Kimkim Trip Reviews for Finland

Having traveled to Norway and Sweden in winter, I was looking for a winter excursion this year in Finland, hoping to see the Northern Lights. I often plan my own travel itineraries, but I was intrigued by the Kim Kim approach to planning a bespoke itinerary. My local specialist, Emerson, presented me with an itinerary proposal that was detailed and tailored to what I wanted to see and do. So, I let him do the work for me! It was a good investment.

Flying into Kittilä, I was met by a driver (all my transfers to hotels and activities were included) and taken to The Northern Lights Ranch about 10 KM north of Levi. This was my favorite hotel (though all accommodations were great), with a glass cabin to myself and amazing dinners and a breakfast buffet with real scrambled eggs (other hotels "scrambled" eggs were powdered eggs). The hotel also features a reindeer corral, a skating rink, and a snowshoe trail (with free skates and snowshoes to use). Because the forecast was for clouds on the second night, when I was scheduled to go for an aurora hunt, the excursion was changed to my first night. No time for jet lag! And we did see the lights! I was the only one on the excursion, which was nice and appreciated . . . and atypical. As a solo traveler, I was at the mercy of having enough other folks sign up in order for the other excursions to take place. Fortunately, with one exception, that happened. You have to be flexible when traveling alone!

A couple nights in another glass cabin outside of Äkäslompolo at the Arctic Skylight Lodge gave me a chance to see a bit of the Northern Lights again from the comfort of my bed. Other highlights: Snowmobiling to a cabin beside a frozen lake, a reindeer sleigh ride (alas, no flying), an evening snowshoeing through a forest to Bear Stone followed by a traditional Finnish dinner (reindeer stew and squeaky cheese) prepared in a lavuu by our guide, Susanne.

Then on to the big city of the north, Rovaniemi, where I spent two nights at the Arctic Light Hotel and had the chance to drive a husky team, look for the aurora again (unsuccessfully), float in a frozen lake, and tromp through the snow at Riisitunturi National Park.

To finish my trip, I took the overnight train to Helsinki (the private sleeper car was nice!). I had a good tour of the city with a private guide, which got me oriented and helped me plan for my own wandering around the city time. Emerson arranged for a day trip to Tallinn the following day, which was a real high point! The "ferry" from/to Helsinki is essentially a cruise ship . . . it just cruises for 2 hours at a time. Another private tour guide introduced me to the history of Tallinn and then an unexpected but much appreciated bonus was getting to meet Emerson and his wife for coffee and conversation.

Emerson did a great job filling up my agenda with activities that I enjoyed. Again, it was an investment well worthwhile to have a plan built by someone who knows the territory. It was also nice to know that Emerson was available if needed during the trip. If you're thinking of visiting Finland (and/or Estonia), I encourage you to let Emerson help make your trip as memorable as mine!

Emerson was very organized. He responded promptly to questions even on his day off. He was very patient and reassuring. There were no surprises. We would go with Emerson again

Hotel Reviews

Northern Lights Village Pyhä

Pyhä

Loved the cabins. Toasty warm! Beautiful sightings of the Northern lights right from your bed. Gaze upon the beautiful stars from the comfort of a warm cabin as well. The breakfast and dinner were included and was absolutely amazing- great choice of entrees, salads, cheese with jams and breads. The staff were friendly and helpful and the place was very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far away from the city lights and so chances of seeing the northern lights are greatly.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Haawe Boutique Apart Hotel

Rovaniemi

Very cute apartment.it was spacious, modern and located right in the center of the city center. The kitchen was stocked with dishes, cutlery and crockery. The fridge was stocked with an eggs, cold cuts, cheese, jam and butter, yoghurt, assorted fruits, oatmeal, chocolate and candy bars. There were condiments for cooking a quick meal. Cereal, milk and berry juice was also stocked and yummy breads. There was a toaster, a dishwasher and a microwave. Laundry is free and the pods for the dishwasher and laundry were also free. The highlight was the deep white soaking tub!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Riisitunturi National Park Expedition

Rovaniemi

Just tracked through the snow. Nothing to do- the trees were bare of the snow as the snow had all meted due to the high temps. Very uneventful- there was no historical detail or narrative offered by the guide- we all walked in silence for about 2 miles. Took a couple of photos- very underwhelmed and a waste of time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Smoked sausages and marshmallows.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Be ready with a narrative or educational activities if the weather does not cooperate.

Transport

The van could be a bit more spacious. We were 7 people cramped like sardines.

Reindeer Farm Visit (No Safari)

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice-Climbing Experience

Pyhä

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were fantastic. Max was very encouraging and his colleague from Mexico were both patient and gave very clear instructions.

Transport

Aurora Hunting by Snowmobile

Pyhä

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar and Ari were great guides.

Transport

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip was amazing! I gave Moonika a list of activities that I wanted to do and she made it happen! There were a few changes from my original itinerary because of my flight changes and some changes with tour companies. I did not realize how touristy the area was, nor did I know about the multiple companies who offered the tours. She selected amazing tour companies and I was not disappointed. However, I had a free evening and booked something on my own the last minute and that particular tour was the only night I saw the Aurora. It was not for lack of trying on Moonika’s part, she selected excellent tours providing the opportunity, it just never came. I highly recommend Moonika and KimKim travel. If I ever have the opportunity to travel to Finland again, I would definitely seek their expertise, I will also review some of the other counties they offer.

Hotel Reviews

Overnight Train

The accommodations were perfect to get me to Lapland and make the most of my time there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic City Hotel

Rovaniemi

It was a nice boutique hotel in the city center, within walking distance of all of my activities. They even took my clothes for donation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

This was my bucket list item. I did not see the Northern Lights in the night that I stayed, but it was not for lack of a beautiful view. I saw a beautiful sunset and sunrise, though. It also has heated floors, and adjustable bed to watch the show (if it appears), and an Aurora alarm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GLO Hotel Art

Helsinki

This was a cute boutique hotel near the center of Helsinki. I did a city walking tour from here and afterwards found my way back. There is a lot of shopping nearby and it’s close to the train station

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

Niko was our Aurora hunter (as well as my transfer driver to and from the train.) The tour was very long, we were out for 8 hours searching for the elusive Aurora, not for lack of Niko’s efforts. This was the first night I crossed the Arctic Circle. Niko provided some juice and snacks. It was my first taste of the hot berry juice and I was hooked. I will learn how to make it.

Quality of Experience

It was a bit of a long, uneventful night.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family Husky Safari

Rovaniemi

This was so much fun. I have had dogs and I know how much they like to play. I had my own sled and 4 dogs who wanted to do nothing but pull and play. They were having as much fun as I was. Afterwards, I gave them some loving and my lead girl was very affectionate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

This was a very active tour as well. You know they mean business when they hand out spikes for your shoes before you get started. It was very scenic and COLD. But you are going to see frozen waterfalls. I had an “influencer” or “Instagramer” in my group and we were always waiting for them to finish their pictures.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Ice Restaurant

Sinettä

This was an interesting experience. It was not as cold as I expected or as cold as some of my other activities. They had a vegan option, which I had. I could not eat all of my food because I had a sausage on the previous tour. It’s really interesting how the snow hotel and ice restaurant are built.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowshoeing Adventure at Night (Aurora Tour)

Rovaniemi

This was also an Aurora hunting experience, but no Aurora. Still, the snowshoeing was great. It had been a long time since I was on snowshoes. The snowshoeing was fresh, so it made the trek much better. Of course there was excellent hot berry juice. This was the “gloggi” version with the extra spices.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Safari by Electric Snowmobiles

Finland

I paid extra for the single supplement, so I had my own sled. I had never driven an electric snowmobile, but have experience with a gas powered one. It was hard getting used to the lack of noise. The tour itself was great, partially on the frozen lake and a good path through the woods. We stopped at a cabin for a fire, sausages, hot juice and dessert pastry. We did not have to cook our own sausages this time, however by this time I was a sausage cooking pro!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helsinki City Walking Tour

Helsinki

This was a private tour and a bit pricey for what we did. Ainhoa (sp) did a really good job telling me about the city and country even though she is not Finnish or a native. Since it was a private tour, I asked all the questions, we got sidetracked on multiple conversations, but it was still informative. The second part of the tour was on Suomenlinna, which I took the ferry to get there. The ride was cold, but the view was amazing. The tour of the fort was a bit short because the sun was going down and there was no lighting. The tour started late in the day, 1:30 pm (1330 hrs), if it would have started earlier, we could have seen more, especially at the fort.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

I learned a lot about reindeer on this tour. They are very docile creatures. Also, the females have antlers, albeit not as large as the males, just like certain bovine breeds. They need to keep their numbers at a certain level, so some are used as meat. I did not try any because I am a non-meat eater.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All reservations Emerson made were exactly as promised. Every guide showed up on time, and they were all friendly and very helpful. Activities were wonderful, with well-planned times and downtime in between. Overall fantastic experience and will be using this platform for our next trip!

Emerson planned a fantastic itinerary for our family - it was the perfect amount of discovery, exploration, adventure, relaxation and fun, he really nailed it with what was offered and made the area special in Finland. We asked for a winter wonderland filled with lots of activity for my 10 and 7 year old girls and he really delivered. He did a beautiful job piecing the trip together with the perfect location and hotel choices. My girls loved all our accommodations (Snow & Ice Hotel, Glass Igloo, , the transfers and transportation services were always on time and in excellent condition and Emerson's expertise of the area shines through with his offerings of excursions that were so unique that we had not even thought of but enjoyed thoroughly! This trip was fantastic, could not have been better, and planning with Emerson was easy, straightforward and delightful - I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone wanting to experience all the magic that Finland in Winter time has to offer!

Hotel Reviews

Posti Boutique Hotel Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi

A wonderful hotel with helpful, courteous staff. The room was spacious and clean, with all the conveniences one could want, especially with the kitchenette. The complimentary morning breakfasts were very nice and it is conveniently located within 5 minutes walking distance to the train/bus station and across the street from some grocery stories and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

A more rustic design with an old-timey elevator but with some modern touches like the automatic lights for hallways. The rooms were well designed and very comfortable.

Location

5 minutes away from the train/bus station and a convenient market and shopping plaza was across the street, though it was a bit further from the main downtown area.

Staff

Helpful staff that was kind and able to offer good information to all the questions we had.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable - the rooms were warm and well furnished.

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Rovaniemi

The experience of staying in the SnowHotel was unique and amazing. The facilities were very clean and everything was carefully maintained. The sauna was very nice to have, though the shower facilities could have been a bit more private. The sculpted ice hotel was so beautiful to walk around and discover and the warm room with the fireplace was a great place to spend time in to warm up. I do wish there were more private places to spend down-time, for example, somewhere comfortable, private and warm to lay down and take a nap since we are not allowed to enter our ice rooms until pretty late in the evening. The buffet breakfast was a very nice spread and we enjoyed our stay here very much - one night is more than enough time to enjoy and take in all offerings of this accommodation if staying in the ice hotel. The ice restaurant was also well done and the ice bar was very fun to visit as well.

Authenticity & Character

An incredibly unique experience!

Location

Great area and setting

Staff

Very helpful folks

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean spaces, could have some warmer private spaces to feel more comfortable and relaxed

Kurula's Resort

Pyhätunturi

This resort was one of my family's favorite places to stay while moving around Finland. It was a cosy cabin atmosphere where the rooms were spacious, inviting and surprisingly warm given that the only heat provided is from the flooring. Our favorite feature of the rooms was the private sauna in the bathroom. We found that we used the sauna every day, sometimes twice a day to warm up from the cold outside. Also, conveniently, the clothing warmer was a very nice feature of the room so that we could dry our clothing quickly. The food was very well done at the restaurant and we enjoyed the complimentary breakfasts. It was also very convenient to have the winter overalls and boots provided so that we were well equipped for excursions nearby. It is not particularly close to anything walkable so plan accordingly but the site itself is magical. My children had such fun riding the complimentary sleds down the hills and playing in the plentiful snow around the property. The room was clean, spacious and modern with all the conveniences, including a full sized refrigerator, water kettle, coffee maker and stovetop/microwave. The staff is also incredibly

Authenticity & Character

Absolutely charming cosy cabin vibes.

Location

It is not walkable or nearby to a lot of conveniences like stores or restaurants so plan accordingly or work with hotel staff to get around or leave the premise.

Staff

Very helpful, very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms and property was clean and very comfortable, we had very restful sleeps.

Northern Lights Village

Saariselkä

This hotel was spectacular, it runs like a well oiled machine and made for a very comfortable stay. The room was very comfortable, though it may take some time to warm up. The convenience of looking up to see the Northern Lights was by far the most valuable aspect of staying here - not having to be cold outside when the lights come to dance in front of you is perfection. The views are picturesque everywhere you look and walk. There are also a plentiful amount of activities on-site to keep everyone entertained. The meal times are organized and there are good diverse offerings.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms here are so special, the layout is also very nice.

Location

Staff

Very helpful and available staff members

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Rovaniemi

We had Antii as our guide and he was very good! The vehicle is very comfortable and the most valuable aspect of this excursion is that there is no time limit. He will literally hunt around all over the place and at all hours of the night to assure that guests will see the lights. Additionally, he provides beautiful photography of your party with the Northern Lights and that is invaluable! As a mom who is always taking photos of her kids, it's nice to be on a tour with someone else taking photos of you and your family with the unforgettable backdrop of the Northern lights! We enjoyed the hot juice and gingersnap cookies that our guide brought and when our toes were too cold, he was quick to offer toe warmers.

Quality of Experience

Antii, the guide, went through great lengths to chase down the lights so we would see them.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was a great driver and photographer!

Transport

Safe, timely and safe driver

Family Husky Safari

Rovaniemi

This operation was very well organized. The huskies were very easy to work with and the environment was immaculate and just magical.

Quality of Experience

Excellent experience, I felt safe and had a magical time - amazing backdrop

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well educated staff

Transport

Dinner at Ice Restaurant

Sinettä

The food was good and it was a very beautiful and unique experience. It is expected to be a cold dining experience but perhaps a bit too long and uncomfortable for younger children.

Quality of Experience

Good food and service

Food

Everything was very tasty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly, good staff

Transport

Reindeer Safari with Wilderness Lunch

Finland

This was a beautiful experience, super family friendly and enjoyable throughout. We loved feeding the reindeer, taking a very scenic ride with them and then spending some time with lunch in the tent to warm up.

Quality of Experience

Excellent tour guide! He was entertaining and educational. Great activities with the reindeer :)

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent guide

Transport

Searching For Santa

Saariselkä

This was a tour that was so special - I thought it would just be more for younger kids but I think everyone really enjoyed it, my older child and myself as well. The elves really brought the energy and it was amazing how so many different activities were able to be included in the hours of the tour. We enjoyed so much of it and the pacing was very good, from the skipping, cookie making and decorating, reindeer rides, elf camp activities (my kids' favorite was the trivia games), the singing of songs to find Santa and then actually sitting and talking with Santa - it was a very touching experience to watch Santa talk with the kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amethyst Mine Tour with the Pendolino - Snow Train

Pyhä

Easily one of my kids' favorite activities. It was extremely cold but they still enjoyed the tour. It was fun to experience the short ride on the Pendolino but the real star is the part where the kids could dig. They really could've stayed for much longer doing just the digging part of the excursion. It was thrilling for them to find the amethyst and the guides were so helpful and uplifting in their efforts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice-Climbing Experience

Pyhä

The guides were absolutely phenomenal and really made the experience! Sampo was professional and a great driver. Inessa was a superstar guide, and absolutely magnificent with children, she really made the experience a standout for us. We always felt safe and encouraged, also very proud of our ability to climb the wall with our very capable guides.

Quality of Experience

An amazing experience with expert guides!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Inessa was amazing! She was helpful and so supportive, phenomenal with children! Highly recommend her.

Transport

Aurora Camp by the Lake

Saariselkä

Although we didn't get to see the lights this evening due to a snow storm, our guide still made it incredibly fun despite the weather. Katie was excellent with children and was so good at sharing such good interesting facts. My kids enjoyed roasting marshmallows with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moonika was super. She listened to our requirements and set out to plan a great trip for our group of 4 adults. The excursions she planned were fantastic and so memorable. The hotels were quaint and unique for their destinations which is exactly how we like to travel. Our guides and drivers in Estonia and Finland were all excellent, flexible and offered different perspectives to our experiences. Moonika was available when we needed her and proactively checked in on us as well. We never would have had the smooth experience we had without her careful planning.

Our trip to Finland was amazing. Moonika planned the most special trip for us, taking care of every detail. From our arrival to departure, it was seem less.

We had an absolutely fantastic experience with Moonika from Kimkim! The trip exceeded all our expectations—every detail was thoughtfully planned and perfectly organized. A highlight of our journey was witnessing the breathtaking Northern Lights on New Year's Eve, an unforgettable moment that made the trip truly magical.

Moonika was incredibly responsive throughout the process, always quick to answer our questions and accommodate our needs. Her professionalism and meticulous planning ensured a smooth and stress-free vacation for us.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Moonika and Kimkim to friends and family. This was a trip we’ll cherish forever, thanks to her expert guidance and care.

Wow so much to say...........
I travel to Jerusalem, my tour guide is in Jerusalem. I will be traveling to Istanbul, my guide is in Istanbul. I vacation to Lapland and my guide is in Detroit/Estonia?? Emerson was too far away to be very helpful.
The hotel, Arctic Light Hotel, was very nice. The breakfast buffet wonderful. The front desk people very professional and nice. But was this hotel **** hell no! The room size was the size of my walk in closet in Texas. Amazing to say, there were no dresser draws or night stand tables with draws. So there was no where to unpack your suite cases. So we had one suite case on the coffee table, one on the chair and two on the floor. I went to the front desk and stated you have no dressers!! The attendant said I "went on line and saw the photo of the room, yes you do!" Went on line........ ?? Later I complained to the 'manager', we have no dressers. He walked up to the room and explained that the shelves on top of the closet were the draws for the cloths. If we were from Finland, six foot six, that explanation would still be laughable. But being Italian/Hispanic at 5 feet and five feet six, we needed a chair to put anything on those shelves.

I learned with the tremendous influx of tourists, that these tourist locations needed to hire workers from other countries. So as stated, the front desk people were all class, but some of the workers had little knowledge of their location. So for an excursion to say meet at the 'wild about Lapland' office location, and the hotel front desk is Googling where the office is, and our guide chilling in Estonia has no clue either, it added to the stress. To be honest, my old age did not help. Siri and hard to pronounce street names did not help 'maps'. Plus the I-phone was under six layers of cloths. With the 8 year old and the -25 C weather conditions, the fear of wondering around the city was petrifying. As you know, all the tours stated best be on time or will happily leave without you. Since 99.9% of the travelers are taking excursions, the hotel staff needs to know blindly where ALL these meeting locations are. Don't give me an address. Tell me walk out of the hotel, first left, walk up the street with the Christmas trees, pass Burger King .........

More fun things.........the driver from the airport. was nice until he got to the hotel. Then he happily put all the suite cases in the snow outside the hotel and asked if we needed help. Nah, just leave the f-ing suite cases in the snow. So he brings a couple into the hotel ten feet from the van, and starts to 'sing and dance' for a tip. Not tip given and stormed back into the street. On the way home, the driver, without asking, brought the suite case into the airport and was tipped. He was thrilled!

The 'Snow Hotel' and dinner probably the best of the trip. Unfortunately, mental blunder by the tour guide in Estonia. We were all finished with dinner at 21:30, and the bus to bring us back to the hotel was not to come until 23:00. So while Emerson was keeping warm, we were trying to avoid frost bite waiting for one and half hours in the ice cold lounge with the -25C temp.

The snow mobile excursion was great. But please don't mention a class to teach you how to drive one. Press the button to start, press here to go is not a class to manage the vehicle. I'll mention this here. We dressed and had cold winter cloths. We did not have to wear those unsightly winter jump suites over all our cloths. I imagine it's a legal issue. "We recommend that you wear our cloths and boots over your cloths so that you look like meat balls" The last two trips I refused. I was dressed plenty warm. This was the worst part of the trip for the wife. She being short, these outfits made her look so bad. Dressing the eight year old was difficult, and then putting the jump suites on ourselves was not fun. Plus on all the tours, they were yelling HURRY UP the tour was getting ready to leave!! We should have gotten to all the tours 1/2 hour earlier. But your excursions companies wish to jam as many tours into the day to generate as much cash as possible.

Emerson from Estonia, you can't book tours on the weekends at 8 am when the dinning facilities at the hotel don't open until 8. Or tell me where to get something to eat for the grand-daughter in the snow? Or how to eat with two pairs of mittens on?

But I saved the best for last. Where did you get this clown from? JOHKA 358-40-544-53854
The first 'Northern Lights' tour was cancelled. I was the one who e-mailed you when at 12:30 two days later I had heard nothing about a new tour. I got an email from you and notification from the front dest to be ready in the hotel lobby at 19:00. This Johka arrives 15 minutes late and then yells at me because the lights were better hours ago and he was unable contact me. Then he states he is driving to Sweden! So I said yeah, but the 8 year old and I are going to pee again before leaving.
By the way the wife was vomiting; food poisoning, the last two days of the trip and did not go on any excursions. Yes I know no refunds, since your company is so cheap, but not one of your people even said "I'm sorry she is not well" or "I hope she feels better". Not one! Very sad. Back to this clown.......We get into the van with a 7 and 10 year old girl and a wealthy mother. We drive into a snow bank, and this guy says to you want to take a portrait? I am thinking a portrait? With the grand-daughter totally covered up and only her eyes showing, and me looking like a balloon? No. I am thinking he will take a picture, go on line, google images Northern Lights Finland and photo shop. The only thing we had seen was mist'. He never explained what he was doing. Or his plan. This is when I would tell any of your clients get female tour guides. Females have brains, and men are dumb as dirt.

This Johka was a perfect example, dumb as dirt. The tour description stated Northern Lights 7 PM. Lasting 4-6 Hours
Ladies, imagine going on a eight (8) hour excursion and the driving never saying does anyone have to pee? Or are any of you children 7,8 and 10 year old girls hungry? WTF (For Emerson in Estonia this means What The F--k) It was only the children's mother who told me she requested that he found a bath room. So dumb as dirt says there is a 7 Eleven and gas station one hour away...........What??

We were given a box of cookies and juice. The children ate close to two hundred cookies. They were starving.
After driving around half the arctic, I asked him when we were heading home. He told me we were still in Sweden. It was 01:30. He told me we were another one and 1/2 hours from the hotel. Losing it, I told him he was getting 7, 8 and 10 year old children home at 3:00 in the morning? The girls didn't enjoy anything concerning the Northern Lights. The best part of the trip was eating ice cream at 7 Eleven. When we got back to hotel I told my baby let's get you into bed......it was 3 am. Your driver, I hope he wasn't expecting a tip, yelled out next time make sure you review the excursion details......I did later, tour time 4-6 hours. Not 8 hours. He wasn't the one to wake up the baby in four hours to the Zoo tour scheduled for the next day.
If I wasn't with my grand-daughter, I would have kicked his Finnish Ass right out side the hotel. The zoo tour guide the next day, a woman sweet like sugar, said I hope. it wasn't her company. They have an 'family friendly' tour a 7-11 tour and a longer Northern Lights tour. Emerson, just had a mental error booking us on the wrong tour. But none of the tours was listed as eight hours. If my wife, remember who was back at the hotel vomiting that no one cared about, would have choked his ass right in the snow bank.

Hotel Review

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

I forgot.......when you travel to Europe the hotel rooms are the sizes of walk in closets. Our room had no dresser draws. It had no night stands/tables. There was no where to unpack or put your cloths. The front desk was highly professional and helpful. The hotel lobby very pretty and classy. The breakfast buffet just great. The breakfast buffet can't open at eight, if people have excursions that start at eight. The hotel is too expensive to have breakfast included in the price, and opens too late to capitalize on it. The location is perfect but some of the seasonal workers were unfamiliar with their surroundings

Authenticity & Character

just nice

Location

Right near main street with all the Christmas trees.

Staff

All class!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snowmobile Safari to Santa Claus Village

Finland

Nice Excursion Needed to spend more time teaching how to drive a snow mobile. No snow in south Texas. The above would have decreased some of the anxiety level.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All people want to take photos of their trip. Bad enough the I-phone is hidden in 6 layers of clothing, don't yell at people for taking out their cell phones to take pictures.

Transport

Family Husky Safari

Rovaniemi

very cool and lots of fun feeding the dogs great for kids with the price of the excursion, I think we had to pay for the food to feed the dogs. Kind of cheap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I got yelled at for taking out my cell phone to take pictures.........I. understand the reasoning but kind of sad

Transport

SnowHotel & Ice Dinner Experience

Rovaniemi

very cool (cold) place. Grand-daughter enjoyed the hotel the best

Quality of Experience

Food

Dessert in ice dish very cool. It is just impossible to enjoy a hot meal when the temperature is -25C

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The experience and the dinner ended at 21:30. The return driver showed up at 23:00. What were we suppose to do for the other one and 1/2 hours??

Reindeer Safari in the Nature of Lapland

Rovaniemi

Great for kids Should have been given two sleds Two adults and an eight year old too tight and squished in one sled.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The owner of the Reindeer farm really did not have command of the English language. Hard to understand

Transport

Ranua Wildlife Park Visit

Finland

In Texas at the zoo the animals look half dead it is so hot. Here the animals were half hibernating or under ground due to the cold. The eight year old still had a blast

Quality of Experience

Food

Is the only food in Finland mashed potatoes and meat balls?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide....sorry for forgetting her name (tall skinny white girl) was sweet like sugar and my grand-daughter just loved her,

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Rovaniemi

I guess I should have known that with the naked eye you see nothing special in the Northern Lights. Only with a special camera and filters or computer enhancement do you appreciate the bright colors that you see on postcards or mugs. Oddly enough, taking photos of white haze and mist with my cell phone actually some color showed up. Our guide Johka avoid. He was an absolute jerk. He forgot he had three young girls on our tour. He never asked them if they had to pee or if they were hungry. He seemed to be more interested in their mother when she said that her husband was vacationing in Florida alone. They talked for hours while I was totally ignored. The trip should have lasted 4-6 hours. Our tour returned at 3 am, eight hours later, with all the children having non-refundable excursions in the morning. How pathetic. Then this ass outside the hotel when I tell my grand-daughter let's get you in bed, his response, "Next time read the excursion description". This clown had no common sense. He had no idea whom his passengers would be. He made no adjustments now knowing the ages of the children. I just hope this rich American womana from CA tipped him well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get a female tour guide who has some. motherly instincts and common sense.

Transport

Don't put young children in a van for eight hours

Moonika was very detailed and communicative. She reached out to us before the trip to confirm all the tour activities. She also reached out to us throughout the trip to ensure everything went as planned. I really enjoy the vendors where she booked for our husky and reindeer sled rides. I could tell they actually do care about the animals, and not just a business. Even when the train was delayed, she made sure we were updated and received any possible refunds. Overall, I had an amazing time in Finland.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Haven

Helsinki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Arctic City Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Helsinki City Walking Tour

Helsinki

The tour guide is awesome with such great details and information. She really understands Helsinki and really she made me wished that I would have more time exploring the city with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Winter Husky Tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finland was a lifetime dream of mine. I dreamed of seeing the aurora perform and for my 2 kids to experience the “real” Santa Claus and where he lives and everything that are associated with Christmas the Arctic way. This company fulfilled all our dreams and more. Everything was well organized, the drivers for our transport and transfers were ALWAYS on time, and the accomodations were cute and perfect which gave us a real intimate family time for 10 days. We went to different cities and had an excursion every single day where each ran 3-4 hours which was just enough to not exhaust everyone for we love to ski and go out and explore the cities by ourselves as well. The companies who facilitated the excutions were very nice, polite and professional. I cried so many times just being overjoyed of the experience and seeing my kids having a great great great time without their devices and we did not even watch TV for everytime we got home we fondly talk about how our excursions went. I LOVED every bit of the experience. Because of this company Finland did not disappoint us! Everything was well thought.. I realized that on our last day where we had our accomodation in the glass igloo at Levi where it had the coldest weather where we had frost on our eyebrows, lashes and hair everytime we made that walk from our igloo to the Elves village— coming from Florida this was even so much fun and funny for us!!’. We had the aurora dancing around us all night from 9:30 pm to 4:30 am on our last night!!!!…

Monika personally greeted us at the hotel on our very first night and this was a huge relief, just having a face to the voice and the goody bag was really thoughtful. She gave us a gnome which is now sitting on our souvenir console at home.

If we had to change something, it would have been combining the reindeer and husky sledding in one day. Then we could have had one more day to ski that had good amount of light. By the time we got home from our excurions about 1:30-2pm the sun has already set and the resorts close by 6pm (not enough time) and skiing can be a challenge especially during those days that the sun does not even show up and worse the temps go down and the winds are get strong later the day to a point that lifts are closed down. Though we had a couple of night excursions and this really gave us a good amount of time to skiunder some natural light and great conditions!

Overall, we genuinelt had an EPIC experience. It was worth every penny; gave my hubby and I convenience; travelling with family of small kid and young adult can be a challenge. Having a company organize everything takes away so much stress.

Thank you for this unforgettable experience!

Hotel Reviews

Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets

Rovaniemi

accommodation was great… Breakfast was really good… The room was spacious enough for a family of 4 but there was no way to control the heating system… We understand that the weather outside was really cold, but the room was super heated to a point where we had to open a window because it got really hot and sweaty for us and unfortunately, no window can be opened on the first floor…I literally was on my undies and mu hubby shirtless the entire time we were in the chalet.. There was no help in carrying our luggage from reception to our chalets on very thick snow. Thiugh the sign sats 200 meters, I know its not just 200 meters… having a sauna was a good feature.. wall was sound proof

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pyhä Igloos

Pyhä

Cute and did not disappoint our aurora experience

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

super friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna

Saariselkä

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ylläsrinne

Ylläsjärvi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aurora Hunt by Car

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Siberian Husky Experience

Saariselkä

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Experience with Lunch

Saariselkä

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Snowshoeing Adventure

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice Fishing Experience

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

SnowHotel & Ice Dinner Experience

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip overall was one we will always remember and cherish. Our family of 4, with an 18 year old and 15 year old, made the trek to Lapland from the southern United States to see the Aurora Borealis and Santa Claus. Jennifer did a fantastic job with communication and always helpful with difficult tasks before and during our trip.
We were switched to a different trip planner (Jennifer) a couple months before the trip and think that she would have had a much better go of it had she been the planner from the beginning. She had to make up a lot of shortcomings in both planning and communication from the original planner. Jennifer did an excellent job in helping us while on the ground, as in country logistics and travel proved to be challenging. We think most, if not all, of the struggles with those logistics would have been avoided if Jennifer had been our planner from the start. She was placed in late and had to work within a somewhat flawed itinerary that she had no part in, initially. It should be noted that taxi transfers in this part of Finland are exorbitant and often difficult to obtain during the Christmas week. Would highly recommend renting a car. Otherwise, the cabs were always spacious and very friendly. Specific feedback on the resorts:
Apukka Resort:
Room was lovely. Small for the family of 4 that we were placing in it, but exceptionally nice. Nicely private in spite of there being other igloos around us. The very muted lighting of the resort made for exceptional Aurora viewing. Minimal light from the ground and rooms. We were able to have the sort of Aurora viewing, with the naked eye, that you usually only see on highly filtered social media posts. Did a nice job on their menus to appeal to a wide swathe of guests. Service was friendly and available. Had a minor problem with the room door freezing shut, but they came out and devised a solution quickly.
Overall excellent experience, would definitely recommend and would happily stay here again.
Kakslautanen Arctic Resort:
An entirely different experience from the prior resort. While the room was very spacious for our family of 4, it was exceptionally dated. No amenities whatsoever were supplied. We have visited 30 countries around the globe and have stayed in everything from hostels to the finest hotels in the world. The price point of this resort was on par with the finest hotels in the world. The amenities were not. No maid service was given unless we called, no soap, shampoo nor conditioner was provided. The in room sauna to difficult to work. In a room costing around 2000 euro a night, this complete lack of anything is entirely unacceptable. As has been noted on multiple travel sites, Kakslautanen charges extra for EVERYTHING! They even charge you for firewood for the fireplace in the room.
For a resort that prides itself on the Aurora viewing (to the point that there is a screeching Aurora alarm in the cabin that pierces the silent nights whenever they determine that the lights can be seen -- we thought there was a fire when it first went off. Seriously, there should have been a warning and the capacity to shut this off), the ground light pollution was overwhelming. In complete contrast to Apukka, the neighboring igloos could see directly into ours, and the extremely bright porch lights from other igloos made any Aurora viewing from our glass igloo impossible.
As mentioned above, taxis were difficult to get this time of year. The resort is in the middle of nowhere, so that lead to the feeling of being trapped. This was particularly noted given the at culinary options were atrocious. The 25 euro daily lunch bullet consisted of a single 15 foot table with soup, salad and unimpressive cold cuts on it. The daily offerings were over 50% Indian food with no local cuisine at all the 3 .5 days we were there.
The resort must be targeted to a different traveler demographic than our family represents. The common areas were always overrun with Asian tourists. Their giant tour busses made it nearly impossible to find our taxis, and the concept of waiting in a line for ones turn, be it at the buffet, the bar or the restroom, was completely absent. It made for a very stressful, overcrowded and frustrating experience. The staff, with the notable exception of the front desk manager who worked very hard to find us a taxi one afternoon, was aggressively unhelpful. No assistance was ever offered, even on approaching the reception desk. Whenever we asked a question, or even placed an order at the bar, we were treated as though we were a nuisance.
The excursions, however, were all fantastic as well as the guides! The husky sledding, snowmobiling, ice karting and reindeer rides were well run, engaging, informative, exciting and tremendous!
Outside of the excursions, however, the service was at best mediocre. The waitstaff was stretched very thin, drinks were uninspired and difficult to get. Water glasses sat empty. Food arrived in no particular order. This distasteful experience was made particularly stark after we made an afternoon trip (that the aforementioned very helpful desk manager arranged transport for) to Saariselka. This was the next tiny little town up the highway, 15 minutes away. The town was quaint, the service was excellent and the food was both local and delicious. We have no idea why the resort could not achieve this level of excellence when the most expensive accommodation in Saariselka was 20% the cost of our room.
We will never return to Kakslautanen. We would advise in the strongest possible terms that no one else does either.
In the end, this was a tale of two cities, of sorts. Apukka was tremendous, Kakslautanen was very disappointing.

Moonika was super helpful and responsive the entire trip and would definitely use her services again in the future.

The trip to Provoo was a great day trip from Helsinki and our guide was great. Taking the train up to Lapland was a great experience. Loved the reindeer and husky tours, especially driving the sled myself for the husky tour.

I booked with Moonika and kimkim so that I didn't have to worry about coordinating anything and know that I was getting a quality experience and I was definitely not disappointed.

Hotel Reviews

Overnight Train

Had a room with bunk beds and bathroom. Small quarters so you have to take turns getting ready and work around you luggage but a great experience. I would definitely do this trip again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everyone was nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small but very clean

Hotel Fabian

Helsinki

Great location and within walking distance to a lot points of interest

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Lovely hotel and in a good location

Authenticity & Character

The sauna onsite is a great amenity

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Porvoo Private Day Tour

Helsinki

The tour was customizable and the tour guide was super knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Having the tour guide meet us at our hotel and get us to the bus station was super helpful. Enjoyed taking the bus fun experience

Premium Husky & Reindeer Safari

Rovaniemi

Learning about the reindeer was fun and enjoyed the lunch that was provided. I didn't expect to drive the sled for the husky tour but it was definitely a highlight

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was super friendly

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

Fun hike that is accessible for all levels

Quality of Experience

Food

Fun experience cooking our food within the park

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was knowledgeable

Transport

Wow, Emerson did a great job and nailed our trip for us! We got to do everything we wanted to do and Emerson was essentially in my back pocket the whole time! He stayed in touch with us throughout the trip and gave us ideas on places to eat as well. He did a magnificent job and we will use him again in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Glass resort

Rovaniemi

This place is amazing, I actually wish we could have stayed here longer than one night. They have a hot tub and provide you with robes and head scarfs so when you are in the hot tub your head is warm too! Really a great place and you can just walk right over to Santa's Village. The food was really good too. We had a great dinner!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Train

Wow what a great way to travel when you need to move about a country....you don't lose any time seeing the sights. We hopped on the train in Helsinki at 11:00 pm and arrived in Rovaniemi at 11:00 am the next day with a good rest, shower and a decent breakfast. The sleeper bunks were comfortable, the rattle of the train helped you sleep and the bathroom was quite a unique item. I have never seen a door that opens into the toilet and provides you with a shower! Very talented person who invented that for tight spaces.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GLO Hotel Art

Helsinki

This hotel is in a good location and had an amazing breakfast and such wonderful character with the building. We stayed here for a couple of nights and could easily walk to any restaurant, site or whatever we wanted to do. The only bummer was the elevator was broken while we were there and my poor husband had to carry both LARGE suitcases up the winding staircase for two flights! What a champ!

Authenticity & Character

Great character here!

Location

Staff

We left all our cash and passport in the safe AFTER we checked out for over 11 hours and the nicely held onto all of it until we could return late that night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Happy Fox

Rovaniemi

This B&B type place was way off the beaten path, but the folks who own it are very nice. We had in our 2 night stay and it included a sauna and Finnish dinner. We didn't see much of the property because we were touring day and night, but on the last night for the sauna and dinner, well it was amazing! The sauna is high end with his and her bathrooms and the sauna is situated at the end so you can both walk in from your bathroom. Very nicely built and then we sat down for a great dinner consisting of salmon and roasted vegetables. It was really very, very good. The B&B part of the place was very nice with each room having it's own kitchenette, bathroom and bed area. They provided breakfast in your suite and you just had to whip it up!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Helsinki City Walking Tour

Helsinki

We had a great walking tour of the city with lots of information. We enjoyed dinner at Seahorse that night, really, really good food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tallinn Day Trip

Helsinki

We took the ferry (this is a cruise ship) over to Tallinn for the day and had a tour guide who enthusiastically took us all around the city. It was absolutely freezing this day! Anyway, we visited the Christmas market and then had a great dinner at Rataskaevu 16. Then headed back to the ferry to Helsinki. The ferry is easy, and they have duty free on board. It takes about 2 hours to get over there and then 2 hours back, but the seats are comfortable. They provide food to buy, but we didn't do that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Reindeer Safari and Farm Visit

Rovaniemi

Andrei was our guide here. Unfortunately there was no snow (December 3) and they made a small track for the reindeer to take us around at least for photo ops. They also provided us with hot juice and cookies in the small fireside house and talked a lot about the reindeer and traditions so that was nice. There are 180,000 reindeer and 200,000 people! The reindeer are free to leave but always come back because they have food. Another interesting fact is every reindeer is owned by someone and it's rude to ask how many reindeer they have or what they cost....it's like asking how much money do you make.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Korouoma Canyon & Frozen Waterfalls Adventure

Finland

We had the best guide here. Rosana is from Italy and goes all over the world being a tour guide for different countries at different times of the year and she knew so much about Finland. We went hiking to the frozen waterfalls and saw folks literally scaling up the ice! We stopped and she provided lunch she had carried in her backpack for us which was really good too. We had fun seeing nature and experiencing nature's amusement park by sliding down your back on certain parts of the trail. Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adults Only Husky Adventure

Rovaniemi

Again no snow here either for our trip (December 4). They were really nice in getting us all geared out in warm jumpsuits and we did a short trail with a sleigh on wheels instead so they were very accommodating. They served us gogli juice and cookies too. Seems to be a tradition in Finland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luxury Log Sauna and Finnish Dinner Experience

Rovaniemi

The sauna is really, really nice. You have a his and her bathrooms where you can change and then walk into the sauna at the end of the bathrooms. The quality of build here is amazing. We really enjoyed it and then showered up for an amazing meal prepared by the owners. They made us salmon and roasted potatoes. We actually brought our own wine from the US and they allowed us to enjoy it with our dinner. A really nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

Oh my gosh! What a small world we live in. Our guide was from Australia and so were our friends and they actually went to the same school together, but were about 3 years apart so they didn't know each other. Alexi was our guide and he just kept chasing the Northern Lights until we found an amazing spot and got to actually watch them materialize before our very eyes! We were situated near a lake and he made a campfire and took pictures. The pictures attached are just from my iPhone which are great too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned our dream trip to the Nordic countries, mainly to see the Northern Lights, which was a huge deal for us. We knew it was all up to nature, but we wanted to give ourselves the best chance of witnessing them.
We can’t thank Emerson enough for all his help from the start—he suggested the best places to go and connected us with top-notch tour providers. And we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on almost every tour we booked.
On our second day in Norway, our husky sledding ride was cancelled due to wild weather but Emerson sorted it out by rescheduling it. If it wasn’t for Emerson, we wouldn’t have been able to reschedule it, and the next day we were back on track for the ride. It was peak season, so we saw plenty of disappointed travellers whose tours were cancelled due to weather, but Emerson stayed in constant contact with all the providers, and everything went smoothly for us. Some of the places we initially wanted to visit didn’t live up to the hype, but the alternatives Emerson suggested were way better.

It was our first wedding anniversary during the trip, and since we were travelling, we didn’t think we’d be able to do anything special. But Emerson went above and beyond to make sure our anniversary day was one to remember.

The accommodation and transport he organised were perfect—everything ran like clockwork. There’s no way our trip would have been anywhere near as amazing without his help.

We honestly can’t thank Emerson enough for everything he did for us. Out trip was perfect only because of Emerson.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Tromsø

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

O

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cahkal Hotel

Kilpisjärvi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Levin Iglut Glass Igloos

Kitilä

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Husky Safari

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunting Tour

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sámi Culture and Reindeer Herding Tour

Kilpisjärvi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chasing the Northern Lights

Kilpisjärvi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnish Sauna Experience

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Ice Floating

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow, what can I say about our magical trip in Finland?!? Moonika did an absolutely stellar job of planning the most epic trip around Rovaniemi and Levi. Throughout the planning process, she was quick to respond and catered the itinerary to meet every "wish list" activity. Our hotels were 5 stars and all the excursions were perfect. I truly feel that Moonika booked us with the "best of the best" tour guides. On our arrival to Rovaniemi, Moonika met us at our hotel with a welcome bag full of local goodies to start our trip off right. 

The Arctic Lights Hotel is beautiful, the staff are warm and friendly, and I can not rave more about the restaurant. It was on par with a Michelin rated restaurant with the best food we've had! 

Our aurora hunting tour guide, Antti-Emil was possibly the best in the business! He searched out the perfect spots to view the northern lights and an absolute professional at capturing the best photographs. He knew how to light us perfectly against the beautiful aurora backdrop and his editing skills are exceptional, a true master! 

Our reindeer adventure with Eanan was amazing! It's an indigenous, reindeer herder female owner business and her story of building and running it was fascinating. The reindeer ride and feeding the smaller reindeer will be something I'll always remember. While telling us stories inside the hut, Janita shared her delicious homemade cake with fresh picked berries that she had made that day and hot cocoa. What a dream! 

We stayed in a glass cabin at the Northern Lights Ranch and on our last night, the northern lights danced above us for one last show and a perfect end to an amazing adventure! 

Hotel Review

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

The Arctic Lights Hotel is beautiful, the staff are warm and friendly, and I can not rave more about the restaurant. It was on par with a Michelin rated restaurant with the best food we've had! The sauna is free to use as a guest, just book a time spot with the front desk. Perfect location to walk around Rovaniemi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So friendly and welcoming!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flexible Northern Lights Hunting

Rovaniemi

Our aurora hunting tour guide, Antti-Emil was possibly the best in the business! He searched out the perfect spots to view the northern lights and an absolute professional at capturing the best photographs. He knew how to light us perfectly against the beautiful aurora backdrop and his editing skills are exceptional, a true master! 

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Antti-Emil was absoultely amazing!

Transport

Reindeer Adventure

Levi

Our reindeer adventure with Eanan was amazing! It's an indigenous, reindeer herder female owner business and her story of building and running it was fascinating. The reindeer ride and feeding the smaller reindeer will be something I'll always remember. While telling us stories inside the hut, Janita shared her delicious homemade cake with fresh picked berries that she had made that day and hot cocoa. What a dream!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Sledding Safari

Rovaniemi

Such a fun experience! After the ride, we warmed up in the hut with sausage and cider!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Levi Fell Snowmobile Adventure

Levi

So much fun! The warm donuts and hot coca hit the spot after a cold ride through the wilderness!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aurora Tour by Van

Levi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My trip to Finland was nothing short of extraordinary, and I can confidently say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From the moment I arrived, I was captivated by the breathtaking wilderness that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The untouched beauty of the Finnish landscapes, with their dense forests, crystal-clear lakes, and serene hills, created the perfect backdrop for my adventure.

One of the highlights of the trip was the incredible biking tours. Pedaling through winding trails, I got to witness the raw beauty of Finland's nature in an adventurous awe-inspiring way. The air was fresh and crisp, and the feeling of being completely immersed in such untouched surroundings was exhilarating.

Hiking through Finland’s pristine forests and up into the rolling hills was equally unforgettable. Each hike brought new surprises, whether it was stumbling upon a quiet lakeside or reaching a peak that offered a panoramic view of the wilderness. Every step felt like a connection to nature itself, peaceful and restorative.

The food was another standout. From hearty Finnish stews to delicious fresh fish and berries, every meal felt like a celebration of the country's natural bounty. Each dish was simple but full of flavor, and the local delicacies were a real treat.

What made this trip truly life-changing, though, was the adventure of witnessing the Northern Lights. I had always dreamed of seeing them, and the moment those brilliant, green lights appeared in the night sky, I was absolutely awestruck. It was as if the universe had given me a gift, a moment of pure magic.

This trip exceeded every expectation I had and more. The adventures, the peaceful solitude of the wilderness, the new experiences, and the memories made were all beyond what I could have ever dreamed of. Tommy, thank you for helping create a truly life-changing experience that I’ll carry with me forever. It was everything I hoped for and so much more.

Hotel Review

Arctic Light Hotel

Rovaniemi

Authenticity & Character

Truly encompasses Finnish culture.

Location

Close to everything. easy to walk wherever needed.

Staff

Extremely polite and helpful. Had great recommendations. Always friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided tour to Korouma National Park

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Floating

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Survival

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern lights hunting with professional photographer

Finland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided eFatbike tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport from Rovaniemi Airport to Hotel in Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day with Santa, reindeer and huskies

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The primary reason for visiting Finland was to attend the 2024 NHL Global Series games in Tampere. Naturally, we wanted to make the most out of traveling such a long distance from Miami and pack as much fun into the trip as possible. It was such a relief to know that the hassle of setting up transportation and convenient lodging would be taken care of, as it was one of our biggest concerns when considering a trip in an unknown region. Our vacation would’ve been drastically different and wouldn’t have gone so smoothly if it weren’t for the expertise provided by Moonika and the kimkim team.

Moonika was extremely accommodating to our travel needs and was able to provide frequent and timely communication with us both before and throughout our trip. She also exceeded our expectations by keeping an eye out for a better-suited hotel in Tampere months after we had booked our trip.

Our itinerary was not only well-thought out, leaving a perfect balance of leisure time without seeming like time was being wasted, but the amount of detail provided to us left us very little room for questions and concerns. All of our drivers were on time, personable, and professional.

In Helsinki, Nadia from Green Cap Tours was a fantastic guide and provided us with so much information about both the city and Finland in general. It was the perfect way to officially begin our trip and left us feeling more confident when we were left to explore the city on our own once the tour had concluded.

Visiting Tallinn in Estonia wasn’t something we wouldn’t have considered without Moonika’s suggestion and we were so grateful that she had! The massive size of the ferry was a pleasant surprise to us as we were expecting a significantly smaller boat. Tallinn was such a beautiful city and we enjoyed our walking tour with Jorge. We appreciated that he didn’t let the rainfall that occurred throughout the afternoon and evening put a damper on our travels to many key destinations within Old Town Tallinn.

Immediately after our return to Helsinki the next morning we were driven to Tampere. Now, we’d been warned that snow was an unlikely possibility at that time of year, but we held out hope regardless…To our complete surprise we were welcomed with the first snow of the winter! Prior to both hockey games we spent most of the day exploring the city in awe of how gorgeous everything looked covered in fresh sheets of snow. Thanks to a suggestion by another traveler we made the trek to the Pyynikki Observation Tower and it was absolutely worth the walk! We could’ve spent so much more time exploring all that Tampere had to offer, but next on our itinerary was our overnight train to Rovaniemi. That too was an exciting experience as we had never traveled in a sleeper cabin like that before.

Upon our early arrival to Rovaniemi we met Joona. He happened to be both our driver and our guide for the Northern Lights Hunting excursion. He was extremely friendly and so passionate about his craft. The pictures he was able to capture of us on that phenomenal night are almost unbelievable!

We also had an exhilarating time on our Quad Bike tour with Pure Lapland. Our time was filled with laughter from start to finish and we even had a bonus drive-by look at many of the huskies they had on site! However, getting to make a face-first snow angel in the middle of nowhere was my personal favorite part of that adventure.

One of our final destinations of our trip was the Korouoma Canyon. It was one of the most scenic and breathtaking experiences we’d had! The hike was a bit more strenuous than anticipated given the icy surface, but we managed to make it through and got to enjoy a nice snack around the fire.

Without getting into any more detail than I already have I also wanted to mention just how fantastic each of the accommodations were! We really wish we had more time in the Glass Resort to fully appreciate all the amenities and gorgeous views, but we made sure to make the most of it by using the outdoor hot tub before rushing to the indoor sauna!

This trip wouldn’t have been nearly as incredible and unforgettable without all of Moonika’s hard work! We were genuinely surprised by just how smoothly everything had gone and we could not have asked for a better experience. Our expectations were very much exceeded and look forward to planning our next trip in the near future.

We recently took a tour with Emerson and had an exceptional experience! The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, allowing us to explore both popular sights and hidden gems.

The accommodations were comfortable and well-located, making our stay enjoyable. I also appreciated the seamless transportation arrangements, which made getting around stress-free.

I highly recommend Emerson to anyone looking for a memorable travel experience!

Moonika and the KimKim team made our trip an incredible experience. Moonika was fast and responsive creating a trip itinerary to Finland that was amazing and allowed us to see some incredible sights in such a condensed amount of time. We especially enjoyed the Northern Lights Ranch and the Northern Lights Tour that we were able to attend!

I would not hesitate to recommend Moonika and rebook with her in the future!