Our family-week "Bike & Hike" is especially  made for family with active kids. Enjoy an outdoor-week with different activities, daily changing experiences like husky-trekking, create collars and leashes, burn your name into a wooden cup, campfire-cooking, hiking in the forests, biking on sandy roads, 2 overnights in our simple but cosy forest house and a lot of time with our dogs. Small group sizes of maximum 2 families allow us to really adjust the difficulty of our activities to the possibilities of the kids. The adults stand behind, as here the kids decide!

Day 1:
Individual arrival to Eräkeskus by airplane, train or own/rented car. If neeed, we are glad to organise a transfer from Joensuu, Kuopio or Lieksa to bring you here. After moving into your room, there will be some time to explore the area before dinner with our team.  

Day 2: After breakfast we show you our Huskyfarm. You will see the kennels and you get many information about our 160 Sleddogs. We show you how we take care of our dogs which are living in two big kennels on our yard. Before having a lunch a lunch in our bbq-hut, we show you how to manufacture a collar and a leash, which you can then use later in the week for walking our dogs. In the afternoon we will be creative and burn with a carving tool your name on a wooden cup. Before the three-course dinner is served, you have enough time to enjoy our electric sauna or try out SUP-Boards, canoe, kajak or rowing boat. 

Day 3:
3-Day-excursion Bike 'n Hike
Rich breakfast in the lodge, before we start our overnight trip to the wilderness cabin Aittokoski. We pack our bags and get a transfer to the stating point of our hike: distance can be adjusted to your wishes: 

- from the windshelter Laklaniemi to Aittokoski (17km)
- from the hanging bridge Pälvekoski to Aitto (ca. 11km)
- or from the Valama-cabin to Aittokoski (ca. 5,5km)

There is plenty to see during the hike. We walk on the marked path of the so-called Bears-Trail, a longdistance-hiking-trail, that crosses also the one and only Finnish djungle "Valama". Parts of the walk ar on wooden planks, crossing large swamps and moors. We can re-fill our waterbottles on several lakes and rivers on our way; all waters are drinkable here. LUnch is prepared on open fire, but if summer is very hot and dry, there might be a too big risk of forest-burn and in that case we take only a cold picknick. When we reach the overnight-cabin Aittokoski, there is still time to heat the sauna there and relax, or take a swim in the pond. Dinner is cooked together and after that we can play cards until we get tired. 

Day 4:
Biking near the Russian Border
We prepare breakfast in the cabin. Bacon and eggs give us full energy for today's biking tour. Aittokoski is very close to the no-mans-Land between Russia and Finland. Straight on the border is the last Finish windshelter with fireplace, which we use for lunch-break. We can shorten on lenghten the distance according to your fitness and weather. The whole tour is on sandy roads or gravel roads, where we have almost no traffic in that area. Distance 30 - 35 km. Back in Aittokoski we relax a bit, before we  walk to the whitewater rapids nearby to prepare our dinner on open fire there. Later some card-games in the cabin before crawling into our sleeping bags. 

Day 5:
Back to Eräkeskus
Last breakfast in the cabin, then we pack our things, clean the cabin, fill up the firewood and then start the hiking tour. We walk further north on the Bears-Trail until we reach Teljo after about 13km (possible to shorten the hike to 10 km). We cross again swamps and huge forests, stop for a swim in the river Jongunjoki, prepare lunch at the open wilderness cabin Otroskoski and get finally transferred back to Eräkeskus in the late afternoon. After unpacking your bags, you can have another swim in the lake or simply relax and take another sauna. Maybe you want to help also feeding the dogs? Dinner is in the lodge. 

Day 6:
Day for own activities
Preapare your own lunchbag from our breakfast buffet, because today you have your day off. You can walk with some veteran dogs or take a bike for exploring the area. Or get familiar with our canoes for the tour on next day? The lake is just in front of the lodge. Or what about a daytrip to the Koli National Park? 3-course-Dinner is served in the evening in the lodge.

Day 7: 
Meeting ET
Today we have a paddlling tour - water is calling you! We start with canoe or kayak right after breakfast and paddle to the so-called ET-half-island. We have to carry the boats over 1 road, the rest is paddling on lake Puuruu and lake Nurmijärvi. The half-island has a nice sandy beach and we also preapre our lunch there.  And maybe we tell you why we named the area after ET... On the way back we make a small detour over river Jongunjoki and lake Kattilalampi with a nice windmill on its shores. Before dinner some more dog-cuddling? Or a last swim in the lake? Whatever! 

Day 8:
Departure
Breakfast in the lodge, then we have to say goodbye. Start your journey back home or continue your trip individually in Finland. 

All day-distances can be adjusted to your capabilities and fitness! Day-by-day program can be adjusted depending on weather and bookings.

May/June/September:
1250€ per person in double or twin room 
775€ per child (up to 15 yrs) in extrabed in twin room wth 2 adults
875€ per child (up t 15 yrs) in own twin room or in sahred room with only 1 adult

July/August:
1320€ per person in double or twin room 
800€ per child (up to 15 yrs) in extrabed in twin room with 2 adults
900€ per child (up to 15 yrs) in own twin room or in shared room with only 1 adult
 

Traveldates:

Saturday - Saturday, 8 days/7 nights: 06.05.2023 - 14.10.2023
Sunday - Sunday, 8 days/7 nights: 07.05.2023 - 17.10.2023

Included:

• 5 nights in guesthouse in twin, double or triple rooms with own facilities
• 2 nights in cabin Aittokoski (multibed-room)
• full board from dinner day 1 to breakfast day 8 (breakfast buffet, lunch on route or in the lodge, 3-course-dinner) 
• 1 halfday-trip "get-together and wood-working"
• guided 3-day-activity with hiking, husky-trekking and biking, incl. transfers and luggage-transport, english speaking guide
• 1 paddling-tour "Meet ET"
• 1x wooden sauna Aittokoski
• 1x electric sauna if wished
• all needed equipment incl. sleepingbag, inliner and cooking equipmen for outdoor cooking, bike & helmet
• all needed transfers for the activities
• free use of bikes, canoes, kayaks, rowing boat and SUP boards
• english speaking guides

Not included:

• additional transfers, if you have no car/rental car
• transfers from/to Kuopio, Joensuu or Nurmes
• alcoholilc beverages as well as Coke/Fanta/Sprite
• additional activities on the day off

What to take with you:  

• small backpack
• waterproof hiking boots
• rain- and wind-jacket 
• paddelshoes (crocs or similar)