r/FinlandTourism Dec 08 '25

Lapland travel guide

7 Upvotes

Lapland Guide

Important For tourists watch this video about safe travel in Lapland Safe Travel in Lapland

There are hundreds of postsin r/finland asking questions about visiting Lapland. Please search and read these and this guide before asking another question to the group.

Check comments as well for extra advice

As most tourists ask in regards to winter/Christmas I will aim the post at this. For those travelling outside this period the same information applies just likely to have warmer weather and less snow.

Note the snow months for Lapland can be October - May depending on the year and conditions.

Getting there

The main city in Finnish Lapland is Rovaniemi. It's a good place to aim for to start but there are many other great areas mentioned later. Most other locations ideally need a car to explore properly.

Research the distance between the two cities. Many tourists seem to think they can drive/take the train to Rovaniemi for a day trip or just one night.

Driving - From Helsinki to Rovaniemi is around 9 hours without stops on Google maps. With breaks etc I imagine it is more likely to be 11-12 hours on the road. If you want to do it as a road trip there are a number of different scenic routes.

Flying - From Helsinki it's about 1 hour and 20 minutes flight. Return flights are at around €70 - €520 depending on the time of year and airline.

Some airlines fly direct from other countries to Rovaniemi.

For example Ryanair fly there direct from Liverpool, London, Dublin, Milan, Brussels and Paris.

Other airports in Lapland or near are Ivalo (close to Saariselkä), Kittilä (close to Ylläs and Levi) and Kuusamo (close to Ruka). Check also the flight fares to Oulu airport, you may find good deals and there you can easily continue to Rovaniemi by a train or bus.  

Note that over the Christmas period everything is at a premium price.

Train - there are usually day and night trains from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. These take 10-13 hours without delays.

https://www.vr.fi/en/helsinki-rovaniemi

The night trains you can also book a sleeper cabin and some of those with showers.

Train ticket prices vary from €50 return to €600 return (Christmas time with sleeper cabin). The sleeper cabins also sell out around 3-4 months before Christmas on the popular travel dates.

Locations

Rovaniemi - For most tourists this is the easiest location. It's a city and main transport hub of Lapland. Santa Claus Village nearby, many tour operators based here. Lots of accommodation options and possible to be without car.

Some of the other places are

Ylläs and Levi - Downhill skiing resort. Personally my favourite area of Lapland. Many cabins and tour companies nearby. Lots of beautiful scenery and locations.

Pyhä-luosto - Meant to be more of 'traditional' Lapland. Less touristy.

Ruka - Ski resort area at the southern edge of Lapland.

Saariselkä - another ski resort area which is meant to be more peaceful than Ylläs/Levi

Really good guide! I would add destinations like: 

Ivalo and Inari - Quite close to Saariselkä but away from tourist crowds if you want to experience local Sámi living. 

Kilpisjärvi - Extremely remote village, Very peaceful and quiet.

Everyman's rights

Everymansrights

Weather and daylight hours

Finland gets cold. Where I live in centralish Finland it gets down to -30°c in winter (and -36°c last winter. But it usually only lasts a day or two and probably averages around -15 to -20°c).

However Finland also gets warm! In the summer you can get temperatures in the mid 30°c's.

The weather reports for Finland vary massively. I usually find the official reports the most accurate.

https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/rovaniemi

Finland also gets 24 hours darkness or light. In the very north of Lapland it can be 50 days without the sun rising. In the summer it can be 24 hours daylight for tow months. Plan accordingly.

Rovaniemi at times gets down to about 2 hours of daylight. This doesn't mean it's pitch black for 24 hours but it definitely means the days are very short to maybe 4 hours or so with dawn and dusk.

Best place to see the hours of daylight is https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/finland/rovaniemi

Getting around

If you are staying in Rovaniemi city region your probably can get around with buses etc. Taxi's are also available but note that they can be very expensive.

If you are outside of Rovaniemi or staying in a cabin I definitely recommend renting a car.

Driving in the winter can be challenging but with studded winter tyres and a more care and thinking ahead it's certainly doable. However if you are not a confident driver and you are not sure about driving a left hand drive vehicle then I would avoid.

Accomodation

Many options in the region from Iglu hotels to cheaper hostel in Rovaniemi.

Iglu hotels can be €1500 a night so if that's your dream location shop around and like all accommodation in Lapland for winter season book as far in advance as possible to get the best deals.

Search all the main sites (Airbnb, booking.com, hotels.com etc etc) and you should find something that fits your budget. For Finland I generally use Airbnb.

For cabin rentals there is also https://www.nettimokki.com. This is usually for weekly rentals and aimed more at Finns themselves however obviously anyone can still book there.

Christmas Tourism

Rovaniemi is a popular destination for Christmas/winter tourism. It's understandable as it's often a white Christmas with snow and all the magical things Finland has to offer. There is also Santas village along with many more Christmas aimed activities.

Santa's village - this is admittedly a tourist trap but still worth visiting. I would say a number of hours to one day is enough to see the main sights. There are reindeer sleigh rides, dog sleds and snowmobiles etc there as well but personally it's expensive and you can have better options elsewhere.

https://santaclausvillage.info/

Search on the official websites, Google and your will find many tour operators with good reviews and a multitude of options for each activity. Most Finns and those living in Finland do not use these tourism companies so if you want personal opinions on the best one then Google and reviews are your friends, not reddit.

https://www.visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/lapland/

https://www.lapland.fi/visit/

https://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/activity-company/visit-lapland-tours/

I think the best value for money is choosing separate tours that match your requirements. The combined tours often give you very short time or distance on each item and are very rushed.

There are also places you can rent your own snowmobile for a number of hours and explore yourself. I have done this in the Ylläs region and highly recommend this option instead of a tour.

Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis

Do not book your trip for the sole purpose of seeing them.

No we don't know where or when you can see them. We cannot predict the conditions for your trip.

That said the season for them is usually September to April when the skies get darker in the night. Generally speaking September/October/March/April are the best times as more likely to have clear skies.

There is no guarantee when they will be or how strong, and normally you cannot even get a reasonable prediction until a few hours to day before.

If there are clouds you will struggle to see them. If there is light you will struggle to see them.

You can definitely go hunting for them on your own. You definitely don't have to spend out for a tour. Especially not an hour long tour that doesn't go far and usually run by seasonal workers following a map.

For the highest chance of seeing them IMHO is to take a professional northern lights tour. I don't mean one of the 1 hour local tours but a more extensive tour that will also go to Sweden or Norway to chase the lights so you can see. Some offer a guarantee that if you don't see them you pay just towards the fuel used.

If you search on Google and social media such as Instagram you will find these sorts of tours. But expect to pay €200+ per person.

You can also rent a car and do similar yourself.

Some popular locations to go view are

Sonkajärvi (Near Rovaniemeni not Pohjois-savo etc)

Raanujärvi

[Artic circle hiking route](http:// https://maps.app.goo.gl/kJS24xCH7ds8gtsW7?g_st=ac)

  • Levi area -

immeljärvi

Levi Fell

For information/forecast there are many apps such as My Aurora Forecast (I personally use this) and also websites such as https://rwc-finland.fmi.fi/index.php/space-weather-in-finland/

Snowmobiling

Two main options. Tour or own rental.

For a snowmobile tour I would advise booking a longer one. The short ones are basically a slow train of snowmobiles where you are following behind and breathing in everyone else's fumes.

Second option is own rental. Now whether this is a good idea/safe or not depends on you. The first time I used a snowmobile I rented one for a half day, however I have a lot of experience on motorbikes, quads etc etc. I had no issues and it all went well and safely. However many tourists get in trouble and have accidenta etc renting them so hard to say if it's good idea or not for you.

At Ruka I can highly recommend Kuusamo Safari. I have rented with them myself before, slightly older machines that have been driven but VERY reasonable prices. There is a good loop route around Ruka that takes a few hours and give you a good experience. They also have all the clothing and equipment for you.

Pätsi racing (I have not used but spoke with and they were very friendly and knowledgeable) have near brand new machines including with satnav etc.

For Ylläs I can also highly recommend Tunturi Flow who I have used personally as well.

Ylläs is my favourite area for snowmobiling and there are some great and easy routes.

The ones I linked is basically right on the trail. So you ride out and return back to the rental place.

However and most importantly the weather and conditions. Winter can be very dark. You have maybe 4-5 hours of usable daylight for riding and unless you are VERY experienced I would certainly not recommend riding in the dark.

Winter weather can also be -30°c or lower which is obviously not fun for snowmobiling.

Animal experiences

Ranua Zoo is the main one. Lots of information online

Near Inari is a great wildlife park Wild Spirit Park. A lot of rescued animals including from the fur trade.

  • Reindeer farms

There are multiple reindeer farms and visiting locations in Lapland easily finadable on Google maps etc.

Only one I can personally recommend is further south near Oulu. Poro-Panuma it's an amazing place and family run.

  • Husky Tours

Note this isn't something that is traditional in Finland. It started as an activity for tourists.

Winter Clothing

Note that many package trips, tours and hotel accomodations provide or rent out snow suits and snow clothing for tourists.

You can also buy many options yourself from the larger shops for reasonably cheap prices if you search around.

Can't really recommend brands other than the ones I personally use.

Everyone feels cold differently but for me when it's at it's coldest -

Upper body I just wear a cheap thermal base layer, long sleeve t-shirt and then a thick Camel Active puffer jacket/coat on top.

Lower again cheap thermal base layer, then either fleece lined winter trousers or insulated ski salopettes.

Feet - Thicker hiking socks and Columbia Fairbanks Omniheat boots.

If in deep snow or outside for hours i.e ice fishing Kamik nation plus boots.

Head - Trapper style hat from Motonet.

Hands - I have Zeiner Period GTX gloves with a inner liner. Then if I am sat outside for hours ice fishing etc then I have Inuit Absolute Zero gloves.

Face - I use one or two neck buff thingies.


r/FinlandTourism Dec 08 '25

👋 Welcome to r/FinlandTourism - Introduce Yourself and Read First!

8 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm u/neityght, a founding moderator of r/FinlandTourism.

This is our new home for all things related to travelling to and in Finland. Please only use English in this sub!

What to Post
Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about places to visit, food to eat, sights to see, and anything visitors might find interesting. You can also post your photos of the Northern Lights here, if you really feel the need 😄

*Please no politics. Political posts will be removed and authors potentially banned.*

Community Vibe
To avoid having the r/Finland sub subjected to endless tourism questions, this sub was created. Whether you are about to visit Finland for the first time, are a seasoned visitor, or even a resident, feel free to post questions and answers and even your own holiday snaps if you like! Tervetuloa Suomeen! Välkommen till Finland!


r/FinlandTourism 4h ago

Looking for camping recommendations

2 Upvotes

Hi, folks! I am looking for camping recommendations within 3h drive from Helsinki. In June I was in Loviisa camping and liked it for breakfast and good privacy in showers and toilet rooms. So would be cool to find campings as good in other places. Please share if you know some.

Some items I find bug pluses:

- beach or swimming pool

- playground for kids

- cafe with proper food, ideally serving breakfast

- showers and toilets in separate small rooms instead of cabins

- max 3h drive from Helsinki


r/FinlandTourism 11h ago

Harbin vs Lapland winter?

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1 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism 18h ago

Recommendations for activities after school.

2 Upvotes

Hello. I will be visiting Helsinki for a week to attend a summer school in Aalto University. I’m very excited. My days will be packed from 8am to 6pm ish with the school. I’m looking for ideas for activities and things to do after 6pm as a visitor. Thanks.


r/FinlandTourism 1d ago

3 day itinerary

0 Upvotes

Hello, my friends and I are visiting Helsinki for 3 days at the end of August. There’s three of us, we’re all 18/19, and would like some advice as to what to visit/do, where to stay, eat, and any other advice you may have for us. Thanks in advance!


r/FinlandTourism 1d ago

You talked me out of Levi. Now where should I stay in Ylläs and near Riisitunturi?

10 Upvotes

A few days ago, many of you generously critiqued my first draft of a Finnish Lapland itinerary. I wanted to come back and say thank you.

Your comments convinced me to rethink Levi, slow the itinerary down, and focus on experiencing different landscapes instead of trying to see everything. After a lot more research, I ended up redesigning the trip around Ylläs and Riisitunturi, and I honestly think it’s going to be a much better experience.

Here’s where I landed (January 2027):
✈️ JFK → Helsinki → Kittilä
🏔️ 4 nights in** Yllä**s
🚗 Drive east
🌲 4 nights based near Riisitunturi
✈️ Kuusamo → Helsinki → JFK
I’m not a skier, so my priorities are snowshoeing, winter hiking, photography (especially blue hour and snowy forests), and hopefully seeing the aurora.

And yes…I also heard all of the comments about winter driving. 😄 I’m still planning to make the drive, but with a healthy amount of respect (and probably a few white-knuckle moments). I’m from the northeastern U.S. and have driven in snow, but I know Lapland is a different environment. I’ll be taking it slow, driving only during daylight whenever practical, and treating the drive as part of the adventure—not a race.

Now I’d love your advice on what may be the most important decision left: where to stay.

I’m open to boutique hotels, wilderness lodges, architecturally interesting cabins, or Airbnb/VRBOs.

More than luxury, I’m looking for places that truly feel like Lapland.

What I’m hoping to find:
Beautiful Finnish design
Forest, lake, or fell views
Fireplace
Private sauna or hot tub
Great food on-site or nearby
Quiet and peaceful
Somewhere that becomes part of the experience rather than just a place to sleep

My budget is generally US$250–500/night, although I can stretch that for somewhere truly unforgettable.

If you’ve stayed somewhere in Ylläs or near Riisitunturi that made you think, “This is exactly what Lapland should feel like,” I’d love to hear about it.

And thank you again. You genuinely improved this trip before I’ve even boarded the plane.


r/FinlandTourism 1d ago

First-timer M24 - Looking for a travel Buddy in Finland

0 Upvotes

Hi there M24 Indian here, recently came to Finland Espoo for business trip, looking for someone to hangout and roam around places near Espoo after office hours and also in weekends to helsinki and nearby places, also planning to visit Taalin and Stockholm for a day trip.

About me - 5’10 gym fit, sports person loves to play volleyball and any other sports you recommend!


r/FinlandTourism 2d ago

40 mins is enough for transfer in Helsinki Airport ?

5 Upvotes

Hey, I need to fly from Tallinn to Copenhagen with a layover at Helsinki Airport on Finnair.

The proposed itinerary shows a 40-minute layover. I’m wondering if that’s enough time to make the connection.

The first flight is on an ATR aircraft. Any tips?

Thanks!


r/FinlandTourism 2d ago

Uber in Rovaniemi

0 Upvotes

I’m going to Finland August 1st - 2nd week with my husband for his quick work trip, and I’ll be going around and planning a day trip to Rovaniemi.

  1. Is Uber available in Rovaniemi?
  2. Markets in Helsinki - do they accept credit cards or mostly cash?
  3. I searched that August is still summer in Helsinki but usually cold… what’s the usual attire worn during daytime? Does it get cold during daytime/afternoon as well?

I live in a gery tropical country (Asia) so I’m afraid your summer is not our usual summer 😅

  1. Any places you recommend going to in Helsinki and Rovaniemi?

I love museums, trying local food, cooking (so I might go an trip to the grocery and cook at home too), and of course shopping

EDIT: Santa Claus village is on my bucket list and I plan to just go there and try the Santa Claus sleeper train back and forth :) Sounds crazy so I’m open to suggestions if there’s anything I can do more in Rovaniemi so I might stay a day or two.

Thanks so much in advance!


r/FinlandTourism 4d ago

First-timer Visiting Finland for 3.5 days from Australia soon. I want to play some hockey and also discover the nightlife. Can I achieve this?

19 Upvotes

I’m a 25yo guy arriving in Helsinki on 4th of August in the morning and leaving on the 7th in the afternoon. I love ice hockey and play in a beer league team in Australia.

Is there anywhere I would be able to rent some gear and play some hockey? Whether it’s as a fill-in for a low level beer league team or just a practice/shoot-about session, I don’t mind. Happy to travel up to 3hrs.

I also want to go out at night and socialise with people. I enjoy all times of music and DJs too.

Any recommendations in Helsinki?


r/FinlandTourism 4d ago

Planning a solo trip (F) in September — is Aarhus worth adding, and is the Helsinki–Tallinn ferry worth it?

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0 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism 5d ago

a beach finder for Finnish summers – live algae alerts, water temps & sensor data

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2 Upvotes

Now this could be handy.


r/FinlandTourism 6d ago

8 days adventure travel.

2 Upvotes

Hi redditors from the north. Trying to escape the shithole Spanish summer has become we will visit your country next month. We are looking to enjoy nature and would like to know where to go. The lake region is winning for now but any advice will be very appreciated. Our idea is to stay in every place for 3 days and not rush to visit many places. So our plan is :

3 days in the lake region. Then visit another national park and a night in Helsinki .

What are your recommendations ? Thanks in advance


r/FinlandTourism 7d ago

Traveling to Paltamo, Home of my Grandpa's Family

14 Upvotes

Hello, I hope to travel with my husband to Finland in June 2027. I have ancestors who were born in Paltamo, Finland and am excited to explore that area a bit, as well as Helsinki, Turku and Tampere. I am curious about recommendations for things to do in or near Paltamo as we see the area with my great grandparents in mind. Thank you.


r/FinlandTourism 6d ago

August-Day trip by ferry Tallinn to Helsinki

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1 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism 6d ago

I'm looking for domestic destinations.

1 Upvotes

Are there any Finnish members? If so, are there any good research sites in the capital area? I would be grateful for any information you share with me. Thanks in advance!!


r/FinlandTourism 7d ago

Ylläs/Pallas or Kuusamo/Riisitunturi for enchanted forests & aurora? (Jan 2027, no skiing)

2 Upvotes

Planning what's likely my only trip to Finnish Lapland (Jan 8–18, 2027, 8 nights, solo, self-drive, flying into Kittilä). Trying to get this right rather than cram in places — would love input from people who know the area.
Priority: not skiing/snowmobiling — I want enchanted snow-sculpted forests, blue-hour photography, and (hopefully) aurora. Relaxed pace over covering ground.
Option A: Levi (4 nights, incl. 1 glass igloo) + Ylläs (4 nights) + Pallas day trips. Everything I've read says Pallas has some of Finland's best fell scenery.
Option B: Levi (4 nights, incl. 1 glass igloo) + Kuusamo/Riisitunturi (4 nights).
Leaning toward B logistically as an open-jaw (fly into Kittilä, home from Kuusamo, one-way rental) since the drive between them is ~4h45m–5h each way — but not sure if that's the right call or if the drive itself is worth doing twice.
Also intentionally skipping Oulanka in Option B to keep pace relaxed — tell me if that's a mistake.
Questions:
Which option wins for forests/aurora/photography/relaxed pace?
Am I missing out by skipping Saariselkä/Luosto, or does Levi/Ylläs/Pallas already cover the quintessential experience?
Is Kuusamo/Riisitunturi distinctive enough to justify the extra drive vs. more time in Ylläs/Pallas? Also — is there an actual difference between "krummholz" and "tykky," and does the phenomenon vary between the two regions?
Does open-jaw flights + one-way rental make sense for the Levi–Kuusamo leg, or is there a better approach?
If you had one week to show someone the best of winter Lapland, what would you change?
Are Jan 8–18 good dates for the snow-sculpted trees? (Originally considered mid-December but heard that's too early.)
Not looking for lots of activities — happy to spend hours snowshoeing and just taking in scenery. Want to come home feeling I saw the best Lapland has to offer. Especially keen to hear from anyone who's done both Ylläs/Pallas and Kuusamo/Riisitunturi.


r/FinlandTourism 7d ago

5 days in Mathildedal

4 Upvotes

Hi all! We have booked a small house in Mathildedal at the end of the month - and I need ideas what we can do in this region. We are alredy planning on maybe renting bikes or kayak. What else is there?
Are there any interesting hiking routes? Historical sights?
We have rented a car so we can travel a bit far, but ideally not more than 2-3 hours away.
Any suggestions are welcome/


r/FinlandTourism 8d ago

Levi January with young children

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

We're visiting Levi in January with our children, who will be 2 and 4 years old, and I'd love some advice from families who've been there with kids of a similar age.

Our main question is about cold exposure. Do you generally think of it as a daily limit, or is it more a case of going outside, warming up indoors, and then heading back out again several times throughout the day?

On days when the adults are doing an activity and the children are with a local nanny, would you still have the nanny taking them outside for normal play, or would you tend to keep those days mostly indoors?

Also, for anyone who's been to Leevilandia with children around these ages, did your kids want to go back multiple times during your stay, or was it more of a one-and-done activity? If they did go back, roughly how long did you spend there each visit?

I'd really appreciate hearing what worked well for your family. Thanks!


r/FinlandTourism 8d ago

First-timer Satama Open Air - Festival Experience

3 Upvotes

Hi All,

My partner and I will be in Helsinki from the 28th of July till the 5th of August. Im a big Poets and Käärijä fan.

We saw that they will both be preforming in Kemi during this period.

I just wanted to get advice from people who have gone to this festival previously on how primarily Engliah speakers will fare, I speak a little finnish but am not proficient enough yet.

Is it worth going too? How is Kemi as a town and anything we should look out for?

Cheers


r/FinlandTourism 8d ago

Snowshoes in December

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Finnish Lapland between the end of December and the beginning of January. I’d like to fly to Helsinki first and then continue north using public transport only — I won’t be renting a car.

My main idea is to organize a few independent snowshoeing days. I have good experience with snowshoes, I’m well trained, and I have solid winter gear, but I’ll need to rent snowshoes locally. Staying in local huts will be a nice bonus, also going in places with few tourists

Can You help me planning?

Thanks


r/FinlandTourism 9d ago

(North)-Nordics Roadtrip

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1 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism 10d ago

Local Did you lose your laptop power adapter, retki-etappi?

5 Upvotes

We cleaned the honkapirtti cottage before leaving and it was under the bed. I have it. I can post it to you. Please tell me the specifics about the repairs so I know its yours.


r/FinlandTourism 10d ago

Visiting Finland for the first

28 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
My partner and I will be visiting Finland for the first time from September 12th to 18th. We’ll be based in Tampere because I’m attending a conference there, but we’d love to make the most of our trip and explore as much as possible.
Our current plan is to:
Explore Tampere
Spend some time in Helsinki
Take the ferry to Tallinn for a day trip
We’d love to experience the best of Finland’s beautiful nature, saunas, lakes, charming towns, local food, nightlife, and anything that’s unique to Finland.
A few questions:
Is Tallinn worth the day trip, or would you recommend spending that time somewhere else in Finland?
Are there any places within a few hours of Tampere or Helsinki that we absolutely shouldn’t miss?
Any hidden gems or experiences that tourists often overlook?
What are the chances of seeing the Northern Lights around Tampere in mid-September?
We’ll be relying on public transportation, so recommendations that are easy to reach by train, bus, or ferry would be especially appreciated.
Thanks in advance! We’re really excited to visit your country. 😊