Winter hike in Liesjärvi National Park from Helsinki

The forest stays silent in winter, and you walk through it almost alone.

A full-day winter hike in Liesjärvi National Park departing from Helsinki includes a professional guide, roundtrip transport, and a traditional Finnish lunch cooked over a campfire inside a heated wilderness hut. The tour covers roughly 4.5 to 5 kilometers of easy forest trails, runs in all weather except extreme conditions, and welcomes children from age 7. Winter boots, warm accessories and rainjackets are provided.

Step-by-step itinerary

Winter hike and lunch in national park

• Meet at Kiasma museum, Helsinki
• Drive 1 hour 20 minutes to Liesjärvi Park
• Walk 2 hours on winter forest trails
• Enjoy lunch by campfire in wilderness hut
• Explore and relax around the hut
• Walk 1 hour back through snow-covered forest
• Return to Helsinki around 4 PM

The experience

You meet at Kiasma Museum on Mannerheiminaukio, 500 meters from Helsinki Central Railway station. The drive to Liesjärvi National Park takes an hour and twenty minutes, with a brief stop along the way. Once you arrive, your guide leads the group onto the winter trails: a two-hour walk through the taiga forest at an easy pace. The guide points out animal tracks (red fox, mountain hare, moose) pressed into the snow and explains the details of the forest ecosystem. Few visitors come in winter, so the trails stay quiet.

After the first walk, you reach a wilderness hut heated by a campfire your guide builds. While the fire takes hold, you have time to photograph the snow-covered spruces, throw snowballs, or simply sit in the peace of the forest. The guide prepares a traditional Finnish-style lunch (hot food and a warm drink) inside the hut. Dietary needs are accommodated if you note them when booking. After lunch, the group walks for about an hour through the forest before returning to the starting point, arriving back in Helsinki around 4 p.m.

Winter boots, hats, scarves and rainjackets are all provided. The tour runs in rain and snow but is canceled only in extreme weather. If that happens, you receive a full refund. The operator holds the Sustainable Travel Finland label and Green Activities certificate.

What’s included

• Roundtrip transport from Helsinki.
• a professional guide in English.
• winter boots, warm hats and scarves, and rainjackets.
• a traditional Finnish-style lunch with a hot drink and dessert prepared over a campfire inside a heated wilderness hut.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (7 to 12 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Taiga Times

Is this one for you?The hike covers 4.5 to 5 kilometers at an easy pace over two sections with a long lunch break in between, so it suits anyone comfortable with a few hours of walking but not looking for a strenuous day. The fixed schedule and group format mean you travel with others and follow the guide's route and timing.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 12 years). Under 7: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far do you walk on this winter hike?

The total walking distance is roughly 4.5 to 5 kilometers split into two sections: a two-hour walk to the wilderness hut, then about an hour back after lunch. The pace is easy and the trails are well-marked.

What happens if the weather turns bad?

The tour runs in rain and snow, and all rainjackets are provided. It is canceled only in extreme weather conditions, and you receive a full refund if that occurs.

Is lunch included, and can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes, a traditional Finnish-style lunch with a hot drink and dessert is included and prepared over the campfire inside the wilderness hut. Let the operator know about any dietary needs when you book.

What is Liesjärvi National Park like in winter?

Liesjärvi is a taiga forest where snow blankets the trees and creates deep quiet. In winter, very few visitors come, so you explore the park in peace. Animal tracks are visible in the snow, and the snow-covered spruces create the landscape the hike is built around.