5 recommended locations.Please contact us for further suggestions.
Located in the heart of Finnish Lapland, Kaamanen is a small village and the main sources of income in Kaamanen are tourism and reindeer husbandry. The area around the village is a true Arctic wilderness: popular with outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts and especially rich in birdlife.
Find Out More
Where: Lapland
Ideal for viewing: pine grosbeak, Siberian jay, Siberian tit, willow grouse, red squirrel
Excellent for: Birdwatching,
Situated in north-east Finland on the border with Russia, the region of Kainuu is one of Europe’s wildest and a haven to some of the continent’s finest wildlife. Covered by immense boreal forests, you can observe brown bear, wolverine, golden eagle, Ural owl and various other intriguing species.
Find Out More
Where: North-east Finland
Ideal for viewing: wolverine, great spotted woodpecker, great grey owl, European brown bear, Eurasian wolf
Located in Finland's Kuhmo region, directly opposite the Russian border, Kuikka Lake is surrounded by boreal forest, the typical habitat of brown bear, wolverine, wolf and white-tailed eagle. The surroundings are composed of wetlands and open grassland, offering good visibility for spotting wildlife.
Find Out More
Where: Kuhmo
Ideal for viewing: brown bear, wolverine, white-tailed eagle, Eurasian wolf, Ural owl
This reserve is one of the best places in Europe to photograph brown bears. Hides are located in sparse coniferous forest beside a small bog and, lured by carrion, bears can be seen at night from as close as five metres away. During the day there are nature walks, with good opportunities for birdwatching.
Find Out More
Where: Pirttivaara, Suomussalmi
Ideal for viewing: brown bear, elk, wolverine, black grouse, capercaillie
Viiksimo is located between two nature reserves – Elimyssalo and Iso-Palonen – in an area that is a tapestry of small lakes, numerous ponds, pine heaths and eskers. Right in the midst of the Finnish wilderness, it is a great place to watch and photograph bears, wolverines and wolves.
Find Out More
Where: Kuhmo
Ideal for viewing: brown bear, wolverine, grey wolf, elk, whooper swan
Excellent for: Bear watching, Wolf watching, Wildlife photography
One of Europe’s last remaining wildernesses – a mosaic of taiga forest, crystalline lakes, peat bogs, and pine heathland – stretches from Finland into Russia. This undisturbed countryside is the best in Europe for viewing brown bears and makes a perfect refuge for its 430 bird species, 100,000 moose and around 200 wolves.
10 recommended trips.Our trip ideas are offered to inspire you and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
This perfect short-haul break takes you to a wonderful spot for sighting brown bears in the Finnish wilderness. Staying at Martinselkonen Wilderness Lodge, enjoy overnight bear watching from hides located deep in the forest, allowing close-up encounters with these fascinating animals and their cubs.
Find out more about Brown Bears in Finland
Price
(inc. flights): 4 days
from £1,395
Trip type:
Tailor-made Holiday
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Join us on this remarkable photography tour and capture images of Finland’s finest predators – brown bear, Eurasian wolf and wolverine – in the boreal forest. Accompanied by a photographer and using dedicated hides, this week makes the most of the late light from the long summer evenings.
Find out more about Boreal Predators Photography
Price
(inc. flights): 6 days
from £2,895
Trip type:
Group Tour
Tailor-made can be arranged
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Our popular Northern Lights and wildlife trips go in search of many sought-after Siberian specialities as well as other exciting species, at a time of year when there is plenty of daylight, but the nights are still long enough for a good chance of seeing the spectacular Northern Lights.
Find out more about Northern Lights & Lapland Birds
Price
(inc. flights): 7 days
from £3,495
Trip type:
Group Tour
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long evenings and early dawns allow incomparable opportunities to watch and photograph the wildlife of the forest on this small group trip in Finland. Staying at purpose built hides, night vigils with a naturalist guide reward you with close-ups of brown bears, wolverines and occasionally wolves.
Find out more about Brown Bear Explorer
Price
(inc. flights): 6 days
from £1,895
Trip type:
Group Tour
Tailor-made can be arranged
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Photograph Europe’s elusive predators as the colours of Finland’s eastern forests change. With the colourful autumnal hues and wildlife busy preparing for winter, this is the perfect time for a photography tour using a number if purpose-built hides. This small group tour is guided by an expert photographic leader.
Find out more about Boreal Predators Photography in Autumn
Price
(inc. flights): 6 days
from £2,995
Trip type:
Group Tour
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bear watching from hides in Finland has long been one of Europe’s best wildlife experiences, but staying overnight in a hide doesn’t appeal to everyone. However, there’s a new option available – it’s now possible to watch brown bears and other Finnish wildlife from the comfort of your own luxury cabin.
Find out more about Finland’s Brown Bears in Style
Price
(inc. flights): 5 days
from £2,495
Trip type:
Tailor-made Holiday
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown bear, wolf and wolverine are among Europe’s top predators. All can be seen and photographed from specialist hides in the enigmatic taiga of Finland. Elk, reindeer, white-tailed eagle, capercaillie and other inhabitants of the far north can also be found on this self-drive wildlife adventure.
Find out more about Bears, Wolves & Wolverines Self-drive
Price
(inc. flights): 8 days
from £2,495
Trip type:
Tailor-made Holiday
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Join wildlife photographer Tom Mason on a dedicated bear-photography trip to Finland’s taiga forest. Visiting two lodges, each with specialist hides for brown bear and wolverine in the best photographic locations in the forest, we take advantage of the lingering evening light of the Finnish summer.
Find out more about Finland Bear Photography with Tom Mason
Price
(inc. flights): 6 days
from £2,395
Trip type:
Group Tour
Tailor-made can be arranged
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Finland's remote boreal forest is home to exciting and iconic wildlife, and in the company of filmmaker Neil Aldridge this videography workshop spends several days filming and photographing brown bear, wolverine, wolf and a variety of birdlife in this remote landscape.
Find out more about Z) Finland Videography Workshop
Price
(inc. flights): 7 days
from £3,095
Trip type:
Group Tour
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Join us as we celebrate Europe's brown bears from a base in the dense taiga forests of central Finland. Travelling during autumn we will be provided with plenty of opportunities to watch and photograph brown bear, wolverine, wolves and foxes amongst spectacular autumn colours and scenery.
Find out more about Z) European Festival of Bears
Price
(inc. flights): 6 days
from £2,495
Trip type:
Group Tour
When to go:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
When to go
The best time to visit depends on what you want to do. Bears are best viewed during the long summer days between late May and mid-August. Snow lays thick from December to March.
Seasons
Winter
Nov to Mar: Northern Finland is covered snow, and the days are short
Spring
Apr to May: The days lengthen and the snows begin to clear. Ice cover melts in the lakelands
Summer
Jun to Aug: The nights are short and light, with midnight sun above the Arctic Circle
Autumn
Sep to Oct: The days shorten, temperature drops and migratory birds depart – but colourful foliage
Wildlife events
Jun to Aug: Brown bears active and foraging in the forests