From Locals with Love: The Story Behind Boreal Paths

Boreal Paths is a small, independent project run by a family of four: Majd, Unna, and our two young children living here in Rovaniemi. Having worked in the tourism industry for years, we kept noticing the same thing: first-time visitors to Lapland often struggle with the same handful of questions because the answers are scattered, buried, or biased toward sales. We wanted to give our fellow travellers something we would love to use ourselves.

Majd, the man behind the tech

Originally from Morocco, Majd has spent most of his life abroad and has lived in Finland for the past four years, working primarily in hospitality and tourism across the country. This gives him a fresh perspective on what Lapland looks like to a newcomer, knowing exactly what you need when you don't know what to expect or who to trust.

With a degree in computer science, Majd is also the brain behind our software. Boreal Paths isn't just a chatbot dressed up as a planner; it's a proper engine created from scratch to schedule real, bookable days around what actually matters in an Arctic winter: opening hours, travel times, and a pace that suits you. The website is carefully crafted to answer your needs as best as possible. It is still a work in progress, so we truly appreciate any feedback to help us perfect it!

Unna, the local heart

Unna grew up in Rovaniemi and started her career in the local tourism scene before specialising in education (meaning she still maintains an excellent relationship with Santa and his helpers!). After years of living abroad and in other parts of Finland, she's back home, bringing the local soul to this project. Unna writes our Field Notes, shapes the overall feel of the brand, and handles the personal connections that a great trip is truly built on. As a teacher and researcher by trade, she makes sure everything we publish is accurate and high-quality.

What we actually do

Our planner builds a realistic day-by-day Rovaniemi winter itinerary from genuine, bookable activities. The Field Notes are honest, first-hand guides to visiting. For those looking for something extra special, we also craft private and custom trips by hand. Between the two of us, we speak English, French, Arabic, and Finnish – so if you get in touch, there is a good chance we can help in your own language.

Our honesty policy

We would honestly rather tell you a tour isn't worth it than try to sell it to you. Some of the links on our site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at absolutely no extra cost to you. We deeply appreciate you using these links, as they keep our independent project running. Whether you use them or not, it never changes what we recommend – we only ever list experiences we genuinely trust.