Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
The spot in one fact
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. See it for grade III paddlers.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Meltausjoki on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Meltausjoki
A launch on the Meltausjoki. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Meltaus.
- River Meltausjoki
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,450–US$2,700 each
about US$1,450–US$2,700 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to RVN, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$469–US$971 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$107–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$576 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$335–US$623 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$194–US$355 |
| Total | about US$1,450–US$2,700 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Meltaus
about 25 min by car
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Meltaus its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Meltaus, 13 km. We have not checked places to stay in Meltaus yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Rovaniemi, 52 km away. Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$127 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 19h 10m
About 19h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → RVN, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → RVN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Meltaus · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Meltaus · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits