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Ruka and Kuusamo: activities, tours and guides

Ruka is a fell resort in Kuusamo, south of the Lapland border, and most of what it sells in winter starts from a safari house in the resort itself.

Three spruces bent under thick crown snow on an open fell top, with a pale orange band of dusk on the horizon
Illustration photo: crown-snow spruces on a fell at dusk, not necessarily at Ruka.

Ruka is a fell resort in the municipality of Kuusamo, in North Ostrobothnia, just south of the Lapland border. The town of Kuusamo lies to the south of the resort, and several of the companies that sell winter outings pick up from both. The resort’s own list of activity companies runs to more than thirty, from husky kennels and reindeer farms to rafting, riding and bear watching.1

Much of the winter trade starts from a few safari houses in and around the resort. A winter village at Lammintupa sells huskies, reindeer and snowmobiles from one yard; the ski resort’s own guides sell electric snowmobiles and snowshoe walks from a centre in Ruka Valley; and a reindeer farm on the road to Kemijärvi sells a morning feeding visit. The guides below compare them activity by activity, with the price basis each listing prints.

Summer is a different product rather than a quieter winter. The rivers of Oulanka carry rafting trips on the Kitkajoki,2 two companies take guests to hides to watch wild bears in the evening or overnight,3 and a guided hike goes up to Riisitunturi.

One seller also runs a full day from Ruka or Kuusamo to the icebreakers at Kemi, with transfers both ways, for a group of up to eight.4 The nearest place this handbook covers is Posio, about fifty minutes’ drive west.

Guides by activity

Northern lights

Husky safaris

Snowmobiling

Santa Claus

Reindeer

Ice fishing

Snowshoeing

More to do

Tours you can book

All 76 tours in Ruka-Kuusamo

Articles about Ruka-Kuusamo

Sources

  1. Ruka-KuusamoActivitiesruka.fi ↩
  2. GetYourGuideKuusamo: Kitkajoki River Wild Rapids Rafting Adventuregetyourguide.com ↩
  3. GetYourGuideKuusamo: Bear Watching Evening Tourgetyourguide.com ↩
  4. GetYourGuideFrom Ruka or Kuusamo: Icebreaker Cruise & Ice Floating Tripgetyourguide.com ↩