Ylläshumina Hotel, Ylläs

Lapland - where winter is a unique experience 
 
Ylläs boasts Finland’s largest cross-country network, plus an unrivalled range of other activities which introduce you to the magical landscapes of Lapland. Stay in a high-quality hotel, complete with saunas, from where you have direct access to the cross-country trails.
Ylläshumina Hotel, Ylläs. 7 nights
Ylläshumina Hotel, Ylläs. 7 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A winter holiday in Ylläs, Lapland,

for an all-round Arctic experience

Situated 150 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, amid the magical landscapes of Lapland, the village of Äkäslompolo makes an unrivalled base for an Arctic winter experience – whatever your age. The village is surrounded by seven scenic fells; these go by the name of Ylläs and together comprise Finland’s largest and best cross-country skiing network, with trails criss-crossing snowy meadows and winding through frozen forests.
Skiing is far from the only winter activity on offer, however – guests can choose between a whole host of memorable experiences. Enjoy the thrill of dog-sledding as you whizz through a snow-clad forest with only the eager panting of the dogs to break the silence; appreciate the utter stillness and tranquillity of the wintry landscapes on a snowshoe hike; learn about the local way of life from a reindeer herder; take to the trails by snowmobile; or try out snow-cycling on a fatbike. To top it all, if conditions are right you may also get to experience one of nature’s great miracles, the staggeringly beautiful Aurora Borealis.

Your hotel for the week is the wonderfully welcoming Ylläshumina, which receives consistently high praise from Inntravel guests who return year after year. Set next to a frozen lake, it was one of the first hotels to be built in the area – by the current owner’s uncle – and has evolved gradually into the superb establishment you find today. Highlights include the high levels of service from the Qvist family, and the splendid hotel restaurant.
 
 

Our expert says

“It’s true that you could come to Ylläs purely for the cross-country skiing, but this is Lapland, after all, so it would be a shame not to try out typical activities such as dog-sledding or ice-fishing (which can be arranged through the hotel) for an all-round Lappish experience.”
Rebecca Bruce, Inntravel snow holiday expert
 
Gallery
 

Inclusive value

Ylläs is a wonderful place to visit in the run-up to Christmas; take time to enjoy the unique light of the Polar Days. For holidays starting 26 November-17 December 2023 our prices include rental of cross-country skis and snowshoes. This offer also applies 7-21 January 2024.

 

Winter activities

There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of the activities as the mood takes you.
  • 330km; suited to all levels
    Access to Ylläs’ extensive cross-country network couldn’t be easier: trails begin directly behind the hotel and lead across the frozen lake and through forest to reach the seven fells that surround the village. The entire network is groomed from mid-February, though a number of tracks are illuminated in December and January so that you can enjoy a full day’s skiing in the magical twilight of these early months. Along the trails, there are plenty of cafés and traditional kotas (tepee-style tented shelters) where you can stop for refreshments or take a break from the winter chill. Access to the trails is free of charge.

    The terrain closest to the hotel and lake is relatively flat – ideal for beginners – while advanced skiers can head up onto the surrounding fells for more of a challenge, and some fantastic views. Many of the trails take you into the Pallas-Ylläs National Park, a stunningly beautiful area of protected nature.
    Cross-country trails lead away from the hotel
  • Dog-sledding, snowshoeing & so much more
    No visit to Lapland would be complete without trying at least some of the many activities on offer in this winter wonderland. The hotel has its own activity company and appropriate equipment and clothing is provided for all tours – this includes thermal jackets, trousers, boots, hats and gloves. Excursions can be booked in advance through us or arranged locally with the hotel.

    Dog-sledding
    Experience the thrills of dog-sledding on a half or full-day expedition. You begin by visiting a nearby husky farm where you are introduced to these wonderful animals and get to learn about what makes a good sled dog, how they are trained and how to handle them. You then settle into your sleigh (option to drive your own sled or share the driving of a 2-person sled) and are soon whizzing through the Narnia-like scenery – it’s an unforgettable experience hearing only the sled runners swooshing over the snow and the eager panting of the dogs. Warming drinks and a snack (or on the full-day tour, a picnic) are also included.

    Snowshoeing
    Snowshoeing is a wonderful way to appreciate the surrounding fells – the beauty of the snow-laden trees and the silence around you is truly breathtaking. Guided tours are available during both the daytime and evening – as night falls, you may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights – and you also have the option of hiring snowshoes and poles independently.

    Snowmobiling
    Snowmobiling is a popular form of transport in northern Finland, and offers visitors the chance to discover landscapes that would usually be beyond their reach. There are many excursions available – from short taster sessions to half-day expeditions across the fells and over frozen wetlands, and it is also possible to book an evening tour, ideal for Northern Lights seekers (on request only).
    NOTE: To drive a snowmobile you must be 18yrs or over and hold a full driving licence.

    Fatbiking
    With their oversized tyres and excellent traction, fatbikes are perfect for use on soft, uneven terrain, and as such are becoming an increasingly popular means of exploring in the snow. They also offer a quieter alternative to the snowmobile – with no engine noise to distract, fatbike riders are able to pedal in peace. Guided tours lead past Ylläs’ frozen lakes and into the National Park, and include hot drinks and snacks.

    Reindeer safaris
    Reindeer herding is an important aspect of Lappish culture, and on a visit to a nearby reindeer herder you can learn all about their livelihood before undertaking a short sleigh ride into the nearby forest.

    Winter walking
    In addition to its many cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails, Ylläs also offers 106 kilometres of winter walking paths. There is a good choice of routes for all levels, with paths leading through the forests and along the top of the fells.

    Downhill skiing
    The main downhill area can be found on the other side of the lake, and is accessed by a ski bus from the hotel. There are 61 runs (many of which are illuminated) both through the trees and above the treeline, with the longest slope measuring 3 kilometres. The domain caters for all abilities, with a good number of beginner and early intermediate runs.
    Dog-sledding
    Snowmobiling
  • Fun for all the family
    Ylläs and the Ylläshumina are an excellent choice for a fun-filled family holiday. The hotel caters well for children, with the standard rooms being able to accommodate up to a family of 4, with 2 children sleeping on the mezzanine. The hotel also has a number of family apartments, which can take larger families of up to 5.

    Ylläs is everything you’d expect from a winter wonderland, and there is a whole host of amazing activities to try aside from skiing. The hotel has its own activity company, with excursions heading off from the safari house just next to the main hotel reception. Take a trip with some eager huskies or meet a real-life Sven at the reindeer farm, with all the appropriate clothing provided before heading out into the Arctic air.
    Meet a real-life Sven!
  • Special events
    At Christmas time, as well as enjoying a celebratory dinner, you can help decorate the tree and light the 500 candles in the street, and head out on a snowshoe walk on Christmas Day. New Year features the lighting of candles outside the hotel, a gala dinner, live music, fireworks, and a New Year’s Day brunch.
 

Where you stay

Set on the northern side of the Ylläs Fell, on the banks of a frozen lake, Äkäslompolo (altitude: 400m) is a traditional village where the focus is mainly on the myriad winter activities available in the surrounding wilderness. Although small, the village offers a good number of facilities, including a shopping centre with sports and souvenir shops, cafés and a well-stocked supermarket. The hotel is an easy, 20-minute walk from the centre of the village, on the opposite side of the lake.
Ylläshumina Hotel

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel
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  • 7 nights: 25 November 2023 - 14 April 2024 & 23 November 2024 - 13 April 2025

    Start Sunday* | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Adults 13-16 yrs 5-12 yrs 2-4 yrs
    25 Nov - 17 Dec 2023 £1780 £1390 £1210 £695
    24 Dec - 24 Dec 2023 £2460 £2010 £1665 £1045
    31 Dec - 31 Dec 2023 £2305 £1900 £1610 £1015
    07 Jan - 17 Jan 2024 £1810 £1450 £1290 £825
    18 Jan - 31 Jan 2024 £1975 £1590 £1400 £905
    01 Feb - 07 Feb 2024 £2085 £1660 £1485 £945
    08 Feb - 14 Feb 2024 £2420 £1935 £1720 £1105
    15 Feb - 21 Feb 2024 £2145 £1720 £1530 £990
    22 Feb - 07 Apr 2024 £1870 £1490 £1335 £850
    23 Nov - 15 Dec 2024 £1650 £1390 £1210 £695
    22 Dec - 22 Dec 2024 £2120 £2010 £1665 £1045
    29 Dec - 29 Dec 2024 £2310 £1900 £1610 £1015
    05 Jan - 15 Jan 2025 £1690 £1450 £1290 £825
    16 Jan - 29 Jan 2025 £1740 £1590 £1400 £905
    30 Jan - 05 Feb 2025 £1885 £1660 £1485 £945
    06 Feb - 12 Feb 2025 £2005 £1720 £1530 £990
    13 Feb - 19 Feb 2025 £2305 £1935 £1720 £1105
    20 Feb - 06 Apr 2025 £1785 £1490 £1335 £850

    Includes all elements of the holiday itself (accommodation, meals and any additional elements as described), plus flights (usually from London) and onward travel as described.

    *Start days: 25 Nov-17 Dec any day; 24 Dec-18 Feb Sunday; 19 Feb-14 Apr any day

    Included travel 25 Nov-17 Dec 2023; 23 Nov-15 Dec 2024: Easyjet Gatwick or Manchester-Kittilä (times vary; hold luggage included) & connecting transfer (0h50)
    Included travel 24 Dec 2023-18 Feb 2024; 22 Dec 2024-16 Feb 2025: Inghams charter Gatwick, Manchester or Bristol-Kittilä (times vary; hold luggage included) & connecting transfer (0h50)
    Included travel 19 Feb-14 Apr 2024; 17 Feb-06 Apr 2025: Finnair Heathrow-Kittilä via Helsinki (out dep 1020, home arr 1700; hold luggage included) & connecting transfer (0h50)

    A single traveller supplement of £60 applies for solo travellers if flying with Finnair. A supplement is also payable for a single room – see 'Additional prices' below

    Prices are subject to availability and flight supplements may apply. Book early for Christmas, New Year and school holidays. We can also book different flight routes (see flight section below). Please contact us to discuss any pricing implications.

  • Room upgrades (supplement in £ per room per night)

    Ylläshumina Hotel, Ylläs
    Family apartment: 25 Nov - 14 Apr 2024 £80
    Family apartment: 23 Nov - 13 Apr 2025 £80
    Single room: 25 Nov - 21 Dec 2023 £46
    Single room: 22 Dec - 06 Jan 2024 £64
    Single room: 07 Jan - 17 Jan 2024 £46
    Single room: 18 Jan - 14 Apr 2024 £64
    Single room: 23 Nov - 19 Dec 2024 £47
    Single room: 20 Dec - 04 Jan 2025 £55
    Single room: 05 Jan - 15 Jan 2025 £40
    Single room: 16 Jan - 13 Apr 2025 £55
    Suite: 25 Nov - 14 Apr 2024 £200
    Suite: 23 Nov - 13 Apr 2025 £200
    Superior deluxe: 25 Nov - 14 Apr 2024 £172
    Superior deluxe: 23 Nov - 13 Apr 2025 £172
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Kittilä (latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time both flexible)

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Kittilä Charter (contact us) 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Kittilä (via Helsinki) Finnair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Kittilä British Airways,  Charter (contact us),  easyJet 
    Gatwick - Kittilä (via Helsinki) Norwegian 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Kittilä (via Helsinki) Finnair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Kittilä Charter (contact us),  easyJet 
    Manchester - Kittilä (via Helsinki) Finnair 
    Manchester - Kittilä (via Paris) Air France 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed here. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of alternative flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated above, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice if you would prefer to fly via a different route to the one included in our standard arrangements. A supplement may be payable for other flights.

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 7 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • use of cross-country trails
  • detailed information about the area
  • flights from London (regional flights available)
  • transfers from/to Kittilä Airport
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If you are travelling over Christmas or New Year, or during school holidays, you should definitely pre-book lessons. After you’ve booked your holiday with us, we’ll send you a link to a list of options that we can arrange for you in advance.
    Sometimes we can’t make bookings on your behalf. In these cases you should phone or email the ski school well before your holiday to arrange a date and time; do not wait until you are on holiday to make arrangements. 

    More about Inntravel's pre-booking service >
  • Yes. After you’ve booked your holiday with us, we’ll send you a link to a list of options that we can arrange for you in advance.

    More about Inntravel's pre-booking service >
  • Living far from the capital ourselves, we know better than most that flying from London can be a bind, so we are very flexible with our travel arrangements. Call or email us, and one of the team will be happy to list the different options available to you, and any price implications.
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Finland, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The official languages are Finnish, Swedish and, in Lapland, Sami. The currency is the Euro. Finnish time is GMT/UTC + 2. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 2.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
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