How to Travel to Finland for a Brown Bear Watching Holiday

Natures Thrill Wildlife Specialists * 30+ years guiding Finland * 8 min read

Planning your first brown bear watching holiday in Finland? One of the questions we’re asked most often is, “What’s the easiest way to get there?” The good news is that travelling to Finland is much simpler than many people imagine.

At Natures Thrill, our guides have been organising and leading brown bear watching holidays in Finland for over 30 years. During that time we’ve travelled virtually every route imaginable and helped hundreds of guests reach Finland’s spectacular bear country. This guide explains the different ways to travel, typical journey times, approximate costs and why many visitors find that joining an organised wildlife tour makes the entire experience easier, more enjoyable and often more cost-effective.

Flying to Finland

For the vast majority of visitors, flying is by far the quickest and easiest option. Most international flights arrive at Helsinki Airport (HEL) before connecting onto a domestic flight into eastern or northern Finland. Depending on where your bear watching holiday is based, you’ll usually fly into one of the following airports:

Kajaani (KAJ) — often the closest airport for bear watching in the Kuhmo region
Kuopio (KUO) — another popular gateway for eastern Finland
Oulu (OUL) — ideal for some wildlife holidays and easily connected by road
Joensuu (JOE) — occasionally used depending on your itinerary

Which airlines fly to Finland?

Several airlines offer excellent connections between the UK and Finland, including Finnair, British Airways, Norwegian, easyJet (selected routes), Ryanair (selected seasonal routes), Lufthansa (via Germany), KLM (via Amsterdam) and SAS Scandinavian Airlines (via Copenhagen or Stockholm). For most wildlife holidays to Finland we usually recommend Finnair, as they offer excellent onward connections throughout Finland using a single ticket, meaning your luggage is checked through to your final destination.

Typical flight times

Route

Flight Time

London – Helsinki

2h 50m – 3h

Helsinki – Kajaani

1h 15m

Helsinki – Kuopio

Helsinki – Oulu

Most journeys from the UK to eastern Finland therefore take around 5–7 hours in total, start to finish, depending on your connection time.

How much do flights cost?

Return flights to Helsinki can often be found from £150–£300. Return flights to Kuopio or Oulu generally start from around £225–£300 when booked in advance through Helsinki. Peak summer holidays and last-minute bookings are usually more expensive, so we always recommend booking as early as possible.

Airport transfers

One aspect that many independent travellers underestimate is the final transfer into Finland’s wilderness. Most bear watching lodges are intentionally located well away from towns and airports, often surrounded by vast forests and lakes.

Transfer

Typical Time

Kajaani to Kuhmo

~1½ hours

Kuopio to Kuhmo

~2½–3 hours

Oulu to Kuhmo

1h~3½ hours

Private taxi transfers can easily cost €180–€600 each way, depending on the airport, distance and number of passengers. This is one reason many visitors choose an organised tour, where all airport transfers are included.

Travelling by train

Finland has an excellent rail network operated by VR, with comfortable trains connecting Helsinki to much of the country, including Helsinki–Kajaani, Helsinki–Kuopio and Helsinki–Oulu. Journey times range from around 4½ to 8 hours, depending on your destination and whether you choose a daytime or overnight service. If you’re combining a city break in Helsinki with a wildlife holiday, travelling by rail can be a relaxing alternative to domestic flights.

Travelling by road

Some visitors choose to drive to Finland, particularly those travelling from mainland Europe, typically via Germany, Denmark and Sweden, with many using ferries between Sweden and Finland before continuing north by road. Once in Finland, the roads are generally quiet, well maintained and very easy to drive — though bear watching areas are often several hundred kilometres from Helsinki, so visitors should be prepared for long driving days.

Should you hire a car?

Hiring a car gives flexibility, but it’s worth considering the additional costs: car hire, fuel, airport parking, insurance, navigation and long-distance driving after flights. When all these costs are added together, organised tours often represent surprisingly good value.

"From the moment you arrive in Finland, every aspect of your holiday has already been organised — your accommodation, transfers, wildlife hide bookings, guiding and itinerary are all taken care of."

Why many visitors choose an organised bear watching tour

Although travelling independently is perfectly possible, joining an organised wildlife holiday removes almost all of the logistical planning — booking domestic flights, organising airport transfers, hiring a vehicle, finding accommodation, navigating remote Finnish roads and planning wildlife hide sessions. At Natures Thrill, that’s exactly what we do.

Can joining a group tour save money?

In many cases, yes. While an independent holiday may appear cheaper at first glance, the costs can quickly add up once you budget for domestic flights, car hire or private transfers, fuel, accommodation, wildlife hide bookings, local guiding and insurance. Group tours spread the cost of transfers and logistics across several guests, making them considerably better value than arranging everything separately.

Frequently asked questions ?

Which airport is best for bear watching in Finland?

For most holidays around Kuhmo, Kajaani Airport is the closest and most convenient option, although Kuopio and Oulu also offer excellent access depending on your itinerary.

Do I need to hire a car?

Not necessarily. If you’re joining an organised tour, airport transfers are usually included, so there is often no need to hire a vehicle at all.

Can I travel independently?

Absolutely. Many people do, although it requires considerably more planning and generally involves arranging domestic flights, transfers, accommodation and wildlife hide bookings separately.

Is Finland easy to travel around?

Yes. Finland is one of Europe’s safest and easiest countries to explore, with excellent roads, reliable public transport and friendly English-speaking locals.

Start Planning Your Finland Bear Watching Holiday

If you’d rather spend your time enjoying the wildlife instead of organising the logistics, browse our Finland Brown Bear Holidays or get in touch to find the perfect tour for your next adventure.

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