About Us

Small-group photography tours in Finnish Lapland, since 2016.

The Story behind Beyond Arctic

It was year 2013 when the very first idea of Beyond Arctic was born and it took a few years until this idea became reality.

Juho and Annika were both living and travelling around the world extensively. The idea was to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for other travellers. The journey brought them together in Lapland, where Annika is originally from. Beyond Arctic was finally established in Rovaniemi in June 2016.

By that time Juho and Annika had nearly a decade of work experience in the tourism industry and wanted to start a new kind of activity company. Concentrating on photography tours and small-group adventures appeared to be an exciting opportunity. Juho’s passion for photography and explorer mindset created the core values of Beyond Arctic. We are all about experiencing the authentic Lappish nature and the mind-blowing wonders of the Arctic area. Exclusivity, teamwork and authenticity are the cornerstones of our ethos.

Today Beyond Arctic is the leading photography tour and small-group adventure operator in Rovaniemi and thousands of guests join our adventures every year.

Meet the team

Founders, operations and guides — the people behind our small-group tours in Finnish Lapland.

Juho Uutela

Founder & CEO

Juho is a true explorer who is always seeking for the next adventure. With more than a decade of experience in demanding hikes, mountain climbs and remote destinations around the world, Juho wanted to combine the explorer’s spirit with his passion for photography. Beyond Arctic was born.

Photography is a core activity in all of our expeditions and tours. Trying to capture the essence of the Arctic nature enhances the experience of being there. Step by step, frame by frame. No rush, no strict schedules – our focus is on the adventure.

Never stop exploring.
Annika

Sales & reservations

Annika is a warm-hearted professional with more than 10 years of work experience in the travel industry. As the head of our sales & reservations, she will help you choose the best activities during your stay in Rovaniemi. For Annika, the most important part of a perfect nature experience is being one with the nature with all five senses open. It is her devotion to ensure that your nature experience is also something truly spectacular. Annika is always out there to help you make the best out of your holiday.

Dive into nature.
Juho Uurtamo

Operation Manager

Another one of our photography guides, also called Juho, he is a passionate photographer and an outdoor enthusiast. Born and raised hundreds of kilometers above the Arctic circle, Juho is in his natural habitat out in the Arctic wilderness. With his extensive knowledge of Lapland, Juho takes you safely to the best locations for nature and Northern Lights photography. Juho is an easy-going person with an unsatisfiable thirst for new experiences. His indomitable spirit as an expedition guide is guaranteed to create unforgettable moments out in the Arctic nature.

Experience the real Lapland.
Emilia

Emilia is one of our most knowledgeable wilderness guides. She also happens to be a phenomenal photographer. She has been part of the Beyond Arctic team for the last two seasons.
She grew up in a small village in central Finland where she grew up in the middle of forest and nature. She has a deep rooted connection to nature, that passion has been a lifestyle for her from the very beginning. Her love and appreciation for Finnish nature is contagious and invaluable, it rubs off on everyone around her, guests and fellow guides alike. Emilia always makes her guests feel at ease with her kind and friendly personality.
She honed her wilderness skills by studying to be a wilderness and nature guide in northern Lapland. She’s been into photography for the last 5 years and she’s still studying to learn more about different fields of photography.
Her favorite excursions with Beyond Arctic are Riisitunturi and back country skiing.
Her hobbies besides photography are long hiking trips into the most remote parts of Finland, and any other outdoor stuff all year round. Her indoor hobbies are knitting and other handcrafts.

“I enjoy that I can spend my work days outdoors in the fresh air and being active. I like that the days are sometimes physically demanding. I want to offer a memorable moment in nature for my guests, and show them the beauty of Finnish nature. I consider my work well done if I can get someone to see how valuable the nature around us is and how we should respect and protect it. And combining all this with photography is a win-win for me!”
Jana

Jana comes to us from Belgium. She’s been with us many seasons now. She is our editor extraordinaire. She makes sure all of your photos get edited in a timely fashion, but she’s also a talented photographer in her own right.
She fits in perfectly in Lapland since she loves spending time outdoors. Her favorite hobby is going camping while being on a multiple day hike in a remote place.
She just recently adopted a dog named Ajla, who joins her on all of her nature excursions.
Her favorite tours with Beyond Arctic are Riisitunturi, and our skiing-fishing tour.

“I love telling stories to people about life in the Arctic from a perspective as a foreigner who fell in love with this place. Also being able to combine photography and outdoor activities, since those are my two passions so it never feels like a boring day at work.”
Finn

Before settling in Rovaniemi Finn used to travel the world with his camera. Now he finds a great many photographic opportunities right around the corner. In recent years he has been sharpening his northern lights photography skills, heading out into the arctic nights. He challenges himself to keep on creating different types of images and explore new places and new angles. His background in physics helps him to digest the vast amount of information available on northern lights. He hopes that anyone visiting Lapland will take the time to enjoy nature and bring back a stunning set of images.

A stunning photo is 90% planning and 10% luck.
Krista
- What is your favourite Beyond Arctic tour?
  
  I’m a big fan of the Reindeer Farm Visit -tour, mostly because I’m at my best when I’m with animals and tours that include both humans (kids and/or adults) and animals. I also like to do the Ranua Wildlife Park -tours and Photoshoots (especially at the nature location).
- Favourite hobby?
  
  Horses! I’ll always have a spirit of a horse girl – although the precious old friend of mine passed away 1,5 years ago, after all of the 16 years we spent together. For now I’m curious to find out what’s life without being daily responsible for taking care of my own horse. I guess it will take a while to figure out how to fill those ‘big boots’ left by a horse – and is it even possible, or should I just accept that there isn’t any other thing to replace a horse than another horse.
- Where are you from and what is your background in guiding and photography?
  
  I’ve born and grown up in Tornio (Sea-Lapland, Finland), 120 km from Rovaniemi to south-west. The city of Tornio is over 400 years old what makes it the most oldest city in Finnish Lapland. It’s located right at the border of Sweden where the cultural region of Torne Valley spreads out to both sides of the Tornio River including areas from both Finland and Sweden.
  
  As a guide I’m just a beginner with only one full season behind me but as a photographer I’m a professional: having way much more experience in photography than in guiding. My own experience based opinion is that it’s good to be a pro in another occupation so it’s a lot easier to stay focused on learning and mastering the another one too. I’m also an entrepreneur running my own little photography company as a ‘side business’ beside my studies of audiovisual mediaculture (media science) at the University of Lapland.
- What do you like about being a guide in Lapland?
  
  Being both a guide and a photographer is interesting combination that allows me to operate at the field of profession as a photographer when simultaneously improving my guiding-, service- and language skills as working at the travel industry.
  
  Finnish Lapland has always been my home. I find it fascinating to see how the traveling here is increasing and how it will be affecting the whole Lapland – and how to ensure that all of us are taking the responsibility of respecting and maintaining our environment. The nature of Lapland is so extreme yet so sensitive and pure. We need to keep it safe.
Anni
- What is your favourite Beyond Arctic tour?
  
  I haven’t fully decided do I like ski or reindeerfarm more but they are both my favorities. I like the reindeerfarm mostly because they always have really good pancakes and also the reindeers are super cute. Ski tour is super nice when you can just slide in the forest in quietness with customers and tell them about finnish nature and animals.
- Favourite hobby?
  
  My favorite hobby is hunting or more like a lifestyle. I do it because the meet you get from that is truly pure and I don’t have to buy meet from the store. It is also a social hobby for me. I do it with family and friends.
- Where are you from and what is your background in guiding and photography?
  
  I from Kuivaniemi thats a small village from Ii. Near Oulu 😅. I started photographin when I started my internship in your company. I had no background in photography before that. But I took on quikly. I studied to be nature guiden from -21 ti -23. So I was training couple years how to guide people safely in nature and with snowmobiles. I also had a relly nice intership in Kuusamo on Ruska Laukka. Thats a horse stable and they do hikes with the finnhorses. I was there for a month and I got to do those horse hikes. As my last day had that “näyttö” that I show to my teatcher that I can do this on my own.
- What do you like about being a guide in Lapland?
  
  I think it’s a privilige to be a guide in Lapland and in a good company. It doesn’t always even feel like I’m working. I get to meet new people and I get to experience things as my work that some people travel from far away to see.