Accommodation

Arrival

When you arrive at Bear Centre, please check in at the Reception. The reception is located in the restaurant building.

After check-in you will receive your room and instructions for going to the photo hides. Many guests go to the hides already on the same afternoon.

To make it possible to go to the hide on the same day, we recommend arriving in Vartius before 3–4 pm, depending on the season.

If you arrive via Kajaani Airport, some flights from Helsinki arrive in Kajaani only in the late afternoon or evening. In these cases it may not be possible to go to the hide on the same day. We recommend spending one night at Bear Centre before your hide night. Many guests also prefer to rest for a day before going to the hide.

If you arrive at another time, please inform us in advance about your estimated arrival time so we can be there to welcome you.

Accommodation and Hide Nights – Important Notice

If you stay in the photo hides for two nights or more, we strongly recommend booking an accommodation package, which includes accommodation, dinner and breakfast.

Accommodation should be booked for the same day as the hide night, not for the day after the hide night. If accommodation is booked only for the day after the hide night, the room will be available after 12:00, as rooms must first be cleaned after the previous guests and check-in begins at that time.

Many guests think they save money by booking accommodation only for the day after the hide night, but in practice this means there is no place to rest immediately after the hide night.

Reception

Reception is open every day:

1st April – 30th April
8.30 – 10.00 am and 14.00 – 16.00 pm

1st May – 31st July
7.30 – 9.00 am and 15.00 – 17.00 pm

1st August – 31st August
8.00 – 9.30 am and 14.30 – 16.30 pm

1st September – 30th September
8.30 – 10.00 am and 14.00 – 16.00 pm

Sleeping in the Photo Hides

It is possible to rest or sleep in the photo hides. However, sleeping is not recommended when photographing, as bears may appear at any time. Especially during summer it is usually best to stay awake in the hide and sleep during the day in the accommodation.

Please note that photo hides are not intended as accommodation, but primarily for wildlife observation and photography. Therefore all personal belongings and equipment must be taken out of the hide in the morning after the hide night.

Accommodation allows you to rest and sleep during the day after the hide night. During daytime it is also possible to walk around the area, enjoy the scenery or use the bird hide.

Standard Accommodation

Standard accommodation is especially popular among photographers. Most rooms have a private bathroom and shower, but some rooms have a toilet only, and the shower is located in the sauna facilities.

Many rooms are shared rooms, so when booking it is important to specify whether you want:

• a single room (single supplement)
• or a shared twin room

Explore our accommodation products

Frequently Asked Questions

Photography and viewing programmes can be booked separately, but we strongly recommend booking accommodation in addition to the hide. Overnight stays allow you to fully enjoy evening, night, and early-morning bear activity in comfort.

Bear watching always takes place between 5:00 PM and 7:00 AM. In some cases, multiple consecutive sessions can be booked, allowing stays over several days. This is always arranged in advance.

Combining accommodation with bear watching creates a complete wilderness experience — less rush, more rest, and more time to connect with the forest and its wildlife.