Let's hike to the roof of Scandinavia!
Climbs to the highest peaks in Finland and Sweden
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Have you been to Mont Blanc? Admired 4000-meter peaks in the Alps? Done rock climbing in Greece? Maybe even caught a distant glimpse of Everest? But the highest mountains in our neighboring countries are still unconquered? That mistake can be fixed. And if you haven’t climbed Mont Blanc, you haven’t even seen a single 4000-meter peak up close (that’s a mistake—but we’ll talk about that later), let alone done rock climbing or set eyes on Everest—then keep reading, because this might be just for you!
Elamus+ will tackle the highest peaks of Finland and Sweden next summer. We set off in a minibus and with a nice small group across the Gulf of Finland and from there to Northern Scandinavia. There are two things on the menu. First, we head to Northern Sweden, where Sweden's highest peak, Kebnekaise, awaits us, and then we turn the bus's nose towards Northern Norway (yes, Norway, you read that right!), from where we approach the peak of Finland's highest mountain, Halti.
Wait, wait, but what mountains are those anyway?
Kebnekaise (2090 m) - In Scandinavia, only Norway has peaks higher than Sweden's highest mountain, Kebnekaise. This mountain has two peaks - the South Peak and the North Peak. We are climbing the South Peak, which has long been the highest point in Sweden. However, in the last few years, due to climate warming, the snow and ice on the peak have started to melt, so now it is a few meters lower than the North Peak. But we are still going to the South Peak because it is within reach of even an ordinary hiker and does not require the technical mountaineering skills that would be required for the North Peak.
Halti (1324 m) - the most popular climb to Halti starts in Northern Finland from the village of Kilpisjärvi, which is at least 100+ km of hiking through the tundra and takes 3-5 days to get there. We don't do that. We climb Halti by a shorter route - we approach from the north, i.e. from Norway, which saves days in time and kilometers on our legs. We drive and hike to the base camp by Guolasjärvi and from there make a day hike up to the top of Halti.
What is this trip about? There are real mountains in Scandinavia, but the altitudes are low for a mountain trip - 1000-2000 meters. So there is no risk of altitude sickness. However, there are physically demanding hikes with a large backpack - some days 4-6 hours of hiking with a backpack weighing 10-15 kg, because you still need to carry camping equipment and a couple of days' food with you on both mountains. In addition, on the day of the Kebnekaise summit, you have to take into account a total of about 1800 meters of ascent. The mountains are hiking mountains, mostly work for the hind legs, but for a while we also put cats on our feet on Kebnekaise. Between the mountains and before and after there is a mighty Scandinavian road-trip, where we travel by minibus through the polar night, reindeer and fjords. The journeys are long, so it is necessary to have at least 2-3 drivers for the minibus from among the participants, between whom we can exchange long journeys.
Who is this trip for? This trip is very suitable for mountain enthusiasts who have never climbed mountains before, but would still like to enjoy the wonderful mountain views in our northern neighboring countries. No technical mountaineering skills are required - if you have previously done a few days of backpacking in Estonia or elsewhere, then that is completely sufficient.
🚩 Trip highlights: 🚩
🏃♀️ Polar day, where it doesn't even get dark at night. Do you want to see the midnight sun? Please!
🏃♀️ Reindeer wander across the road in the silence of the night. They appear from nowhere and disappear to nowhere.
🤸♀️ Wonderful views of mountains and tundra, dozens of fjords and hundreds of lakes.
🤸♀️The trip ends with a Finnish sauna! Where else, if not in Finland!
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: climb the peaks of Kebnekaise (2090 m) in Sweden and Halti (1324 m) in Finland
Dates: 04-11.07.2026
Activity: mountain hiking and road trip
Starting point of the trip: Tartu/Tallinn, Estonia
Accommodation type: tents
Adventure guide: Tanel Tilk (language skills: Estonian, English, Spanish)
Technical difficulty level: 1/5 (both are hiking mountains, we'll just put the cats on for a moment)
Physical difficulty: 2/5 (moderate effort with a large backpack and a long summit day)
Group size: min 7, max 9 (incl. 1 adventure train)
TRIP PRICE: €1039
NB! Elamus+ community members get a 5–10% discount. Read more and check your discount eligibility. community members page.
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes
Travel arrangements and on-site guidance
Elamus+ reisijuht
Transportation for the entire trip from Tartu or Tallinn by 9-seater minibus
Delicious Meki freeze-dried foods for mountain days (breakfast and dinner)
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy
Elamus+ mountain trip preparation package (valued at €350):
access to online mountaineering webinars;
A sample training plan and workbook for mountain hikers
a personal 30-minute online call with the tour guide, upon request;
winter mountaineering training before the trip*;
summer mountaineering training before the trip*.
*Held once a year - participation depends on the time of registration. Trainings take place in Estonia.
Price does not include
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can also be rented from us)
Accommodation and cooking equipment (can also be rented from us)
Drinks and snacks (including lunch) while on the mountain
Meals outside the mountains
Additional services at campsites and mountain huts (e.g. shower, drinks, meals)
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
NB! We recommend taking out travel disruption insurance immediately after paying the advance invoice so that longer-term health problems are also covered!
Schedule and activities
DAY 1: Across the Gulf of Finland and night drive to Lapland
Our mountain trip begins with a bus ride from Tartu and then continues to Tallinn, where we aim for the evening Tallinn-Helsinki ferry. Last dinner and pre-trip meeting on the ship. In Helsinki, our road tripThe first long part of the journey - an overnight drive towards Northern Finland and Sweden. We drive through the Scandinavian night in one go with small stops - there is little traffic at night, so we can cover the long distance quickly. The further north we get, the more the tundra landscape, the light of the polar day and reindeer wandering along the roads begin to appear from the bus window.
Overnight stay on the bus.
DAY 2: Drive and hike to the Kebnekaise mountain hut
The bus ride continues and by noon at the latest we will reach our destination, the village of Nikkaluokta in Sweden. We will leave our bus there for a couple of days, put on our large backpacks and start walking towards the Kebnekaise mountain hut. The length of the hiking route is less than 20 km and the proper hiking trail runs mostly along relatively flat terrain (although in the final part before the mountain hut it also gets a little steeper). There are of course a lot of rocks, as is typical of mountains. All in all, a beautiful, scenic hike. We will reach the Kebnekaise mountain hut in the evening, and we will spend the night in tents nearby - we will eat our fill and pack our tents early to rest up for tomorrow's summit day.
The length of the hiking day is approximately 20 km, 4-6 hours.
Overnight stay in a tent in the mountains at an altitude of 700 m.
DAY 3: Ascent to the peak of Kebnekaise
We start the summit day early in the morning around 5-6 am, because the day will be long and there will be a lot of hiking. We will climb the mountain via the western route, which is the most popular and technically easiest way to reach the summit, because it does not require any special mountaineering skills or equipment. At the same time, it is a long mountain hiking day in terms of distance and time, because to reach the summit we have to cover a 9-kilometer trail that goes both uphill and downhill. At first, we will climb to the top of Vierramvare (1711 m), from there we will descend a few hundred meters and then climb towards the top of Kebnekaise (2090 m). The terrain is varied and there are many rocks on the way, as well as snow and ice and steep slopes. About 100 meters before the summit we will reach the edge of the glacier - the summit cap may be snowy or icy, so we can put on crampons for a while here, but nothing too sudden. After the picturesque views of the summit (which hopefully won't be spoiled by fog or clouds), the same journey back down to the tents. There's a total of 1800 m of ascent on the way up and down, so your knees and legs will get a lot of wear and tear. If there's still some strength left in the camp, then the first celebration!
Ascent to the top and descent down, 18 km, 10-15 h, 1800 m of ascent and descent.
Overnight stay in a tent in the mountains at an altitude of 700 m.
DAY 4: road trip in northern Norway
In the morning we pack up camp and hike back down the familiar path to Nikkaluokta village. From there we continue our road trip We drive for several hours through the wonderful landscapes of Northern Sweden and Northern Norway to reach the bottom of the next mountain - the village of Birtavarre in Norway. Before climbing to Halti, we stay overnight at a local campsite to enjoy the last benefits of civilization.
The length of the hiking day is approximately 20 km, 4-6 hours.
Overnight stay in a tent at the campsite.
DAY 5: ascent to the base camp of HALTI
By evening we have to reach the bottom of Halti Hill, by Lake Guolasjärvi. We start the bus ride up the hill - the road is more or less driveable at first, but the last kilometers are more difficult to pass and bad weather conditions may also limit the bus's progress here. So we are ready to put on our backpacks at any moment and continue walking towards the camp.
The length of the hiking day is max. 4-5 hours.
Overnight stay in a tent in the mountains at an altitude of 800 m.
DAY 6: Ascent to the top of Halti
The same routine as the previous peak, Kebnekaise. Up early in the morning, but not too early, because this time the journey is shorter - Halti peak itself is lower and there is less climbing up the mountain, so we expect a total hiking day of about 7-8 hours. There are no trails or waymarks on the mountain, so you have to make do with a map, compass and GPS. However, there are a lot more rocks than on Kebnekaise. Next to the trail is the highest peak in the area, which is actually on the Norwegian side (Ráisduottarháldi, 1361 m) - from there, descending a few dozen meters, we reach Halti peak. The highest point in Finland (1324 m) is located about ten meters below the same peak - this is the Finnish-Norwegian border marker, which is a stone kangaroo made of stones and painted yellow. Again, if the clouds don't interfere, a beautiful view opens up of the Finnish tundra.
Ascent to the top and descent down, approx. 7-8 hours, 600 m of ascent and descent.
Overnight stay in a tent in the mountains at an altitude of 800 m.
DAY 7: return trip and Finnish sauna
The return journey home begins - now we are driving during the day, we have more time and we can also make short stops at interesting places. Maybe even a short hike, if there are still people interested by that time! The evening ends in a campsite in a beautiful natural place and of course a Finnish sauna at the end of the trip!
The length of the hiking day is less than 4-5 hours.
Overnight stay in a tent at the campsite.
DAY 8: Return trip and arrival in Estonia
The return journey continues, we aim for the evening ship from Helsinki to Tallinn. If there is time during the day, we can visit some roadside attractions or take a short city tour in Helsinki. In the evening or at night, we will land in Tallinn and, if necessary, immediately drive back to Tartu. Welcome, Estonian summer!
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and condition of their travel documents. For this trip you will need:
ID card or passport;
sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page). A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption and medical assistance); Please note: Take out insurance immediately after registering for your trip to get your expenses reimbursed (for example, an advance payment) in the event of an unexpected event.
Plan your trip early and start training for it. We will organize several trial trips, training sessions and recommend training plans beforehand. It would be a shame if the peak was only behind the physique. Also a good opportunity to get in shape. ;)
The summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that the weather will not allow us to reach the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read more also travel conditions.
Don't worry, let's do it!
Is this mountain hike within my reach?
No previous mountaineering or hiking experience is necessary for this trip. You can definitely do this trip even if you have never been to the mountains before, but are familiar with backpacking and are a sporty person with an active lifestyle.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll still have to lift a little, but not much. For Halti and Kebnekaise, you'll need regular hiking clothes and warmer winter clothes. The only mountaineering equipment you'll need is crampons for the top of Kebnekaise - they can also be rented. We'll be camping at low altitudes, so camping equipment can be simple.
Okay, I registered. Now what?
To make your mountain hike more enjoyable, we recommend that you participate in our preparatory events before the trip - it's also part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheap equipment, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
