Packraft and Wildcamp in Finland's Thousand Lakes

This weekend is an unforgettable introduction to the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes'. Not your typical hike, you’ll travel mostly along streams and lakes in small, lightweight packrafts. Your route will take you past magnificent cliffs and through ancient forests, with stops at the famous Helvetinkolu crevasse, the unique Haukanhieta dune beach, a lakeside sauna and more. Your hassle-free adventure includes:

• 2 days of packrafting in Helvetinjärvi National Park
• 3 nights of wild-camping
• 1 morning at a lakeside sauna
• All meals and snacks
• Airport transfers
• All packrafting and camping equipment
• Local, professional, English-speaking wilderness guide

Perfect for:
This is the perfect getaway for nature-lovers and adventurers who want to escape the city for a truly remote and peaceful break. No previous packrafting experience necessary.

Thursday: Arrival

Your host will meet you at Tampere airport and transfer you 2 hours away to Lake Kovero.

There you'll set up camp and review the weekend's plan before enjoying dinner around a flickering campfire.

Friday: Packraft

After a hot breakfast you'll go over safety and equipment with your guide, then push off into the calm waters of the lake.

Spend the day paddling a casual along scenic Lake Kovero surrounded by dense forests and pale rock formations. At one point you'll deflate and carry your portable packraft across a narrow isthmus to the adjacent Lake Luoma.

Arrive at your campsite on the shores of Lake Luoma in the late afternoon. Enjoy a peaceful evening exploring the shoreline, then retire to camp to light the fire and enjoy a well-earned meal.

10km of paddling and 3km of hiking

Saturday: Packraft

Wake up in the heart of the Finnish wilderness and take a deep breath--it's a beautiful day!

After a tasty breakfast you'll alternately paddle and hike along a chain of small lakes to Helvetinkolu, a millions of years old crevasse splitting open the forest.

Cook up a quick lunch around a fire, then paddle the length of the water-filled crevasse. At the end you'll pack up your raft and hike overland to the shores of Lake Haukkajärvi.

Complete your final paddle of the trip, arriving at your campsite on a beautiful dune beach. Enjoy a campfire cooked meal with one of the best views in the park.

10 km of paddling and about 2 km of hiking.

Sunday: Sauna and departure

In the morning you'll drive to a nearby Finnish sauna right on the lake. Clean up, relax, and maybe go for a refreshing dip in the clear lake waters.

Have a nice local lunch at the sauna restaurant afterwards, then head back to Tampere Airport for your flight home.

Note: This itinerary and the duration of the activities are subject to change due to group abilities and preferences, weather conditions and forecasts, special events, etc.

You'll be camping in the wilderness remote from any facilities. High-quality tents, sleeping bags and sleeping mats are provided. If the weather is nice you can choose to forego the tent and sleep under the stars!

Helvetinjärvi National Park is a remote wilderness of lakes, canyons, gorges and sandy beaches perfect for packrafting and wild-camping. It's located about 50km north of the town of Tampere in southwestern Finland. With its deep forests and imposing rock formations, the park feels very wild and forgotten. It's dominated by impressive geological features created millions of years ago by massive movements deep in the earth's crust, including the aptly named Helvetinjärvi (Hell's Lake) and Helvetinkolu (Hell's Hole).

Tampere-Pirkkala Airport - 17:15

Your adventure begins at Tampere Airport (TMP) where you will meet your guide and fellow adventurers in the arrivals area at 17:15. Your transfer will meet all flights scheduled to land at least 30 minutes before this time. Tampere–Pirkkala Airport (TMP) can be reached via a short internal flight with Finnair from Helsinki (HEL).

Tampere Airport - 15:00

Your adventure ends at Tampere Airport at 15:00. Your transfer will meet all flights scheduled to depart leaving after 17:00.