Ylläshumina Hotel, Ylläs

Highlight: Skiing across the lake, in the sunshine, on the last day of our holiday - the views of the fells were just stunning. It's a truly beautiful region and I'm sure we'll be back again!

Over the past 6 years the cross-country skiing snow conditions in Yllas have been excellent. However, due to much higher temperatures over a few days around the time of our arrival, the loipe became icy and made skiing much less enjoyable. By the third day conditions improved with lower temperatures and a fresh covering of powder snow. The locals admitted this has been an unusual year with several warm periods during the winter.

We really liked the Ylläshumina Hotel with its cosy cabins and fantastic restaurant. But after a dozen or so years of skiing in Norway we were shocked at how busy the ski trails were with some junctions almost needing traffic lights! Also, there are no map boards on the trails so be sure to take very good care of your paper map. We travelled in early March but on most days the temperatures were above zero by lunchtime. Note also that the ski trails are a 5-minute walk along slippery paths from your cabin.

Yllashumina is our favourite place for a cross country skiing holiday. The accommodation is cosy, the food is good and the trails are varied and well punctuated with cafés, huts and toilets. There are now lots of walking trails as well as cross country skiing trails which has led to an increase in popularity of the resort but the more far flung skiing trails are still very quiet. The highlight for us this year was skiing over Kukas at sunset: magnificent!

Highly efficient hotel to which we have been many times. Skis prepared for us, very friendly welcome from Toivo and staff. We have been there on numerous occasions and have always enjoyed the experience. Still the same standards of gastronomy.

So pleased we booked this last minute holiday to Finnish Lapland. It was a real adventure, completely different to anything we've done before and only a little over 3 hours to fly from Bristol to way north of the Arctic Circle. And it really is a magical winter wonderland. When we were there, the temperature dipped to below -34 degrees but warmed up to -12. At these lowest temperatures, your phone won't work outside nor will other battery-operated gadgets. My ski gloves struggled too but a quick purchase at the supermarket equipped me with some super warm mittens. Generally, if you're prepared with the right clothing (lots of layers) it was fine. All the accommodation was warm and toasty. Activity wise, do as much as you can do or afford. I signed up for the all-day husky trip which was memorable. After a short XC ski lesson, I was able to take myself off up the cross-country trails for several hours at a time, covering between 15 and 20 kms on round trips to wilderness hut cafes, serving delicious hot chocolate and pancakes! If you're thinking about doing this magical trip - don't think anymore - book it!

My wife and all my friends thought I was nuts to leave Southern California, in late January, when the average temperature is around 60 degrees and it’s usually sunny every day, to go to Northern Finland, in the dead of winter, to be cold. My feeling was, what the heck, I used to live in Montreal, so how cold could it be. The day my youngest daughter was born the temperature in Montreal read 16 below F. I survived that, no big deal. Boy, was I in for a surprise. When I walked off the plane in Kittilä, the airport closest to our Ylläs hotel, all I saw was white. Oh it was a sunny day and we did arrive around high noon but the sun was barely above the treetops. And it felt really cold. Once we got to our hotel we saw an outdoor thermometer reading minus 29 C. I quickly calculated that this equated to minus 20.2 F. Now that's really cold and my first thought was OMG, I'm going to be here a week, how will I last. After living in beautiful, warm, sunny San Diego for the past 40 years my blood, obviously, has really gotten thin. 

My fears of how I'd last a week soon disappeared. This was a very different Inntravel vacation as there was no hiking inn to inn. Staying at one location turned out to be a real treat. No unpacking and repacking. The food at the hotel was stupendous. Just beautiful breakfast of fresh fruit (who would have thought one would be able to get fresh cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes etc on the far North woods) along with smoked salmon and herring in mustard sauce. Just yummy. Talk about exercise. Two to four hours on cross country skiing or a hike up and down a mountainside on snowshoes, in minus degree weather, was more than enough to wear us out each day. Then, a 20 plus minutes in a sauna and one is wiped out. After a great hearty dinner it was time to hop into bed and do it again the next day.

Turns out, as this was such a good trip I've decided to do it again but this time take my wife along. Our next Inntravel trip will be in the summer first visiting Helsinki and then touring Oslo followed by a trip to Northern Norway touring Senja, which is an arctic island.

Overall, a quality hotel with comfortable accommodation, good food and a lovely jacuzzi and sauna.  The full extent of the cross country skiing is not accessible until March, and in January was somewhat limited.  In comparison to a previous trip to Norway, the scenery and variety of trails was slightly disappointing but made up for by the excellent cafes and huts distributed across the region.  There were plenty of non skiing activities on offer including some excellent winter biking on dedicated groomed trails.

The highlights were the husky driving and snowshoeing, both were well organised with excellent guides. The hotel is well located with lots of skiing and walking routes close by. The food was amazing with a wide selection for both meals. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful and made us feel welcome.

We thoroughly enjoyed the husky sledding, snow shoe trek and reindeer sleigh ride. All our hosts were lovely and looked after us really well. The hotel was amazing and the food excellent with lots of choice. Easy access to all the ski and walking trails.

I hired an E fat bicycle and went with a leader and friend on a wonderful route.  The E bicycle made the experience very enjoyable because the resistance of the snow against the fat tyres was mitigated by the additional power and I was able to enjoy the scenery as I rode.

Highlight this year (my 8th visit I think now) was discovering winter walking as a way of enjoying the silent snowy forests. There were many more prepared walking paths available this year, and with the luck of exceptionally heavy snow fall for early in the season; it made a lovely change from my usual cross country skiing. There are many things that draw me back here year after year; the initial+lasting attraction is the beautiful clean, silent snowy 'Narnia-like' winter countryside. The hotel is as welcoming as ever; high quality food, simple comfortable log cabins, relaxed atmosphere with lovely friendly staff. 

We were very lucky and had the most spectacular evening of Northern Lights which was a highlight but obviously can't be guaranteed! I would recommend doing some internet research beforehand on trails, public transport and understanding what the buses from the hotel entail. You might want to print off some of the ski trail stuff as the map they sell is expensive (ten euros).

Humina is all you need for a winter holiday. Cross country skiing is not the only option, as from snowshoeing to snowmobile or husky trips, everything can be provided through the hotel's activity company. The cross country trails start from the hotel and are well kept, allowing for both classic and skating techniques. But you don't have to be active to enjoy Humina, there is a fantastic sauna to relax in, as well as a lively pub. And if you are lucky, you might see the Northern Lights - we saw the best display ever when we were there in March 2019.   

Yllas is an excellent venue for both downhill and cross country skiing. Skiing through the snowy forest en route to a cosy cafe was a hightlight. The downhill slopes were quiet, even in half term week, and more than challenging enough for us. It was cold, -25 on one day, but we didn't find we needed as many layers as we had expected. It was the extremities which suffered. Good quality gloves, hats and socks are essential. We ended up buying under gloves. The hotel was great, staff invariably helpful and friendly.

Had a great time, hotel was excellent with good sized comfortable room and choice of food. We all enjoyed learning to cross-country ski, other highlights were snowshoeing up the fells (both on a guided tour and self navigated) and the husky sled trip. We were also lucky enough to see a good northern lights display one night! Equipment hire (skis & snowshoes) from the hotel was very convenient with helpful staff, and being able to get straight on to the ski routes from the hotel grounds was great. The local supermarket is well stocked and an easy 2km walk if you need extra supplies. We really enjoyed our week here and would definitely recommend it!

What makes Yllas so special is the beauty of the Arctic winter. You feel as if you are in a completely different world with the sun glowing low on the horizon, the extreme cold, the fresh clean air, and the endless, pristine snow and forest. This, combined with the warm welcome at Yllashumina, the excellent food and fantastic sauna experience, made for a hugely relaxing and invigorating holiday. Take plenty of layers - we wore double merino wool underwear, double fleeces and padded trousers and anorak, thick gloves, as well as a hat and protector for the face when we were cross-country skiing. We also took spare gloves and handwarmers. Expert skiers who go fast could get away with fewer layers, but if you tend to go quite slowly, you really need to protect yourselves. Stop at the cafes to warm up properly and make use of the firewood in the designated huts. Keep your phone close to your body to keep it warm, otherwise it will stop working. If in doubt, ask for advice at the ski shop - the staff here are super-friendly and very happy to advise on good routes to take and places to visit along the trails. If you're interested in finding out more about local history and nature, don't miss out on a trip to Kellokas - we found it hugely informative and interesting.

We had a day of 'fat tyred' snow biking with a guide which was extremely enjoyable but tiring because of the resistance between the snow and tyres. We recommend purchasing hand and foot warmers before travel as minus 20 degrees C is significantly cold for extremities!

Good hotel with great service. Meals were excellent. Cross country ski trails were easily accessible and extensive. Great place to go cross country skiing. Equipment hire was good quality.

The personal highlights of the holiday include the reindeer safari and the husky safari. They were totally memorable trips. The hotel staff were lovely and the buffet food was substantial. It did not always suit the tastes of our children as it was quite adult orientated.

Yllashumina Hotel is ideal for a cross-country ski holiday: adjacent to the start of various ski trails; comfortable accommodation in which everything works and, being separate from the hotel, is quiet; helpful and interested staff; good individual clothes drying facilities; excellent food, conveniently available in buffet style; and good, on-site ski service and hire.      

A paradise for cross country skiers and plenty of easy accessible snow based activities for non skiers too. Lots of food, lots of choice and comfortable accomodation. What more could you want from a winter holiday?

Getting to grips with cross-country skiing (on the second attempt), snowshoeing up a fell (through a wood) and then down the other side in metre-deep snow and finally meeting lovely like-minded people with whom we shared several meals and the odd glass of skumpa.

This is our 4th time to Yllashumina in 15 years and we love coming back to this hotel and area. This time, we were only there for 4 nights and didn't ski though we found our time went quickly with snow shoeing, a day husky sledding and a day visiting the Snow Village. There was still time to relax, visit the sauna, go walking, see the Northern Lights and enjoy the scenery and the food! The food in the hotel is excellent and luckily we were there for two themed nights - Russian and Sami. There are excellent buffet choices so something for everyone.

Great location: tranquil, plenty of snow and fantastic ski trails. Great hotel: ample, hearty and delicious food plus friendly staff and reasonably priced extras. Dog sledding an absolute must, although some may consider it expensive!

Everything was much as expected - and very good in all respects. The  chalets at Hotel Yllashumina were wonderful and we really enjoyed having a private sauna in our chalet. We didn't expect food in the evening at the hotel as we assumed half-board was just breakfast but both the breakfast and the evening buffet were superb - and we are vegetarian. On most nights there was sufficient vegetarian food availabe from the buffet but on two nights when the hotel was putting on more traditional fare - lots of meat and fish - the hotel catered for us with additional vegetarian meals - and they were excellent.

The landscape is the big draw in this part of the world and we weren't disappointed - temperatures were generally colder than we were expecting - some days minus 25C in the morning but that was fine, we had enough layers and it meant there was no need for snow shoes on the walking trails as the snow was sufficiently hard and frozen. The pack sent by Inntravel as well as the website info on preparing for the winter were excellent and essential - it meant we came adequately prepared. 

We enjoyed all the outdoor activities - cross country skiing and walking but the undoubted highlight was the half day dog sledging - a real eye opener going to the farm in the first place, but the sledging was exhilarating and the landscape through the forests was staggeringly beautiful - more so than even the ski trails near the village. We would recommend this to anyone -it's expensive but well worth it.

The area around Hotel Yllashumina is stunning in the snow and the cross country ski trails so extensive we barely got started on them. The ski lesson was essential and helped us begin to work out how to move on the skis. It was hard work and we still ache, but definitely worth it. We loved being able to ski or hike from the hotel and call at the various cafes for hot berry juice and doughnuts when needed. The hotel itself was very comfortable and the advice in the ski shop always helpful.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Yllashumina and our introduction to cross country skiing. The hotel staff are friendly and give excellent service. The breakfast and evening meals (served as a buffet) were delicious, of good quality and full of variety over the week. It was notable that many guests return year after year! We had good ski equipment and instruction, and definitely progressed during the week - although still falling over from time to time! We enjoyed some really good walks as well as the treks by ski. The scenery is stunning and we experienced a fair mix of weather from brilliant sunshine to heavy snow, all having its own beauty. We didn't see the aurora, but the whole holiday was so much fun it didn't seem to matter - in fact I was more disappointed not to see an arctic hare - but you have to keep some experiences for the next time!

What a marvellous place! Very difficult indeed to find fault in Hotel Yllashumina, and would be churlish to do so given its excellence.
Were a bit worried about the provision for coeliac and vegan members of our group but this was coped with superbly by the dining and kitchen staff. (Actually, as a confirmed meat-eater, wouldn't have minded tucking into the vegan meals the kitchen produced. Same with the strict gluten-free meals, too. Utterly brilliant).
Really helpful staff and naturally welcoming - no forced smiles here. The accommodation was good quality, warm and cleaned every other day. Ours had its own sauna. Bonus!
Strongly recommend hiring skis and boots from the hotel. They may be a little pricier than elsewhere but the level of service, convenience and quality was second to none. They'll wax your nordic skis every day for a reasonable charge.
Yllas/Akaslompolo is an excellent location for nordic skiing. The scope of different trails is enough to keep a competent nordic skiing party interested for a couple of weeks at least. We were there in late Jan/early Feb and it never rose above -10, was frequently -20, and -31 at 10.30am on our departure day. I measured over one metre of snow on the ground (it's at 220m above sea level) and I was told this was fairly average for the time of year. The trails were always well prepared and groomed frequently - some daily. Nordic skiing conditions very rarely get better than this. Plenty for less active group members, too - snow-shoeing, walking, winter mountain biking on 'fat' bikes (very popoular with some of our group), plus husky dog sled tours etc.
Some of our party were accomplished downhill skiers and had a day on alpine gear on the nearby Yllas ski hill. There's enough to keep good skiers interested for a day or so; longer if you're a beginner/intermediate. Wide expanses of newly groomed corduroy and very quiet, too, during our stay.

Departed/arrived at Manchester Airport. Terrible scrum at the airport due to slow security checks. Nothing Inntravel Jet2 can do about this but got the holiday off on the wrong foot for us. Kittila airport is small and gets incredibly busy on changeover days and is probably silent mid-week - again, beyond the control of Jet2 and Inntravel.

We want to go back.....soon!

Finland has the perfect climate and landscape for cross-country skiing and Ylläshumina Hotel is the perfect place from which to set off each morning.

Food was excellent, both variety and quality. Standard room was cosy, comfortable & well equipped. Good range of activities on offer. Wonderful winter scenery, still active in -25 deg, no Northern Lights that week (late January). Supermarket well stocked, separate shop for alcohol stronger then beer. 

My personal highlight - skating through the forest and stopping for hot chocolate plus korvapuisti (literally "a box on the ears", aka a large cinnamon bun) in one of the cafes in the area. Recommendations - this is a great place for skiers who have mastered the skating technique as nearly all the tracks are prepared for both skating and classic styles.

We spent a very enjoyable week cross-country skiing in Yllas. The superior room in the Hotel Yllashumina was worth the upgrade - the spacious room with log fire was good to return to after a day of skiing. We also enjoyed the buffet meals each day.
There are a good selection of cross-country ski routes with easy access from the hotel. In late January, the routes are not all tracked, but there were plenty to keep us occupied as intermediate skiers. The website https://www.infogis.fi/yllas/ shows an update on when routes have been tracked and which skiing cafes are open (€10 for access to the website, but also shown on a computer in the hotel restaurant). Staff in the ski-hire room were helpful in recommending routes to take.

We had a magical time cross country skiing in Lapland. The hotel was super, in particular their efforts to cater for special dietary requirements. We highly recommend it!

This was a most magical holiday in a fabulous setting. We had not cross-country skied before but soon got the hang of it. Within 3 days we had stopped falling over!!  (We are in our 60s). With hindsight we should have had a ski lesson. The Husky ride was a brilliant experience and worth the expense. Take plenty of layers as it was minus 20C outside but lovely and snug inside our log cabin. Bring tea bags as the hotel does not supply them in the cabins.