities, tours, and locations listed in the itinerary unless otherwise noted as optional.
• English-speaking guides throughout the trip (guides won't be with us 24/7, but we will have guides whenever necessary).
• 1000 Treks Group Leader throughout the trip.

NOT INCLUDED

• Flights to Helsinki and from Stockholm (see flight guidelines below for purchasing your flight).
• Transportation to and from the airport for arrival and departure (both countries are very safe and easy to navigate. We chose to save you the cost of the transfer and allow you to just get a taxi).
• Any activity listed as optional or not specifically listed as included in the itinerary.
• Any meal not specifically listed in the itinerary.
• Travel insurance (required no later than 7 days after final payment for the trip).
• Gratuities for guides, drivers, staff, etc.
• Any potential rentals outside of included activities.
• Souvenirs or anything else you would like to purchase.

FLIGHT GUIDELINES

• Arrival: Arrive in Helsinki by Saturday, July 5, at 10:45 AM. Our first activity, the Helsinki city tour, starts at 2:00 PM.
• Departure: Leave Copenhagen at any time on July 20. Check-out from the hotel is at noon. Late flights out of Copenhagen are available, and we suggest booking one of those so you can enjoy a full day in Copenhagen before leaving.

IMPORTANT MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

• Trip Physical Level: 3, with optional Level 4 hikes and activities. We recommend that you are in good physical fitness to fully enjoy this trip.
• All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it before signing up for any of our trips. You can access it by clicking HERE or visiting https://www.1000treks.com/contract/. A link to the contract can also be found at the bottom of all our web pages under "CONTRACT."
• Travel insurance is required. You will need to provide a copy of your insurance policy to 1000 Treks Travel no later than seven (7) days after the final payment for the trip.
• Some countries impose taxes such as VAT, hotel taxes, city taxes, etc. It is impossible to predict every tax for every city in every country. Occasionally, travelers may encounter additional taxes that must be paid on the spot. These are usually very small, but be aware that when they occur, these taxes are your responsibility.
• Due to the adventurous nature of our trips, we may occasionally need to make changes to the itinerary, schedule, accommodations, amenities, and mode of transportation. These changes are rare but can happen. When they do, we will do our best to maintain the integrity of the trip. On rare occasions, such changes may incur additional costs for participants. While this is very unusual, please be aware that it is a possibility.
• VISA: Starting mid-2025, American nationals will need to apply for travel authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) before arriving in Europe. Visit the ETIAS website for more information.

We also recommend that everyone, regardless of citizenship, periodically check the ETIAS website to ensure visa requirements have not changed, as 1000 Treks is not responsible for any updates or changes.