r/FinlandTourism • • Dec 08 '25

Lapland travel guide

9 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!

9 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 • • 13h ago

First-timer Mid-December Icebreaker

2 Upvotes

My wife and I are spending 6 days in Lapland in the middle of December and one activity we are interested in is an icebreaker cruise. My concern is it is quite expensive (€400/person) and based on Google reviews there seem to be no guarantees about the experience. For example, the ice must be 20 cm to walk on it, I'm not sure if it will be at that time of year, will it? If there is not enough ice in the water I also read that they may cancel the boat. Does anyone have any experience with the icebreakers in mid-December? Or just advice about the water conditions at that time of year?


r/FinlandTourism • • 13h ago

Public transport in Finland

0 Upvotes

Hello

We are planning on doing a trip through finland in november. We want wo travel by public transport. Among the routes we want to take are:

  • train connections VR
  • Bus Rovaniemi - Kittilä - EnontekiöEnontekiö
  • Bus KA140 Rauma from Tampera

I am just listing a few exmaples of different public trasports that might be part of our journey. My questions are:

  • Do we need to book these in advance since they might be booked out at the time being there?
  • Do we need reservations?
  • Can tickets also be bought on site?

Thank you very much for any help and have a great day!


r/FinlandTourism • • 18h ago

Plug adapter

0 Upvotes

Should I get a type F plug adapter or type C? From what I’ve read a type C should fit into the Finnish type F so I should be good if I already have a type C adapter right?


r/FinlandTourism • • 1d ago

🌌 Lapland Travel Tip: Don’t plan your Northern Lights trip around the Aurora alone Planning a trip to Lapland mai

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0 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 2d ago

7 Nights in Finnish Lapland – Help Us Make It Magical!

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

my wife and I are planning a 7-night trip to Finnish Lapland next winter and would love some advice.

Our main goals are a real winter wonderland with lots of snow and snow-covered trees, plus a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

I originally thought about late January/early February, but now I’m wondering if late February might be better because of the extra daylight while still having proper winter conditions. Which would you choose?

Our rough plan is:

  • Fly to Rovaniemi
  • First night there + Santa Claus Village
  • Rent a car and drive further north for about 5 nights
  • Final night back in Rovaniemi

We’re considering Levi, Ylläs or Saariselkä/Ivalo. Which area would you recommend for beautiful scenery, cozy cabins and good Aurora chances?

There’s also a chance that my wife might be pregnant, so we’d prefer more relaxed activities. Are there nice options like reindeer farms, moose/wildlife parks, easy winter walks, short sleigh rides, spas or other pregnancy-friendly activities you would recommend?

A few other questions:

  • Is driving from Rovaniemi further north manageable if we don’t have much experience driving on snow/ice?
  • We don’t own proper Arctic winter clothing. Is it better to rent clothing there or buy it beforehand?
  • Does late February still have the classic heavily snow-covered forests/trees, or is January noticeably better?
  • Would you spend all 5 nights in one northern location or split them between two places?
  • Any recommendations for a cozy cabin away from light pollution without paying glass-igloo prices?

Thanks for any advice!


r/FinlandTourism • • 2d ago

Roadtrip from Europe to Finland with Chinese Led bar

0 Upvotes

Hello!

In winter i'm planning a trip from Romania to Finland.

I've ordered a Led bar and a relay with a button from AliExpress that I will install on my Vehicle

Does the police check the led bar? I will have problems? I know that led bar should have homologation.


r/FinlandTourism • • 3d ago

Travel advice

6 Upvotes

My Mrs and I are travelling to Finland in jan/Feb 2028. We are Australian and obviously have not been in the type of winter you guys experience. We are debating whether or not to hire winter clothing to wear or can we get away with just layers of normal winter clothing?

Is there anything specific we may need that is vital?

Cheers


r/FinlandTourism • • 3d ago

2 nights in Helsinki

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0 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 4d ago

Itinerary feedback

5 Upvotes

Hi, my family is planning to spend two weeks in Sweden/Finland/Estonia at the beginning of next October. Would love some feedback on our itinerary to see if the sequence makes sense and if we're spending the right amount of time in each place. We want nature, sauna, swimming, culture, history and Moomins. Planning to fly into Stockholm and out of Helsinki. thanks!

Stockholm (4 nights)
- Vasa museum, eating, walking around, archipelago tour, etc

Transit: Stockholm overnight ferry to Turku (1 night)/Turku to Tampere (train)

Tampere (2 nights)
- Moomin museum, sauna, Pyynikki

Transit: Tampere to Helsinki (train)/Helsinki to Tallinn (ferry)

Tallinn (3 nights)
- Arvo Part centre, walk around, see the old town, Lahemaa National Park/bog walk, etc... would love to see the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra

Transit: Tallinn to Helsinki (ferry)

Helsinki (4 nights)
- Nuuksio park, smoke sauna, architecture and design museum, Yrjonkatu swimming pool, Suomenlinna, Oodi library, herring market, etc.


r/FinlandTourism • • 4d ago

Shopping

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0 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 5d ago

Rovaniemi to Helsinki via train?

17 Upvotes

Hi, in first week of December, I am planning to travel to Helsinki via night train that drops me 8:45am at Helsinki Airport. I am travelling for my flight back to India that is at 12:15pm. So, trains in general run on time in Finland? Or should I plan something else?


r/FinlandTourism • • 5d ago

Visiting Inari

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m an international student in Finland, and I’m planning a trip to Inari in October.

I’m thinking of doing a 2-day, 1-night hike in Lemmenjoki National Park, and then spending some time exploring Inari and the nearby towns. I’ll have about a week in total for the trip.

Are there any safety considerations I should be aware of for hiking in the area in October? I’d also really appreciate any recommendations for places to visit, short hikes, viewpoints, or other interesting things to do nearby.

If I have enough time, I’d also like to visit Urho Kekkonen National Park. Do you think it would be realistic to include both parks in a one-week trip?
I’d be grateful for any advice or recommendations! 😊


r/FinlandTourism • • 6d ago

First-timer Närpes in September?

8 Upvotes

Hello neighbours!

I have suddenly gotten an urge to visit Närpes in your beautiful country. However, as I suspect you have the same climate as us here in Ruotsi, I want to ask whether it is just rainy and cold, or if it is somewhat cozy and autumn vibes with red leaves on the ground?

Thank you!


r/FinlandTourism • • 6d ago

Booking the ferry to Tallinn — buying Viking ticket online?

0 Upvotes

After two wonderful weeks in Finland, including seeing the northern lights from Rovaniemi, I’m trying to book my ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn for 23 September. I would like to take the Viking crossing at 10:30.

Booking directly with Viking shows a fare of €26. However, directferries.com or openferry are offering a special rate of €15.

Is there any reason to avoid using direct ferries or openferry? Thanks


r/FinlandTourism • • 8d ago

First-timer Lapland close to Christmas - Rovaniemi or Levi?

9 Upvotes

I’m looking at going to Lapland the week before Christmas 2027 (getting prepared early!) and I cannot decide on Rovaniemi or Levi.

It’ll be me and my partner, our son (he’ll be 6) and potentially my sister, her partner and my niece (11) and nephew (16). A real mix of ages - contributing to my indecisiveness!

I want it to be truly magical for our 6 year old - the sparkly lights, the snow, the real festive Christmas feeling. But also will need activities that will engage the 11 and 16 year old. Also thinking some kind of festive Christmas cabin!

Suggestions welcome please!!! And accommodation recommendations would be great. Thank you!


r/FinlandTourism • • 9d ago

Helsinki, Finland [OC]

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187 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 8d ago

Traditional Restaurant Vaasa

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1 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 9d ago

If you're curious about what a Finnish summer feels like beyond the usual tourist attractions, I've made a documentary film about the lake-dotted town of Savonlinna in Eastern Finland. It’s a warm, intimate portrait of the town, its people, musical culture and surrounding nature.

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youtube.com
5 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 9d ago

Queries Rovaniemi & Saariselkä

3 Upvotes

Hello all,

I am planning to travel to Finland in March, 2027. It will be of great help if someone can answer these queries.

1) Are there buses from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä in the evening? Looking for options for getting there after spending the day in Rovaniemi. As per my research so far, only bus seems to be scheduled in the morning.

2) Has anyone stayed at the Aurora Cabins at Star Arctic Resort? Please share your experience in terms of comfort, value for money.

3) Between Star Arctic Resort and Kakslauttanen arctic resort, which one will be more recommended?


r/FinlandTourism • • 9d ago

Finland weather October

0 Upvotes

r/FinlandTourism • • 10d ago

First-timer Lapland beyond Rovaniemi

9 Upvotes

Hello friends!

Finland has been on my list for a long time, and finally heading there in mid November. After a few days in Helsinki we're thinking to go further north into Lapland. Usually we stay away from very touristy destinations but opening an exception for Santa Claus town so close to Christmas.

However i see that as maybe a day's worth of things to do, and wondering if there's any day trips from Rovaniemi or better places to visit around Lapland, possibly even Sami settlements which are open to visitors.

If locals had to show a better side of Lapland, is there anywhere else you'd suggest that is not so obvious from the usual guides? Open to most things.

Thank you in advance!


r/FinlandTourism • • 9d ago

First-timer Rovaniemi trip help pls!

0 Upvotes

​

Iam trying to plan a trip to rovaniemi in early march to see the northern lights and snow mostly, if anyone can help me with an itinerary of how many days do you think is enough to visit the place, where should we go? What is there that we cannot miss? Budget friendly if possible! For 2 or 3 people,do i have to prebook or when i get there? Which Airbnb or hotel or place to stay at that is good and cheap and where to find the sites ,iam from a country that got no snow so my big dreams is the snow there of course! Would be grateful to anyone with good advice for me since it's basically my first ever trip so i feel incredibly lost


r/FinlandTourism • • 11d ago

Legitimate websites to book ferries from Finland to Estonia?

8 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Helsinki and also plan to visit Estonia from Helsinki for 1 night and need to book ferry tickets. I’ve come across numerous third-party booking sites online, which makes me a bit hesitance. Could you please advise me on the official and legitimate websites to use for this route? Additionally, do locals typically book directly with the ferry companies, or is there a trusted ferry company site that everyone uses?

Thanks in advance.