15 Fun Things to Do in Lapland, Finland in the Winter (+ Complete Lapland Guide and Tips)
Are you looking for things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we share all the best things to do in this winter wonderland, including reindeer safaris, husky dogsled rides, chasing the northern lights, visiting snow castles, and even meeting Santa Claus himself! Plus, we’ll go over absolutely everything you need to know to visit Lapland, Finland in the winter, including how to get there, when to go, what to bring, where to stay, how to plan your winter Finland itinerary, and much more!
When we first shared that we were going to Finland…in the winter… we definitely got some strange looks and questions from people. The most common question we got was, “why?”.
And I’ll admit, I was questioning it a little myself. I’m one to typically avoid the cold, and trust me when I say, Finland in winter gets cold.
But I knew that a whole winter wonderland awaited us in Finland- particularly in Lapland, the northernmost part of Finland that lies mostly above the Arctic Circle. And this is exactly where we were headed.
Up here, snow-covered trees and forest beautifully blanket the landscape, which can be explored and enjoyed through a variety of unique and adventurous winter activities like reindeer safaris, snowmobile tours, dogsled rides, and more. In Lapland, Finland, you can explore castles made entirely of snow and ice, hike to frozen waterfalls, and ride an icebreaker ship through the frozen Gulf of Bothnia.
But perhaps most importantly, at least for us, heading to Lapland, Finland in the winter gives you a relatively good chance at catching a glimpse of the northern lights- one of the main goals for our trip!
Sure, our time in Lapland, Finland was much different than the trips we usual take, which are normally centered around hiking, mountains, and warm weather. As it turns out, mountains don’t really exist in Finland (instead they have small hills called fells!) and hiking wasn’t the main activity on our list (though we did do some!). It also seemed like a lot of things to do in Lapland required expensive guides and tours, which is normally something we avoid.
But for this trip, we really leaned into it, and guess what? We actually really enjoyed it! We slowed down a bit, and the things that I thought would be overrated or too touristy were actually really fun, cute, and unique. Throughout our trip, I just kept thinking “I’m in the literal Arctic Circle right now getting to experience all these unique activities and landscapes” and it really made everything feel a bit more magical and special.
And now, we want to share with you all the things that make Lapland, Finland so special!
In this guide, we’ll go over all the amazing things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter- things like taking a reindeer safari through snow-covered forests, floating in the middle of a frozen sea, watching the northern lights dance across the sky at night, and even meeting the real Santa Claus!
We’ll also go over all our best tips for visiting Lapland, Finland in the winter to help you plan your trip! We’ll talk about the best time to visit Lapland, Finland, what to bring, where to stay, and how to plan your winter Lapland, Finland itinerary.
So, let’s get to it!
In this Lapland, Finland winter guide:
Where is Lapland, Finland?
Hiking in Lapland, Findland in the winter
The region known as Lapland makes up the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and some of Russia. Most of it (but not all of it) lies above the Arctic Circle (the area which experiences both the Midnight Sun in the summer- where the sun doesn’t set below the horizon for at least one day- as well as Polar Nights in winter where the sun doesn’t rise for at least one day).
In Finland in particular, Lapland makes up about the upper third of the country. It’s a pretty remote region, covered mostly in vast expanses of forests and lakes with small towns and villages scattered in between.
Common scenery in Lapland!
While there are a few main areas and small towns throughout Lapland, the capital, and main tourist hub, of Lapland, Finland is the city of Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is actually the only city that falls on the Arctic Circle line (and it’s fun to cross over it here!), and something fun about Rovaniemi is that it is considered the official home of the real Santa Claus! Because of this, there are a lot of tourist attractions dedicated to this, which we’ll go over in just a bit!
Winter in Lapland, Finland is known for its winter wonderland-like landscapes of beautiful frozen lakes and snow-covered trees and forests, as well as the never-ending list of unique winter activities such as dogsled riding, reindeer safaris, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and more.
Lapland, Finland is also considered one of the best places to see the northern lights, which brings a lot of hopeful visitors in the winter trying to catch a glimpse. Unique accommodations like glass igloos and ice hotels have also made this area famous and offer fun ways to enjoy the winter landscape and the northern lights.
Sounds pretty great, right?
Well, not so fast…
Depending on when you go, Lapland, Finland in the winter can be very cold, and very dark. Around the winter solstice, the area experiences polar nights where the sun never rises, and in the weeks before and after, you may only get a few hours of actual daylight.
But if you pack right, bundle up, and lean into the experience, a trip to Lapland, Finland in the winter is totally worth it!
Places to go in Lapland, Finland
Hiking in southern Lapland
Lapland, Finland is a big area, and there are a few different areas that you can focus your time in. We’ll list them as they lie from South to North in Lapland.
Kemi- This is a small and quiet town in Lapland that sits on the edge of the Gulf of Bothnia. It’s south of Rovaniemi and so technically not in the Arctic Circle, but it’s still part of Lapland, and is worth visiting for one of the best things to do in Lapland, Finland in winter that we mention below- the icebreaker cruise! But more on that in just a bit…
Rovaniemi- This is the capital and main hub of Lapland, Finland. It’s where many people choose to stay simply because it’s easy to get to and has a lot of options for places to stay and eat. Plus, it’s pretty central to a lot of the best things to do in Lapland, Finland. It’s also the official home of Santa Claus, so a lot of people come here to meet the real Santa and visit the Santa Claus Village.
Kittila/Levi area- This is a region about 2 hours north of Rovaniemi. It’s home to the Levi ski resort, which is the largest and most popular ski resort in Finland, as well as the Yllas ski resort (another popular one), and it’s near Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, which is filled with cross-country skiing, snowshoe, and hiking trails with beautiful winter scenery. It’s also home to one of the best snow castles in Finland!
Saariselka/Ivalo/Inari area- This region is pretty far north in Finland, over three hours north of Rovaniemi. Saariselka is the southernmost town, with Ivalo 20 minutes north, and then Inari 30 minutes north of Ivalo. Here, you’ll find unique accommodations and a variety of winter activities.
This map of Lapland, Finland shows the relative locations of all the places we mentioned above.
This map of Lapland, Finland shows the main areas we’ll be mentioning throughout this guide
So, where should you go in Lapland, Finland?
Honestly, in our opinion, it doesn’t matter too much where you choose to focus your time in Lapland, because pretty much all the main places we mention above offer very similar winter activities- reindeer rides, husky safaris, snowmobile tours, ice fishing opportunities, hiking and cross country skiing opportunities, and more.
People often recommend to head North (to the Inari/Ivalo/Saariselka area) to be in a more remote area away from the “crowds” and more touristy attractions of Rovaniemi. However, we stayed in southern Lapland closer to Rovaniemi and we had no problem getting out into the wilderness and escaping the tourist crowds.
We also heard often that heading further North will give you a better chance at seeing the northern lights. While this might be slightly true, we will say that we had no issues finding the northern lights in southern Lapland! They appeared four of the five nights we were there! If the solar activity is particularly weak, you would have to be further North to see them (they might appear up in Inari and not in Rovaniemi, for example), but if you’re in Lapland, Finland long enough, you’re chances of seeing the northern lights even as far south as Rovaniemi are great. We’ll talk more about finding the northern lights in just a bit!
The northern lights in southern Lapland!
So overall, we think it doesn’t really matter too much where you decide to focus your time. Just choose what you like most on our list of things to do in Lapland, Finland below and decide from there where you think it would be best to go!
Best Things to Do in Lapland, Finland in the Winter
Okay, now that we’ve gotten oriented to Lapland a bit, it’s time to get into the good stuff! Here you’ll find all the best things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter!
When relevant, we’ll list different options for each activity for the different regions of Lapland (Rovaniemi area, Levi area, and Inari/Ivalo/Saariselka area) so you can plan accordingly based on where you’re staying.
Without further ado, here are 15 amazing things to do in Lapland, Finland in winter.
Visit Santa Claus Village
One of the things that puts Rovaniemi, Finland on the map is the fact that it considers itself to be the official home of the real Santa Claus! And one of the best things to do in Lapland, Finland is to visit Santa Claus Village and meet Santa himself.
Wrapping gifts at the elf’s station!
Found just outside of Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village is a cute area where you can visit Santa Claus, have a chat with Mrs. Claus, visit with Santa’s reindeer, send letters to loved ones from Santa, and overall just find your inner child and feel the Christmas spirit year-round (not just at Christmas time!). It’s a pretty cute concept for kids, but it’s still pretty fun for adults, too!
I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant about making a visit to Santa Claus village because I figured it would just be an overcrowded, overrated tourist attraction. But I actually kinda liked it! It’s a cute concept and there’s a lot to do. And I mean- you’re in the Arctic and in Santa’s actual home, so you can’t not visit!
Santa Claus Village is open all year and it’s totally free to visit (which makes the decision to go that much easier), although there are some activities that do have a cost associated with them.
Here are some of the best things to do at Santa Claus Village in Finland:
Cross over the Arctic Circle
Rovaniemi is the only city that lies right on the Arctic Circle line, and this line happens to pass right though Santa Claus Village. The line is marked on the ground and by a series of pillars in the main square of the village, and it’s fun to get to officially cross it. If you’re feeling extra touristy, you can get your official certificate of crossing at the Arctic Circle Tourist Information Center nearby, right off the main square.
Standing at the Arctic Circle line
Standing next to the Arctic Circle!
Meet Santa
There are two places to meet Santa in Santa Claus Village: In Santa Claus’ Office, and in the Christmas House. In each case, it’s completely free to meet Santa, but just know that you aren’t allowed to take your own pictures with him- the elves will do this and then you can buy pictures afterwards (starting at 55 Euro).
The Christmas House
Santa Claus Office
Another cute thing you can do at Santa’s Office is buy a surprise gift from the elves in the shop beforehand so that Santa can give it to you when you meet with him!
We visited Santa Claus’ Office and the path through the office leading to Santa felt almost storybook-like and was super cute and atmospheric.
Walking the path to meet Santa in Santa Claus’ Office
Once we reached the end, Santa was waiting inside a room where people can meet him privately. The line was a bit long (I imagine this line can get very long in peak season around the holidays!) and we opted out of waiting.
Waiting in line to meet Santa
Meet Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus hangs out in the Christmas Cottage in Santa Claus Village. You can buy a ticket online or in person for 5 Euro to meet her (and you can also buy pictures from the elves after).
Visit the Main Post Office
The Santa Claus Village Post Office
Santa Claus Village has a fully operational full-service post office which is pretty cool, because here you can send gifts and letters to people with a special Arctic Circle postmark (you can choose to send it immediately, or hold it for Christmas time!). You can also order a letter be sent to someone from Santa himself around Christmas time as well.
The mailbox on the left is for letters to be sent right away, while the mailbox on the right is for letters to be sent on Christmas
In the post office, you can also see all the letters that are sent to Santa- they get about a half million letters every year!
All the letters to Santa!
Visit Santa’s reindeer
At the reindeer resort in Santa Claus Village, you can get a peek at the cute (but shy) reindeer and you can even take a short sleigh ride with them! There’s a short 5-7 minute option for 30 Euro, and a longer 10-15 minute option for 50 Euro- which is pretty much on par (if not just a tad bit more expensive) with other reindeer farms in Lapland.
The cute reindeer in Santa Claus Village
Visit Santa’s pets
Not too far from the reindeer resort is Santa’s Pets, where you can visit with and feed reindeer, alpacas, goats, and more and costs 15 Euro (you can buy the tickets on site). For additional fees, you can take a reindeer or an alpaca for a walk through the village!
Visit Snowman World
This unique attraction comes with an additional cost, but boasts an ice restaurant and ice bar (where you sit at chairs and tables made entirely of ice!) and has some outdoor activities like ice skating and tubing. Because it requires the proper winter conditions, it’s usually only open from early January to mid-March (sadly we were too late in the season to visit).
Shop and eat
There are lots of restaurants and tons of little gift shops to buy unique souvenirs.
Visit a reindeer farm and go on a reindeer safari
Reindeer selfie!
One of the most unique things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter is to go on a reindeer safari! You’ll stay warm and comfortable on a sleigh as reindeer guide you through a winter wonderland of beautiful snow-covered forests.
Not only is it a unique thing to do because you’re in the home of Santa Claus, but reindeer sleigh rides are actually an important part of the Finnish culture. The indigenous Sami people often relied on reindeer for transport and farming. You can find reindeer farms throughout Lapland, Finland, and the reindeer are well-trained for these safaris.
So, partaking in a reindeer sleigh ride here is actually a great way to experience a significant piece of Finnish culture while enjoying the typical Lapland scenery. We knew it was something we definitely needed to experience while in Lapland, Finland in the winter!
Getting ready for our reindeer safari!
A reindeer ride through the Lapland forest
Like we said, there are lots of reindeer farms throughout Lapland, and they each offer different experiences that you can choose from based on your budget. Most often, you’ll see the following types of reindeer experiences:
A reindeer farm visit: You’ll visit a farm to meet the reindeer and learn about reindeer husbandry and the history and culture of reindeer in Finland from the farmer. You might also get a chance to feed the reindeer as well, and they often serve a warm drink or snack. These are typically short experiences of an hour to an hour and a half, and we’ve seen prices for this around 25-35 Euro, so this is a good option if you’re on a tight budget but still want to meet the reindeer!
Farm visit and short sleigh ride: You’ll visit the farm but also have a short sleigh ride that’s usually about a half kilometer to a kilometer, or 10-15 minutes. Sometimes they’ll include a drink or snack and also hand out a reindeer driving license (which is kinda cute!). These experiences are about an hour to 90 minutes and are in the 40-45 Euro range, but can be up to 90 Euro depending on the farm and what they offer.
Long reindeer safari: Longer reindeer sleigh rides are typically about 3 kilometers (which takes about 30 to 35 minutes) or longer. They can range in price depending on the farm and what’s offered, but we’ve seen prices range from about 115 Euro to 135 Euro per person, but this can go up significantly for longer sleigh rides.
Here are some reindeer farms in Lapland, Finland you can consider visiting based on where you’re staying. You can browse these sites to figure out what programs they offer and their costs. Keep in mind that most require pre-booking at least a day in advance.
Rovaniemi area:
Levi area:
Inari/Ivalo/Saariselka area:
Chase the northern lights
The northern lights in Lapland, Finland!
For us personally, at the top of our list of things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter was to see the northern lights! We had seen them once before dancing across the sky in Iceland, but we were ready for another show.
Lapland, Finland is known as one of the best places to see the northern lights (or the aurora borealis) due to its high latitude above the Arctic Circle, its long dark nights, and its relative remoteness and low light pollution. We read a lot that you’re pretty much guaranteed to see the northern lights here, and while we don’t think this is entirely true (because it really does come down to a lot of luck and circumstance), we will say that your chances are pretty high.
That’s because Lapland is at such a high latitude, so the northern lights may appear even if the solar activity isn’t incredibly strong. In this case, they might not be the pulsing green waves of light dancing across the sky like you might be expecting, but rather more of a wispy cloud-like glow. So you may not see a super strong color or a lot of activity with the naked eye, but if you really watch, you’ll still see the white wisps moving, growing, and shrinking, and your camera will certainly pick up the colors.
Here are some of our best tips for seeing the northern lights in Finland!
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Lapland, Finland?
There are a few factors that come into play when chasing the northern lights. There has to be high solar activity, it has to be dark enough, and the skies have to be clear.
With that in mind, the northern lights are most often seen between late August or early September to early April. Winter is the best time because the skies are dark enough for the lights to actually be seen.
The months of December and January have the most hours of darkness, so you’ll have a pretty high chance of seeing them if they do appear. When we visited in March, sometimes we would get an alert that the northern lights were happening around 5 pm, but it was still daylight out. If we were there in December of January, we’d probably get to see them then because it would be dark enough in those months.
However, the amount to darkness isn’t the only factor for seeing the northern lights. Something that surprised us was that the best time to try and see the northern lights is actually in late September and late March, around the fall and spring equinoxes. Because of the way the Earth is oriented towards the sun at these times, the amount of solar activity that reaches the Earth is at its highest, and the northern lights appear more often.
Even better, the skies are much clearer in September and March compared to December and January and even February when Lapland gets a lot of snowfall. A lot of times, the lights may be dancing in the sky, but people can’t see them because of the heavy cloud cover. In September and March, this is less likely to happen.
So, if you’re really set on seeing the northern lights, we’d say September or late March/early April are good times to go to Lapland, Finland. We visited Lapland in March and we can certainly confirm that it is a great time to see the northern lights! The lights were very active, appearing 4 out of the 5 nights we were there, and we had totally clear skies and amazing weather for each of those four nights.
Best places to see the northern lights in Lapland, Finland
Before we went to Finland, I was a bit worried about scouting out the absolute perfect locations for seeing the northern lights. But honestly- don’t fret too much about it.
Really, you just need to be away from heavy light pollution and be somewhere where the skies are clear and you have a good view out to the horizon towards the North (such as on a field, by a lake, or up on a hill).
Too much light will not allow your eyes to adjust enough to see the northern lights to their full potential. You’ll probably still see them in the sky, but they won’t look as strong to the naked eye and any pictures you try to take can get easily washed out.
If you’re right in the city of Rovaniemi, it might be hard to escape the light pollution. We stayed here on our last night so we could be close the airport for our early morning flight. There was a strong geomagnetic storm that night and the northern lights were really active, but we struggled a bit trying to find somewhere away from the street lights. If you have a car, heading out of the city just a little bit will help a ton. We actually ended up going up to the lookout tower on the Ounasvaara Winter Trail right in the city- they shut the lights off up here around 10 pm and we could see the northern lights perfectly!
The northern lights right in Rovaniemi!
Other great places to see them are on Lake Inari up north- this is the largest lake in Finland so great for seeing the whole sky and getting a great view of the lights. And if you’re in the Levi area, Sirkkajarvi Lake is also great.
But like we said, you don’t necessarily have to scout out these perfect locations. In fact, for four nights we stayed in a small house in the middle of nowhere about an hour from Rovaniemi, and it was the perfect spot for seeing the northern lights! We could see them right outside our front door, far from any light pollution and with a clear view of the sky. It wasn’t any place special or somewhere we would have pinpointed on a map, but with so much wilderness in Lapland, these spots are all over.
The northern lights right outside our cottage
One more note- we often read that it’s best to be further north and that the further north you are (think the Ivalo/Inari area), the better your chances of seeing the northern lights. While there is some truth to this, we don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to see the northern lights (and we are proof of that!).
Being far north really only becomes a factor when the solar activity is very low- in this case, yes, the lights might be seen up in Inari but not in Rovaniemi. However, we wouldn’t say to let this totally influence your decision on where to focus your time in Lapland. If you’re in Lapland long enough, chances are you’ll see the northern lights no matter where you are. We stayed in the southern half of Lapland the entire time and the lights were out most night. And when we were in Rovaniemi, they were actually the brightest and most active simply because the solar activity was strongest that night.
Speaking of solar activity….
Where can I find aurora forecasts?
To make your life a little easier, there are forecasts that predict when the northern lights might appear. They aren’t totally reliable and they can also change often, but they give you a good idea of whether or not you should try to stay up on any given night to see them.
How far out can the northern lights be predicted? Well, there is a standard 27 day aurora forecast that you can look up, but we wouldn’t put too much stock into it. It’s based on past patterns of solar activity but doesn’t account for random solar flares and storms that could occur at any point. The 27 day aurora forecast looked pretty grim for when we were supposed to be in Lapland, and it totally bummed me out leading up to our trip- but luckily for us, that forecast didn’t really mean anything and we saw the lights so many times!
Instead, pay more attention to the three day and hourly forecasts which are updated regularly. Often, these forecasts use what’s known as the Kp index, which is essentially a measure of solar activity. It uses a scale from 0-9, with 0 meaning there’s little activity, and 9 indicating strong activity.
A Kp of 5 is when solar activity is strong enough to start being considered a “geomagnetic storm” so it’s often used as the threshold for seeing the northern lights. However, at this high latitude in Lapland, Finland, the northern lights will still be active even at lower Kps of 3 and 4.
The Kp index really just indicates what latitude you need to be at to see the northern lights at any given point. The higher the Kp means the lights can be seen further south. If the Kp index is low, it just means that they will only be visible at higher latitudes, and in Lapland, Finland, they are often still seen at Kps of 3. At low Kps like this (which are common), it does mean that the solar activity isn’t that strong, though, so don’t expect a crazy show of dancing lights of green and purple. Instead, the lights will probably be cloud-like wisps billowing across the sky- still cool!
The Kp index isn’t the only thing used to predict the northern lights, but it’s the most commonly used and most digestible piece of information to a lot of people. There are tons of other factors that come into play, like solar wind speed, strength, density, etc. You can really nerd out on the aurora forecasts and all the data that comes in, and I was admittedly obsessed with checking these forecasts and trying to learn about what all the numbers and data mean (I really wanted to see those lights!).
So where can you get the aurora forecast?
There are tons of websites and apps that will show the forecast, and we used a combination of a bunch. Each shows slightly different data and presents information in different ways. And what’s great about some of the apps is that you can set notifications to alert you when the aurora becomes visible based on your location (be sure to set it loud to wake you up in case you fall asleep!).
Once you find one or two that you like, the best thing to do is to just keep checking periodically throughout the day for that night’s forecast. Hourly Kp forecasts are super helpful for you to pinpoint the exact hours that the aurora might appear.
Some of the most useful northern lights apps and websites we used were:
Apps:
Space Weather Live
Aurora App
Aurora Alert- Realtime
Websites:
Webcams:
One of our biggest tips for seeing the northern lights in Lapland, Finland is to check the northern lights webcams! There are a few webcams that monitor the lights in real time, so if you want to know when to step outside, check these cameras for live updates!
Do I need a tour to see the northern lights in Finland?
You definitely don’t need a tour to see the northern lights! Like we said above, you really just need to have an app that tracks the aurora forecast, and head to an area with little light and clear skies, and then just look up!
It’s definitely not hard to find them on your own, especially if you have your own car, or if you are staying somewhere outside of a city, or in one of those unique glass igloos or cabins designed for northern lights viewing, you might just be able to step outside your front door and see them.
Our cabin outside of Rovaniemi was perfect for this- it was just us, the stillness of the night, and the lights above us, and it was pretty amazing.
Here are some cases where we feel a northern lights tour might be a good option:
If you’re in Rovaniemi without a car and need a way to get away from the heavy city lights.
You don’t want to deal with the aurora forecasts and figuring out where to go and just want someone who knows what to look for to take you to an ideal spot to see them. And the guides often know how to take really good pictures of you with the aurora.
You want to pair seeing the northern lights with another cool excursion. A lot of northern lights tours will pair the experience with something fun and unique like a reindeer or snowmobile safari- how cool would it be to see the northern lights from a reindeer sleigh ride in the middle of a forest?!
Often tours will provide warmth, hot drinks, and snacks. Remember, it’s cold at night in Lapland and having the right gear will make it so much easier to stand out in the cold waiting for the show!
What can you expect to see?
A strong geomagnetic storm can produce very active and colorful auroras!
We just want to set your expectations a bit here. Often, the Kp index is on the lower side (anywhere from 2-5), which means that the northern lights will probably not be this grand display of dancing green lights racing across the sky that you might envision in your mind. Often, they are seen as bright white lights moving across the sky (and sometimes they can get bright enough where they turn a very faint green to then naked eye). Cameras will always pick up more light, so pictures often do show a more intense color than what is seen with the naked eye.
That said, with higher Kp indexes and stronger geomagnetic storms, the lights can really put on a show! The last night we were in Lapland, a strong storm happened (it reached a Kp of 6-) and the northern lights were super bright and active- even to the naked eye! They swirled and twinkled and raced across the sky, and we saw vivid green and even some purple. It was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen.
It’s truly just luck with what you get to see, what the sun decides to do, and what weather you end up getting. But no matter if they’re faint or bright and active, the northern lights are always something special to see.
Go on an icebreaker cruise
Standing on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia in front of our icebreaker ship!
Want to know what our absolute favorite thing to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter was?
Taking an icebreaker cruise!
Fun fact: Finland is the only country in the world whose ports, located on the Gulf of Bothnia, all freeze over in the winter months. As you might guess, this greatly affects Finland’s economy.
The solution? Icebreaker ships- these were designed to break through the thick ice on the frozen sea to allow cargo ships to continue to come in and out!
However, overtime, the cargo ships got bigger and bigger, and the original icebreaker boats were too small to carve out a big enough passage through the ice. So, these boats were retired, and lucky for us, they are now used for tourism purposes so that people can experience what it’s like to sail through a frozen sea in the Arctic! So cool!
There are a couple of options for an icebreaker cruise in Finland. One of them is called the Polar Explorer and actually leaves out of Batskarsnas, Sweden (just over the Finnish border).
There is also the Sampo Icebreaker, and its smaller cousin, the Arktis Icebreaker, that both leave out of Kemi in Finland.
The Sampo Icebreaker
Both offer pretty similar experiences, with a 3 to 4 hour cruise through the frozen Gulf of Bothnia where you can experience the boat crushing through the ice in the middle of the sea. It’s a pretty cool experience to be out in the middle of nowhere, hearing the ice cracking beneath the ship and seeing the massive chunks of ice that get broken up and left in its wake. And when you look up and realize you’re surrounded by a sea of white ice in the middle of the Arctic, it’s a pretty surreal experience!
Watching the ship break through the thick ice on the Gulf of Bothnia
Looking out from the icebreaker cruise to the vast sea of ice in the frozen Gulf of Bothnia
What’s even better? During the icebreaker cruise, you’ll get a chance to get off the boat and actually walk around on the frozen sea. And then you’ll don a (super fashionable, I must say) survival suit so that you can hop in the water and float alongside the massive chunks of ice!
Ice floating in the Gulf of Bothnia!
Ice floating next to the Sampo Icebreaker
The whole thing is really an awesome experience (it totally exceeded my expectations!) and it was definitely our favorite thing we did in Lapland, Finland.
Go ice floating
We’ll admit, the icebreaker cruise we mentioned above can be a bit of a budget breaker. If you want to have the experience of floating in icy water in Lapland, Finland without having to take the cruise, you’re in luck!
Some tour companies offer ice floating experiences that can be a great alternative to the more expensive icebreaker cruise.
You’ll be taken to a semi-frozen lake where you’ll suit up and float in the freezing ice water- a very unique experience!
Ice floating in Lapland! This was taken from our icebreaker cruise mentioned above, but the ice floating experience without the cruise would be pretty similar!
You can do this as a half day trip during the day, or you can sign up for night tour that combines ice floating with northern lights viewing!
Some tour companies we recommend looking into for ice floating in Finland include:
Hike in Riisitunturi National Park
Hiking in Riisitunturi National Park
When we first started researching our trip to Lapland, Findland in the winter, we would often come across pictures of magical-looking snowy forests, with trees so thickly coated in heavy snow that they contorted into strange shapes, making the landscape look like something out of a fairytale or white wonderland.
I quickly knew finding a place like this had to be a part of our winter Finland itinerary.
After doing a bit more digging, I learned that the best place to see these iconic snow-covered trees in Finland was at Riisitunturi National Park, and just like that, this place was added to our to-do list.
Riisitunturi National Park is a small park about two and a half hours southeast of Rovaniemi, so it can be a little bit of a trek to get to, but it’s definitely worth it.
The highest point in the park, Riisitunturi Fell, is only about 465 meters (or 1500 feet) in elevation and its unique environment allows for the accumulation and sticking of snow to the summit’s trees. This heavy accumulation, combined with wind drifts of snow, causes the trees to buckle under pressure, creating a white winter wonderland of ghostly snow-covered figures dotted across a pristine white winter landscape.
Looking up at the summit of Riisitunturi Fell
Of course, the conditions have to be just right for this to happen. January through March is typically a good time to experience the snow-covered trees at Riisitunturi National Park, after allowing enough time for the snow to accumulate. However, when we visited in March, we unfortunately didn’t get to experience the full effect. That winter hadn’t been particularly cold or snowy in Finland, and temperatures were warmer than usual by that point. When we arrived at Riisitunturi National Park, there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground, but the trees were mostly snow-free until the very top.
At the summit of Riisitunturi Fell, there were some of those iconic curved spruce trees that were half-covered in a thick coat of snow, with a bunch of shorter shrubs completely covered, so we got the partial effect and could imagine what the landscape would look like during a really snowy winter.
But even without the full of effect and completely snow-covered trees, the experience of hiking through this Arctic-like landscape and catching views from the fell over the forests and lakes of Lapland was worth the trek!
Admiring the trees on Riisitunturi Fell
Enjoying the winter wonderland in Riisitunturi National Park in Finland
Hike to frozen waterfalls
If you’re looking for another hike in Finland to experience the winter wonderland landscape of the Arctic Circle, considering putting the hike to Korouoma Canyon on your list of things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter.
Here, you can hike a 5 km loop trail, called the Koronjaa Trail, that takes you past a series of three frozen waterfalls, the most impressive of which is the Ruskea Virta, or Brown River, falls, which is massive and has a brown tint to it that makes it really stand out against the white snowy backdrop.
We have read that as the trail heads down into the canyon, the path can get steep and icy, and there are some parts where ropes and rails are put in place to hang onto. Particularly in the late winter and spring, the trail can be very slick as the snow starts to melt and refreeze. It’s often recommended to have a pair of microspikes, which can be rented right at the trailhead for about 12 Euro.
The trailhead for Korouoma Canyon is about an hour and a half southeast of Rovaniemi, along the route to Riisitunturi National Park. If you feel uncomfortable heading out on your own, there are tours that go to Korouoma Canyon.
For maps and more information on the hiking around Korouoma Canyon, check out the park website.
For us, Korouoma Canyon wasn’t high up on our to-do list, especially after hiking in Riisitunturi Park, but it does look beautiful and a great way to get some solid winter hiking in! If you go, come back and let us know what you thought of it!
Go on a husky dogsled ride
One of the most popular things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter is to experience a husky dogsled ride! This is definitely a fun way to experience Finland’s winter landscapes (one that’s a little more fast-paced and exciting than a reindeer sleigh ride!) and a good opportunity to meet some cute husky pups.
Like reindeer safaris, there are different types of programs and lengths of sled rides you can choose from depending on your budget. It’s a bit of an expensive activity, though, but most will teach you how to mush and control the dogs and sled, and will include a stop in the forest for some warm drinks and snacks. Expect to pay upwards of 150 Euro or more for a typical 5 to 10 km dogsled ride.
Here are some companies that we recommend checking out for a husky dogsled tour in Lapland, Finland:
Rovaniemi
Bearhill Husky is about a half hour north of Rovaniemi but this company is consistently recommended for its experience and the way it treats its huskies (it has a lot of good accreditations). This is one recommended by the Finland tourism website, too.
Levi
There are quite a few options for dogsledding in the Levi area, but the one recommended by the Finland tourism site is Hetta Huskies. It is quite a bit north of the Levi area, but like Bearhill Husky, it’s known for its care and responsibility towards its pups- always a good thing!
Saariselka
Guesthouse Husky got a lot of great reviews, but it’s business was recently handed over to the Northern Lights Village in Saariselka, which has unique accommodation and offers lots of good winter activities, including the husky rides.
Visit a snow castle
The Snow Village in Kittila
Of all the things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter, visiting a snow castle was the one that surprised us the most- in a good way! It wasn’t really on our radar before visiting Lapland, and we thought it might be an overrated tourist trap type of thing, but we are so glad we ended up visiting one! It was super impressive, and so much better than I was anticipating.
The best snow castle in Lapland, Finland that we recommend going to is the Lapland Hotels Snow Village in Kittila (about 40 minutes from the Levi ski resort).
The snow castle is made entirely new every year in December from about 20 million kilograms of snow, and it has a different theme each year. When we went, the theme was the underwater world, and we absolutely loved it!
Each room in the castle has different snow carvings and ice sculptures that are so massive and detailed and intricate- it’s kind of mind-blowing seeing it all in person and knowing how much work must have gone into creating all of this art. It’s not just one sculpture or carving here and there, but entire rooms are covered in detailed designs from floor to ceiling. Colorful lighting and sound effects also add to the theme and atmosphere. It’s just overall really cool (in more ways than one! I’m surprised how little I have used this pun so far in this guide…).
A whale themed ceremony room inside the Snow Village castle
Exploring the intricate hallways through the snow castle
One of our favorite rooms in the snow castle!
Inside the castle, there are also some fun features like a super fun ice slide, a “disco”, a serviced ice bar with ice chairs and tables, and a cinema area with ice seats where you can learn all about how the snow castle was made.
Sliding down the ice slide!
Seats in the ice bar
Just be sure to bundle up when you visit, because it does stay cold in the castle, and it can be very cold sitting on and sliding down the ice!
We spent about two hours in the snow castle, which admittedly is longer than normal, but we just loved soaking in all the detail and not just rushing through!
In addition to the snow castle, the Snow Village area also has a few restaurants, once of which is an ice restaurant where you can eat a fixed three course dinner (reservations required).
And if you really want to splurge (and we’re talking big money here), you can even spend the night in the snow castle by staying in the Snow Suite! A night here includes full access to the castle at night when no one else is there, dinner in the ice restaurant, access to a sauna and hot tub, and warm sleeping gear for spending the night on ice. It would be a totally unique experience, but one that will certainly break the bank a bit.
The snow suite in the Snow Village!
The Snow Village is typically open from late December to early April from 10 am to 10 pm and you can buy tickets (25 Euro per adult) right at the entrance (they can’t be bought in advance online).
For the most updated information on the pricing and offerings, check out the Lapland Hotels website.
A quick note about the Snow Castle of Kemi
Another snow castle in Finland that you might have heard of is the Snow Castle of Kemi, about an hour and a half south of Rovaniemi. You might have seen old pictures of this castle, which was once considered to be the largest snow fort in the world, boasting a pretty large snow hotel with various rooms, a huge ice restaurant, an ice bar, and a snow chapel.
However, the concept of the Snow Castle experience has changed quite a bit, as we learned during our visit, and they are focusing more on a year-round experience it seems.
We had a visit to the Snow Castle of Kemi included in our icebreaker cruise ticket. It included access to the Snow Experience 365 space, which is basically a large warehouse-style room that’s kept cold enough to maintain snow and ice sculptures year-round. Inside, you’ll find various intricate ice sculptures, an ice slide, and a small ice bar area with seating and tables made entirely of ice.
Some of the ice carvings inside the Experience 365 room
The ice slide
There’s also the Snow Castle Winter Park area, which I think represents the remnants of what once was. It is a snow fort with different hallways and rooms made of snow where you can see a few intricate snow carving, and there is also an ice slide, a small chapel, and ice bar (that didn’t seem to be actually functioning as a bar), and there was one room with a bed that seemed to be a relic of what used to be the old snow hotel. However, the level of detail is nowhere near that of the Snow Village in Kittila.
Walking through the Snow Castle Winter Park in Kemi
After walking through it for about ten minutes, we thought maybe we were missing something, but after checking recent reviews and their website, we realized that the focus of the Snow Castle area has definitely shifted to being more of a year-round event space, and the Winter Park and SnowExperience365 room are what seem to be the main attractions now.
That being said, we wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit this snow castle. It was a cool add-on to our icebreaker tour, but we weren’t too impressed after visiting the Snow Village, and would absolutely recommend visiting Snow Village instead!
Ski or hike in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park
Pallas-Yllastunturi is a beautiful national park located near Kittila that showcases Finland’s beautiful landscapes of forests, lakes, and fells. It’s also considered to have some of the “world’s purest air” due to its location far from any populated or industrial areas!
The distant snowy fells of Pallas-Yllas National Park
With over 500 km of trails and seven distinct fells in the park, there is a lot to explore here. In winter, snowshoes or cross country skis are definitely recommended, as the paths may not be well-trodden and the snow can be soft. This is a really useful site with information about winter hiking trails in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park.
Some trails that caught our eye in particular include:
The winter path to Kuertunturi Fell- This is considered one of the easier snowshoeing winter trails in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park. Check out this article describing the experience and links to places where you can rent snowshoes, and head here for trail stats and recent reviews.
The Taivaskeron Loop near Muonio
Sarkitunturi Fell near Muonio
Yllas Fell- This fell is over 700 meters tall and gives views out across northern Finland. There are winter ski trails on the fell, but what’s even better is that you can access its summit via a gondola that’s part of the Yllas ski resort (and is the longest gondola ascent in Finland!). A roundtrip gondola ride to Yllas Fell is just 16 Euro. We really wanted to do this, but the day we were planning to go, there were really high winds and the gondolas weren’t operating, so make sure you check the conditions and status of the lifts before heading out!
Levi ski resort- Nearby at the Levi ski resort (in Sirkka) there are also lots of winter trails to choose from. You can take the gondola to the summit of Levi Fell and hike the short ½ km Peak Trail around the summit, or the Ice Age Geological Trail around Levi Fell.
Another really popular spot on Levi Fell is Santa’s Cabin. This photogenic hut was built for a popular movie, A Christmas Story, and can be seen from the Gondola2000 lift. You can get to it via snowshoes or skis but it will take some work to find it (it’s located between the Gondola2000 lift and the Levi West chairlift- we didn’t attempt to find this hut so can’t give you any advice, but check out this post to give you some hints!).
Do a winter adventure sport
A common thing to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter is to experience a winter sport- and in Finland there are plenty to choose from, ranging from ice fishing to snowshoeing to skiing to snowmobiling to ice carting. Yes- ice carting. Basically go carting on ice with a go cart that has studded tires. Sounds pretty fun!
For most of these winter activities, you’ll likely want or need to go through a tour operator (and lots of higher end resorts have their own winter activities and excursions you can book as well). With tours, they’ll provide you with all the necessary gear and equipment, give instruction, and take you to the best spots.
If you want to cross-country ski or snowshoe in Finland, it’s definitely possible to go on your own without a tour or guide. You can rent gear in town or at a ski resort and hit the trails on your own.
Check out this Finland tourism site about the best ski resorts in Finland that have both cross country and downhill skiing trails. Just be aware the Finland doesn’t really have any mountains persay- they are more like small hills that they call fells. But it just means that many of the ski resorts in Finland can be a great option for beginners!
Levi ski resort is the biggest ski resort in Finland (with the country’s longest ski slope of 3 km) and one of the most popular. The nearby Yllas ski resort in Sirkka is also popular.
Saariselka has the northernmost ski resort in Europe, and is well-known particularly for its cross-country skiing. And a fun little tidbit- this ski resort also has Finland’s longest toboggan ride at the top of Kaunispaa Fell.
And if you don’t want to venture out too far from Rovaniemi while in Finland, you’ll be happy to know that the city actually has its own small ski area called Ounasvaara, which has both downhill and cross-country options as well as a toboggan run.
Experience the Finnish sauna
One of the most intriguing things to do in Lapland, Finland in winter for many visitors is to try out the Finnish sauna experience. Traditionally, this involves alternating periods of spending time in a steamy sauna with dunking into cold ice water (often in a partially frozen lake!).
The Finnish Sauna experience is a big component of Finnish culture, and there are tons of public saunas throughout the country you can visit. We were also surprised to see that many accommodations also offer sauna access, whether it’s hotels with a shared sauna space, or a private Airbnb with its own private sauna inside the house. We stayed in two different Airbnbs in Finland and each had its own sauna that we were able to use!
A typical sauna in a Finnish cottage
I personally am not a huge fan of the experience (my body doesn’t tolerate temperature extremes very well), but if it’s something you’re interested in trying out, then the Finland tourism site has some good information about what public saunas are like and where to find them.
Hike on the Ounasvaara Winter Trail in Rovaniemi
As we mentioned above, the Ounasvaara area is a small ski resort right in Rovaniemi. But in addition to ski trails, there is also a groomed Winter Walking Trail that’s well-maintained in the winter and relatively easy (there’s no real steepness or elevation to it). If you’re looking for a short easy hike through the beautiful Finland forest that’s easy to get to, then hiking the Ounasvarra Winter Trail in Rovaniemi is a great thing to do in Finland in the winter.
Hiking the Ounasvaara Winter Trail in Rovaniemi
We found parking for the Winter Trail at the Santasport in Rovaniemi. When you cross the street to head towards the soccer field, you’ll see a blue sign pointing towards the Winter Walking Trail. You’ll start down a wide walking path along the road and quickly see another blue sign pointing you to the start of the trail on the right. Here, you’ll also see an information board with the maps for the summer and winter hiking trails in the area.
Follow the blue signs to the Ounasvaara Winter Trail
The trail will start heading through a sparse forest, and we were very quickly greeted by a happy surprise of snow sculptures that were fun to explore. A good start to the trail!
The start of the Ounasvaara Winter Trail
Snow sculptures!
From here, the trail heads very gently uphill through the forest. When we hiked in the early spring in March, the trail (like most we hiked in Lapland) was pretty slick from snow that had been melting and re-freezing. If you don’t have microspikes, definitely be careful through here!
The Ounasvaara Winter Trail
It will only take about ten minutes (less than a half mile) and 100 feet of climbing before you arrive at the best part of the Winter Walking Trail- the observation tower over Rovaniemi. Here, you’ll find a small shelter with a fire pit, and you can climb the tower to get a nice view over the city and forests below.
Arriving at the observation tower on the Ounsvaara Winter Trail
The view from the Ounsasvaara observation tower
We then continued on the walking trail as it headed across the top of the small hill. It’s pretty much flat through here, and there aren’t any views- you’ll just be walking through the spruce forest, but it’s very peaceful, and there are some informational signs about the wildlife and environment (in Finnish only- so have Google Translate handy!).
The trail will take you past a small resort (the Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara) but right before, you’ll come to your second viewpoint of the day, the Ounasvaara Lookout. You’ll see a small set of stairs off the trail on your left leading to the top of a rocky ledge. We tried, but couldn’t make it up to this viewpoint because of the slick snow and lack of microspikes.
Attempting to get up to the Ounasvaara Lookout
We continued past the lodge, and then followed the trail back down the hill as it basically followed a wide sidewalk alongside the road back to the Santasport parking lot.
It was a quick walk- around 2 miles (3.2 km), but it was a nice thing to do right in Rovaniemi.
Following the road back to the start of the Ounasvaara Winter Trail
If you want to extend the hike, instead of heading down the road after passing through the lodge area, continuing following the trail around an even bigger loop (this will contain one more lookout as well).
This is a map of the Ounasvaara Winter Trail. We did the loop shown by the red arrows, but you can extend the hike by adding on the larger loop marked by the orange arrow as well.
Learn about the Finnish culture
No matter where you are in Finnish Lapland, there are ways to take a deeper look at the history and culture of the area.
Inari in the far north is considered one of the best places to learn about the history and culture of the Sami people (the indigenous inhabitants of Lapland that still have a strong presence in the area). Here, you’ll find Siida, which is the national museum of the Finnish Sami, as well as a nature center.
If you’re staying near the Levi ski resort area, you can visit Samiland, where you can learn about the Sami culture, including their history of reindeer herding and farming.
And right in Rovaniemi is the Arktikum, one of the most popular museums in Lapland, Finland. There are tons of informational and interactive exhibits and displays about the nature, wildlife, landscapes, people, and history of Finland, and even a cool Northern Lights exhibition you can check out.
Exploring the exhibits of Sami culture (this was in Santa Claus Village, where they also had a display of Sami culture and huts)
Visit the Ranua Zoo
While Finland has plenty of wildlife, you might not come across any on your adventures. We spent five days in Lapland, including hiking on a few trails and driving lots of middle-of-nowhere roads, and we only saw one (very fluffy and very orange) fox on the side of a road!
If you don’t mind venturing a little bit out of the way and want to see more awesome arctic wildlife, then a visit to the Ranua Zoo is a great thing to do in Lapland, Finland. The Ranua Zoo is the world’s northernmost zoo and showcases all kinds of Arctic wildlife (about 50 species) including polar bear, foxes, lynxes, musk ox, wolves, and reindeer.
It’s about an hour south of Rovaniemi, though, and not really near or on the way to any of the other things to do in Finland on our list above, but if you have some spare time, your own car, and don’t mind the drive, then this can be something to consider!
Guide to Visiting Lapland, Finland in the Winter
Now that we’ve gone over all the awesome things to do in Lapland, Finland in the winter, it’s time to go over some of the most important logistics so that you can plan your trip and travel to Finland without a hitch! So let’s get into some of the most common questions…
How to get to Lapland, Finland
To get to Lapland in Finland, you’ll likely first fly into Finland’s capital, Helsinki.
From there, it’s a quick domestic flight up to Lapland- there are airports in Rovaniemi, Kemi, Kittila, and Ivalo. People most commonly fly into Rovaniemi- it’s what we did and it was about an hour and 20 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes depending on which type of plane we took. We got on the first flight out in the morning and landed in Rovaniemi by 8:30 am, so we could still have a full day to explore in Lapland.
How to get around Lapland, Finland
Driving through Lapland, Finland
We think the best and easiest way to get around Lapland, Finland is to rent a car.
It is possible to get from town to town via public buses, trains, and by plane, and it’s also possible to get around within towns by taxis, and to different excursions via tours that provide transportation. We don’t have any experience using the public transportation system in Lapland, but there are plenty of accounts of those that have- so we’ll defer to their expertise there!
We rented a car right at the Rovaniemi airport and we’re super glad we did. It gave us the flexibility we wanted to kind of go with the flow, stay outside of the city (which led to some awesome northern lights viewing), and cut down on the need to pay for expensive tours and excursions with transportation.
But what is it like to drive around Lapland, Finland in the winter? Is it hard with all the snow and ice?
Let’s get into our experience driving in Finland!
Driving in Lapland, Finland in the winter
Given that Lapland, Finland is known to be a winter wonderland and gets a lot of snow, I was a little hesitant at first about driving around ourselves. But we are happy to report that it was super easy!
You might think that you’d need a 4x4 to get around Lapland, Findland in the winter given the snowy conditions, but we rented a regular car and got around just fine. The most crucial thing that made driving in Finland in the winter so easy is that it’s a requirement that all cars have snow tires in the winter months, and if you rent a car, they will already have them on there. Likely, they’ll be studded, so this makes driving quite easy, even on snow.
Most of the main roads are well-plowed and maintained, however there still might be a packed layer of snow on them. Once you get on the side roads, there will probably be a bit more snow, and they’ll often be more narrow, too, so keep your eyes peeled for pullover spots as you go (which can often still be snow-covered and not plowed out as well!). On these side roads, you might find the driving to be a little bit more challenging and slick, but we never had any issues or skidding- just take it slow.
In late winter/early spring, the main roads were pretty clear
The side roads were usually still snow-covered and narrow
Overall, it was very easy to find our way around (download offline Google Maps before you go and you’ll be good to go!). There aren’t too many major roads so it’s pretty straightforward. To get between different major towns and areas, you’ll likely be on one main road for the majority of the drive.
Some good things to know while driving in Lapland, Finland in the winter:
It’s required to keep headlights at on all times while driving in Finland in the winter! This makes it helpful for other cars to see you when snow is constantly getting pulled up by passing cars.
There are no “right on reds” allowed.
Keep an eye out for wildlife! We only saw a fuzzy orange fox on the side of the road once while driving, but it’s not uncommon for people to come across wildlife on the roads, especially reindeer.
Keep an eye on your speed. In general, the speed limits are 50 km/h around towns and 80 to 100 km/h on main roads and highways, but always watch for the speed limit signs and stick to them. Finland does use speed cameras, and we noticed them around Rovaniemi, and especially on the drive between Rovaniemi and Kemi. There were a ton on that dirve, and they were often just after a speed limit change- they’re trying to get ya! Well, not really, because they do have signs to warn you that one is coming up, but in general, it’s always good to just stick to the limit anytime you’re driving.
A speed camera sign (this means one is coming up!)
Parking in Lapland, Finland
If you’re a fellow anxious parker like me (you know, the type who painstakingly researches all your parking options before going anywhere!), then don’t worry- I got you.
There was generally a lot of free parking in each of the towns we visited. But often, parking areas had a time limit.
To know what the limit is, pay attention to the blue parking signs (shown in the picture below). Any time limit will be shown at the bottom (if there is none, parking is unlimited).
A typical parking sign in Finland. This one shows a 3 hour time limit.
If you need to park in a timed zone, then you’ll need a parking disc. This is a small disc that allows you to mark the time you arrived at the lot. You’ll spin the wheel until it shows the closest half hour increment, always rounded up. So for example, if you arrived at the lot at 9:40 am, you can set the parking disc to 10 am. If it’s a two hour parking limit, you then have until noon to park there. Place this right on the dashboard so it’s easily visible.
A parking disc affixed to the windshield of our rental car
Typically, rental cars will come with a parking disc, but if not, you can ask the rental company where to get one (they are sold in most convenient stores).
Some parking is paid- if it is, there will be a picture of a meter with the times that payment is required. Times for weekday parking will be in white, times for Saturday parking will be in white with parenthesis, and times for Sunday parking will be in red. We never actually came across a paid parking area, though.
And if there is no parking allowed in a given area, there will be a sign showing a blue circle outlined and crossed by a red line.
Best time to go to Lapland, Finland in winter
Winter in Lapland Finland
While you can visit year- round, our guide focuses specifically on visiting Lapland, Finland in the winter months, when the landscape turns into a beautiful winter wonderland.
Typically, the winter season when snow can be present is between November and mid-April, however different months within this timeframe each have their pros and cons and it depends on what you want to do when you come to Lapland, Finland.
November is early in the winter season, and it often may be too early for any significant amounts of snow, meaning you won’t get that winter wonderland feel and some activities, like dogsledding and snowmobiling, might not even be possible. However, you can still hike, see the northern lights, visit Santa, and more, and prices may be slightly cheaper and crowds might be lower since it’s really still kind of a shoulder season.
Late December through February are great times to visit Lapland, Finland in the winter to experience lots of snow. Especially around the holidays, it can be extra festive and fun to experience Santa Claus’ home. However, it’s one of the busiest times to visit for this reason.
It’s also the dead of winter, so it will be very cold, and very dark. Around the winter solstice, you’ll experience the polar night when the sun never rises, and in the weeks surrounding it, you may only see a few hours of actual daylight. Because of this, there is ample opportunity to see the northern lights, but just keep in mind you can’t over plan your very short days! You might also not get a lot of clear days as there are lots of clouds and snow during these winter months.
We visited Lapland, Finland in March for a few reasons:
It’s warm! (kind of.) By March, the weather is starting to “warm up” (i.e. it’s no longer -30 degrees C!). I’m not a cold weather person at all so I’m not sure I’d survive a January in Lapland!
The days are getting longer. As the spring equinox approaches, Lapland basically gets equal amounts of day and night, so you can really get in a full day’s worth of activities and not feel like you’re in hibernation mode most of the time.
The snow has had time to accumulate. After all the snowfall in December, January, and February, there should still be lots of snow sticking around and you can still have that winter wonderland feel.
Clear skies. By March, the weather begins clearing up and you’re likely to have more sunny days and clear nights (great for northern lights viewing!).
High solar activity. The biggest reason we visited Lapland, Finland in March is because the weeks around the spring equinox are known to be the best times to see the northern lights, and that was our main goal of coming here!
Shoulder season. March can be considered kind of a shoulder season, with less people visiting compared to the peak winter months.
It’s cheaper. By March, as the winter season is dwindling down, you can often find end-of-season deals on things like accommodations and excursions. We saved a ton by booking things for late March!
March seemed like the perfect time to visit Lapland for us! And we can say that it was indeed a great time to see the northern lights (they were out 4 out of the 5 nights we were there) and we had pretty much clear skies the entire time except one brief snowy morning on our last day.
Catching the northern lights in Lapland Finland in March
However, it is a shoulder month, so the conditions will really vary year to year. On the year we went, Finland didn’t have a particularly cold or snowy winter. When we were there, temperatures were warmer than they usual are in March, and there was really no snow accumulated on the trees (though there was still plenty on the ground!). We didn’t get the true winter wonderland experience we were hoping to see with forests of beautiful snow-covered trees, so keep that in mind when planning on when to go to Lapland, Finland.
If you really want to see that winter wonderland look, we would strongly consider visiting earlier in the year to have a better guarantee for lots of snow. If we were to go again, I think I’d choose February for the snow, but to also have clearer skies, more daylight hours, and a little less frigid temperatures than the dead of winter in December and January.
By April, it will likely be a bit too late for seeing a winter wonderland landscape, and a lot of activities and excursions may stop operating (things like snow castles, the icebreaker cruises and dogsledding stop once the snow melts and things warm up too much). Early April is still a good time to see the northern lights, though, because it’s close to the equinox, and you will have nice long days and warmer temperatures.
So, the best time to visit Lapland, Finland really all depends on what your top priorities are and what you’d like to see!
How much daylight do you get in Lapland, Findland?
Because much of Lapland, Finland is in the Arctic Circle, some of northern Finland experiences the polar night where the sun never rises, and if you visit around the winter solstice, expect to have very little daylight. However, in the shoulder months, the hours of daylight quickly increase.
Here are the approximate number of daylight hours you can expect to have in and near Rovaniemi, Finland in winter:
November: The start of the month sees about 7 hours of daylight but this gradually drops down to 4 hours by the end of the month.
December: Towards the end of December, Rovaniemi sees only about 2.5 hours or so of daylight.
January: By the end of January, the number of daylight hours creeps back up to 6.
February: Throughout February, the daylight hours increase from 6 to about 10.
March: By the end of March, you’ll be getting 12-13 hours of daylight.
Further up in Ivalo, it’s pretty similar, although you might experience about a half hour to an hour less of daylight compared to Rovaniemi. From early December to early January, the northern parts of Finland experience the true polar night where the sun never actually rises!
For exact sunrise and sunset times for every day of the year, we like to use the Time and Date site (for Rovaniemi and Ivalo).
What are the temperatures in Lapland, Finland?
Lapland, Finland in the winter is cold. How cold, you ask? Well, in the peak winter months, the temperature often doesn’t average above 0 degrees Celsius!
From November through April, temperatures typically average between a high of -5 degrees C and a low of -10 to -20 degrees C.
In March and April, things start to warm up a smidge but temperatures still hover around the 0 degrees Celsius mark. The year we were there, the temperatures were warmer than usual and we were getting daytime temperatures of 2-4 degrees Celsius (which I sure didn’t complain about!).
No matter when you go, be sure to bundle and up and be prepared for the cold! You can check the weather forecast here.
Where to stay in Lapland, Finland
We loved staying in a cozy cabin in the middle of nowhere!
As we’ve mentioned throughout this guide, there are a handful of notable towns to stay at in Lapland, Finland in the winter. The main ones include Rovaniemi, Kemi, Kittila (near Levi ski resort), and the Ivalo/Inara/Saariselka area in the far north.
In our opinion, it honestly doesn’t matter too much where you choose to focus your time during your visit because each of these areas offers all the standard activities, excursions and things to do that we mentioned in our list above- snowmobiling tours, dogsled rides, reindeer farms, northern lights viewing opportunities, ice fishing spots, cross-country and downhill skiing, and more.
The only really location-dependent things to do in Lapland, Finland that are on our list are the icebreaker cruises (based out of Levi or Sweden), and the Snow Village in Kittila.
So we recommend listing out your top priorities while in Finland and pick the most convenient location based on that.
For example, we decided to stay closer to Rovaniemi, because we knew we wanted to do the icebreaker cruise out of Kemi, make a trip up to Levi, and also visit Riisitunturi National Park, and Rovaniemi was pretty central to all of these things- each could be done as a day trip from Rovaniemi.
Because it’s centrally located to a lot of the best things to do in Lapland in the winter, Rovaniemi is a pretty common base for people. And if you’re worried about the light pollution for seeing the northern lights, it’s easy to stay outside the city boundaries to avoid this, or to simply drive to a better location for viewing them if needed (or you can always sign up for a tour).
People tend to recommend heading north to the Saariselka/Inari/Ivalo area to get a more remote experience away from crowds and more touristy attractions of southern Lapland, and to have a “better” chance of seeing the northern lights. But as we’ve said, we felt we had great experiences around Rovaniemi, and we saw the northern lights plenty of times. So it’s really just up to you and what kind of experiences you want to have. But just know that no matter where you choose to stay, you’ll have an amazing time.
Views from Riisitunturi National Park- a day trip from Rovaniemi
Should you try to hit all the main areas in Lapland, Finland? We see a lot of itineraries for Lapland trying to squeeze in several main areas and towns into one short trip by taking a road trip, with a new town almost every day. It’s possible, but we don’t think it’s necessary at all, because like we said, you can get similar experiences and scenery no matter where you decide to stay.
We’d recommend moving around more if you have a week or more in Lapland, but if you have just 5 days or less, staying in one central place like Rovaniemi is just easy and convenient.
In terms of accommodations, you can find a whole range of options throughout Lapland, Finland. There are budget- friendly vacation rentals and Airbnbs (what we opted for!), luxury hotels, and everything in between.
Something special about this area and what attracts many people to visit Lapland, Finland in the winter is that it has a lot of unique accommodation options.
Ever see those whimsical pictures of two people lying in bed and staring up through the roof of their glass igloo out to the green bands of the northern lights dancing across the sky?
Well, this is from Finland!
There are actually tons of resorts throughout Lapland, Finland that offer these glass igloos or glass-ceiling cabins where you can sleep under the stars and watch the northern lights on a clear night from the comfort of a warm bed.
A glass hut in Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi
Many of these resorts also offer many of the tours and excursions we mentioned above, like snowmobiling, reindeer rides, and more.
And if you are looking for something even more unique (and a bit more torturous than a warm cozy igloo), then you can also opt to stay in a room made of snow and ice! Yup- even the bed is made of ice, and even though they provide warm sleeping bags, you’ll want to be someone who doesn’t mind the cold!
The room in the Snow Village of Kittila!
These types of unique accommodations in Finland would be super neat to stay in, but they do come with a hefty price tag! There are options to choose from throughout Lapland, and here are most of the options we have found on our research, grouped by region:
Glass igloos or cabins
Saariselka/Ivalo/Inari region:
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (near Saariselka)- This is the most famous of the bunch- most people who have seen the famous glass igloos of Finland have likely seen photos from this resort.
Northern Lights Village (Saariselka)
Wilderness Hotel Muotka (Saariselka)
Lake Inari Mobile Cabins- This is a very unique accommodation option. These aren’t glass cabins or igloos, but they are small cabins that sit right on the frozen Lake Inari for incredible northern lights viewing!
Aurora Village (Ivalo)
Levi area:
Rovaniemi:
Nova Galaxy Village (about 20 minutes outside of Rovaniemi)
Glass Resort (in Santa Claus Village)
Arctic Fox Igloos (Rauna)
Santas Igloos Arctic Circle (in Santa Claus Village)
Kemi:
Snow and ice hotels
Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi
Snow Village in Kittila
How expensive is Lapland, Finland?
So how much should you budget to a trip to Lapland, Finland in winter?
Well, to be honest, we didn’t find Finland to be overly expensive- although it certainly can be!
Accommodations can get super expensive depending on what you want, but we found very affordable vacation rental options (less than $100 per night) that were very reasonable (and they even had their own private saunas!).
We didn’t find groceries to be much more than we were used to, and restaurant prices felt pretty standard as well (but as anywhere, buying food and cooking at your accommodation is always the cheaper option and it’s what we did).
Keep in mind that tipping is not a standard practice in Finland, nor is it expected (which can save some money), and tap water is good to drink so no need to spend money on bottled water here, either.
What really makes a trip to Lapland, Finland in the winter expensive are the excursions. We normally don’t join tours and pay for excursions when we travel, but for a lot of the best things to do in Lapland, a tour is often required- things like reindeer and husky rides, snowmobile tours (since you probably didn’t pack your own!), the ice breaker cruise, ice floating, and more. The prices for these excursions are all pretty pricey and they add up quickly.
We tried to lessen the blow by opting out of any tours we just didn’t feel absolutely necessary- we didn’t do a northern lights tour, we hiked on our own (and you can rent gear like snowshoes, skis or spikes if you need them), and we didn’t do activities that weren’t totally unique or special to the area (like dogsledding or snowmobiling).
Unique activities like the icebreaker cruises can definitely make a trip to Lapland, Finland a bit expensive!
Our Lapland, Finland budget breakdown
Want to know our budget for visiting Lapland, Finland in the winter to help you plan out your own budget?
We’ll break it down for you! This is our total costs for two people spending five full days in Lapland (and one travel day in Helsinki, so 6 nights total) traveling on a mid-range budget. We stayed at cheaper accommodations, rented our own car and did a good amount of driving, did a handful of tours, and mostly cooked all our own meals. All costs have been converted from Euro into USD.
Accommodation: $676.25
Car rental: $489.19
Gas: $135.84
Groceries: $56.11
Eating out (one dinner after we landed in Helsinki): $51.74
Excursions (Icebreaker cruise, reindeer ride, the Snow Village tickets): $730.04
Miscellaneous: $20.64
Total costs for 2 people: $2,159.81
How many days do you need in Lapland, Finland?
While there are a lot of things to do in Lapland, Finland as you saw above, most things don’t take too much time, and you don’t need to do every single one to have a well-rounded Lapland experience. So overall, we wouldn’t say you need to spend too much time here- we think 4 to 5 days is an ideal amount of time to plan for Lapland, Finland in winter. This gives you an ample number of nights to try to catch the northern lights while giving you plenty of days to do whichever winter activities sound fun to you. We spent five full days in Lapland and thought it was perfect.
One of our biggest tips for planning a Lapland, Finland winter itinerary is to not over plan your days, and try not to plan for too many early morning starts.
Remember, if you’re visiting Lapland, Finland in the peak of winter, you don’t have that many hours of daylight to begin with, so you can really only squeeze in one activity when the sun is out.
But even in the shoulder seasons when the days are longer, we still wouldn’t suggest planning too much in your days and instead, try having a slower and more relaxed vacation. During our visit, we actually stayed up quite late most nights chasing the northern lights (they might not appear until 2 or 3 am on some nights- you just never really know). On nights when we were actively trying to see the aurora (which was four of the five nights we were there), I think the earliest we went to bed was 1:30 am. And I was often woken up after this for northern lights phone alerts that I had set up.
Because of this, we definitely needed the mornings to sleep in and relax a bit, and we usually didn’t start our days until after noon! It was definitely a different kind of vacation that we are used to (normally they are go-go-go!), but our main goal in Finland was to see the northern lights, and we were willing to adjust our days and sacrifice some sleep to do it!
Because we usually got later starts, we only planned for one or maybe two activities each day.
5 day Lapland, Finland itinerary
Here’s an ideal way that we’d recommend spending five days in Lapland in winter, based around staying in the centrally located Rovaniemi.
Day 1: Arrive in Rovaniemi on an early flight from Helsinki. Head to Riisitunturi National Park and hike to see the snow-covered trees on Riisitunturi Fell. Head back to Rovaniemi and spend an hour or two in the Arktikum Museum, then grab dinner and relax in the evening before possibly hunting for the northern lights!
Day 2: Head up to the Kittila area. Take the gondola to the top of either Levi Fell or Yllas Fell to enjoy the views and go on a short hike. Alternatively, grab a pair of skis and go downhill skiing. Later, head to the Snow Village to wander around the snow castle, and for a unique experience, eat dinner in the ice restaurant there before heading back to Rovaniemi.
Day 3: Head to Kemi for a full day icebreaker cruise.
Day 4: Visit a reindeer farm in the morning and go on a reindeer safari. Head to Santa Claus Village in the afternoon to meet Santa and wander around the various attractions.
Day 5: Pick one last winter activity that sounds fun! Go on a snowmobile tour, do a dogsled safari, opt for an ice fishing tour, or head to Korouma Canyon to hike to the frozen waterfalls. If you have enough daylight, you may be able to squeeze two of these activities into the day, or perhaps head to a Finnish sauna for a relaxing way to end your trip.
Tips for planning a trip to Lapland, Finland in winter
We know- we’ve gone over a lot, but we wanted to share some of our final need-to-know tips for planning a trip to Lapland, Finland in the winter!
Ice floating in Lapland!
What to pack for Lapland, Finland in winter
Lots of layers: I dressed in a set of warm base layers, a warm fleece midlayer, and an outer winter jacket, and I kept an extra midlayer fleece on hand in case it was needed! I also packed warm wool socks.
Snow boots: Bring a good pair of snow boots with good traction and waterproofing. Especially in late winter and early spring, the trails and even the sidewalks and parking lots can be slick, and you’ll be thankful you packed the right shoes. To help with packing, we often wear our heavy boots on the plane- not the most comfortable thing in the world to do, but it helps us keep everything in just a single carry-on!
Outerwear: Make sure to have warm gloves, and I had a winter hat and an ear buff as well as a neck gaiter.
Sun protection: We didn’t pack sunscreen but we wish we had! Sunglasses are really helpful, too for clear sunny days when the sun really reflects off the ice and snow.
Lotion: I went through so much lotion due to the cold dry air!
Bathing suit: Wait, a bathing suit in the winter? Well, if you want to use a sauna, it’s a good thing to have on you!
Tripod: This will be super helpful for taking pictures of the northern lights, either with a camera or a cell phone.
Microspikes: We didn’t pack our own because we were trying to pack light, but we wish we could have, because the trails in March were very slick. If you need them, you can always rent a pair in town before heading out to the trails.
A power bank (or extra batteries): Batteries in your phone and camera will drain quickly in the cold. We like to always carry a power bank with our charging cables to charge on the go if we need to.
A plug adapter.
A headlamp. This is useful especially when the days are short. If you’re using it while you’re out trying to spot the northern lights, it’s helpful to have one with a redlight- this will help keep your eyes adjusted to the dark so that you can see the colors of the northern lights better and not disturb anyone else’s viewing either.
Things to do in your downtime: If you’re visiting Finland in the peak of winter, you’ll have a lot of time without the sun to relax and soak in the slow life. Make sure to have things to keep you entertained in your warm house, cabin or igloo! Bring things like cards, a game, have shows downloaded to a tablet, or a book.
What is the currency in Finland?
Finland uses the Euro, but we didn’t need to use cash at all during our time in Lapland. We were able to pay with a card for everything.
Do they speak English in Finland?
While the official language in Finland is Finnish, we found that everyone we interacted with spoke English- people in hotels, restaurants, tour guides, and even those working in grocery and convenient stores. While this is super nice and helpful, we do like to try our best to learn some phrases to initiate conversations in the local language, such as hi (hei or hello) and thank you (kittos).
While we shopped in grocery stores, we sometimes needed to use Google Translate to help us figure out what we were looking at.
More Finland Guides
Check out our other Finland guides to help you plan your trip to Lapland!
We really hope this guide helps you plan the perfect trip to Lapland, Finland in the winter! What things to do in Lapland are you looking forward to the most? Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below!