Ruka
Slope Breakdown
Ruka at a glance
Ruka is a ski resort in Finland, part of the Ruka area. It offers 19 km of slopes served by 22 lifts, with skiing between 202 m and 492 m (290 m vertical). That makes it the 3rd largest of the 3 ski resorts in Finland listed on Intski. The season usually runs from October to May. Ruka is particularly beginner-friendly: about 47% of its slopes are easy blue runs.
Top features of this resort
Snow forecast
No new snow in the 7-day forecast for Ruka.
New snow and temperature at the top station. Estimated by Intski from the MET Norway forecast, updated every few hours. Where it snows most this week
Email me when it snows
An alert when 15 cm or more is on the way at Ruka, and a heads-up before it opens.
Getting there & lift pass
Nearest airport
Kuusamo (KAO) — about 20 km from the resort, straight-line distance, allow more by road.
Lift pass
Adult day pass around 58 EUR (2026/27 season). Ruka day pass, ticket office.
Compare lift pass prices at all resortsPrice source, checked 2026-09-14
Driving to Ruka
Rules for a car in Finland, checked 30 September 2026 against official sources.
Road charge
No road charge
Winter tyres
Required in wintry conditions, 1 Nov to 31 Mar
Studded tyres
Allowed 1 Nov to 31 Mar (and whenever conditions require)
Ruka resort facts
Difficulty shares from skiresort.info, applied to the area total.
About Ruka
Ruka is the ski resort on Rukatunturi, a 492 m fell in Kuusamo, Finland. The elevation figures look tiny next to the Alps, with the base at 202 m, the top at 492 m and only 290 m of vertical, but they miss what the resort is about.
Resort Highlights
A fell in Kuusamo with one of Europe’s longest seasons
Ruka is the ski resort on Rukatunturi, a 492 m fell in Kuusamo, Finland. The elevation figures look tiny next to the Alps, with the base at 202 m, the top at 492 m and only 290 m of vertical, but they miss what the resort is about. Skiing here dates from the winter of 1954, when the first slope, Eturinne or “Front Slope”, opened. Today there are 41 slopes served by 22 lifts, including three high-speed detachable chairlifts with bubbles and a gondola, and almost 90 snow guns provide snowmaking on every run, with five groomers to maintain them.
The skiing
Our data lists 19 km of pistes and 22 lifts, which is an unusually dense lift network: roughly one lift for every 0.9 km of piste. The result is short runs, fast laps and very little time queueing, and the pistes are not graded in our figures. What Ruka offers instead of vertical is time. Wikipedia describes its season as one of the longest in Europe, usually starting in October and ending in June, with the lifts open daily from 9.30 am to 7 pm during the main season and night skiing on Fridays from 7 pm to 11 pm, usually from December until mid-April. The snow-sure tag in our data reflects the northern location and snowmaking on all runs.
A year-round centre
Ruka has grown into a diverse tourist centre with growing year-round use. In winter that means over 500 km of cross-country tracks and 600 km of snowmobile routes, of which 100 km are private routes used by safari operators, with snowmobiles available to rent. It also hosts Nordic skiing World Cup competitions: the FIS Nordic Combined season opens here each year at the Nordic Opening, and there are annual national competitions in alpine and freestyle skiing, along with past international events in both. Ruka is the southern end of the Karhunkierros hiking trail, and the wider Ruka and Kuusamo area has 160 km of hiking trails, 605 km of cycling routes, 350 km of classified paddling routes, including class 1 to 4 whitewater, and 100 km of boating routes. Our data also flags scenic views.
Practicalities
Kuusamo (KAO) is the nearest airport in our data, roughly 20 km away as the crow flies, an exceptionally short distance for a ski resort. Lift hours, night-skiing dates and season information are on the resort’s official website.
Frequently asked questions about Ruka
Wikipedia describes it as one of the longest in Europe, usually starting in October and ending in June. Almost 90 snow guns provide snowmaking on all runs, which is part of what makes that possible.
Yes, on Fridays from 7 pm to 11 pm, usually from December until mid-April. During the main season the lifts otherwise run daily from 9.30 am to 7 pm.
Yes. There are over 500 km of cross-country tracks, plus 600 km of snowmobile routes, and Ruka hosts the FIS Nordic Combined season opener, the Nordic Opening, each year.
41 slopes and 22 lifts, including three high-speed detachable chairlifts with bubbles and a gondola. The first slope, Eturinne, opened in winter 1954.
Kuusamo airport is roughly 20 km away as the crow flies, one of the shortest airport-to-resort distances of any ski resort.
Ruka has 19 km of marked slopes: 9 km easy (blue), 7 km intermediate (red), 3 km expert (black), served by 22 ski lifts.
The skiing in Ruka ranges from 202 m at the base to 492 m at the top — a vertical drop of 290 m.
The ski season in Ruka typically runs from October to May. Exact opening dates vary by year and snow conditions.
Yes — Ruka is well suited to beginners. About 47% of the slopes (9 km) are easy blue runs.
Ruka has 3 km of expert (black) slopes — about 16% of the total.
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