In January, Ylläs lies deep in winter.

The days are still short, but the light is slowly returning, painting the snow-covered landscape in soft shades of blue, pink and gold.

On this personally hosted small-group journey for a maximum of six guests, you will experience Lapland beyond the usual winter activities: through nature, stories, regional food, creative handicrafts and encounters with local people.

A winter week for those who want to do more than simply see Lapland and take the time to truly get to know it.

The road from Kittilä Airport leads through forests, past frozen lakes and open fells until we reach Ylläsjärvi, a small village on the edge of the national park.

After checking in, there is time to settle in before we meet for a relaxed welcome dinner and begin our week together, following the gentle rhythm of the North.

And if the sky is clear, the Northern Lights may already appear above the forests and fells on our very first evening.

Today, an easy snowshoe walk takes us through the deeply snow-covered forest to a lake that has held special significance for the Sámi for generations.

Along the way, we take time to appreciate the peaceful winter landscape and hear the stories connected to this remarkable place.

Together, we prepare lunch over the open fire: moose goulash with potatoes, followed by sweet bread baked on a stick.

No previous snowshoeing experience is required.

The morning is yours to enjoy at your own pace. You might walk to Aurinkotupa or take the bus to the ski resort and ride the gondola to the top of Yllästunturi.

In the afternoon, we visit a lovingly run local reindeer farm. During a sleigh ride of approximately two kilometres, the reindeer pull us gently through snow-covered forests and across a frozen lake. The group is limited to a maximum of twelve participants.

Afterwards, we warm up around the fire inside the kota. Over hot juice and biscuits, the reindeer herder shares stories about her daily life and caring for the animals and we get to help to feed the reindeer.

In the evening, we meet for a relaxed Lavvo Dinner. We enjoy a Finnish meal prepared over the open fire and end the day with stories from Lapland.

We begin the day at a leisurely pace and leave for the SnowVillage after 10 am. During my personal guided tour of this remarkable world of snow and ice, I will introduce you to its beautifully designed rooms and share insights from my own experience as a guide, including how the SnowVillage is rebuilt from scratch each winter.

After the tour, there is plenty of time to explore the rooms once more and take photographs. We then enjoy a warming soup lunch in the ice hotel’s restaurant.

In the early afternoon, we return to Ylläsjärvi. The rest of the day is yours: take the gondola up Yllästunturi, walk to a wilderness café or rent cross-country skis and explore some of the local trails.

If several guests would like to join an additional snowshoe walk, I can arrange one depending on the weather and the group’s interests.

This morning, we visit Joni’s workshop, where traditional Nordic craftsmanship meets contemporary design.

With expert guidance, you will make your own souvenir: a magnet crafted from reindeer antler and decorated with small silver details. As you saw, sand and shape the material, a personal keepsake slowly takes form – one that you can bring home with you.

The afternoon is free for you to spend as you wish. You might walk to the swing by the lakeshore, enjoy coffee and a cinnamon bun in a café or browse the small local shops.

Not every memorable moment needs to be part of a fixed program.

After a leisurely start, we travel through the snow-covered landscape towards Pallas. At the visitor centre of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, we learn more about the nature, wildlife and history of this remarkable region.

After lunch together at Tunturiporo, we continue to Muonio. Here, Jari Rossi welcomes us to his secluded retreat. Inside the atmospheric kota, we experience a ceremony with drumming, smoke and song – a moving and calming encounter.

Afterwards, there is time for questions, conversation and quiet reflection before we travel back to Ylläsjärvi through the winter landscape.

Some encounters stay with us long after the journey has ended.

The day begins at an old lumberjack camp with a workshop focusing on Nordic herbs and natural products. We discover local plants and their traditional uses while hearing stories about knowledge passed down through generations in the forests of Lapland. Afterwards, we enjoy lunch together.

In the afternoon, the lakeside sauna is heated for us. Between visits to the sauna, there is time to relax and anyone who wishes can cool down with a dip in the avanto, a hole cut into the ice, before returning to the warmth.

In the evening, we gather in the Lavvo one last time for a meal cooked on the open fire.

And if the sky remains clear, the Northern Lights may appear once more to bid us farewell.

After breakfast, we travel together to Kittilä Airport.

Along the way, snow-covered forests and frozen lakes pass by one last time. The evenings around the fire, the peaceful winter landscapes and the people we met slowly begin to turn into memories.

And often, this is the moment when a quiet question begins to form: When will I return to Lapland?

This journey includes access to a carefully created digital guide designed specifically for the week.

Alongside practical travel information, the guide offers deeper insight into the nature, history, food culture, and local life of Lapland.

Guests can read about the people and small businesses we visit, learn about Sámi culture and sustainable travel practices, save campfire recipes from the week, and return to stories, photographs, and recommendations even after the journey has ended.

Rather than simply guiding you through Lapland, it helps you understand it more deeply.

The Loimu Resort is a small family-owned hotel located directly by Lake Ylläsjärvi in Finnish Lapland. With only seven rooms, it offers a calm and personal atmosphere far away from large hotel complexes.

Surrounded by fells, forests, and the lake, Loimu combines Nordic coziness with modern comfort. The heart of the hotel is its sauna area with a traditional smoke sauna, log sauna, barrel sauna, and outdoor jacuzzi — a place where warmth, silence, and nature come together. The rooms were renovated and updated for the opening of the resort in summer 2025 and include a private bathroom as well as tea and coffee facilities.

The resort also features a small restaurant with locally inspired cuisine and a café-bar area for relaxed evenings after a day in nature.

Loimu is not a classic large Lapland hotel, but a peaceful retreat for travellers who want to experience Lapland in a slower, more personal, and nature-connected way.

Standard Twin/Double Room
€1,575 per room / week
(approximately €787.50 per person based on double occupancy)

Photos by Loimu Resort

Finnomenal is a small company based in Ylläsjärvi in Finnish Lapland, founded by Anja, a Swiss guide and storyteller with a deep connection to the North, its nature, and its quiet way of life.

The journeys combine peaceful moments in nature, local encounters, campfire culture, and the rhythm of Nordic life in small, personally guided groups. Instead of rushing from one attraction to the next, the focus lies on authenticity, calm experiences, and meaningful connections to the landscape and the people who live here.

No herds. Just heart.

Finnomenal is proud to be part of the INSPIRES Project, co-funded by the European Union. Through this initiative, we are developing new digital tools, sustainable storytelling formats, and nature-based tourism innovations in Ylläs, Finnish Lapland.

Some of the pictures used are from Visit Ylläs.

photo credit: © Visit Ylläs

@visityllas