Finland - Jan '26

Finland (Lapland) in winter has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I have finally ticked it off. Though these trips can be torturous (especially for my fingertips), I find myself embarking on them repeatedly because I enjoy the unique experiences and the opportunity to witness and capture different landscapes.

Tour Date                     : 4^th Jan ’26 to 8^th Jan ‘26

Company                     : Lofoten Photo tours led Arild Heitman & Stian Klo

This time I decided to fly out of Delhi to Helsinki in Finair as there is no direct connection from Mumbai. The tour started from Rovaniemi, which is the capital of Finnish Lapland and is famously known as the Official Hometown of Santa Claus. Rovaniemi is located right on the Arctic Circle and has a population of 66,000. The flying time from Helsinki to Rovaniemi was about 90 minutes. In Rovaniemi, I stayed in Scandic Rovaniemi City Hotel situated in the heart of the town with easy access to shopping areas, restaurants, etc.

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The tour started on 4^th and our stay for the next few days was at Oivangin Lomakartano Oy, Kuusamo. It’s a beautiful family owned villa with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a steam inside the villa. The stay was absolutely comfortable. Enroute to the villa we had a few photo stops.

Our first day was at Riisitunturin National Park. Riisitunturi National Park, located just below the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, is a 77 square-kilometer of wilderness. Based on my experience, I can say for sure that this is a dream destination for landscape photographers especially winter landscape transformed into a white magical world.

In Finnish Lapland, one of the interesting phenomena are the Tykky trees, which refers to a stunning natural phenomenon where trees—primarily spruce and pine—become completely encased in thick, sculptural layers of frozen snow and ice. This phenomenon isn't just a heavy snowfall, it’s a specific meteorological event.

When moist air from the Atlantic meets the freezing Arctic air, water droplets in the fog remain liquid even below freezing (supercooled). As this fog hits the cold needles and branches of the trees, it freezes instantly, creating a layer of hard rime ice. Throughout the winter, layers of rime and snow build up. A single full-grown spruce can carry a "crown snow-load" of up to 4,000 kilograms.

The spruces bend under the weight of heavy snow, thus creating surreal, sculptural and unique shapes. When the light during sunrise falls on these spruce and the snow on the ground, it creates a magic. We reached the place well before sunrise time as it was long walk inside the park and that too in a path filled with snow.

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Day two was to Kuntivaara. Kuntivaara is one of the most iconic hills in the Kuusamo region of Finnish Lapland, sitting right on the eastern border with Russia. In fact we could very clearly see the Russian border (unmanned). Like the Riisitunturin National Park, this is one of the premier destination for winter landscape with the tykky trees.

To reach this place, we had to first drive for about 30 minutes to a particular location and from there we were taken in Snowmobiles. Since we had to reach the top before sunrise we had to leave early. It was a wonderful and tough experience. Throughout the snowmobile ride the landscape was beautiful but when we reached the top, the it was truly unbelievable.

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Snowmobile ride - Video Credit Eric W Hoppe

Day three and four was at Myllykoski River, Iso Syote. The Myllykoski River and its famous rapids are actually part of the Kitkajoki River system in Oulanka National Park, located near Kuusamo. This is one of the most iconic landmarks in Finnish nature and also one of the most photographed locations in Finland. With the hanging bridge, an Old Mill and the flowing rapids (The rapids do not freeze completely, creating a misty, ethereal atmosphere against the snow-covered trees), gives a great landscape photo opportunity.

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The video below captures the highlights of the trip ...

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Video Credit - Rene

By now, you can probably imagine the beauty of Lapland and might even be dreaming of visiting it yourself. I feel incredibly fortunate to have captured this stunning landscape. You must be thinking how lucky I am to capture this landscape. I would like to quote the famous saying “No Gain without Pain”. On all the days when were out, the temperature was between -25 °C and -30 °C (read as minus 25 and minus 30).  The snowmobile ride, under -28 °C was unbearable. With the entire body covered and with just the eyes open, it was a tough one. The last day at Myllykoski River, we were shooting for almost for 4 hours under -30 °C. Wearing multiple layers of clothing and gloves filled with hand warmers, and carrying a backpack with camera gear and a tripod, was absolutely exhausting. There were moments when I used to stop and ask myself as why the hell I am doing this ? In spite of all the difficulties, certainly this was an unforgettable experience. And this is how I was at the Myllykoski River !!

Thanks to Arild Heitman & Stian Klo, for making this a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

To view the album --> https://finland-jan-26.gopsview.com/