Reindeer sleigh ride and farm visit
Passenger, reindeer sleigh · 1.5 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €109
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Ruka and Kuusamo
Huskies, reindeer and snowmobiles in winter, bear hides and the rapids of Oulanka National Park in summer. Compare the tours around Ruka in north-east Finland and book the one that suits your days.
Snow on the ground about 200 days a year · Midnight sun from mid-June to early July
Three tours to start with
A reindeer sleigh ride on a farm in Kuusamo, a short husky safari where you drive the sled, and an evening in a bear hide from May to September. None of them includes a transfer, so plan how you get to the meeting point.
5 km self-drive husky safari
Self-drive, 2 per sled · 1.5 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €132
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Evening bear watching from a hide
Hide, May to September · 4 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €130
Book on GetYourGuideA ski village, a town and a national park
Ruka is a fell with a ski resort on its slopes, 492 metres high at the top. The pedestrian village at its foot has over 1,000 guest beds, 15 restaurants and 10 shops. Kuusamo town lies about 26 km to the south by road, with the large supermarkets and the Karhuntassu visitor centre, and the airport is a few kilometres outside the town. Our page on the Ruka ski resort covers the slopes and lifts.
The other half of the region's appeal is Oulanka National Park, 30 km from Ruka. Its rivers run through gorges crossed by nine suspension bridges, and the 82 km Karhunkierros trail ends in East Ruka. Kuusamo lies inside Finland's reindeer herding area but outside the Sámi homeland as Finnish law defines it.
Ruka sits just south of the Arctic Circle. Even on the shortest day the sun rises, and in summer it does not set for about three weeks. The best time to visit page goes through the year month by month.
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ruka?
For snow activities, from about November to April: husky safaris run from November to April as the snow allows, and the slopes are open from 2 October 2026 to 2 May 2027. Bear watching runs from May to September, the midnight sun lasts from mid-June to early July, and the autumn colours arrive around 12 September.
Is there a polar night in Ruka?
No. Ruka lies just south of the Arctic Circle, so the sun rises every day; on 21 December it is up from 10:43 to 13:20. In summer the sun stays above the horizon around the clock from 11 June to 2 July 2027.
How far is Oulanka National Park from Ruka?
Metsähallitus gives 30 km from Ruka to the national park. The Juuma car park at the start of the Pieni Karhunkierros is about 23 km away by road, and the Oulanka Visitor Centre about 32 km.
Do I need a car in Ruka?
Not in Ruka village, where everything is within walking distance, and many tours collect guests in Ruka village or Ruka Valley. The bear hides and the Kujala reindeer farm have no transfer, so you need a car or a taxi for those. Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March when conditions require them.
Is this the official tourist office of Ruka?
No. Ruka Tourism is an independent guide, not the official tourist organisation Ruka-Kuusamo (ruka.fi). The association runs Ruka Info in the Kumpare shopping centre and Kuusamo Info in the Karhuntassu visitor centre.
Tours from €35
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