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Snowshoeing in Ruka: which walk to book

Looking down on a dense spruce forest so heavy with snow that each tree is a white column

Illustration photo: a snow-laden forest in Koli, Finland, not from the Ruka trips.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

With children, choose Ruka Adventures' walk to the Myllykoski rapids in Oulanka, which it describes as suitable for families; bring your own winter clothing. For a view with clothing lent, climb Pyhävaara with the same company, or Valtavaara with Ruka Guides for a longer day with a fire. Book MyTrail Finland's private day at Riisitunturi only if the snow-laden trees are the reason you came.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Ruka Adventures, OulankaRuka Adventures, PyhävaaraRuka GuidesMyTrail Finland
Price from €101 €92 €95 €260
Duration 3.5 h 2.5 h 4.5 h 5 h
Walking 2–4 km Part uphill To a summit 4–6 km
Winter clothing Bring your own Included Included Bring your own
Youngest Families welcome; age not stated Not stated 12 Not stated

Only the price is marked, as arithmetic. The private day is priced for a group of your own, which the other three are not.

Where these figures come from
  • Ruka Adventures, Oulanka: A drive to Juuma, then snowshoes past the Myllykoski rapids and hanging bridge, with hot chocolate by an old mill.
  • Ruka Adventures, Pyhävaara: A short transfer and a climb to the top of Pyhävaara, a former Sami place of worship, with juice at the summit.
  • Ruka Guides: From the resort's activity centre to the Valtavaara summit, with a break by a campfire on the way.
  • MyTrail Finland: A private day in Riisitunturi National Park among the snow-laden trees, from its gate or with pick-up in Ruka or Kuusamo.

Ruka’s guided snowshoe walks on the pages we read go to four places, and three of them cost within ten euros of each other.

Rapids in Oulanka

Ruka Adventures fits you out at its safari office and drives to Juuma in Oulanka National Park, where the walk of two to four kilometres passes the Myllykoski rapids and their hanging bridge and stops for hot chocolate and pastries by an old mill. The company calls it suitable for families with children, and lends the snowshoes but lists no clothing, so come dressed.1

Two summits near the resort

The same company’s Pyhävaara walk is a short transfer from Ruka to a hill that was once a Sami place of worship, with juice and a snack at the top. It lends winter clothing and collects you from Ruka hotels, and it says the walk needs good basic fitness because part of it is uphill.2 Ruka Guides starts at its activity centre in Ruka Valley and goes to the summit of Valtavaara, with a break by a fire on the way, lends a full set of winter clothing and takes no one under twelve.3

A private day at Riisitunturi

MyTrail Finland takes your party alone into Riisitunturi National Park, whose trees, heavy with snow and frost, the company calls snow monsters. You walk four to six kilometres on moderately easy terrain, meet at the park gate or are collected in Ruka or Kuusamo, and choose a sunrise, sunset or night start. It lends snowshoes, poles and a headlamp; clothing is yours, or rented on request.4

The longer walks are compared by landscape on the best snowshoe tour in Ruka, the private ones on the private snowshoe tour in Ruka, the family walks on snowshoeing with children in Ruka and the prices on snowshoe tour prices in Ruka.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

Are there snowshoe walks after dark?

Yes. Ruka Guides sells an evening snowshoe walk to look for the aurora, for children from five, and a snowshoe walk to a lake with ice fishing, for children from eight; both start at its activity centre in Ruka Valley. The aurora walk is compared with the other aurora tours in [northern lights in Ruka](/guides/northern-lights-ruka/).

Can we combine snowshoeing with skiing?

Ruka Adventures suggests its afternoon departures to Pyhävaara for guests who ski in the morning or have another morning activity. The listing gives two and a half hours for it, transfer included, so an afternoon walk after a morning on the slopes is realistic for anyone with the energy for both.

What if we cancel?

All four listings, as we read them, allow free cancellation until 24 hours before the start. After that the full price is due. On the private Riisitunturi day, where the whole booking rests on your party, check the forecast before the cut-off and move the date early if the week looks stormy.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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