This trip is suitable for anyone with basic fitness levels. None of the activities are hugely demanding and no previous experience or technical skills are required. You won't be exerting yourself for more than two or three hours at a time, and there is also plenty of relaxation and wellness time built into the trip. With two hours of private group sauna booked on Days 2 and 3, plus free access to the wellness centre at Vihula Manor, you'll balance the active time in the cold with plenty of pampering in the heat. To get the most out of the trip you should enjoy being out in the cold during the winter, and also come prepared with adequate warm clothing – see the kit list for guidance.

The trip includes snowshoeing, fat biking and kicksledding. All activities will be suitable for first-timers and conducted at a leisurely pace.

Fat bikes have extra fat, knobbly tyres that are designed for riding on soft surfaces like sand and snow, and they have little or no suspension. The super-fat tyres distribute the rider’s mass across a larger area, so you don’t sink in and do gain more traction than you would with a standard tyre size. You can ride easily and with stability, even over firm snow and ice. You won't be riding very far, so anyone who can ride a bike at a basic level will enjoy fat biking though the picturesque forest tracks.

Snowshoeing is a type of hiking that uses a special type of footwear – a snowshoe – to spread your weight over a larger area, allowing you to move easily across powdery, snow-covered terrain. Snowshoeing is incredibly easy, comfortable and safe. You simply clip the snowshoe to the outside of your hiking boot and off you go. You'll be in the hands of local, experienced, and trained guides who know the area intimately and will guide you safely throughout the hike.

Kicksledding is an extremely fun winter activity that every Estonian loves. Originating from the Scandinavian countries, the kicksled includes a chair (for an optional carried passenger) mounted on a pair of flexible metal runners that extend backwards to about twice the chair's length. The sled is propelled by kicking and it works best on icy snow conditions and marked tracks.

The sauna tradition is an important part of the country's identity – in many ways, life in Estonia revolves around the sauna. Although sauna may seem like a winter activity, Estonians actually go all year round – family gatherings and birthdays are often celebrated with sauna.

The steam generated by pouring water onto hot rocks in a sauna is believed to have many benefits: it cleanses the skin and increases heart rate, and the heat does its magic by expanding your bronchi and relaxing the joints. The ritual also includes light 'whisking' with birch branches, which acts like a massage.

After you heat up, it's time to cool down. Saunas are often built next to the sea, a river, a lake, or a pond so that during winter, brave sauna-goers will cut a hole in the ice before taking a dip or even rolling around in the snow. The rapid temperature change stimulates blood flow and strengthens the immune system. If that sounds too bracing, you can stand in the cold air outside the sauna while enjoying a cool drink.

Two private group sauna sessions are booked on Days 2 and 3 of the trip. The first will take place in the igloo saunas of Sportland Kõrvemaa, which are 100% hand- crafted and covered with spruce chips from the outside, and aspen chips from the inside. The heat is equally distributed, which makes the sauna nicely humid. The sauna comes with a steam room, a spacious anteroom, and a toilet and shower room so you can alternate time in the heat with socialising in the common room and even an ice dip outside.

On Day 3 you'll get the chance to try an authentic smoke sauna. Like a traditional sauna, the Estonian smoke sauna usually consists of a small house heated with wood in a brick oven. However, the smoke sauna has no chimney through which the smoke can escape. Instead, it circulates inside the room while the sauna is heating. In 2014, UNESCO included the smoke sauna phenomenon in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The smoke sauna ritual consists of many stages which must be followed carefully. You'll enter the sacred hot room, where you are met by the heady aroma of burning wood. You'll then rub yourself with ground plants and salt, followed by the 'whisking', gently beating your body with birch branches to exfoliate skin and stimulate circulation. Then, you'll plunge into the icy waters nearby to cool down, rinse off and feel new again!

Other sauna sessions can be booked for free at the luxurious sauna centre of the Vihula Manor Hotel & Spa.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. The amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

The tap water in Estonia is safe to drink. Please bring along your own reusable water bottle to fill up at the hotels to avoid buying single use plastic bottles.

Winter in Estonia lasts from late November until late March, with temperatures ranging from mild (above freezing) to as low as -30°C, although temperatures just below 0°C are far more common. Snow usually falls as early as late November but it is most common in the months of December to March, when this trip runs.

Mother Nature is unpredictable so snow can never be 100% guaranteed on every departure. However, recent reports show a very high chance of snow between the months of December and March. Winter hiking and fat biking without snow will be equally spectacular and enjoyable, and your hosts will do their best to suggest the best alternative activities according to the local weather conditions in this situation.

Yes, you can leave your luggage in Tallinn or with your host on Day 1, as you'll be returning there for the last night of your trip.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

Overall, the choice of the route, distance and activity duration is always decided by your local guide taking into consideration group's fitness and weather conditions, so small alterations may take place with your safety in mind. In case the snow conditions on a certain day are not ideal for the scheduled activity (i.e. terrain is too icy for fat biking, snow too soft for kicksledding, etc), your host will offer alternative suitable activities locally, whenever possible, or may suggest to carry these out in alternative areas nearby.

No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small daysack to carry personal items during each day of the activities.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.

Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.

Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.

Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.