Napapiiri Café and Karhunkierros visitor centre are located in Hautajärvi village, Salla, Finland.
Contact information
Napapiiri Café / Karhunkierros Luontokeskus Oy
Address: Hautajärventie 414, 98995 Hautajärvi
Phone: +358 400 196 741
E-mail: info@napapiiricafe.fi
Business ID: 0871560-9
Salla
The municipality of Salla with 3,500 inhabitants is located in Eastern Lapland and is the seventh largest municipality in Finland by area. You can get to know more about Salla's versatile tourism offer, attractions and events on the Visit Salla website from this link.
Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle Café is located in the northern Arctic Circle and we are the official Arctic Circle visitor center. The Arctic Circle sign in our yard is a popular photo and selfie spot.
By air or rail
The nearest airport is located in Kuusamo (KAO) (71 km). Kuusamo can be reached from Helsinki with scheduled Finnair flights.
The nearest train station is in Kemijärvi (75 km). There is a regular night train from Helsinki to Kemijärvi (travel time approx. 13 hours).
By road
We are located along highway 950 leading to Salla. The distance to Salla is about 40 km and Ruka about 50 km. The drive to Kuusamo airport (71 km) takes about an hour.
By snowmobile
During the winter months, you can reach us by snowmobile, too. We are located along the snowmobile path, which branches off less than a kilometer from the main snowmobile route in the direction of Salla. The distance from Ruka ski resort to Napapiiri Café is about 50 km, from Salla about 40 km. Travel time, depending on driving speed, is about 1.5-2.5 hours.
By bus or taxi
By bus from Kuusamo airport, Kuusamo town, Ruka, and Sallatunturi:
The Karhunkierros Express shuttle operates from all scheduled Finnair flights arriving at Kuusamo airport via the route Airport -> Ruka -> Käylä -> Hautajärvi -> Sallatunturi (and also in return direction for flights departing from Kuusamo). The shuttle schedule varies by day of the week according to flight schedules
- see the timetables and book your ticket in Matkahuolto's online store.
The name of our stop in Matkahuolto's online store: Arctic Circle Hautajärvi.
Note! Book your tickets in advance at least the day before. Shuttles are only run if there are advance reservations for them.
Carpool and private taxis from Kuusamo and Ruka are operated by local taxi companies: Ruka taxi service and Otaxi.
By foot
Finland's most popular hiking trail, the 82-kilometer long Karhunkierros, starts from our backyard. The route goes from us to the Ruka tourist center - or vice versa - in the breathtaking scenery of the Oulanka National Park. Read more about Karhunkierros trail and Oulanka National Park from this link.
Parking
There is a parking lot for 20 cars and snowmobiles in the front yard of Arctic Circle Café. If needed, more parking space is available for snowmobiles in the back yard of the café. Parking is free for same-day visitors and overnight guests. Long-term parking fee is 10 €/each 24 hours.
Distances
Kuusamo 62 km
Kuusamo airport 71 km
Ruka 50 km
Sallatunturi 32 km
Salla 39 km
Kemijärvi 75 km
Rovaniemi 148 km
Oulu 234 km
Helsinki 873 km
Timbuktu 8389 km
