Unique, immersive holidays in Finland and Sweden in the cool of September that take travellers off the beaten track and provide meaningful connections with local people and the beautiful natural environments they call home. Nordic Nights & Natural Colour Discover the Wild in Finland’s Taiga: A Gentle Arctic Adventure, Thursday 10th – Monday 15th September 2026
This slow September journey through remote Kuhmo forests and Tulijärvi’s wilderness allows plenty of time to spot wildlife, unwind in saunas and stargaze in dark Arctic skies. Each experience in ECT Travel’s six-day holiday has been carefully chosen to connect travellers with this extraordinary environment.
Programme highlights
Experience the timeless ritual of a Finnish smoke sauna.
Learn the secrets of aurora hunting in one of the few places in Europe to have a truly dark sky.
Observe and photograph European brown brows, wolverines, elk, Finnish caribou, beavers and wolves in pristine wilderness.
Join a local guide in her forest home and learn to make a healing resin cream.
Take part in a hands-on ‘Rönttönen’ Pie Workshop.Kainuu Rönttönen is a traditional local pastry with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status granted by the EU, making it a true culinary heritage product and one of Finland’s most treasured regional delicacies.
Forage for a supper of wild berries and mushrooms under the guidance of a knowledgeable local expert.
Stay in comfortable hotels surrounded by Kainuu wilderness where you wake up to the sound of birds singing and spend the evenings gazing at the stars.
Discover Sweden’s Creative Heart
Creative Break in Jämtland: Botanical Dyeing & Nuno Felt Workshops in Wild Sweden, Thursday 3rd – Monday 7th September 2026
Jämtland, at the heart of Sweden’s wild interior, is a region rich in textile heritage shaped by indigenous Sami influence and craftsmanship dating back to the Viking era. From traditional feltmaking to intricate woven tapestries, the region’s legacy of craft is entwined with its landscape and long winters. ECT Travel’s five-day creative holiday offers travellers the opportunity to explore this history through two hands-on workshops and inspiring visits to cultural landmarks and natural wonders.
Programme highlights
Learn the craft of Nuno felting with local artist Åsa Ganell.
Take part in a Botanical Print & Dye workshop that begins out in the fields gathering wild flowers and foliage and ends with a self-made print to take home.
See the Överhogdal tapestries. Some of Europe’s most remarkable cultural treasures, radiocarbon dating places this series of woven fabrics to the end of Viking age at AD 1040-1170, making them the oldest preserved interior textiles in Europe.
Walk the ‘Blomsterstigen’ (the ‘Flower Path’) and encounter plants including the beautiful Fjällglimflower (moss campion or cushion pink) that creates a pink mat over the landscape.
These holidays have been designed for travellers who want to disconnect for a while, take the less travelled road and immerse themselves in experiences filled with human connections.
