Winter
Cross-country skiing, snowshoe trekking and our husky tours are a great way to explore and experience the many aspects of our surrounding wilderness. Once there is enough snow, our routes will take you to into the forest where you can admire and be delighted by the rare beauty of our natural landscape. We cut ski tracks in the snow for cross-country skiing and there are maps and marked trails for those who want to explore the forest with our snowshoes too. The routes for our husky tours range from relatively easy, where only normal fitness is needed, to longer, more challenging ones covering longer distances. Follow the link below to book your tour.
Sometimes, we have good winter snow conditions as early as October, but sometimes the snow doesn't arrive until December. Nearly all of our winter activities require snow of varying depths. While it is possible to ski with a little snow, the husky tours require a lot more in order to be safe! As conditions can change daily, early season programme availability is hard to predict for November and December. Likewise, towards the end of the season, snow conditions can deteriorate in April or continue well into May. If travelling early or late season, please check the snow situation with us before booking to avoid disappointment.
With its unspoilt nature and traditional local culture, Korvala provides a distinctive setting for many types of recreation.
For those not staying in our cabins, our husky tours are scheduled to coincide with round-trip bus timetables from Rovaniemi.
Paymants are taken on site and we accept all major credit cards.
Husky Tours
Get away from the crowds and see how much fun dog sledding is! During this personalized experience you can learn how to drive your own team of dogs in small groups of max six participants and two guides.
We start by getting winter overalls and boots for anybody needing them. Then after the driving lesson we set off with our lively Siberian huskies through the silent forest, following the guide's team, without any snowmobiles spoiling the magic. Participants travel in pairs, so couples can take turns to drive and ride in the sled, and for families, parents can drive a sled, while their children sit in the sled for the ride. After the run, you can cuddle the dogs and take photos before we go for a kennel tour, where we tell you all about our dogs. We finish off with a warm drink and cookies in our old, traditional house.
Our husky tours need a minimum of 10cm of packed down snow on the trails to operate and must to be booked via the button below:
Snowmobile Tours
Alternatively, the wilderness can be explored with iron dogs! We no longer arrange these on site, but they can be booked through the VisitRovaniemi website. You would start by getting winter overalls and boots, and then helmets and balaclavas. Then you will have a driving lesson. After that, you set off with the snowmobiles through the forest and over hills, following the guide.
The routes can be challenging and the speed will vary according to the conditions. The snowmobiles are easiest driven solo but can take two people each, so long as they are approximately the same weight. The time spent driving the snowmobiles varies from approximately 1 hour to multi-day tours. The distance driven in that time depends on the weather conditions and the skills of the participants.
These tours are available for our guests who have a car or are prepared to travel by local bus to get to the departure points. The price is usually calculated as per person when driving/riding pillion and there are extra charges for driving solo.
Northern Lights
Northern lights, or aurora borealis, can be seen as soon as it starts getting dark, as long as the sky is clear and there is auroral activity. The lights can be viewed easily from the garden directly in front of the cabins or out on the lake, from autumn until spring. And since we are located in the middle of the wilderness, by a large open space and far from city light pollution, the views are incredible. The aurora come and go depending on how active the sun is, and there are many apps with aurora forecasts.
Click here for aurora alerts.
During the early evening the aurora forms arcs from horizon to horizon, then around midnight the arcs begin to twist and sway like curtains in the wind, sometimes expanding to fill the whole sky, while moving fast and shining very brightly. In the early hours of the morning the aurora take on a more cloud-like appearance, then slowly fade away before sunrise.
Skiing, Snowshoeing and Ice Fishing
Cross country skis, snowshoes and ice fishing equipment are included in the price of accomodation in winter, so are free to use whenever you want. We make cross country ski tracks according to our guests requirements, within reason, and they are maintained as necessary.
Reindeer and Horse Sleigh Rides
For those interested in going for an authentic reindeer sleigh ride or experiencing real jingle bells whilst riding in a one horse open sleigh, then we recommend going to Jaakkola reindeer farm and Luostola horse farm, which are situated near each other about 60 km away to the north.
