Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 9 kn gusting 17, Air 2 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 44 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 1.7 mm
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 41 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 40 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 42 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 0°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 240, poor
- Tue 342, poor
- Wed 444, poor
- Thu 542, poor
- Fri 641, poor
- Sat 740, poor
- Sun 842, poor
- Mon 940, poor
- Tue 1042, poor
- Wed 1140, poor
The spot in three facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 5.2 kmthe section
- Best in Jul7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 40, poor | 5 kn | 10kn | 0°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 42, poor | 10 kn | 23kn | 2°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 44, poor | 9 kn | 17kn | 2°C | 1.7 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, poor | 9 kn | 21kn | 1°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 41, poor | 8 kn | 17kn | 1°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 40, poor | 10 kn | 24kn | 1°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 42, poor | 10 kn | 23kn | 1°C | 0.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 40, poor | 4 kn | 15kn | 0°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 42, poor | 7 kn | 15kn | 1°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 40, poor | 10 kn | 23kn | -1°C | 0.6 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
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.
Best time to go
best in Jul
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Oulankajoki on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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 Oulankajoki
A river section on the Oulankajoki, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 5.2 km along the river. 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. For expert paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ruka. Within 5 km we also list 3 kayak spots.
- River Oulankajoki
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Length 5.2 km along the river.
- 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$2,710 each
about US$1,450–US$2,710 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to KAO, estimated from distance and season, changing at FRA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$476–US$986 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$101–US$168 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$577 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$335–US$624 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$195–US$356 |
| Total | about US$1,450–US$2,710 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Ruka
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 45 min by car · 44 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Ruka its beds, food and every spot near it
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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 20h 25m
About 20h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KAO, changing at Frankfurt Main Airport (FRA), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → KAO on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Ruka · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Ruka · 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