Levi Lapland Explorer — Self-Launched
6 days · Finnish Lapland (Levi & Kittilä)
On The Go Tours charges £1,100
No-markup version: ~£985 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' 6-day Levi Lapland Explorer. Instead of a packaged group tour with airport transfers and a guide, you fly into Kittilä, take the local airport bus or a shared shuttle into Levi, and base yourself for five nights in a guesthouse or hostel-style cabin. All the headline Arctic experiences — snowmobile safari, husky sledding, reindeer sleigh ride with a fire stop, and a Northern Lights hunt — are booked directly through Levi-based operators (GetYourGuide, Klook or the local safari companies), usually at a similar or lower price than the tour's optional-add-on prices. Days are flexible: ski, sit in the sauna, or add a Santa Claus Village day trip to Rovaniemi if you want it. Winter kit hire and thermal overalls are essential and available locally.
Day-by-day
Arrive Kittilä → Levi
Kittilä / Levi
Fly into Kittilä Airport (KTT) — direct winter flights run from Helsinki with Finnair/Norwegian (~£60-120 one way) and seasonal charters from the UK. Skip the packaged private transfer: walk out to the airport bus stop and take the local Airport Bus/Express to Levi (~€10-15, 15-20 mins, timed to flights), or pre-book a shared shuttle through GetYourGuide. Check into a guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre (Hostel Levi Hovi, Levi Suites, or a private cabin on Booking.com). Pick up thermal overalls, boots and gloves from a local rental shop if you didn't bring them (~€25-35 for the week). Settle in, warm up in the sauna, and stock up at K-Market or S-Market for cheap self-catering breakfasts and lunches.
🚌Finnair/Norwegian flight to Kittilä + local Airport Bus to Levi (~€12)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre (~£50/night, 5 nights)
- →Local airport bus to Levi
- →Thermal gear rental
- →Evening sauna
- →Supermarket stock-up
Snowmobile safari into the fells
Levi
Book the same 3-hour snowmobile safari the tour offers as an optional extra, but direct through a Levi safari operator (Safartica, Hullu Poro Safari, or a GetYourGuide listing) — expect €150-190 per person on a shared snowmobile, including thermal suit, helmet and fuel. Rides head out across frozen lakes and fell trails with a hot-drink stop. Alternatively, if you have no licence or prefer a gentler day, hire cross-country skis or fatbikes from Levi Ski Rental and explore the marked trails around the resort for ~€30-40. Evening: cook dinner in the cabin and check the aurora forecast app (e.g. My Aurora Forecast) — clear-sky nights in Dec-Feb are prime.
🚌On foot in Levi centre; operator pickup from central Levi usually included
🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre
- →3-hour snowmobile safari (~€170 direct)
- →Optional: cross-country ski or fatbike hire
Husky farm & sled safari
Levi
Book a husky farm visit with a sled ride directly with a local kennel (e.g. Levi Huskypark, Hetta Huskies-style operators, or via GetYourGuide) — roughly €170-200pp for a shared sled, kennel tour and hot berry juice/biscuits stop. You can also add a short 'mushing intro' briefing from the breeder, which most kennels include free. Transfers from Levi centre are normally included by the operator. Afternoon back in Levi: browse the village shops, warm up over a bowl of salmon soup (~€12) and take a free ski-bus or a local bus to the Levi slopes if you fancy a few hours' skiing (day lift pass ~€55, ski hire ~€35).
🚌Operator transfer included; local ski bus on site
🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre
- →Husky farm visit + sled safari (~€185 direct)
- →Optional: Levi ski day pass and hire
Reindeer farm & sleigh ride
Levi
Book a reindeer farm visit with a short sleigh ride and a bonfire stop for hot juice direct with a local Sámi/herding family operator (~€150-180pp including transfer from Levi). Most farms also hand out a fun 'reindeer driving licence'. This replaces the tour's optional reindeer day at the same or lower price, and booking direct means your money goes straight to the farm. Back in Levi by mid-afternoon — use the time for the sauna, a walk on the frozen lake, or a supermarket cook-in dinner.
🚌Operator transfer included
🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre
- →Reindeer farm visit + sleigh ride + bonfire juice stop (~€165 direct)
Northern Lights hunt
Levi
Join a small-group Northern Lights hunt booked direct with a local guide (~€120-160pp for a minibus chase to a remote dark-sky spot, hot drinks and campfire sausages — much better value than the €145 tour add-on). Optional upgrade: a 4-hour snowmobile aurora safari (~€180-200pp). Book on a night with a clear forecast; check cloud cover on the Finnish Meteorological Institute's aurora service. Dress in every layer you own — remote spots sit at -20°C or below.
🚌Minibus pickup from central Levi (included)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Levi centre
- →Northern Lights minibus chase with campfire (~€145 direct)
- →Optional: aurora snowmobile safari
Levi → Kittilä & home
Levi / Kittilä
Last sauna and breakfast, then take the local Airport Bus back to Kittilä Airport (timed to your flight, ~€12). If your flight is late, add a morning on the slopes or a walk up Levi Fell for views over the frozen forest. Optional extension: one extra night in Levi if you want to fit in Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi — take the Eskelisen Lapin Linjat coach (Levi-Rovaniemi, ~€25, 2 hrs) and do the day trip independently.
🚌Local Airport Bus Levi → Kittilä (~€12) + flight home
🛏—
- →Optional: Levi Fell viewpoint walk
- →Optional: Rovaniemi / Santa Claus Village day trip by coach
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£985 | £1,100 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £115 per person (10%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£985
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Levi Lapland Explorer — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £985 per person for 6 days in Finnish Lapland (Levi & Kittilä). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £1,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £985 — a saving of roughly £115 (10%) per person.
How long is the Finnish Lapland (Levi & Kittilä) trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Finnish Lapland (Levi & Kittilä).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, slow-travel, budget trip through Finnish Lapland (Levi & Kittilä), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.