Join a wildlife photography tour leader on a summer trip to photograph brown bears and wolverines, with four nights in specialist hides in the taiga forest of Finland.
We stay at two lodges in Finland’s boreal forest, visiting a variety of hides designed specially for bear watching and bear photography. On two nights, we stay together as a group, taking advantage of expert tuition to get the best from our subjects and light. On our two other nights in bear hides we divide into small groups, applying the lessons we have learned and photographing brown bears, wolverines, white-tailed eagles and perhaps even wolves.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Fly to Kajaani & transfer to Martinselkonen
We fly via Helsinki to Kaajani, where we're met and transferred by road to Martinselkonen Wilderness Lodge, a journey of around two hours. We reach our destination in the evening and check in to the lodge before dinner.
Accommodation: Martinselkonen Wilderness Lodge, 3-nights
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Day 2:
Martinselkonen Nature Reserve, overnight in group hide
After breakfast today we can explore the surroundings of the lodge, photographing birds at the feeders which may include bullfinch, siskin and, with luck, Siberian jay. In the afternoon, after an early dinner, we are driven to a drop-off in Martinselkonen Nature Reserve and walk around two kilometres to a group bear-watching hide. The hide has comfortable seating and viewing for everyone, a sleeping area and compost toilet.
The first bears often appear soon after 1700hrs and in high summer there is plenty of light overnight for photography. The tour leader will be on hand all night to offer tuition while a guide will explain bear behaviour. Our guide will advise us when it is safe to leave the following morning around 0700hrs.
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Day 3:
Martinselkonen Nature Reserve, overnight in photography hides
Returning from the hide this morning, we enjoy an ample breakfast. For the rest of the morning we're free to relax, review our photos and receive further tuition from our tour leader.
As on the previous day, after early dinner we are driven to a drop-off in the forest and guided a short distance to our hides. With most of the specialist photography hides seating two people, this evening we split up for exclusive bear-watching overnight. The following morning, our guide collects us from the hides around 0700hrs. The small photography hides have seats, five or six openings for cameras, a bunk for sleeping and a bucket toilet.
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Day 4:
Transfer to Boreal Wildlife Centre, overnight in group hide
This morning, we travel by road to Viiksimo, stopping on the way at the Petola Visitor Centre to learn about the landscape’s large carnivores. Along our route we may also see forest reindeer, elkand capercaillie.
In the late afternoon, following early dinner, we head to a group hide for another night spent watching and photographing bears, under the tour leader's expert guidance. The group hide here has bunk beds and a compost toilet. It overlooks a large swamp which attracts brown bears, wolverines and even wolves. Our local guide will not remain with us overnight but will return to collect us around 0700hrs in the morning.
Accommodation: Boreal Wildlife Centre, 2-nights
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Day 5:
Boreal Wildlife Centre, overnight in photography hides
After this morning’s breakfast, we again explore the lodge grounds, review photographs or take tips from the tour leader. In the late afternoon, after early dinner, we're taken to our drop-off and walk to small photographic hides, each seating two to four people, for a last night photographing bears and perhaps wolverines in the magical light of the Finnish summer night.
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Day 6:
Fly back to the UK
On returning to the lodge from the hides we have breakfast before checking out and transferring to Kajaani airport, a journey of 200 kilometres, taking around two and a half hours. Here we take a return flight to the UK via Helsinki.
Please note: The airport(s) which arrive and depart from in Finland may change depending on the airline schedule.
