Summer activities in Ruka

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Ruka is busiest in winter, but the fells and river valleys around it are made for summer. The tourist association counts 300 km of hiking routes, 180 km of mountain bike trails, more than 900 km of gravel routes and 350 km of classified paddling and boating routes in the region. Oulanka National Park, about 30 km north of the village, has its peak season from late June to the end of September.

The bookable programme is thinner than in winter. Bear watching is the one summer tour with a long track record, and the rest is a handful of smaller trips, several of them new. A lot of what makes a Ruka summer good needs no booking at all: a marked trail, a canoe hired for a day, a campfire at a lean-to.

Light, weather and insects

Summer arrives in the first half of June, according to Metsähallitus. Ruka lies just south of the Arctic Circle, so the midnight sun is a close call. With the bending of light near the horizon, the sun stays up all night from about 11 June to 2 July 2027. From about 12 May to 2 August the sky never gets darker than twilight. The tourist association gives July temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees; weather data from the Ruka village station for 2016 to 2024 put the average July high at roughly 20 degrees.

Mosquitoes usually hatch in mid to late June, and blackflies, horseflies and biting midges follow in turn. A guest on the overnight bear tour in June wrote about armies of mosquitoes.

Bear watching

Bears are the summer draw around Kuusamo. Bear Kuusamo runs evening and overnight sessions from May to September in wooden hides with openings for cameras and binoculars. The meeting point is a signed car park at Kuntijärventie 127, and from there it is a walk of 300 to 500 metres. There is no transport to the hides. The evening tour takes 4 hours and is open to children of all ages, as long as they can sit quietly; binoculars and bean bags are provided. The operator calls a sighting 99 percent likely, though not guaranteed, and offers a free return visit if no bear shows. One guest pointed out that the bears are fed.

The overnight tour runs from 18:00 to 08:00 for at most eight people. Four of the hides have built-in beds with bedding. Food and drinks are not included, so bring your own. The bear watching guide compares the two in more detail.

Hiking and the midnight sun

The Karhunkierros, the long-distance trail through Oulanka, opens for hiking in late May once the snow and the spring flood have gone, and stays open until lasting snow, usually in October. Of the roughly 5,000 people who hike the whole trail each season, most go in July or September. For a single day, the 12 km Pieni Karhunkierros from Juuma crosses three hanging bridges and climbs long wooden staircases. Our page on the Karhunkierros trail covers both routes, and the Oulanka National Park page the sights along the rivers.

No guided Karhunkierros hike from Ruka is on sale. The closest option is a private hike with MyTrail in Riisitunturi National Park, about 30 km from Ruka. It covers 4 to 8 km and suits every fitness level, with a campfire snack and a warm drink when the weather allows. From June to mid-July it runs as a midnight sun hike, and in September and October through the autumn colours. Transfers run from Ruka or Kuusamo, roughly 40 minutes each way, or you meet the guide at the park.

Rivers and lakes

The Kitkajoki is a free-flowing river, and the tourist association lists rafting on it from May to October, always with a qualified guide on board. The family stretch from Käylä to Juuma has seven rapids, one of them class III, takes 2 to 3 hours and is open to children from 5. The wild stretch from Juuma to the border zone passes Jyrävä, a class VI waterfall that is carried around on land; it takes 5 to 6 hours and is for adults only.

River floating is the calmer alternative. You drift in a buoyant suit with a life vest and helmet, and the tourist association lists it at Kiveskoski all year round. The Rukapalvelu tour meets at the Safari House reception on Rukankyläntie and floats twice for about 15 minutes. It needs at least four participants, and you must be at least 150 cm tall.

For paddling, beginners are pointed to the Oulankajoki from Kiutaköngäs to the border zone, while the upper Oulankajoki, the Kuusinkijoki and the Kitkajoki are left to experienced paddlers. Canoe hire for the Oulankajoki is common. If you would rather go with a guide, Rukapalvelu drives guests to a wilderness camp on Lake Juuma for a three-hour canoe trip with a snack; no experience is needed, and families are welcome.

On two wheels

Ruka Bike Park uses four lifts in summer: the Village-2-Valley gondola, the Village Express chairlift, the Vuosseli T-bar and the magic carpet in the family park. Its 2026 season ended on 20 September. Children may not be carried on bikes in child seats in the park.

The gravel network is the larger draw. Korpi Gravel leads two rides from the Tykky Scenic Tower in Ruka village, each for at most eight riders aged 16 or over. The classic ride takes 3 hours at a relaxed pace, and you bring or rent your own bike. The midnight sun ride takes 4 hours, includes a rental bike and pauses around midnight as the sun touches the horizon; it asks for a good level of fitness. The gravel rides are new and have no reviews yet. Inside Oulanka, cycling on snow-free ground is allowed only on the 9 km of the Karhunkierros between the visitor centre and Taivalköngäs.

Horses, sauna and slower days

Ruska Laukka keeps Finnhorses at Ronivaara farm, Meskusvaarantie 79b, and rides out all year. The one-hour ride welcomes beginners and includes pickup. The family ride is also an hour long; guides lead the horses of younger children, and you drive to the farm yourself.

Smoke sauna works in every season. On the Salonki open session about 5.6 km from Ruka towards Kuusamo, you cool off in the lake in summer and in an ice hole in winter. The operator warns that Google Maps does not find the right road, so follow its directions to the Hietavaarantie sign. Tea, water and rye crisps are included.

The Ruka Summer Sled Track is the longest summer toboggan run in Finland at 1,001 metres. The tourist association says almost all summer activities in the region suit children, from the day trails in Oulanka to rafting and the summer sled track.

Summer dates and getting to the trails

Several events mark the summer of 2027. The NUTS Karhunkierros trail run takes place on 28 and 29 May, Fellscape Ruka on 11 and 12 June, and Midsummer is celebrated from 23 to 27 June. On 31 July a 24 km downhill swim follows the river through Oulanka National Park.

Without a car, the summer buses help. In 2026 the Karhunkierros Express ran from 1 June to 30 September, Monday to Saturday, from Ruka village to Juuma and the Oulanka visitor centre at 10:15 and 14:15, but only with advance bookings. A daily line linked Ruka Valley with Käylä and Hautajärvi. The 2027 timetables have not been published yet. Shared taxis to the Karhunkierros trailheads are another option in summer, and getting around Ruka has the details.