Driving to Korouoma without a guide
Korouoma canyon is open to anyone, and plenty of people drive there from Rovaniemi on their own. A tour costs more per head but takes the winter driving off your hands and brings the gear and a guide who knows the route. Below we compare what each choice involves and who it suits.
What the drive involves
Korouoma lies roughly 100–110 km (60–70 miles) southeast of Rovaniemi, in the municipality of Posio. By car that is about 1.5 hours each way in good conditions, longer when snow is falling.
You need a rental car fitted for winter and some confidence on snowy roads in low light. In December and January much of the drive back may happen in the dark, after a tiring hike.
Parking is at a trailhead above the canyon, and from there you go on foot. Look up the current access point with Metsähallitus, the state body that maintains the trails, before you set off.
Leave a margin for the weather. Fresh snow or a stretch of black ice can slow the drive badly, and on a short winter day every lost half hour comes out of your time in the canyon.
On the trail without a guide
The walk is about 5 km (3 miles) in total. You drop into the canyon and follow its floor to the falls, then climb back out to the car park.
That last climb is steep and icy, and reviewers on the tours call it the hardest part of the day. Reviewers also mention ropes along the steepest parts, which help but do not replace traction under your boots.
Tours hand out spikes or snow grips at the start. On your own you bring them, and ordinary soles on that ice are asking for a fall. Our guide to the hike describes the trail in more detail.
Then there is the question of which falls to approach. Ice changes from week to week, and guides know where it is sound and where climbers are working. Without a guide, it is best to keep to the path and stay well clear of climbing routes and hanging ice.
Fire sites and food
Metsähallitus keeps fire sites in the canyon, and one reviewer found them prepared on the day of their tour. Anyone may use them, so a self-drive group can grill too.
What you lose is the kit, since tours carry the food and hot drinks down in their packs. On your own you haul everything in yourself, water included. Your rubbish goes back out with you too.
What a tour adds
It starts at your door. Every tour drives you there and back, so nobody has to stay alert on a dark road after a cold hike. Arctic GM picks up from your accommodation if you choose that option when booking.
Then comes the gear. Arctic GM lends thermal overalls, and the Wild about Lapland and Beyond Arctic tours both supply winter clothes and boots. All four hand out spikes or grips, and the guide to what to wear fills the gaps.
A guide also sets the pace and knows the canyon that week. All four tours rate 4.8 or more on GetYourGuide. At the top sits Arctic GM's hike and BBQ from ~$89 with 4.9 from 1,600+ reviews.
| Item | Drive yourself | Guided tour |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | Rental car, about 1.5 h each way | Van with pickup (varies by tour) |
| Traction | Bring your own spikes | Spikes or grips lent on all four |
| Warm clothing | Your own | Lent on three of the four |
| Route and safety | Up to you | A guide who knows the ice |
| Food | Carry it in, use a fire site | Campfire BBQ and hot drinks |
| Timing | Your own hours | Fixed day of 6–7 hours |
The money in plain words
For one or two people, driving rarely saves much over a tour. Car hire for a day plus fuel for some 200 km (125 miles) adds up fast, and you still need spikes and food.
The sum shifts with a full car. Shared four ways, a day's hire plus fuel can come close to what two people pay for a tour. That tempts families and groups of friends to drive.
On the tour side, Arctic GM at ~$89 is the lowest by far. Wild about Lapland (~$163) and Beyond Arctic (~$163) sit at the top, and the cost guide lists what each one includes.
ToTheNorth, the middle way
If you want a guide and a ride but few extras, ToTheNorth's hiking tour from ~$146 fits between the two. The day lasts about 6 hours, with roughly 2 hours of hiking and a 30-minute picnic around a traditional Lapland barbecue.
It lends snow grips but no clothing, so you dress as you would for a self-drive day. Groups go up to 16, the largest fixed size of the four, and it holds 4.8 from 340+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
Pickup plus grips and a barbecue, without the rental car
ToTheNorth's 6-hour hiking day takes up to 16 guests and includes pickup and drop-off within a 7 km radius of Rovaniemi. Bring your own warm layers.
Who should drive, and who should book
Driving suits experienced winter drivers in a group of three or four who own good boots and spikes. It also suits anyone staying closer to Posio than to Rovaniemi.
A tour suits nearly everyone else. Solo travelers and couples save money, and first-timers get a guide on the icy climbs. Nobody has to drive home tired in the dark either.
Families with young children should read our guide to Korouoma with kids before choosing. Whichever way you go, time it for solid ice, using the guide on when the falls are frozen, since nothing is guaranteed.