lapland day trip itinerary

The Ultimate 2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

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Planning out the perfect 2, 3 or 4 days in Lapland itinerary can be a magical, if not overwhelming, experience when you consider all there is to see and do in this unique region of far northern Europe.

There are few more quintessential winter destinations and experiences than Finnish Lapland. Lapland is the northernmost region of Finland and is the pinnacle and epitome of a winter fairytale. From snow-covered boreal forests, dancing Northern Lights, energetic huskies and reindeer to the monumental moment of crossing into the Arctic circle, you’ll be hard-pressed not to have the experience of a lifetime.

Whether you’re interested in sipping hot chocolate during the winter polar night or forest hiking in the midnight sun, Lapland is the perfect destination for any travel seeker. Read this article to help plan your Finnish Lapland itinerary.

Table of Contents

How Many Days in Lapland?

Lapland is a unique destination, and this can make it a bit harder when planning the duration of your trip. This is why many potential visitors wonder how many days to spend in Lapland.

To begin with, Finnish Lapland is far from a budget-friendly destination and the prices in Finland , in general, are high. With the costs of just about everything being higher than elsewhere in Europe, keep this in mind when you plan a trip to this area.

Taking this into consideration, I’d say that the minimum recommended amount of time to spend in Lapland is 2 full days. With 2 days in Lapland, you’ll be able to briefly experience the magic of the Arctic and do a few activities without taking too big of a chunk out of your budget.

The next best amount of time to spend in Lapland is 3 days, as you’ll experience everything you’d manage in 2 days but feel a lot less rushed, also with the opportunity to head to another part of the region.

Finally, in my opinion, 4 days in Lapland are ideal. If you’re able to spend 4 days in Lapland, you’re in for a real adventure. A trip of 4 days does the Finnish Lapland region justice as you’ll be able to visit multiple places and soak in what extraordinary Arctic life is like in the northernmost part of Finland.

Getting To & Around Lapland

Getting to lapland.

The most popular, affordable, and convenient option for getting to Finnish Lapland is by taking a flight into the capital city of Rovaniemi. By passenger numbers, Rovaniemi Airport is the third-busiest airport in Finland and is the main airport to fly into for a Lapland trip and Itinerary.

While there are other options for airports in Lapland such as Ivalo Airport in Northern Lapland, this itinerary begins in Rovaniemi so will be the focal point to start your trip.

Rovaniemi Airport serves direct routes from Helsinki year-round and seasonal winter routes from several European destinations, making it a pretty straightforward trip, especially for a winter getaway.

Another popular option to reach Rovaniemi is to take a 12-hour overnight train from Helsinki, whisking you away from the busy city, through snow-dusted forests, Finnish towns and straight into the heart of Arctic Lapland.

There is a noticeable difference in price and journey, but it’s completely worth it if you can afford it and have the time to spare for a long train journey.

Car rental is also another viable transportation option if you’re flying into Helsinki and would like to drive to Lapland. Summer is a great time to embark on a Finnish/Lapland road trip as you don’t need to worry about tough weather conditions and you will save money on transportation with a car rental in comparison to other methods.

If you’d like to rent a car to drive to Lapland in winter , make sure you feel confident in case of difficult weather and road conditions, and have the proper gear fitted to your car. You can browse car rental options here.

Getting Around Lapland

As for getting around Finnish Lapland, in my opinion, the best mode of transport is by car. Like any other rural and wild part of the world, renting a car gives you the most flexibility for your trip without having to worry about bus times and time crunches.

Lapland is vast and boundless with many different spots and sites being distant from each other, and although there is a great bus system within the region, you’ll have the utmost freedom this way. For example, one of the prime goals for many people visiting Lapland is to get the chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

While seeing the Northern Lights in most parts of Lapland is possible, your chances are higher the further away from light pollution and busy tourist areas. You can take a tour that will take you Northern Light hunting, but they can be expensive and give you just one chance. With your own car, you can search extensively to experience the enchanting Northern Lights.

If for whatever reason, renting a car isn’t an option for you, it’s still possible to have a thrilling Lapland adventure. With public transportation, you can get around Finland and Finnish Lapland in particular quite easily.

You’ll find a few different bus companies such as ExpressBus and Matkahuolto , both with frequent routes connecting different parts of the Lapland region. Prices differ depending on departure and arrival destinations but are generally quite affordable.

Most destinations on this itinerary have bus transport options available, either by the local bus system or by private bus/shuttle companies.

2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

This Finnish Lapland itinerary will take you through Rovaniemi, the heart and capital of Lapland, through the magical timeless world of Santa Claus village, and to the Northern part of Lapland to further enjoy your fairytale – either by hitting the slopes or mingling with furry and friendly locals.

There are countless winter activities to enjoy on a trip to Finnish Lapland from husky safaris to ice fishing to warming up in a Finnish sauna and this is the perfect region to experience these things.

Day 1 – Lapland Capital, Rovaniemi

Explore the city of rovaniemi.

This itinerary for Lapland begins with 2 nights in the capital city of Rovaniemi. While Rovaniemi is a small city in comparison to other larger cities in Finland, there’s still much to do and discover.

Spending your first day in Lapland exploring the city of Rovaniemi is the perfect way to ease into Lappish life as well as arctic Lappish temperatures. This is also the perfect opportunity to find appropriate Arctic clothing for the rest of your trip if you weren’t already prepared.

If you’re visiting outside of the winter months, regular winter or spring/autumn clothing is acceptable but in the winter months you’ll want warm thermal clothing and boots to protect you from the bitter Arctic air.

If you take part in activities through any of the companies in Rovaniemi, you’ll have winter outerwear included for the duration of your stay. Otherwise, you can rent the same clothing from these companies for a pretty decent price.

Arktikum

If you’re looking to explore and learn more about Finland’s Arctic culture, science, and history, the Arktikum Museum is the perfect place to educate yourself on Lapland while also getting a break from the cold.

The museum is located on the northern end of Rovaniemi and is about a 15-minute walk from the center point of the city. Arktikum is open every day except Mondays from 10 AM – 6 PM with an adult admission cost of €18 and reduced ticket options available.

Arctic Sunset & Eat a Traditional Lappish Meal

Whether you’re visiting during the winter or the summer, one of the most beautiful experiences of a Rovaniemi itinerary is to walk by the River Kemijoki during “sunset”. The colours that you’ll witness are truly remarkable, as if they were a painting, and are only just the beginning of a fairytale trip to Finland.

Afterwards, I suggest heading to Nili Restaurant, in the heart of Rovaniemi city to experience delicious, traditional Lapland cuisine. If you want the full experience, I challenge you to try the reindeer, as it’s harder to try this Lapland classic food once you’ve met the adorable reindeer themselves.

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

Arctic Light Hotel – This boutique hotel makes for the perfect base in Rovaniemi. They have a number of lovely rooms available and countless amenities like free parking, an airport shuttle and an on-site restaurant/bar. Click here to see their availability

Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle – If you want a unique accommodation option in Rovaniemi then these igloos can be an interesting choice. There are a number of different glass igloos to choose from (some including saunas!) and there are also plenty of other amenities for guests to enjoy. Click here to see their availability

Hostel Cafe Koti – Those trying to save a bit of cash while visiting Rovaniemi will love this hip hostel. There are both dorms and private rooms on offer along with a kitchen, a sauna and breakfast included for guests. Click here to see their availability

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Rovaniemi hotels!

Day 2 – Santa Claus Village or Exploring Rovaniemi Nature

Day 2 of this Rovaniemi itinerary will either be spent wandering the famous Santa Claus Village or exploring the incredible nature of the region. If you’re visiting in the winter, I’d undoubtedly recommend heading to Santa Claus Village.

More than just Santa and Christmas activities for children, it’s truly a winter wonderland village with plenty of space, nature, log cabins and activities to explore with something for everyone.

In the summer months, it’s still quite fun and unique to visit Santa Claus Village, cross the Arctic Circle Line, and enjoy the area without the winter visitor numbers. Otherwise, there’s plenty to explore in Rovaniemi under the midnight sun.

Santa Claus Village

If you have a car to drive on your trip to Lapland, Santa Claus Village is just a quick 10-minute drive from Rovaniemi city center. Otherwise, you can catch the Santa Express or local bus 8 from Rovaniemi city center with the journey being about 20 minutes.

It is also possible to take a guided tour that includes a visit to the village as well as a visit to a reindeer and husky farm.

Once you reach Santa Claus Village there’s so much to do and enjoy on a day trip here. There’s no cost to enter the village, with costs only for individual activities.

If you’re keen on doing a husky sled ride or reindeer sleigh ride, prices are less than half the cost of tour companies operating outside of Rovaniemi. The ride is a lot shorter, but it’s a special experience to wander through the snow-covered forests under a warm blanket while led by Lapland’s mascots; huskies and reindeer.

If you prefer to book tours in advance some options include this husky safari or this reindeer farm visit that includes a sleigh ride.

Visiting Santa’s Post Office and taking a picture with Santa is free, with the post office truly being like something out of a Christmas movie – a dream for both children and adults alike.

The entirety of the Village is a large area consisting not just of the concrete buildings and “town” part of the village but also a wide expanse of forest. Even just getting lost in the snowy forest, making snow angels, and warming up at one of the village’s many fires throughout the area is truly a special experience.

Once your appetite has opened and you’re ready for some warming food, there are plenty of options at the village; whether you’re looking for more cafeteria-style food or classic Lappish food in a traditional Arctic-style hut.

Rovaniemi Nature

If you’re in Rovaniemi during the warmer months and prefer to skip Santa Claus Village, there’s still plenty to do and explore and I recommend taking advantage of the extraordinary nature of Rovaniemi Lapland.

Rovaniemi is a dream world for nature lovers and my suggestion is to spend a day on the trails, hiking throughout the Arctic Circle while experiencing the ethereal midnight sun. If you don’t want to walk, you can organise a snowmobile adventure through the forest as an alternative.

A great place to start to plan your time in Rovaniemi nature is at the Finnish National Park authority, where you’ll find ideal hiking trails and paths to take in Finnish Lapland.

There’s no better way to watch the midnight sun than in the lush Finnish forest, with a picnic and a cold drink either by yourself or with close friends/family.

Day 3 – Northern Lapland, Levi & Samiland Exhibition

In this itinerary, with a 3-day trip to Lapland or 4 days in Lapland, you’ll head out of Rovaniemi and Southern Lapland to Northern Lapland. While Rovaniemi is all about Santa and Christmas joy, Levi , the main resort city in Northern Lapland is all about nature, the Northern Lights, and indigenous Sami culture.

If you’re driving during your Lapland itinerary, the drive from Rovaniemi to Levi is just over 2 hours and is an exquisitely stunning drive. Much of the drive is through Lapland nature and it’s hard to regret making the journey north.

If you don’t have a car, there are a few bus companies with direct transport from Rovaniemi to Levi. OmniBus is a great option as services are frequent, the buses are comfortable and can be pretty affordable for Finland prices.

Levi is the ski resort in the area and is the biggest ski resort town in Finland. The village that Levi is located in is Sirkka , and there aren’t a lack of things to do, places to stay, things to see, or food to eat.

If you like to be in the center of the action on your travels, I suggest staying in the center of Sirkka. Otherwise, it’s worth spending a little more to stay outside of the town to sleep amongst the magical Lapland wilderness.

Samiland Exhibition

If you want to learn more about Sami, the local indigenous culture then make sure to visit the Samiland Exhibition.

The Sami are the descendants of the nomadic people of Northern Scandinavia traced back thousands of years ago and Sami culture is rich in history, mythology, and folklore. The perfect place to learn more about this integral part of Lapland and Finnish culture is to head to the Samiland Exhibition in Levi.

The exhibition does a wonderful and interesting job educating on Sami culture, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits in both winter and summer seasons. Samiland is open every day of the winter from 10 AM – 8 PM, most days of the summer (check hours in advance), and admission tickets for adults cost €13 with reduced ticket options available.

Northern Light Safari

Other than slope seekers and ski aficionados, the main pull for visitors coming to Levi is easily the famous conquest for the Northern Lights. During the Aurora season, you’re almost guaranteed to see the Northern Lights if you’re visiting Levi.

If you have a car, you’ll have a lot more freedom to follow more remote and forecasted Aurora areas with less light pollution, although it is possible and common to see the dancing Northern Lights in the town itself. With your own transportation, you can come and go as you choose and watch from your car to stay warm!

The best spots to seek the Northern Lights in/outside of Levi are at the top of Kätkä Fell, Tonttula (Elves Village), and quite honestly, anywhere further from town lights with large areas of open land.

If you don’t have a car, I suggest taking part in a Northern Light safari tour out of Levi. Costs for these are cheaper than in Rovaniemi, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see the Aurora if you’re visiting during the Aurora season.

These tours typically pick you up from your hotel/accommodation and bring you to Aurora hot spots either by snowmobile or bus/car transportation. You’ll spend time learning about the area and Lapland with a local guide, while drinking hot chocolate or grilling sausages, and keeping warm by a hot, open fire.

Hopefully, before you know it, you’ll soon witness the out-of-this-world experience and natural phenomenon of the colorful, elegant Northern Lights dancing above your eyes.

Where to Stay in Levi

Break Sokos Hotel Levi – This hotel is an excellent base for exploring Levi and the surrounding area. They have a range of bright, clean and comfortable rooms to choose from, they’re pet-friendly and there is even a restaurant and cafe/bar on site for guests to enjoy. Click here to see their availability

Northern Lights Village Levi – For those after a unique and unforgettable stay in Levi, this hotel is a great option. They have a number of rooms on offer – all with windows over the bed for some cosy Aurora viewings. Rooms are also equipped with fireplaces, breakfast is available and there is an on-site bar. Click here to see their availability

Levi Suites Levi Gold – If you want your own space while exploring Lapland, then these suites in Levi are a good option. They have a number of flats available, all fully furnished with everything you may need. Click here to see their availability

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Levi hotels!

Day 4 – Skiing or Winter Activities

On the 4th and last day of your time in Lapland, you’ll have two different options for enjoying the last day of your Finnish Lapland adventure; skiing the slopes of Levi or taking the time to enjoy more winter activities that you may not have already done in Rovaniemi. Some options include this husky sled ride or a snowmobile safari.

Skiing in Levi

Being the biggest ski resort in Finland, Levi is a great spot to either practice and enjoy as a novice skier or try your hand on the slopes for the first time – under the arctic sky.

Levi has mostly intermediate slopes, with 28 lifts and 48 slopes as well as just about 4 hours of sunshine during the winter. Luckily, the slopes are kept open late giving you enough time to enjoy either an old or newfound activity.

Skiing under the beautifully pink pastel polar night sky is something you’ll likely never experience out of Finnish Lapland, and it truly deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.

Apres-Ski/Dinner at Tuikku

There’s no better way to end your trip to Lapland and day on the slopes than at Tuikku, Levi’s oldest restaurant as well as where you’ll find the most extraordinary slope side and Lapland views. In the winter, there’s live music and DJ, offering the perfect closing to a magical trip.

Prices are pretty affordable, whether you’re interested in having a cocktail, hot chocolate, or a long day of skiing and adventuring that has left you hungry for their delicious buffet meals.

It’s safe to say that Lapland is one of the most magical destinations in the world. Whether you’re an adult or a child, this enchanting Finnish region is undoubtedly going to touch your heart and sprinkle fairy-tale magic into your trip to make it one of the most unforgettable adventures of a lifetime.

Are you planning to visit Finnish Lapland? Have any questions about this itinerary? Let us know in the comments!

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About Olivia Ellis

Olivia is a writer for The World Was Here First. Originally from Michigan, USA, she is currently living in Athens, Greece exploring Europe and filmmaking. When she’s not travelling or writing, Olivia can be found cooking delicious new recipes from around the world, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Is everything open during 24th to 31st December??

The Ultimate 7 Day Finland Itinerary for Winter

Last updated: March 8, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 22 Comments

If you’re looking for the perfect winter wonderland destination, look no further than Finland.

We’ve had some incredible trips to Finland in winter. It was the first place I saw the Northern Lights , the snowy landscapes are spectacular, and there are loads of fantastic winter activities to choose from.

Finland is a fairly big country though, so you might be wondering how best to spend your time here when visiting in winter. Well, wonder no more. With our detailed 1 week Finland itinerary we’ve got you covered.

This itinerary will have you visiting many of the highlights of Finland, including Finnish Lapland and the capital city of Helsinki. It will take you deep into the Arctic Circle, give you the chance to sleep in a glass igloo, and even have you meeting Santa himself.

We’ve also put this itinerary together to offer you flexible transport options. Whilst we generally prefer to hire a car and self-drive, we appreciate not everyone will be comfortable driving in Finland in winter. So this itinerary can be done with or without a car.

In terms of time, we’ve put this guide together for around a week in Finland. We think this is a good length of time to visit Finland in winter.

Of course, you can visit for as long or short a time as you want, but if you are hoping to experience phenomenon like the Northern Lights, giving yourself a bit of extra time will significantly increase the chances of experiencing them.

Ok, that’s enough preamble. Let’s take a look at our detailed day by day itinerary for visiting Finland in winter.

Finland Itinerary for Winter

This itinerary covers a range of activities and sights in Finland. Obviously everyone’s interests will vary, so do please adjust it to suit your personal preferences.

Also, don’t forget that it can be very cold in Finland in winter, with temperatures likely to be well below freezing throughout your visit. We have a detailed guide to what to pack for Finland in winter , which we recommend taking a look at so you are prepared for your trip.

Day 1: Helsinki

We recommend that you spend your first couple of days in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland. There’s a huge amount to do in the city, which has a great many museums, restaurants, a historical sea fortress, and other attractions.

On your first day in Helsinki, we’d suggest getting acquainted with the city center and visiting some of the attractions. The city center of Helsinki is fairly compact, and you can get pretty much anywhere with public transportation and walking.

A great starting point is the Helsinki City Museum . Here, you will learn all about the history and development of the city. It’s free, and open every day.

Just near to the city museum is Helsinki Cathedral . This large white building is one of the more recognizable landmarks of Helsinki. It’s spectacular to view from the outside, but you can also go inside too of course. It’s open every day, and free to visit.

If you want a more in-depth overview of the history, culture and people of Finland, then we can recommend a visit to the National Museum of Finland . This covers a huge time period, from prehistoric times to the present day, and is an excellent way to learn a lot about the whole country. It’s open Tuesday – Sundays, and there’s an entry fee.

We could go on listing museums in Helsinki, as the city has a huge number to choose from, catering for almost every interest. From design , to contemporary art , to photography , to architecture , there’s really an incredible choice. There’s even a museum about hotels !

You won’t have time to visit all of these of course, but we can definitely recommend visiting a few during your time in the city. There are lots of choices, so you can just choose a few that appeal to you.

If you do plan on visiting a number of the museums or other attractions in Helsinki, consider investing in either a museum card or the Helsinki Card (buy the latter here ).

These cover a range of attractions, and the Helsinki card also includes transport around the city, which will save you walking around in the cold. The Helsinki card can be great value for money – see our full review of the Helsinki card to see if it’s worth investing in for your trip.

Of course, there’s also more to do in Helsinki than visit museums. We can suggest taking some time to go Christmas shopping (even if it’s after Christmas, you can stock up for the next one!).

If you do visit in December before Christmas, then you will also definitely want to check out the Helsinki Christmas market and try some traditional Christmas foods and drinks. These include Glögi (a type of mulled wine) and star-shaped Christmas pastries.

Kankurin Tupa would be our recommended destination for Christmas shopping in Helsinki. This is a department store which specialises in Finnish items, and has a whole section dedicated to Christmas.

We can also recommend getting coffee and cake at one of Finland’s best known cafes, Ekberg 1852 . This has been in Helsinki since, you guessed it, 1852, and they have an excellent selection of Finnish delicacies which obviously include baked goods.

Finally, find somewhere for a delicious evening meal, and retire, having gotten your first day of sight-seeing in Finland under your belt.

Where to Stay in Helsinki

We have stayed at a number of accommodation options in Helsinki, including apartment rentals and hotels.

Some options we suggest you take a look at include:

Hostel Diana Park
Hellsten Helsinki Senate
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel
Hotel Katajanokka .

You can also see listings for Helsinki on Vrbo here .

Day 2: Helsinki

For your second day in Helsinki our suggestion is to head out to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress .

This is a UNESCO world heritage site, and in our opinion is a must-do attraction when visiting Helsinki.

There is a huge amount to see and do on the island, and you could easily spend from half a day to a full day here, depending on what you want to see and do.

First, you can explore the six islands that the fortress spans on foot, admiring the impressive fortress construction. As you’re visiting in winter, you will of course want to wrap up warmly and have good footwear. Be wary of icy ground which can make for slippery conditions.

There are also five museums on the island, although not all of these are open year-round. The ones that are open in winter are the Suomenlinna Museum and the Military Museum. I would definitely encourage you to visit the former at least, as this details the history of the fortress and the island.

Both of these museums have an entry fee, and they are also both included on the Helsinki Card . Holders of this card also get ferry transport to and from Suomenlinna Fortress, which otherwise costs €5. Ferries run every day, and you can see the schedule here .

After Suomenlinna Fortress, you might still have time to fit in a few more sights. Some other attractions in Helsinki we would suggest which are near the ferry point from the island include the Helsinki Skywheel for great views across the city, Uspenski Cathedral and the Old Market Hall for food.

Finally, a really popular activity that you must try while you are in Finland is to take a sauna. This is one of the most traditional Finnish experiences you can have.

There are a few options when it comes having a sauna in Finland. Most hotels and even some apartments will come with a sauna, which will often be the easiest way. There are also public saunas in Helsinki.

You can also take a tour which includes a sauna. From Helsinki for example, take a look at this tour , which includes a traditional smoke sauna and the chance to do a cold icy plunge – if you’re feeling brave!

And that wraps up your second day in Finland and your last day in Helsinki. If you’d like some more ideas for what to do in the city, see our guide to things to do in Helsinki , which has many more ideas.

How to Get to Rovaniemi from Helsinki

Your next destination is Rovaniemi. You have a few options for getting from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. The fastest option will be to fly. There are a number of airlines offering flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, with the flight time being around an hour. Flights are relatively inexpensive and there are multiple departures a day.

If you fly, you can either depart on the evening of day 2 or early in the morning of day 3. You can check flight times and prices, and book online here .

You can also take the overnight sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. This route is known as the Santa Claus Express, and the journey takes around 12 hours. If you choose to do this, you will need to leave on the evening on day 2. You can see timetables and book this train online here .

It’s also possible to take a bus from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. This takes around 13 hours. Just note that taking the bus will eat up quite a bit of your day so is the least time efficient option. Check bus times and prices, and book tickets here .

You can also drive to Helsinki to Rovaniemi. This is around a 9.5 hour drive of 500 miles / 800km. Again, this is a long journey and we’d advise against this as well as it will be a tiring journey that will use up your holiday. However, if you want to do this, you can compare car rental prices across a range of suppliers on Rentalcars.com here or on Discover Cars here .

If you are planning your own trip and booking your own transport, our recommendation for getting from Helsinki to Rovaniemi would be to either fly or take the overnight train.

If you’d rather not have to worry about planning your own transport, you might also consider taking a guided tour. These will generally cover your transport and accommodation as well as some meals and activities, leaving you to focus on just enjoying yourself.

There are a few tours we suggest that have similar itineraries and activities to our itinerary, and include Helsinki, Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle. Note that most tours from Helsinki use the overnight train service, and focus on activities in and around Rovaniemi.

this 6 day tour which includes Helsinki and Rovaniemi, and a number of activities
this 5 day tour which includes Helsinki and Rovaniemi
this 7 day tour which also includes Helsinki and Rovaniemi

If you take one of these tours, they will arrange all your transport and connections for you during your trip, which is definitely an option to think about.

Day 3: Rovaniemi

Welcome to Lapland! Rovaniemi sits right on the edge of the Arctic Circle, the most northerly of the lines of latitude. Above this line you can experience the Midnight Sun in summer, as well as days in winter when the sun never rises at all!

Rovaniemi makes an excellent base for a wide range of winter activities in Finland . These includes Northern Lights viewing, ice karting, snowmobiling, husky sledding, reindeer sledding, sleeping in a snow hotel, ice fishing – the list goes on!

For this itinerary, which I’ve put together on the basis that you don’t need a car, the plan is to base yourself in Rovaniemi for three days and to do a number of winter activities from the city. There are also several attractions in and around Rovaniemi to visit.

This itinerary will of course also work perfectly well with a car. I’ve visited Rovaniemi in winter with and without a car on my two visits. If you plan to rent a car, you can arrange to pick up a rental car either at the airport or in the town center once you arrive. The only consideration if you do hire a car is to ensure that your accommodation includes free parking.

Now, on with the itinerary. Note that many of the museums and attractions in Rovaniemi are not open every day, with Monday being a popular day for them to close. So depending on your timings you might want to juggle this itinerary around a little bit.

First, I’m going to suggest you head to the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. This is around a 10-minute drive outside the city. If you’re arriving from the airport, it’s between the airport and Rovaniemi, so makes for a logical first stop if you arrive in the morning.

You can get to Santa Claus Village by driving, taking the S anta’s Express bus , a local bus, or by taxi.

There’s a lot to do at the Santa Claus village, and it’s a great place to check off a few of your winter activities. First though, you’re going to want to actually meet the man himself.

Yep, as the name suggests, the Santa Claus village is actually home to Santa Claus himself. He lives here year round with his elves, planning for the big day, and sorting and reading all the mail he receives.

It’s free to visit Santa, although if you want a photo or video with him there’s a fee for that.

As well as visiting Santa, you can also visit Santa’s post office. A fun thing you can do here is mail a Christmas card that will be kept and posted at Christmas time. So even if you visit Rovaniemi in January, you can get all your Christmas cards mailed!

Beyond Santa, there’s plenty more to see and do at Santa’s Village. You can take a photo of you standing on the Arctic Circle marker, and can also arrange other activities such as a reindeer sled ride, a husky ride, or a snowmobile ride.

Of these, we’d suggest that a husky ride would be a great option. Bear Hill husky is our favourite husky operator in this region, and I actually took a two day husky safari with them. They operate a number of tours with pickup from Santa’s village, including this one .

You can also book an experience like this which includes your visit to Santa Claus and a snowmobile ride to a reindeer farm.

You can also do a longer 7 hour tour if you want a more complete experience.

Assuming you take the shorter tour, our suggestion for the rest of your day is to visit Rovaniemi and familiarise yourself with the town. There’s plenty to do here. We’d particularly recommend a visit to Arktikum .

This museum and science center is perfect for learning all about the people, history and culture of the area. There are a number of permanent exhibits here, with the content on life in the arctic being my favourite.

Once you have explored some of the highlights of Rovaniemi, you will likely want to have your evening meal.

If you’re still feeling adventurous, we can highly recommend scheduling some time to try and spot the Northern Lights. You can do this yourself by finding somewhere away from the city lights. If you don’t have a car, the area by Arktikum is a popular spot.

Alternatively, you can take a dedicated Northern Lights tour. Some of these also include other activities like snowmobiling or a traditional Finnish sauna. These are a good option because the Northern Lights are definitely not guaranteed, so doing another activity will ensure you are occupied and having fun, with seeing the Northern Lights as a bonus!

Some options to consider for seeing the Northern Lights from Rovaniemi are:

This 5 hour tour where you look for the Northern Lights whilst having a traditional firewood sauna experience
This photography-focused Northern Lights tour
There are lots more Northern Lights tours from Rovaniemi to choose from, which you can see here .

If you want to get photos of the Northern Lights, you will need to read up a little in advance as they can be quite challenging to photograph. I have a complete guide to how to photograph the Northern Lights , which I can definitely suggest you take a look at so you are prepared.

I also recommend you download an app for your smartphone that will notify you of aurora activity. I have tried a few of these, and have settled on My Aurora Forecast Pro.

I have found it to be the most reliable app that doesn’t drain my phone battery, but has always reliably alerted me to aurora activity. This is available for both Android and iOS , and is available in both free (ad-supported) and paid versions.

We think that’s enough for your third day in Finland! Of course, you can schedule a Northern Lights tour for any of your days in Rovaniemi, but we recommend popping out every evening if you can to at least try and see them yourself, as they can be fickle. If you have a car, driving a little out of the city will afford you the best viewing experience.

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

You’re obviously going to need somewhere to stay for your time in Rovaniemi. We’ve tried a few different accommodation options, and have shortlisted the following as our favourites.

Hostel Cafe Koti – a well rated hostel with a good restaurant on site
Guesthouse Borealis – convenient for the train station and great value
Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus – centrally located well rated 3* hotel
Arctic Light Hotel – boutique hotel in the centre of Rovaniemi
Arctic Treehouse Hotel – unique accommodation just outside Santa Claus village

We can also recommend checking out the options for Rovaniemi on Vrbo here .

Day 4: Rovaniemi

We’re going to suggest a full day trip today out of Rovaniemi and down to the town of Kemi on the coast.

Here, you’re going to take a truly unique trip – a ride on an icebreaker boat!

Launched in 1961, the Sampo is a genuine icebreaker built for serious arctic conditions. She had a long and distinguished career in the Gulf of Bothnia, where for thirty years she kept the shipping lanes clear of ice.

In 1987, the town of Kemi bought the Sampo, and since 1988 she has been operating as a tourist attraction from the town port.

This was one of the most fun experiences that I had in Finland in winter. Riding an ice breaker across a frozen sea is a really amazing adventure that is quite unique. The sound of the breaking as the ship ploughs through it is incredible, and I could have just watched the ice breaking and the bow and the frozen sea stretching off to the horizon all day.

However, there’s more to a trip on the Sampo than just watching the ship do her thing. You can also don a full dry suit, and go for a swim in the frozen sea! The ship creates a hole in the ice, and the passengers then take it in turns to don full dry suits and bob around.

This was a lot of fun, although it was definitely less like swimming and more like floating. During this time, it was also possible to take a walk on the snow covered ice, which was also a unique experience.

All in all, I can highly recommend the trip on the Sampo icebreaker. The ship is also very comfortable, and there’s a restaurant on board. Depending on the ticket you choose, there’s an option which includes a buffet meal on board as well.

It’s worth checking the dates and times for the icebreaker well in advance of your trip as it doesn’t sail every day, so if this is something you want to do you will need to plan your trip around it. It also often sells out in advance. You can see times and prices here .

If you are driving, it’s around 90 minutes each way from Rovaniemi to Kemi. If you want to travel by train you can take the train from Rovaniemi to Kemi, and select shuttle pick-up from the Kemi train station to the harbor.

Or you can book a day tour which includes your round-trip transport directly from Rovaniemi to the ice breaker.

Day 5: Rovaniemi

For your last full day in Rovaniemi I’m going to suggest you have a full day of winter activities. After all, you came to Finland in winter to have a winter adventure!

There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to winter adventures, so I’ll just provide some options and let you decide what you might enjoy the most. Some of these activities are shorter, so you could do more than one if you wanted, whilst others are full day trips.

Hiking / Snowshoeing

One of the best way to experience winter in Finland is to get out into the countryside and take a walk!

Of course, walking in snow can be a bit challenging, as we tend to sink in. The solution? Snowshoes! These are large and wide devices which clip onto your shoes, and spread your weight out on the snow. This lets you walk without sinking in.

If you want to explore on your own, you can either buy a pair of snowshoes or rent them.

Another option is to take a tour. For example, this tour has you snowshoeing through the snow covered forests near Rovaniemi, before trying your hand at another popular Finnish winter activity – ice fishing!

There are some other great hiking tours you can take from Rovaniemi. I’d particularly recommend going hiking in the Korouoma National Park. This is found 160km from Rovaniemi, so will take a couple of hours to drive to. However, in winter the park is famed for its frozen waterfalls, of which there 14.

The best way to see these is to take a hike in the park. You can either drive yourself, or you can take a tour from Rovaniemi which should include an experienced guide and the correct outerwear and footwear.

We’d recommend either this half day hike or this full day hike .

Ice Fishing

A really popular activity amongst Finnish people in winter is ice fishing. This sport has you drilling a hole into the ice on a frozen lake or river, and then using special ice fishing equipment to try and catch a fish.

We have tried ice fishing a few times, and to be honest, we have never caught a fish.

That said, other people on the tours we’ve taken have caught fish, as has our guide, so it is definitely possible!

Even though we’ve never caught a fish, we’ve always had a lot of fun ice fishing. It’s a wonderful way to get out into the outdoors, and most tours include some kind of food or at least hot drinks cooked over a fire.

The best way to go ice fishing is definitely to take a tour. Whilst you could hire your own equipment and go yourself, it is definitely a lot safer to accompany a local expert when heading out onto frozen lakes and rivers!

There are a number of ice fishing tours that depart from Rovaniemi, including the following.

A 2.5 hour tour which focuses on ice fishing – great if you just want to get an idea of what it’s all about without committing to a longer trip.
This 4 hour tour includes both snowshoeing and ice fishing
A 7 hour full day tour that includes ice fishing, a traditional Finnish sauna experience as well as a BBQ lunch – which will include your fish if you catch any!

You can also pair up an ice fishing experience with snowmobiling. For example, this is a 5 hour snowmobile and ice fishing day, whilst this is a half day tour with snowmobiling and ice fishing .

Snowmobiling

I love snowmobiling, and every time we’ve visited Finland I’ve done my best to go snowmobiling at least once.

Snowmobiling is, in my opinion, a huge amount of fun. It’s also a great activity to pair with other activities, such as watching the Northern Lights or going ice fishing. You use the snowmobile to get to where you are going, do the activity, and then ride the snowmobile back.

Of course, you can also have a “pure” snowmobiling experience too, where you just ride the vehicle.

Snowmobiles are nearly all for two people, so when you go on a snowmobile tour there will usually always be one person driving, and one person as the passenger. On all the tours I’ve been on the guides have always ensured that people swap so both can have the experience of driving if they want. Additionally, it’s usually possible to pay a supplement to ride on your own if you prefer.

If you are visiting Finland with children, you should be aware that most snowmobiles can’t be operated by children under 15 years of age.

Some children can ride as passengers, but this isn’t universal, so you will want to check the tour details and contact the company to be sure before booking. For example, this is a family friendly snowmobile tour.

Some snowmobiling tours from Rovaniemi to consider include the following.

This tour which just has you snowmobiling and is a good way to get a feel for riding these machines.
This half day tour which includes snowmobiling, a visit to a reindeer farm, and a husky and reindeer sled ride. If you want to experience a number of activities in one tour, this is a great option.
This half day tour which includes snowmobiling, ice fishing, campfire, and lunch.
This evening snowmobile tour to see the Northern Lights which also includes a traditional Lappish BBQ. This tour is family friendly, and would make a great evening out after doing other activities in the daytime. Plus you might catch the Northern Lights!

Hopefully this gives you plenty of ideas for the types of snowmobiling tours you can do from Rovaniemi.

Husky Sledding

If you prefer your snow transport to be bit more traditional but still lots of fun, then husky sledding is likely going to be something you’ll enjoy a great deal.

As the name suggests, husky sledding involves a team of huskies, and a sled. Huskies are a special breed of dog which are well adapted to long periods of intense activity as well as cold conditions. Put more simply, they love running in the snow.

Husky sledding has you harnessing a team of husky dogs to a sled. There are usually between six and eight dogs, and each sled will generally have a driver and a passenger. The driver will stand at the back of the sled to steer and brake, whilst the passenger relaxes and enjoys the view.

Husky sledding is a really popular activity when visiting Finland in winter, and one we highly recommend. I’ve written a whole post outlining my experience dog sledding in Lapland , which you should find useful.

Like most of the other activities on our list, there are lots of operators running husky sledding tours in Rovaniemi. We recommend and have used Bear Hill Husky, they really care about their dogs, and they have a range of sledding experience to suit everyone. Some examples to consider are as follows.

The offer shorter tours which usually include 45 minutes of actual dog sledding over a 2.5 hour visit. As well as the sledding, you also get the opportunity to learn about and meet the dogs – and get plenty of photos. For example, see this morning tour .
If you want a more immersive and complete experience, they also offer a longer full day tour which includes around seven hours of husky sledding as you cover a distance of 30-40km. This also includes a campfire lunch, hot juice, and cookies.

We think one of these options would be great for anyone looking for a wonderful husky sledding experience in Lapland.

Visiting an Amethyst mine

The final option we have on our list of things you could do on your last day in Rovaniemi is to visit an Amethyst mine .

There’s one working amethyst mine in Finland, and it’s found on the top of a hill in the Pyha-Luosto National Park .

This national park is home to the remnants of a mountain chain which is over two billion years old. It’s a popular place for a range of outdoor activities, including snowshoeing, hiking and skiing.

However, it’s the amethyst mine that I think you should visit. This is found in Lampivaara, and here you can learn all about amethyst mining, as well as having a go at mining for amethyst yourself!

If you have your own vehicle it’s around a 90 minute ride from Rovaniemi to Lampivaara. Here, there’s a tracked vehicle which ferries people up to the top of the mountain to visit the mine. This experience needs to be booked in advance, which you can do here .

Of course, there’s lots more to do be in Rovaniemi and surrounds beyond everything we’ve listed here, which is why we think it makes for a great base to explore. For more inspiration, see our guide to things to do in Rovaniemi .

Days 6 & 7: Head North

From Rovaniemi, my suggestion is to head further north into Lapland. This will give you even more chances to see the Northern Lights, as well as stay at some really unique and more remote locations.

You’ll also have more chances to do lots of winter activities including dog sledding, ice fishing, ice karting, seeing Santa, staying in ice hotels, spending time in a Finnish sauna, snowmobiling, and skiing.

As always, you have choices for where you decide to go! Here are our three suggested options for you to choose from, depending on your interests. Of course, if you are driving yourself, you can visit more than one of these options.

The first option you have is to head north to Saariselka. This is found 250km / 155mi north of the arctic circle, making this an excellent place to see the Northern Lights.

You can reach Saariselka by car or public bus from Rovaniemi. There’s also Ivalo airport , 25km to the north of the city, which has services to Helsinki and other European destinations.

When we visited Saariselka, we stayed in the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort . This is one of the most popular places to stay in a glass igloo in Finland, and was where the concept of glass igloos first originated.

I stayed in a glass igloo at Kakslauttanen, and it was a night I will never forget.

Naturally there’s more to Kakslauttanen than glass igloos. The resort has a wide range of accommodation options, depending on what you are interested in. I can definitely recommend staying in a glass igloo for one night on your trip just for the experience. There’s also a range of winter activities available here.

You can see our full review of Kakslauttanen here .

Where to stay in Saariselka

Whilst we very much enjoyed our stay at Kakslauttanen, it’s not the only option in Saariselka. You might consider one of the following options:

Wilderness Hotel Muotka & Igloos – A well reviewed and popular option with cottages featuring glass domed ceilings and a private sauna
Log House Kuukkeli – if you’d prefer to stay in a more traditional property, this guesthouse is built in the traditional log cabin style and offers great value accommodation
Northern Lights Village – features glass roofed cabins with private bathrooms and its own reindeer paddock.
Saariselkä Kuukkeli Inn – a well reviewed more budget oriented option. Rooms have free-wifi, and shared bathrooms

During your time visiting Saariselka you’ll find plenty to do to keep you occupied. If there are any winter activities you want to take part in, you can of course do them, including snowmobiling, ice fishing, husky sledding, snowshoeing and more. Naturally, you’ll also want to spend time searching for the Northern Lights!

Most accommodation providers will be able to arrange these activities for you directly.

Another popular area you can visit from Saariselka, either as a day trip or overnight, is Inari. This is a little further north, and is in fact home to Finland’s northernmost holiday resort.

This is a very sparsely populated region, and is a focal point of the Sámi culture. You can learn about this culture and people at Siida , home to the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre. This is open throughout the winter on every day except Monday, and there’s a fee to visit.

Another option is to visit the Kittilä region. This is a particularly good option if you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, as it’s home to Levi , Finland’s largest ski resort.

So if you want to get some skiing or snowboarding in on your trip to Finland, this would be the best place to do just that.

There’s lots more to do in the Kittilä area than skiing though.

The area is popular for a range of winter activities, with hiking and cross-country skiing in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park being a popular option. You can also go snowshoeing, ice fishing , ice karting, husky sledding and snowmobiling of course!

In Lanio, you’ll find the Lapland Hotels SnowVillage . This village is made every year from thousands of tonnes of ice and snow, and features a hotel, restaurant, bar, and even a chapel. There are also log cabins on site. You can stay here overnight or just visit for the day. The theme varies each year, with 2018-19 having a Game of Thrones focus.

Another excellent attraction that we enjoyed visiting in Kittilä was Samiland . This is found at Levi Summit, which you can reach by taking a lift from the ski resort.

Samiland features an indoor and outdoor exhibit space dedicated to the Sami people, and covers the history, culture and mythology of the people, as well as their traditional building and mythology. There’s a small entry fee which is well worth it.

You can reach Kittilä by car or bus from Rovaniemi. The distance is 150km / 93mi. Kittilä airport serves Kittila/Levi, with flights from Helsinki and a number of destinations across Europe.

Where to stay in Kittilä

There are a range of accommodation options in Kittilä. Some options to consider are as follows.

Design Hotel Levi – perfect for those of you wanting to be able to ski from your door, this hotel is found right at the foot of the Levi resort ski lifts
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage – if you want to live out your dream of sleeping in a snow hotel while in Finland, this is the place to come!
Hotel Kittilä – 15 minutes from the Levi Ski resort, this is a great value option
Guesthouse Golden Goose – found in the centre of Kittilä village, this is a well rated guesthouse with an on-site sauna
Levi Northern Lights Huts – found on an old reindeer farm, this is the place to stay in Levi if you want the glass roof experience

Wherever you choose to go from Rovaniemi, we think that spending your last couple of days deep inside the arctic circle, chasing the Northern Lights and taking part in more winter activities, would be the perfect way to end your trip in Finland.

Then, you can return to Rovaniemi, drop off your hire car if you have one, and fly home. Alternatively, there are flights available from Kittilä or Ivalo airports.

That’s it for our winter itinerary of Finland! Now we want to share some practical advice to help you plan your trip.

Map of 7 Day Finland Winter Itinerary

To help you visualise this itinerary we’ve put together a map, which you can also see on Google Maps here .

Finland Itinerary Overview

Here’s an overview of this itinerary for quick reference:

Day 1: Helsinki – Helsinki City Museum, Helsinki Cathedral, National Museum of Finland
Day 2: Helsinki – Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Helsinki Skywheel, Uspenski Cathedral, Old Market Hall
Day 3: Rovaniemi – Santa Claus Village, Husky Tour, Arktikum
Day 4: Rovaniemi – Day trip on Sampo ice breaker, Northern Lights
Day 5: Rovaniemi – Snowshoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, husky sledding, amethyst mine
Day 6 & 7: North Finland – Saariselka, Kittilä

How to Get Around Finland in Winter

You might be wondering what the best way to get around Finland in winter is.

Well, you have a number of options.

For longer distances, such as the trip between Helsinki and Rovaniemi, we would recommend either taking the train or flying.

Flying will be the fastest option, and is likely to be the cheapest as well if you book well in advance. You can check flight times and prices, and book online here . For the train, you can see timetables and book online here .

For shorter distances, such as exploring around Rovaniemi and getting between the sights on our itinerary, you have a couple of options.

First, you can rent a car and drive. We prefer to self-drive when we travel where possible as it gives us more flexibility with what we stop to see, where we go and when we leave.

Car rental in Finland is comparable to other parts of Europe. In winter, cars will come with studded tyres, and the roads are well maintained.

If you want to drive in Finland using this itinerary, we’d recommend hiring a car in Rovaniemi for pickup from the airport. You can compare car rental prices and book online here .

Of course, we appreciate that driving in the extreme winter conditions that Finland experiences is not going to be for everyone. With this in mind we have set this itinerary up so you don’t have to drive if you don’t want to.

By combining public transport and a variety of tours which include transport, you can absolutely experience Finland in winter without needing to hire a car or worry about driving.

Tours of Finland in Winter

If you love the sound of the trip I’ve put together, but don’t like the thought of planning it all out, booking activities, hotels and transport, then you might consider taking a tour instead.

There are of many tour options to consider, which we have summarised as follow.

this selection of tours which includes a number of options in Lapland

Hopefully one of these works out for you if you choose to take a tour of Finland in winter.

You can see more tour options for Finland on TourRadar here , they list tours from a wide range of operators at various price points, so you can find the one you want. We have used TourRadar to book tours in destinations around the world and always had a good experience.

There are 22 comments on this post

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Cyndi Puah says

8th March 2024 at 3:22 pm

may i know itinerary and the cost of the package

Laurence Norah says

8th March 2024 at 3:52 pm

The itinerary is laid out in the guide above, and it’s designed for people to follow themselves, it’s not a guided experience. If you’d like a guided tour of Finland, I can recommend checking out the options on TourRadar for Finland here , they have lots of tours at different prices from many operators, so you can choose one that suits your needs.

Have a great time in Finland!

19th June 2023 at 3:36 pm

Do you have any suggestions on extending this to Northern Norway. Perhaps a 10-14 day trip?

19th June 2023 at 4:13 pm

You absolutely could extend this trip to Northern Norway and that would make for a wonderful adventure. However as we’ve only visited southern Norway, we don’t have any specific advice for you. We hope you have a great trip though!

17th December 2022 at 2:10 pm

hi, thanks for the detailed blog. do you have any contacts for local private driver that we can engaged to bring us around or see northern lights?

18th December 2022 at 11:51 am

We don’t have any personal contacts for drivers, however, there are plenty of operators who can drive you to see the northern lights. Here is a list of some examples. So this is definitely a service you can book! If you wanted a longer tour, over multiple days, I’d suggest checking on sites like Viator or TourRadar to see what is available.

Pearlyn says

29th September 2022 at 6:00 am

Hi Laurence, this is really a great post that summarises what I need ! I’m planning to head to rovaniemi and lapland for 8 days ,would you recommend signing up tours from websites like nordic visitor etc? Do you have a recommended tour that covers both rovaniemi and lapland ? if the transport is included then that will really make it a lot more fuss free Thank you !

1st October 2022 at 5:47 pm

Hi Pearlyn!

Thanks very much! So I’ve not used Nordic Visitor before but I am aware of them and they get good reviews I believe, so that should be fine. What I would suggest is taking a look at the Finland tours on TourRadar here – they list tours from most of the companies who run tours, and you can filter by duration and price. So that should help you narrow down your options. For example, a tour like this might be an option, but there are quite a few to choose from 🙂

Have a great trip!

Shelly says

30th August 2022 at 1:56 am

Hi, So I’m really interested in the ice breaker tour but if I go in Dec. would the tour be mostly be in the dark? Would we be able to see the ice and things around us?

30th August 2022 at 11:14 am

Great question. So daylight hours in December are definitely limited. A great website is this one , where you can plug in a location and it will show you the sunrise and sunset times, as well as the dawk/dusk times (civil twilight).

For December it shows that you are looking at sunrise between 10am and 10.45 (depending on when in December), and sunset between 2.17pm and 2.50pm. Dawn and dusk add just under two hours to that, so it won’t be totally dark, but it will be definitely be darker.

So yes, you should be able to see the ice around you, and you will also get either a sunrise or sunset from the boat, depending on which cruise you take.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Shelly Mcintosh says

30th August 2022 at 12:19 pm

Thank you so much! In your opinion what is the best time to go? What gives me the best chance to see the northern lights and also do all the wonderful winter activities. I was planning a trip in Nov but I see the ice breaker doesn’t start till dec and I see Dec has Limited daylight. By the way this was by far the best blog I have come across! So useful and informative.

30th August 2022 at 1:01 pm

My pleasure Shelly, and thanks! So we have visited Finland in December and the days are definitely quite short, especially in the northern areas. My favourite time is February, there is more guarantee of snow, the days are already a lot longer and there is still a good chance of seeing the northern lights. My best Northern lights experience was actually in February. So if that’s an option that would be my preference.

Have a wonderful trip, and feel free to ask any more questions as you plan!

20th April 2022 at 2:57 pm

Hi Laurence and Jessica,

This is amazing blog I have never come across. It’s so detailed and to the extend you’d brought me into Finland while reading. Phenomenal!

I am planning to make a December family trip with 3 children from age 11 to 15. Your itinerary definitely suit to my plan. I am wondering how easy of the public transportation like bus from point to point as you’ve mentioned? It’s unlike other EU countries where we can get train easily.

20th April 2022 at 4:36 pm

Thanks very much, we’re glad you found it helpful 🙂 So the public transport is pretty easy to use in Finland. You will just want to check schedules for where you plan on going. If you are following this itinerary, then the easiest option is to take the train (or fly) from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. If you plan on going further north, you’ll need to take a bus. We’ve taken a few long distance buses in Finland and they have all been fine. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Samir Patrawala says

12th October 2021 at 1:20 am

Dear Laurence,

I am Sameer from Explorus Travel, India. Just read your detailed itinerary for Finland in Winter. It’s a kind of encyclopaedia for me. Amazing!

I have a question: Most of the photos on this page are clicked in daylight (they are bright, sunny pics). But what I read is that Sun almost doesn’t rise at all in Dec / Jan in Rovaniemi. So how can one get an opportunity to click such sunny and bright photos in absence of sun light / day light? Isn’t the stay experience in Dec boring and dull in absence of light? I mean how much can one enjoy darkness without good photos? Or are your photos clicked during those two hours when there’s little day light?

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards

12th October 2021 at 10:53 am

Great to hear from you! So these photos are from a few different visits, some in January and some in February. The experience of how much light there is will vary depending on where you are in Finland. In Rovaniemi, the darkest day of the year is the 22nd December, where there’s only 2.5 hours of sunlight. However, there is still sunlight. If you visit in mid-February, you get 8.5 hours between sunrise and sunset. So there is plenty of light. I would generally suggest not visiting over the very darkest days in December, but it quickly changes and the days get longer if you visit in February or even late January.

Hope this helps!

Sameer Patrawala says

12th October 2021 at 11:35 am

Thank you so much for your prompt and satisfactory response.

Would you recommend Northern Norway for Northern Lights in December last week or Rovaniemi Finland? I am asking in terms of maximum available day-light.

Kind regards Sameer Patrawala Explorus

12th October 2021 at 12:25 pm

My pleasure 🙂

So Northern Norway is way inside the Arctic Circle. In the last week of December, or in December at all in fact, you won’t get any sunlight. You can see sunrise and sunset times for a place like Tromso in Northern Norway here: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/tromso?month=12&year=2021

Rovaniemi is on the edge of the Arctic circle, which is why you don’t get the permanent darkness. If you are looking for the northern lights, then usually the further north you go the better your chances. However, I have seen incredible displays from southern Finland too, so it’s all just a question of luck really. If you want some sunlight though, northern Norway in December might not be the best option!

Trizzy says

26th September 2021 at 6:50 am

Hi Laurence and Jessica, First off, amazing and detailed itinerary! This is the type of blog I love to read when researching- keep it up! 🙂 Also, would you say early November is a good time to visit Finland and see the northern lights?

Many thanks again!

26th September 2021 at 10:36 am

Thank you very much Trizzy! So yes, November would be a fine month to see the northern lights. The only thing to bear in mind is that there might not be snow everywhere in early November (this changes each year of course), so if you wanted snowy landscapes as well as the northern lights, it’s something to keep in mind. Of course, there could also be lots of snow! But it’s not guaranteed.

I hope this helps!

Jessica says

9th April 2020 at 5:27 pm

I am following your travel blog for a while now. Love your content and photos. I am actually planing to visit Finland later this year as soon as this quarantine is over and I have one question. Do you recommend visiting smaller cities in Finland? For example this town Sastamala – I have friend there and don’t know what to expect as it is small town and there isn’t as much information online.

9th April 2020 at 6:50 pm

Hi Jessica!

Thanks very much. So the smaller cities in Finland are worth visiting, we have been to places like Oulu, Rauma and so on. There is usually something of interest in each town or city, and if you have a friend there they should be able to give you some advice as to what there is to do and see 🙂 So I would check with them and see what they say!

have a great trip when you get to go, and stay well!

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The Ultimate Itinerary for Lapland and Arctic Circle, Finland

This article is Part 1 of our 4 part series on planning the ultimate trip to Lapland, Finland

Read Part 2 The Ultimate Guide to Packing for Finnish Lapland (opens in a new tab)

Read Part 3 The Ultimate Guide to Lapland Safaris (opens in a new tab)

Read Part 4 Staring at the Northern Lights in Saariselka (opens in a new tab)

Most people (us included!) wouldn’t blink an eyelid before planning a trip halfway around the world just for a single once-in-a-lifetime experience. Be it jumping off a bridge in South Africa , watching the sun rise at Angkor Wat (Cambodia) , participating in the Tomatina Festival in Bunol (Spain ), or staying in a villa suspended over water in Bora Bora – we’re all guilty of booking an air ticket just to tick one item off our bucket list.

But what if a trip promises not one or two but over a dozen once-in-a-lifetime experiences at one go? You’d jump right into it, wouldn’t you? Well that’s what we did. We slept in an igloo, rode on reindeer sleighs, played with husky dogs, tobogganed down ice slides, walked on a frozen ocean, marvelled at the elusive Northern Lights, and even floated in water with icebergs for company. Phew!!

Finnish Lapland is a truly phenomenal corner of the world. We’ve been to over 45 countries and have experienced some crazy things but very rarely have we seen beauty that left us dumbstruck. Literally! I’ll let you into a secret – I carry a travel journal with me wherever I go. I’m perpetually scribbling notes in it. It’s somewhat of a ritual. But for one whole week in Finnish Lapland, I penned nothing in my journal. Yep, nothing, nada, zilch!!

That’s how long it took me to accustom myself to the surreal beauty of Finnish Lapland. This corner of the world, located at the Northernmost tip of Continental Europe is so special that I don’t know where to start. The air is clear (no pollution here!), water is sugary sweet, the sky sparkles with thousands of stars, and the snow-laden landscape seduces people into thinking this is paradise. It could well be!

If you want to explore this area for yourself, look no further. Here’s the ultimate itinerary for exploring Finnish Lapland.

Now for the fun stuff. Get ready, ladies and gentlemen, for the virtual ride of a lifetime. Don’t blame us if you’re tempted to book a flight to Lapland as soon as you finish looking at these photos. Here’s a summary of our experiences and our suggestions for planning an itinerary for Lapland 🙂

Day 1 – Fly into Oulu

Oulu is just over an hour away from Helsinki. The two cities are well connected through multiple flights a day. You will find a white landscape, laden with snow, when you land in Oulu. Once you’re in Oulu, you could stay there for the night or take the train to Kemi, a small Finnish city close to a deep harbour.

Take bus no. 9 from Oulu Airport to the city centre/train station.
You can book your train tickets to Kemi in advance on this website : www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/

Days 2 and 3- Float with Icebergs in Kemi

This is when the fun begins in real ernest. On this day, you will witness a castle made entirely out of ice and hop aboard an ice-breaker cruise ship. Ice-breaker sampos are used to transport goods from one port to the other in this part of the world but Kemi’s ice-breaker sampo is one of the very few that allow tourists on board.

A free shuttle bus ferries passengers from Kemi’s train station to the Ice Breaker Sampo. A short drive later, you will see a ship looming large in the distance. Chunky boulders of ice surround it. This is the Gulf of Bothnia, Europe’s largest mass of frozen ice. You might have been on many a cruise but nothing like this one. A loud horn heralds the start of an unforgettable journey – the ship leaves the harbour, cutting through the frozen Baltic Sea.

It might be cold outside but it’s hard to tear yourself away from the surreal sight of a frozen sea stretching out in front of your eyes. Our favourite part? A short pit-stop in the middle of the journey where passengers are given the opportunity to don bright floatation suits and plunge in ice-cold waters with a few other fellow crazies for company. My heart was in my mouth for the first ten seconds of the plunge but I really really enjoyed the rest of it 🙂

The free shuttle bus is waiting for passengers when the cruise ship gets back. It drops tourists at the snow castle of Kemi, which is straight out of the fairytales. You could wander around and walk back to the train station (a pleasant 20 minute walk) or spend the night at one of their unique ice-rooms. Did you ever think you would be sleeping on a bed of ice? Now is the chance to make that dream come true

This should be one of the first things you book because cruise tickets get sold out months in advance. The cruise can be booked here :- www.visitkemi.fi . You could also send an email to [email protected]
The Sampo Icebreaker Cruise costs €270 per person. This cost includes food, polar plunge experience, and the return journey on the cruise ship
There is a free shuttle bus that ferries tourists from Kemi train station to the Ice Breaker Sampo and the Snow Castle
Entry to the Snow Castle costs €15. If you want to spend a night in the ice hotel, prices start at €155. More information on their website www.visitkemi.fi/en/snowcastle

Lapland Itinerary Kemi Sampo Icebreaker Cruise

Day 4 – Settle into Rovaniemi

A short train ride will get you to Rovaniemi, the bustling capital of Lapland situated on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is also famous for being the home of Santa Claus. Did we not say Lapland is straight out of our childhood fantasies? 🙂

Rovaniemi is the perfect base for exploring Lapland and all it has to offer. No wonder it features heavily on most itineraries of Lapland. We stayed at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus and loved it. The hotel’s location is perfect – it’s less than a five minute walk away from most of Rovaniemi’s supermarkets, restaurants, and excursion providers.

Our spacious suite was on the sixth floor, overlooking the river. The room was modern, kitted out with a private Finnish sauna (where Vid spent most of his time 😉 ). Breakfast was plentiful with a wide variety of vegetables, salmon, eggs, meat, fruits, cookies, and cheese on offer.

Stay in a centrally-located hotel in Rovaniemi. We stayed at Santa’s hotel Santa Claus and will happily recommend it. You can find the best rates here
Make sure you spend time in the Finnish sauna – it’s unique and rejuvenating

Lapland Itinerary Santa Claus hotel Rovaniemi

Days 5 and 6 – Experience the best of Lapland’s safaris

Once you’ve settled into Rovaniemi, it’s time for the adventures to begin. There are photo opportunities galore. You can spend your days snowmobiling on frozen rivers, driving through stunning Arctic forests, visiting husky dog farms and playing with furry creatures, or hunting for the mysterious Northern Lights. Northern Lights’ excursions in Rovaniemi involve driving out of town, spending hours listening to Sami folk tales and BBQing sausages in a tent in the Arctic Wilderness – SO good 🙂

Lapland Safaris offer husky-dog safaris, snowmobiling, visits to reindeer farms, and Northern Lights excursions. Safaris start at €100/person.
We recommend pre-booking all your safaris with Lapland Safaris. That way you can keep their Arctic overalls, ski gloves, even snow boots for the length of your stay in Rovaniemi for free. You’ll keep warm and you won’t need to pay a penny. You can thank us later 😉 More information on their website www.laplandsafaris.com/en/

Lapland Itinerary snowmobile safari Rovaniemi

Day 7 – Meet Santa Claus on a day trip

Did you know that Finnish folklore has it that the ‘real’ Santa Claus resides in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village with Mrs. Claus and an army of elves. No wonder it’s Christmas 365 days an year in Lapland 🙂

Santa Claus Village is a short bus ride away from the centre of Rovaniemi. You will hear Christmas carols and festive music as soon as you enter the hallowed gates of this dreamy village. Of course, there’s no better way to arrive at Mr. Claus’ house than on a reindeer sleigh. Now let me tell you something. This might not be your first skirmish with Arctic Safaris but one thing is for sure – it’ll be your favourite one. It belongs in a fairytale, nowhere else.

Once you’ve exhausted yourself by playing in the snow, giggled at the little elves in the village, and hugged snow-men, head to Kotahovi Restaurant in Santa Claus Village for a warm meal. The restaurant is housed in a traditional Lappish wooden hut. The roaring fire at the centre of the restaurant is comforting and made us feel cosy almost immediately. We devoured the creamy salmon soup with rye bread (€14) and the sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and pickled cucumbers (€26) and spent hours looking at the snow falling outside the window.

Bus number 8 takes you from the Rovaniemi city centre to Santa Claus Village. Bus tickets cost €2.20/per person.
Entry to Santa Claus Village is free. You can meet the ‘real’ Santa Claus for free too.
Don’t leave Santa Claus Village without hopping on a reindeer sleigh. It will take you through magical snow-laden trains and Arctic forests. It was one of our favourite experiences on our entire trip of Lapland. The owner at Santa Claus Reindeer, Janne, is a great photographer. Make sure you ask him for a frame-worthy photograph once you’re in the sleigh 🙂
Reindeer Sleigh rides start at €22/per person. We opted for the 3 km ride and loved it. You can book it here :- www.santaclausreindeer.fi
More information about Kotahovi Restaurant here :- www.santaclausreindeer.fi

Lapland Itinerary Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi

Day 8 – Devour a traditional Lappish meal and say bye to Rovaniemi

Sampling local food is the easiest way to acquaint oneself with a new culture. If you’re a regular reader of Bruised Passports, you’d know we never leave a new place without trying out all the local delicacies we can get our paws on. We had a fair few Finnish meals in Lapland but Restaurant Nili came out triumphant by a mile (and a half).

The evening we spent at Restaurant Nili made us so happy that we just had to go to the kitchen to give the chef a hug. The unassuming exterior makes it seem like a small neighbourhood eatery but locals swear by Nili’s exquisitely-crafted Finnish food. We loved the fact that the food was modern without being excessively experimental.

We opted for the sensational set menu called The Rovaniemi Menu. The meal kicked off with a delectable Lappish blini, perfectly complimented by whipped sour cream and grainy fish roe. Main course was reindeer rack on a bed of fluffy parsnip purée, braised root vegetables, and a creamy sauce. We opted for a full-bodied Merlot with the reindeer meat and the two were a match made in heaven. A refreshing scoop of Nili’s black currant sorbet followed – the perfect palate cleaner to prepare our taste buds for the Cheese Plate. We wound up the feast with a glorious panna cotta (the creamiest I’ve ever had!) garnished with apples and wild raspberries. But we didn’t stop there – a couple of shots of Finnish Tar liqueur followed. We could fly back to Rovaniemi just to have a meal at Nili all over again 🙂

Take a bow Chef Marko, you did good 🙂

Don’t leave Rovaniemi without trying delectable Finnish food at restaurant Nili.
Reserve in advance because Restaurant Nili can get really busy in the evenings.
We loved their sensational set menu called The Rovaniemi Menu (€58/per person) but you can go the à la carte route too. More information on their website www.nili.fi

Day 9 – Sleep on a bed of ice at The Arctic Snow Hotel

After you’ve explored Rovaniemi to your heart’s content, it’s time to go to a snow haven 30 kms outside Rovaniemi. Arctic Snow Hotel is built from scratch in November every year. It’s nestled in Lappish wilderness and provides a fairytale experience.

The reception area, communal toilets, and breakfast rooms are heated. However the fun begins when you enter the main building made of ice. The corridors are full of ice-carvings and sculptures and bright LED lights lead visitors to the Ice Bar and Restaurant. Here drinks are served in glasses made of ice and food is served on intricately carved ice plates. Finnish specialities such as creamy soups and elk are on the menu. Stools and benches might be carved out of chunky blocks of ice but they’re covered with Finnish fur rugs that keep guests warm.

Each ice suite has a different theme – we loved the playful Angry Bird themed room. Stunning beds are carved out of ice. Artic-style sleeping bags are provided to guests so they keep warm as they doze off. But doze off you mustn’t. For there is a lot of fun to be had.

Don’t miss the outdoor jacuzzi for the world – there is nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub in the middle of an Arctic forest and feeling warm when it’s -20°C out. You can count stars and if you’re lucky, you can spot the mysterious Northern Lights. Bucket list or not, an open-air hot tub is one experience that NEEDS to feature on your itinerary of Lapland.

Arctic Snow Hotel is open to visitors from November to April
It is possible to visit only for a meal but we suggest sleeping in an ice room for 1 night for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Prices for overnight stays start at €125. You can compare and book here .

Lapland Itinerary Arctic Snow Hotel Rovaniemi

Days 10, 11, and 12 – Immerse yourself in Arctic Wilderness in Saariselka and spot the Northern Lights

It’s time to head north to delve deeper into the Arctic wilderness. Frozen slanting trees, ice-laden hills, and fields covered with untarnished snow – the scenery at the northern tip of Lapland is beyond your wildest imagination .

A 3 hour bus ride from Rovaniemi will get you to Saariselka. There is a variety of accommodation on offer in Saariselka – log cabins are a popular choice. But we are partial to the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, where you can sleep in a heated igloo under the Northern Lights. The bus will drop you at the gate of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. To say we had the time of our lives here would be the understatement of the decade. We spotted the Northern Lights ever so often while we were there. We were so taken in by the surreal beauty of this hotel that we decided to extend our stay by 2 days.

We spent our days trying to absorb the immense beauty of Finnish Lapland. Reindeer safaris provide a glimpse into the life of Sami people (indigenous people living at the very northern tip of Europe) and will convince you that you’re in a fairytale. Just when you’re drifting into your dream world, the reindeer will stop in the tracks to pee or grace the ground with perfectly-shaped reindeer droppings 😉

The bus journey from Rovaniemi to Saariselka is gorgeous. The bus has wifi and is extremely punctual. Bus tickets can be bought in person or booked online on this website :- https://www.matkahuolto.info/lippu/en/
Read our detailed review of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort with photos, tips, and more before you flesh the itinerary for your trip to Lapland.
We suggest staying in the glass igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort for 1-2 nights and their rustic log cabins for 2-4 nights depending on how much time you have. You can compare prices and book here .

Northern Lights over our igloo at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Day 12 Take the flight back from Ivalo

Ivalo airport is close to Saariselka and Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort offers regular transfers to the airport. Take the flight back to Helsinki – we promise you’ll spend the flight thinking about all the surreal panoramas you saw on your trip to Lapland and counting the crazy experiences you had. One thing is for sure – it’ll be hard to pick favourites. After all, how often does one get to pick between petting a reindeer and sleeping in an igloo 🙂

Planning your trip to Finland – The Essentials

If you’re there for winter sports and the Northern Lights, then visit Lapland between December and March. If you want to drive around, then summer is a good time since Finnish Lapland boasts of sunlight 24*7. Winter Wonderland transforms to the Land of the Midnight Sun during the months of June, July, and August.

Length of the trip

We suggest setting aside at least 10-12 days for a trip of your lifetime to Finnish Lapland. A rough breakdown is as follows (scroll down for the detailed itinerary 🙂 ) :-

Fly into Rovaniemi/Oulu from Helsinki
Kemi: 2 nights
Rovaniemi and surrounding areas: 4-5 nights
Saariselka: 3-4 nights
Fly back from Ivalo to Helsinki

Finnish Lapland is not the place for backpackers. Scandinavia is infamous for being notoriously expensive and Finnish Lapland is no exception. Moreover it’s an extremely remote corner of the world. Consequently transport, hotels, food, and excursions can get pricey here. Try to set aside approximately €200 per person/day when budgeting for your trip. This includes the hotel rooms, excursions, food, and transportation within Lapland but excludes flights from your hometown. [box]

Don’t come back without trying these typical Finnish things

Finnish Sauna (Finnish people are obsessed with it and with good reason!). We love Visit Finland’s introduction to the Finnish Sauna
Reindeer meat – a local delicacy, Finns sure know how to dish up the perfect reindeer steak. Ok you can skip this and opt for creamy salmon soup if you’re a bit squeamish about devouring Rudolph’s li’l red nose 🙂
Spending a lazy evening in a Sami lavu/teepee making pancakes, BBQing sausages or just acquainting yourself with Sami Folklore.
Sipping on dozens of glasses of warm lingonberry juice – this local speciality the perfect antidote for Lapland’s Arctic winter.
Spending an evening in an outdoor hot tub while it’s -20°C outside. It’s a surreal experience to watch your drink freeze as you lounge comfortably in warm water and stare at Lappish sky, coloured green by the Northern Lights. Words can’t do justice to such an experience, can they?!

[/box] That’s it – our itinerary and favourite things to do in Finnish Lapland. You need to put this corner of the world on your travel bucket list – it will leave you spellbound and you will come back, wanting more.

Leave us a comment below if you enjoyed reading about our journey or if you have any questions about planning a trip to Lapland – we’ll make sure we get back to you as soon as possible 🙂

Want to include some more offbeat places in your winter trip to Lapland? Check out this article on 10 Must Dos In Lapland for pointers

Packing for Lapland, Finland : Staying warm in the Arctic

213 thoughts on “ the ultimate itinerary for lapland and arctic circle, finland ”.

That’s like the trip of dreams come true!!! So beautiful.. I have to find someone to go along with me . M saving up!!

Now you’ve found Madhuri 😉 Go, go, go. PS It really was the trip of our dreams

Sound amazing!! can I ask where you found the outdoor hot tub? or accommodation you would recommend with this.

OMG this is insanely awesome. I would love some dessert served on a carved piece of ice! The Northern Lights are definitely a bucketlist, along with a loooong list of thing! :-p

xox head2heels.co

I know right?! I want to have food on those plates everyday 😉 The Northern Lights were amazing, definitely the highlight of the trip

this is one of the most beautiful post !!! this seriously seems some magical stuff!!! i could not even imagine that something like this existed !!!! so so so beautiful !!!!

Thanks Kushagr – we couldn’t believe our eyes when we first saw the scenery at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort 🙂

hey could you guys please connect.Travelling this year with my girls.

We want a budget trip to Lapland & Estonia in January 24 – 1st or 2nd week for 10- 11 days.

Rashmi, can i tag along =p I LOVED this post. trip of dreams indeed. thanks for this post. this definitely goes on my bucket list.

hehehe!! Sure :P:P The more the merrier 😉

Love the sound of this 😉

Thanks Madhuri – this was a dream trip indeed! Rashmi and you better make it there quickly 😉

Hey can u plz suggest where is the best Sauna in rovenamemi …we leaving in 2 days for Finland for my birthday ?

Hi Harleen,

A belated happy birthday and hope you had a great time in Lapland 🙂

Wow, what an epic trip! Yes, I’d love to tick off all those things, except the reindeer meat (I’m a veggie)! I’m obsessed with Finland and I was there in December but not more northern than Tampere, I didn’t have the time or the money to head up to the

sorry! that cut out and posted unfinished!

I didn’t have time or enough budget to head to the arctic north and centred my trip in the south. I’m hopefully heading back in the summer to drive down from Norway to Helsinki and I can’t wait to experience the light nights and the far north!

I also can’t wait to get back to saunas! Oh how I miss them, absolutely the must do for Finland!

Such a great post guys!

Rachel I hear you – it’s so easy to fall completely in love with Finland 🙂 I hope you manage to make it to the North soon, Lapland is straight out of the fairytales

I decided to visit Finnish Lapland for my honeymoon as soon as I saw your first Facebook post on the Icebreaker Cruise in Kemi. Then when you posted about the Northern Lights, there was no looking back. I was looking forward to reading this post. It’s answered most of my questions and I will be following your itinerary. I have 1-2 questions about budgeting and flights- can I email you for that?

Sure Sher – drop us an email. Lapland is the perfect place for a honeymoon 🙂

What an awesome writeup – watching the northern lights has been on the bucket list for a while – had a couple of questions ?

– WHats the probability of seeing northern lights during the stay ? What are the best months for the same ? – I understand from the pictures that its cold – how cold does it actually feel ? At any ;point did u experience the feeling of unbearable cold ? – Availability of vegetarian food in the northern hinterlands ?

Hey Maulik – The chances of seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland, especially in a place like Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort are very high between November & March. Vegetarian food is never a problem. One never feels unbearably cold because of snug Arctic jumpsuits which can be rented from a number of shops 🙂

Finnish Lapland looks like quite the chilly place – but it looks like you enjoyed yourself. Hope to do it myself soon!

We really loved it there Elaine – you must plan a trip to Lapland soon 🙂

One of the places we really enjoyed was a Thai Cultural Theme Park – Phuket FantaSea. Every service area there was beautiful and neat. We enjoyed watching their beautiful, costumed parade culminating at an outdoor stage with a Bangok theme show. The place is really somewhat like Disneyland of Thailand! The highlight their main show held at a beautiful Palace of the Elephants Theater. I must say it was pretty amazing, I left overwhelmed by their beautiful culture. International buffet dinner was good, particularly the noodle soup. We remember it as one of our nicest outings in Phuket and do recommend it for a quality evening-into-the-night entertainment. Don’t miss it!

Loved reading about your Lapland adventures! It was very inspirational so we are planning a trip for March next year. I’m hoping this will be a good time to go. How far in advance do you recommend booking? Is it worth staying in Oulu?

Hey Michelle,

March should be a good time to go. We booked 3-4 months in advance. We flew into Oulu and spent the night there – didn’t really see much there. You should try and go to Kemi from there to try out the Sampo ice-breaker cruise. It’s an amazing experience.

Straight out of my dreams!! I hate you guys hahhaha…so jealous!!! But on a serious note, thank you for sharing all this info!! Its a wonderfully written blog, and I can totally feel your excitement 🙂 Great stuff

Thanks a lot Pallavi 🙂

Your travel plan look really nice!! Can you please share me what is the destination from Kakslauttanen Artic resort stop name and Rovaniemi bus station (toward Santa Claus village) to take?

If you take the bus from Kakslauttanen towards Rovaniemi, it will stop at the Santa Claus Village. Just inform the driver that you wish to get off at the Santa Claus village 🙂

Awesome blog !!! I am from Norway,live in California.Go home to Norway quite often,and this trip is definitely on top of my bucket list. Thank you for great information…..and I have to tell you…..I love reindyr kjøtt og tyttebær syltetøy. Have a great day…?

Thanks for that. You should take a trip to this part of Scandinavia – I’m sure you’ll love it!

Hi guys, well written travel experience. quite inspiring. We are planning a trip this year in dec 15, we live in dubai and have children age 2 and 5, a little concerned to see if our kids can adjust to such severe weather conditions while living in a hot place like dubai. On your trip, did you see kids of similar ages? do you foresee any challenges that we may face?… any suggestions?

Given that its Santa’s hometown, we saw LOTS of kids in Rovaniemi and around. Just make sure that you wrap your kids warm (thermals are a must). I’m pretty sure your kids will love these experiences.

What an amazing read. I have been surfing for weeks but found everything I needed right here. I am staying at the Hotel Santa Claus with my daughter and widened how far the bus stop is from the Hotel to visit Santas Holiday Village. Also, I am going to book the 3km reindeer ride. The excursion states almost 2 hrs plus but only 40 mins ride, did you experience this? They only have 9am or pm and I wondered which would be the best time to ensure the most magical … I thought possibly the afternoon. I had so hope to arrange a private meeting with Santa but this isn’t possible unless staying much further North…. But maybe next time. :-). Could you tell me how expensive the meals are at the Hotel for the evening, the breakfast looks amazing. I am hoping we may sleep well there, but expect noise due to the location. Your trip looks truly perfect and I am glad you had such a wonderful experience. 🙂

Dear Debbie,

The stop from where you get the bus to the Santa Claus village is a straight 5 minute walk from the hotel. As for the excursion, not sure where you have booked but we were told the exact time of the ride – perhaps they have added the transfer times from Rovaniemi to the excursion time? Yes, afternoon will be amazing 🙂

We didn’t have evening meals at the hotel in Rovaniemi. We used to step out to try restaurants around the hotel. If you get a chance, have a meal at Restaurant Nili (not far from the hotel) – the food was really nice. Say hello to them from us 🙂

this is actually want I’m planning to do from years…just 2 questions – Is it doable in 7-8 days ? If yes, what can be shortened ? Is Dec a right time ?

Hello Upender,

December is a great month for this 🙂

You can certainly do it in 7-8 days – we’d cut out a day or two in Rovaniemi and a day and a half in Kakslauttanen!

Hope that helps

Ok so my husband and i are headed to the northern lights for 10 days max end of march. help us plan an itinerary. we will be staying here Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Dear Lauren,

You’ll have a great time 🙂 Not sure what exactly you need help with but you could drop us an email with any specific questions that you have and we’ll get back to you asap. Pretty much everything we did is documented in this article itself 🙂

Am looking at web page for sampo cruise and lowest rate is €385.00 for March 2016! With entrance to ice castle. We are Four and frankly I think it’ s too much! Could it be that rates went up since your blog? As you mention €270 per person – which is ” reasonable” can you help me with info where I can find costs you mention? Thank you

Thanks Toni- you’re right, €385.00 is extortionate for a family of 4 but we were told by another reader that prices have increased in the past year. Perhaps you could choose just the ice-breaker cruise and transfer package, which is for €339.00? I will update prices on our website now

I don’t seem to be able to search info about getting to Ivalo airport from Kakslauttanen Resort. On bus travel website it stop at the junction not at the airport. Any advice? And at the city of Rovaniemi where do I board the bus to Kakslauttanen? Lots of thanks!

In Rovaniemi, just go to the Rovaniemi coach station to board the bus to Kakslauttanen. It’s a short taxi ride from the centre.

As for Ivalo, you might have to change the bus i.e. take a bus from Kakslauttanen to Ivalo and from Ivalo take the airport bus to Ivalo Airport.

Which bus company have you checked?

This is really dreamy! If I plan a trip say in May/June, will I still have an opportunity for the husky safari, reindeer ride etc?

You might get to experience those activities in early May but June will be difficult. However, it’s best to drop an email to the activity provider to confirm 🙂

You guys have done a fantastic job of summarizing your entire itinerary and including all necessary details with the series of posts on your Lapland trip. Super exhaustive resource for planning my honeymoon. Quick questions for you – where can I find the following experiences in Lapland (we are staying in Rovaniemi for 3 nights, Kakslauttanen for 3 nights and Muotkan Wilderness Lodge for 6 nights)?

1. Spending a lazy evening in a Sami lavu/teepee making pancakes, BBQing sausages or just acquainting yourself with Sami Folklore. 2. Spending an evening in an outdoor hot tub while it’s -20°C outside. It’s a surreal experience to watch your drink freeze as you lounge comfortably in warm water and stare at Lappish sky, coloured green by the Northern Lights. Words can’t do justice to such an experience, can they?!

These sounds like lovely experiences and it’ll be great to know exactly what we should be looking for and where. Thanks a ton!

Hey there – you’ll love Lapland. It’s the perfect honeymoon destination 🙂 Here are the answers to your questions: 1) The perfect places for this is in Kakslauttanen – opt for the reindeer sleigh excursion to Penti’s farm and you will get an opportunity to make pancakes, BBQ sausages, and learn more about Sami folklore. We covered this excursion in our video on Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Just check it out on our Youtube channel 🙂 2) Most hotels and lodges in Lapland offer outdoor hot tubs, so this shouldn’t be tough to find. Arctic Snow Hotel, just outside Rovaniemi, has a magical outdoor hot tub. But just email the hotel you’re staying at in Rovaniemi and Muotkan Wilderness Lodge to confirm whether they have outdoor hot tubs too.

Awesome, thanks a lot! Can’t wait to experience the wilderness of Lapland. Hope you guys are enjoying Fiji.

Anytime 🙂 Do send us photos from Lapland

Dear Savi, It was lovely reading your post, as we were looking into finland and happend to step onto your blog.It just gave us a good itinerary of our trip. I have a couple of questions if you dont mind which can help us for our trip in march.

We will be visiting rovaniemi on march and we would like to do some excusrions but considering our 3 nights stay there iam a bit confused on this.

1. Firstly do we do the Reindeer and the snowbike in Rovaniemi or at the resort of Kakslautten ? as we are spending three nights there as well ? ( in terms of northern lights and experince )

2.I know you have suggested lapland safaris but what do you think of the tour company laplandwelcome ( the reason i ask is cz the snowmobile excursion in lapland safaris ends by 11, whereas the laplandwelcome starts at 11 and ends at 1 am.

3.can you explain the route for the bus as we are going to have suitcases with us ? is that okay to travel from rovaniemi to kakslautten ?

Great to know you found our posts helpful. You’ll have an amazing time in Lapland. Here are the answers to your questions: 1) You should go on the reindeer safari at Kakslauttan – you’ll be deeper in the countryside and the scenery is a lot prettier there 🙂 2) I can’t comment on Lapland Welcome because we don’t have personal experience with them – however you can read other reviews on Tripadvisor or another dependable forum and make a decision 🙂 Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful but I find it hard to recommend something unless we haven’t tried it out for ourselves 3)You can take the bus from Rovaniemi to Ivalo and get off at Kakslauttanen – just let the driver know you’re headed to the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort as well 🙂

Thank you so so much for such a detailed info.. I am planning a trip for my fam n having difficulty figuring out until I stumbled upon your blog, so much helpful info. Will be following your itinerary and am pretty sure we gonna have as much fun as you both. Keep posting! Am definitely going to be your obsessive follower from now. 🙂

Thank you so much Vic 🙂 So happy to hear that. Have a great time in Lapland – it’s one of the most magical places we have been to.

Great article, thanks so much! We are planning to travel there in late Jan 2017 – just made the award ticket booking – and as our route is pretty much like yours i was wondering if you could answer 1-2 questions.

we only have short time 6 might 7 days invluding overnight trip back to our country, but due to award booking condition due to availability of award ticket, seems like we’ll only have 1 night each, 1 at helsinki, 1 at kakslauttanen, 1 rovaniemi, 1 kemi, and 1 at Oulu. If we cough up extra 450 euro or so for plane ticket for 2 of us, we can probably add 1 night in kakslauttanen instead of Helsiinki.

My question is:1) how high is out chance of catching aurora with our current achedule? Should we pay more to spend 1 more night in kakslauttanen? 2) what about ouliu? Is there any chance for catching aurora there? I’ve been trying to find info but there isn’t much…

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey Karen –

It’s hard to predict whether or not you’ll spot the Aurora, so it’s probably not worth paying so much jut for 1 extra night. Oulu isn’t particularly noteworthy for spotting the Northern Lights. Hope you have fun in Lapland 😀

Thank you very much for your wonderful post. It makes me more excited 😉 I would like to ask did you booked all the activities one by one or all from one tour operator? Coz i found one tour package it is for EUR 1600 and its for 5 days only. it includes ice breaker in kemi, santa clause village, 1 night stay at the ice hotel, safaris, accommodations and bus transfer you think the price is reasonable enough? or it will be better to booked it separately. This price doesn’t include the igloo arctic resort.

Thank you so much

Hey Vanessa – we booked all our activities with Lapland Safaris but booked the hotels and the Icebreaker Cruise individually. Hope this helps 🙂

Hi Savi, This is Manish from Mumbai, Read your experiences ,very refreshing.we r planning to go to Finland in the month of June ,is this the right time to go ,thnx.

Hey Manisha – June is summer season, so it isn’t the best time if you want to experience winter activities and the Northern Lights

Hi Savi, how long in advance should i book the train tickets from oulu to Kemi and from Kemi to Rovaniemi? I am planning to go next year march but when I try to search for the tickets it showed no result 🙁

Hey Daphne – the tickets usually go on sale 3 months before the travel period in question. You should check back around November/December 🙂

Hey Savi!!!

What a great article!!! It almost inspires one to book tickets immediately and travel to Finland! My husband and I are planning on travelling in January 2017 and i was looking at the Kakslauttanen Resort booking website and its already sold out!!!! However i managed to reserve two nights (only!) at the cottage. that is not the same as the igloo right? Any idea if the igloo will become available later maybe due to any cancellation? How can i book the same?

Thanks and cheers! 🙂

Thats a great post and a very detailed account of your travels! Thanks for inspiring us to book our tickets for Finland! 🙂 Had a quick question- I was looking at the Kakslauttanen Resort booking website and most of it is akready booked!!! However i managed to reserve two nights (only!) in January 2017 in a cottage.. that is not the same as the igloo right? Any chance the igloo might become available due to any cancellations? ca How can i ensure atleast one night stay in the igloo?

Hey Munira – the cottage isn’t the same as the igloo. It’s best to ask the hotel about availability of igloos in case of cancellation. Unfortunately advance booking is the only way of ensuring a night in the igloo. PS Do send us photos from Finland. We’d love to share them with our readers and tag you.

Hey! Sounds like an amazing place and trip. I just have one question – would you recommend this for a couple and their 10month old? Thanks in advance!

Hey Pieta – we did see a lot of people with young kids but I’d wait for your baby to be a bit older – it can be TOO cold for a 10 month old 🙂

Thanks for the very nice input. We’re a family of 5 – 4 adults and a 4 year old – and we do hope to spend Xmas in Lapland. We tried checking the Sta. Claus Village but it is not available anymore during our intended trip in December. What other hotel is best recommended that is very near the Village? Do we have to provide our snow shoes before embarking on the journey?

Hey Angie – unfortunately we don’t know of any other hotel nearby. Snow shoes are available for rent everywhere in Lapland, so you needn’t invest in them if you don’t already own some 🙂

I love your itinerary. I’ planning a family trip this December and would like to follow your itinerary. Do you know of any travel agents that can arrange this trip for us?

We planned this trip on our own so don’t really know any travel agents 🙁

Have a great time in Lapland 🙂

This is amazingly awesmmmm…I wish I cud find u guys earlier before visiting Finland…for more experiences…

Hey Ina – now you have a reason to go back to Finland, which is never a bad idea 😉

Hi Savi and Vid,

I have always wanted to go to this place and this is very helpful information. May I ask how much was the total cost of the trip including the glass resort stay and all activities(excluding flights since that would be different for me , I will fly from US) ? Also I believe, to see the northern lights winter is the time to go. so is christmas – new year time a good time? when did you guys go?

Hey Ananya – yep, the total cost depends on where you fly from and how many days you stay for. The glass igloos cost $450/night and good mid-range hotels in Finnish Lapland cost about $120/night 🙂 Winter is the only time to go for Northern Lights – December and January are perfect

Amazingly informative post. I am planning a trip for this December and would be obliged if you can help me with a few questions.

1. Can I copy paste this itinerary and avoid Tromso and Ice Hotel? 2. Any recommended agencies that dont overcharge and have experience of booking these? 3. Iceland or This trip? Which would be your recommendation.

Thanks, Govind

Hey Govind,

-Sure you can definitely avoid Tromso and Ice Hotel -Lapland Safaris are great to book day trips and other such in the area -If you’re keen on watching the Northern Lights, then Lapland is great. If you enjoy roadtrips, go for Iceland

Hi! I am planning a 10 day trip to Finland end of November. Given the temperatures and snow, did you guys use backpacks or a suitcase for your luggage? Any suggestions?

Thanks Shree – We took a suitcase but we’d strongly recommend taking a backpack because it’s so much easier to carry a backpack than drag a suitcase on snow laden roads and alleyways 🙂

Thanks for the amazing video and article! We are staying at Kakslauttanen in a few weeks and I wanted to ask what camera settings you used to capture the Northern Lights? I have a Samsung digital camera that I love but am debating also packing my DSLR so I have lens options. Any advice would be great! Could you see the Northern Lights with your GoPro? Your video was a great reminder to pack a tripod!

We are only staying 2 nights at the resort. With limited time, which safaris do you think are the best? Thank you so much!!

Apologies for the late reply. Definitely take your DSLR, your widest lens, and your tripod if you want to get great shots of the Northern Lights. I normally did a 10-15 sec exposure (depending on how intense the lights were) at f2.8 / f3.5 with the widest focal length possible. We could not see the lights with our GoPro but not sure if the newer GoPros have a better low-light performance.

As for the safaris, you should definitely go for the Reindeer safari at Penti’s farm (you can book through the resort) – he is quite a character and you’ll have a great time 🙂

Hey guys, big fans!!

Inspired by your blog, we have booked tickets for a 11 day trip in Feb’17 (arriving in Helsinki on the morning of day 1 and leaving from Helsinki the night of day 11). But now feels like a bit too long? Is there enough stuff to do for 11 days?

We are planning for 2 nights in Kemi, 3 in Rovaniemi, 1 in Arctic Snow hotel and 4 in Saariselka. Does it make sense? Considering the Sampo ice breaker is 4 hour cruise, what else can we do in Kemi on day 2/3? Also, whats a good place to stay in Kemi?

Much appreciate your inputs. Thanks a lot !!

Happy to hear that our blog has been helpful for you to plan your trip. Everything else looks great except for 2 nights in Kemi – you’d be better off making that 1 night and spending an extra night in Rovaniemi. Other than the ice-breaker cruise you can spend a few hours in the Kemi snow castle.

Have a great trip 🙂

Hi Your blog is amazing !! Thank you so much. I am planning a trip based on your itinerary . We live in Australia so would love a white Christmas. I was just wondering what your budget was for the entire 10 days. I’m looking at trying to do it for $10,000 Australian dollars. Thanks again for your tips!

Happy to hear about your upcoming trip to Finland and Lapland. If $10,000 includes flight to and back from Finland, then it might be short. However, if it’s just for the expenditure while you are in Lapland, it should suffice (on an average for 2 people).

Hii Guys, Thats an amazing trip. We are planning out Finnish getaway from 26th March to 31st March this year. Helsinki is just to get in and out and exploring the city. Not staying over. Then heading to Rovaniemi for 4-5 nights. Planning igloo for one nights and log cabins for remaining nights. Ice breaker cruise and arctic snow hotel from Rovaniemi. Husky, reindeer safari,snowmobiling as well as santa claus village and how can we forget one night is for Aurora hunting. All are morning activities except the Aurora hunting which is one night. Should we do more night tours for aurora hunting? So basically our base is only Rovaniemi. Also, we do not have snow shoes/boots – do we need to buy the same or renting is good enough. Then back to Helsinki. Do you suggest any changes? Also, we are based in Mumbai, need to buy good warm hats and scarves for me as well as my husband, can you suggest some places. Hope we have a good holiday, considering I feel very very cold gemerally – any tips for that?

Hey Priya – renting snow shoes works perfectly. You needn’t buy them 🙂 Also more than one aurora hunting trip shouldn’t be needed – if you’re lucky you’ll see Northern Lights at the Ice Hotel or Rovaniemi itself 🙂

Thats one beautiful trip. We are planning Finland from 25th March to 31st March. In and out from Helsinki. Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back in overnight train. We have 5 nights in Rovaniemi, which we have made our base. We are planning to do husky safari, reindeer sleigh ride, santa village, snow mobiling, arctic snow hotel, ice breaker cruise, northern lights hunting and a night in the igloo, all in Rovaniemi. Would you suggest anything on the same. Also, I am based in Mumbai and looking to buy some good warm caps and scarves, can you suggest where i can find one.

Hey Priya – that sounds like a great itinerary. We would suggest picking up woollens from a reputed brand like North Face or Jack Wolfskin online 🙂

Hi. your blog on finland trip is very nice. i wanted to ask you what month of the year did you go to finland. i am planning a trip in january and was thinking of tromso in norway and rovaniemi in finland. could you suggest me if january would be good and also how best to travel about from norway to finland in your opinion. thank you

We went in Feb. January is a great time to visit especially if you are interested in seeing the Northern Lights. The best way to get from Norway to Rovaniemi will be to fly – Norwegian has regular and reasonably priced flights 🙂

What are your thoughts on visiting Finland in December to see the northern lights? Do you suggest Feb to be a better time?

Yes Feb will be better because there’ll be more daylight as compared to December so that you can do other things too ☺️

Just back from our trip !!! What a amazing one n truly once in a lifetime trip. I was searching for an itinerary for Finnish Lapland when I came across your blog and I had to look no further. We visited Santa, did husky safari , slept in an ice hotel , saw the northern lights in d forest while on a reindeer sledge etc etc…everything was so surreal….!!! A big thank you for penning down such a detailed itinerary…was truly helpful.

Keep travelling…keep inspiring!!!

Love Vanessa

Hey Vanessa we’re well and truly grateful that you stopped by to leave a comment AFTER your trip – it means the world. Do send us some photos from your trip – would love to share them with our readers 🙂 So happy you enjoyed Lapland as much as we did

Hey! Thanks for sharing. Is like an amazing place and trip. Planning to bring my dad and mum to Lapland this December as they loved to see snow and northern light. My concern is it may be too cold for them. Would you recommend this for a couple and their parents at the age of beginning 60? Thanks in advance!

Dear Lilian,

Apologies for not replying sooner.

It does get really cold up there, but if you’re wearing the right clothes, we don’t see why it’ll be a problem for your parents. We met plenty of elder people and they all seemed to be having the time of their lives 😀

Hope you have a great trip.

Hi, can I know how much you spent on this trip throughout Finland excluding international flight?

We spent around 2000 GBP per person including the hotels, meals, activities (which end up being expensive), and internal transport.

Hope that helps 🙂

v r planning during late october for 1 week only. what do you suggest? primary interest is northern lights and snow. any suggestions for self drive in the lapland.

Self-drive is always an option, but we chose to use the public transport when we went. You could spend 4 days in Rovaniemi and 3 in Kakslauttanen/Saariselka

Have a great trip!

Hi Guys, great trip and pics/description. Thank you !!!

I am taking the family in Novemeber for 8 days to Rovaniemi and Saariselka. What activities do you recommend in Rovaniemi and what do you receommend in Saariselka? I dont want to do the husky ride, reindeer farm etc at both locations and I am trying to determine what activities in what area. Thank you!!

To be honest, you can pick either place for the tours and they’ll be equally gorgeous. We did the reindeer ride and husky ride near Rovaniemi and really enjoyed both. Perhaps you could do these 2 just like us and do a Northern Light chasing snowmobile tour in Saariselka?

Yes ! Thank you. Saw pictures of you guys in ALberta. We were in Switzerland this summer – it was amazing up in the Oberland/Jungfrau region. I think you will love it. Thanks again for the blog, I always wanted to travel to the area but had a hard time with an itinerary, no I have one. THANK YOU !!!

That’s great 🙂 We’re sure Jungfrau is amazing – can’t wait to go there 🙂

Happy to hear you enjoyed our article on Alberta!

This is gorgeous!! Thanks for all the great info. I’ve been sharing this post with so many friends and family. Definitely on my wish-list! 🙂

Thank you so much for all the love Shruti 🙂

Hey I needed some suggestions regarding this trip. I am going to Finland in November and we are staying at kakslauttanen but we don’t know how to go to roveneimi from kakslauttanen? Also, I would like to know a few brands where to shop from for the thermal inners, jackets, hats and gloves and all the other things that we would require. Waiting for a reply soon. Thanks.

Hey there – we took a bus from Rovaniemi to Kakslauttanen. Inform the driver and he will drop you at the door of the hotel. Please look at our guides for packing for Finland and Iceland. Brands don’t matter as much – just choose 100% merino wool thermals, skiing gloves, and good quality down jackets. If you live in a hot place and don’t want to invest in those things, you can get them for rent in Rovaniemi. https://www.bruisedpassports.com/wears/packing-for-lapland-finland-staying-warm-in-the-arctic https://www.bruisedpassports.com/wears/packing-for-iceland-road-trip

Hey Guys, great information. In which month you traveled there because we are planning to go there in Feb so wanted to know if it is good time to go.

Hey February is a great month to visit (we visited at the same time too!)- All the best for the Northern Lights 🙂

hey guys…. i have been planning to go to the kakslauttanen resort for almost an year.i just love the place !!! was looking at some videos and came across yours ,you guys are so cute .i loved the video and i cant wait to go there and explore it myself.any clue how late October or november will be??(any snow?? and northern lights?)

Hey there – thanks for the kind words. The place gets snowed under only by late November 🙂 Northern Lights are unpredictable of course but there’s a good change of you catching them in November

Hey savi and vid. Your itineraries are to die for. I mean how can anyone not get tempted to travel to such mind blowing locations. Reading your Finland itinerary my husband was more than convinced to travel to the Lapland. Now the confusion is here we wanna do iceland Finland and norway together with in 15 days. I am really confuse where should I start from. We plan to go in mid of november. We are keen for northern lights ofcourse. Can you please help me just to plan where should I start from and where should I end. Rest details your itinerary has already done it for me. Thanks. Much love from India. Keep travelling and keep making memories. You inspire world to travel. Best wishes.

Hey Khevna – just choose whichever destination offers better connectivity from your hometown as the first stop followed by the next one. You can do Tromso and Lapland for a combination of winter activities and Northern Lights

Hello, your blog post is awesome. We are planning a trip to Finland this December and your list looks like the absolute bucket list for it!

Can I ask what is the difference between Rovaneimi and Saariselka? Rovaneimi seems to be the more popular and major place to go – are there things to do in Saariselka that are not available in Rovaneimi? And would u recommend an equal length of stay in both places?

Hi Rovaniemi is a bit more crowded and touristy wherease Saarisielka is more peaceful. You can visit Reindeer farms etc in Saarisielka and experience the Finnish countryside in its full glory

Such an amazing post summing up your experiences. I already feel like I am in the Lapland. Few quick suggestions needed.

I have booked a 8 nights trip to and from Oslo for me and my wife in Jan, 2018. Main moto is to enjoy the northern lights and the chilly northern winters. Our itinerary is sumdn like 1 night in Oslo… 2 in Kakslauttanen.. 2 in tromso and 2 in bergen and last night in Oslo again. do u think we should tweak it a bit in terms of your experience and change Tromso or Bergen with any Finnish place? Also, how is d internal road transport from Finland to Norway as we could not see much direct flights from Kakslauttanen to Tromso. Do u suggest self drive in snow considering that we have never really driven in snow. Also, reading that you have been in both Artic snow hotel and Kakslauttanen, which is a better place to stay? Thanks

You could look at replacing one of those places with Rovaniemi if you like. Not so sure about road routes between Norway and Finland. If you have never driven in snow then it might be a better idea to take public transport.

My, my wife and my daughter are planning a trip to the paradise land of Finland between Jan 11-18. I have been reading reviews about Lapland and yours stand out as the best one written. A hearty congratulations!

Now the question: You are advising to set aside 12 days or so for this experience but unfortunately we don’t have that many days. Could we still enjoy the trip with say 6 – 7 days if we “cut corners”? (Sadly 🙁

Any tips you could offer will be greatly appreciated.

Hey Omer – thank you for the kind worlds. 6-7 days are great for Lapland. We’d suggest spending 3 days in Rovaniemi and 3 in Saarisielka/surroundings and you’ll be good 🙂

Hey Guys! thank you so much for sharing such an informative itinerary. Much helpful 🙂 Could you please advise how you traveled from one place to another? car or bus? We were planning to rent a car and travel from Rovaniemi to Akaslompolo and the to Saariselka.. But car is not being possible now coz of license issues. Could you advise if you are aware of any bus services that could assist us with such itinerary? Thank you so much. – Niharika

Hey Niharika – we flew to Rovaniemi and took a convenient bus (specified in the article) to Saariselka 🙂

Hey what months were these?? Dates ? I am planning Finland this year December and your itinerary is just perfecto !

February 🙂 Hope you had a great time in Finland

Guys please tell me what is the total cost for spending 4 nights in kakslatunnen artic resort approximately…

Hey Ranjani,

As prices keep changing, it’s best to check the Kakslauttanen website for latest prices and availability 🙂

Hi…. I really love all of your posts and I am a travel freak myself …. I just wanted to know if I can have vegetarian meals there?? Because I am die hard vegetarian and I have no idea if pure veg meals will be available there…

Hey Manika – most resorts do have a vegetarian meal option but there isn’t much variety. would suggest carrying some instant food along 🙂

I love Lapand. I’ll be there next week. I think I’m lucky to be there

Hi, thanks for the itinerary, it’s very helpful. I wanted to know if you have any accommodation recommendations for Saariselka, as Kakslauttanen is booked out for the dates I am planning around Christmas :/ Any other good resorts/hotels which you would recommend?

Thanks Sonali

Hey Sonali,

We haven’t stayed in Saariselka so won’t be able to recommend. You could consult our latest article on a winter road trip in Finland: https://www.bruisedpassports.com/wheres/lapland-finland-winter-road-trip-guide for some alternatives to Kakslauttanen 🙂

What time of the year did you guys visit? I plan to tea so with my daughter’s 5 &7. Too cold?

We visited in Feb. Yes it is quite cold but if you’re dressed properly and good woolens, not such a big issue 🙂

What an amazing and a fascinating place to visit. I really didn’t know much about this but after reading this post I will surely visit one day. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.

I think you mentioned before that you went during February. Do you mind me asking what time of the month? We’re kind of wide open with dates and have been back and forth between a week in February or March. We would love to see the northern lights and take in all the winter activities, but we’re not exactly sure about timing. I read February is the coldest month, but you get more snowy days, with the snowy trees you see in pictures of husky safaris and reindeers. In March, it sounds like you still have the snow beneath your feet to do the winter activities, it starts to warm up a bit, you have more daylight, but you miss out on the snow covered trees. I also read that you have a greater chance of seeing the northern lights near the equinox which is March 20. Any suggestions on deciding between February and March as I continue to overthink the decision 🙂

Hey unfortunately natural phenomenons are hard to predict. You could do the best research and still end up with no northern lights. So it’s best not to overthink and go at a time that suits you best. The beginning of February is a better time as the scenery is prettier! 🙂

Hey! This looks magical. We are planning our honeymoon in Lapland from 1 Jan until 6 Jan. We have 6 days in Lapland. How do you suggest we plan our trip? Do you think 4 days in Rovaneimi and 2 days in Saariselka is ok? Or should we do 3 days each? We are planning to do a day tour to Kemi from Rovaneimi for the ice breaking cruise. Thank you!

Hey Ravina – the first option is great. 4 days in Rovaniemi and 2 in Saariselka 🙂

I wonna go like now. Oh my God. Your story telling is so great.

Hey we are planning a trip to Finland in early feb for our 19th anniversary. You have mentioned a visit to the Santa Claus village while in rovaniemi, which is very much in our plans.. would it be open for visit in Feb or is this only a pre Christmas destination?

Will deeply appreciate your input on this please.

Thanks Sohini

It should be open in Feb – in fact that is the month we visited too so you shouldn’t have any problems 🙂

Hi Savi , I stumbled across your wonderful itinerary, I’m staring to plan my trip for March 2019 , I only have 9 days , how would you suggest spend my time wisely ? Do you also know anything about skiing in Sally ? Thanks so much for your help !!! Chantay

No we don’t know much about skiing in Salla 🙂 We’d suggest spending a few days in Rovaniemi, a few in Saariselka/Kakslauttanen, and then perhaps Levi.

Hey guys, I wanted to search for a Lapland Itinerary post your pictures on Insat for the past few days. And guess what? Yours was the one i ended up reading eventually. And now I am day dreaming about it already. Gosh ! So beautiful. I have to start saving for it right now man. Its gorgeous. And beautiful. Also just so detailed and helpful Savi. Thankeeeee.

Love to you guys.

Enjoy your trip to Lapland Asmita and share photos with us 🙂

Hey savi, was great to read your post, we are 2 families 4 adults and 4 children planning to go in april 3rd week, we plan 1 day for kemi 3 days for rovaniemi and 2 for saariselka, please advice about transport, should we rent a vehicle or should we use bus or train services.

thanks vishal

If you’re travelling to Kemi, Rovaniemi, and Saariselka I’d suggest renting a car 🙂

Hi, would driving in December be possible and travelling in end December feasible? Since we read up that sunlight is rather sparse at this time of the year and was wondering whether it would be a limiting factor during our trip! Thank you!! Awesome itinerary

Yes, daylight is only for a few hours so that would restrict your sightseeing but will also give you more time to hunt for Northern Lights. That said, we always recommend Feb to visit Lapland as it offers the best balance in terms of daylight hours, chances of viewing Northern Lights, and the snow cover 🙂

Hi Savi,, thanks for writing this amazing trip details.. we are planning a trip in dec 2019 and this itinerary is just so amazing that i will be following it like a copy paste ?? Just one question there is a direct flight to kemi from helsinki – is there any particular reason that you have suggested to go to oulu and stay for night there.. kindly let me know.. m traveling with my family with 2 kids Thankssss

Hey not really – we were flying from London so got a good connection to Oulu that’s it 🙂 You can fly to Kemi if there is a flight from Helsinki

Hi , could you let me know when was it that you’ll visited? Sunlight time frame when you’ll visited

It would be great help 🙂

We visited in Feb 🙂

This piece is indeed helpful…I and my husband are planning for Finland next year and we were very curious to know if we will get activities like husky rides, reindeer rides and northern lights in probably a summer month in Finland, we were considering October to travel. Can you kindly give some details. We are quite skeptical to travel in their winter months, thereby planning for summer months. Thanks.

Doubt you’ll get those experiences in summer months. (definitely not the northern lights) We’d say go in October / November.

Thank you, it was really informative, your post ended my search for perfect itineary!!! Thanks

Happy to hear that Keshav 🙂

Hey, is it a good idea to do this is November?

Yes November is just the right time to visit Lapland 🙂

Absolutely – better towards the end of November as in the beginning there might not be enough snow 🙂

Planning to travel between 2nd december to 15th december. Will we able to see northern lights or is it better in Feb?

Hey December is a good time to see Northern Lights in Lapland 🙂 That said, in the end it all depends on the weather 🙂

Greetings Vid & Savi, Firstly, thank you so much for providing such a detailed itinerary of Finland. Looks like ya’ll had time of your lives. 🙂

I have been a fan of you both for the longest of times now 🙂 Loved your Finland itinerary and has inspired me and my fiance to plan our Honeymoon trip in the Month of March to Finland.It might be 11N 12D trip covering Helsinki (2N) Vuokatti (7N) (Since we have an option of RCI booking) and Saariselka (2N).

1) We are working on a tight budget hence we have restricted ourselves only to the Eastern and Central part of Finland apart from Helsinki.

2) How is the public transport service at Finland ? I mean, would you advise a Train or a Bus for inter-city travel (since internal flights are quite heavy on the pocket) ? Is RailEurope a good option to consider ?

3) Would you recommend a rent-a-car and do some of part of the inter-city travel by road ?

4) Open to all kinds of other suggestions as well.

Thanks once again in advance.

Thanks for all the love and support 🙂 Hope you have a great honeymoon in Finland 🙂

Public transport is decent in Finland – both train and bus. However, we’d suggest renting a car for inter-city travel! Otherwise buses are most convenient

You’ll find all our suggestions in our Finland guides and articles on this website!

Have a great trip to Finland

Dear Savi and Vid, absolutely love your work guys. I am planning a trip for 12 days after 15th December . I had a few questions if you can help me out.

1) choose Lapland or Iceland as both look magical (the purpose to visit is to gaze the mother lights and do winter activities) 2) I was very attracted to the Kakslauttanen artic resort , but have seen a lot of negative reviews about the service off lately hence in 2 minds. I cam across The Artic Fox Igloos through your post, is that a better place to stay ? in terms of price and view of northern lights. read about this another property ‘Golden Crown- Levin Iglut’ which have glass rooms. can you please suggest me.

Thank you! Here are our thoughts on your questions:

1) Either will be amazing. Iceland is better if you love rugged landscapes. Finland is better if you prefer doing lots of winter activities like reindeer sleigh, husky safaris etc. You can’t really go wrong choosing either 🙂

2) Yes Arctic Fox Igloos were nice and better priced than Kakslauttanen- the igloos are great to see the Northern Lights (if they appear) and we also loved the kitchenette in there. Not sure about the Golden Crown – Levin Iglut as we haven’t stayed there and so we can’t personally recommend them 🙂

We are planning between January 15 and january 26. Can you let us know if this time is good ? How will be the snowfall during this time ?

That’s a great time to go Abhishek. Most probably you’ll get snowfall in Lapland in January – however since it’s a natural phenomenon it can’t be predicted to the tee

Can you let us know which app can we download to track northern lights? We are 3 nights in Saariselka and 4 nights in Rovaniemi. 1) Can we hire a car from Ivalo airport and park / leave it in Saariselka itself before leaving for Rovaneimi from Saariselka ? 2) Do we need international license for hiring a car ?

Hi Abhishek,

Most of the towns have their own local apps/messaging services for notifications about Northern Light sightings. I also used an app called “Northern Lights” (and there are many similar ones that will tell you the KP number and probability of seeing the lights in your area. I’m not sure what you mean by “leave the car in Saariselka” – you can talk to to the hotel staff or find a parking garage for long term parking perhaps?

We did not need to show International license for hiring a car, only our Indian driving licenses.

This is a great blog. We have booked tickets based on the blog. You have mentioned – there is nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub in the middle of an Arctic forest and feeling warm when it’s -20°C out. Where can we find this hot tub? Do we need to book it? How does it work?

Hey Abhishek – no bookings required. Most hotels & apartments have open-air hot tubs in Finland 🙂

Hey guys, how did you travel from rovaniemi to Arctic snow hotel ? Is there a direct bus ?

We had rented a car. However I do believe that there is a shuttle arranged by Arctic Snow Hotel – best to drop them an email and confirm

This is incredibly helpful!! Thank you for sharing!!

Glad you liked it 🙂 Lapland is such an amazing place to plan a trip to!

A wonderful life in Finland! I hope that I can visit there with my family in the future.

Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you had a great time!

we are planning a 5 days trip to Rovaniemi from Germany. Would you suggest following: 1. Renting a car? 2. Is it (especially The safari’s which you mentioned) safe for kid of 1.8 years old?

Yes renting a car is a great idea. The safaris are safe for kids no problem 🙂

Loved your Lapland post! My husband and I traveled to Levi in Lapland via Helsinki and Kittilä and spent 5 nights at The Northern Lights House, which we absolutely recommend. We really enjoyed our dining experiences, a midnight pony ride through the forest, some skiing, and sightseeing. Lapland is magical!

That’s exactly what I was looking for, saving me a few hours of research, Thanks for sharing this for travelers.

Great post thanks buddy.

Hello Finland is straight out of fantasy world. I am planning a 8 day trip in jan first week. Can u help me with couple of things 1. Which month u traveled? 2. I have read many articles that march is best time to see northern lights. But many places its written nov to march is good time so I am bit confused here

Hi Savi I read that you have been to Finland in Feb, and recently I am also planning my trip for feb only.

1. However I am bit skeptical about jan or feb as many articles have mentioned that it snows a lot during these months and spotting Northern lights could be a problem. 2. Also I included Ivalo and Inari in my itinerary since these are away from the city crowd and spotting lights could be easier here. What you suggest Ivalo, Inari or Saariselka? 3. This is my itinerary as of now

1 day Helsinki tour[ Can skip this and directly head to Rovaniemi? ] 3-4 days Rovaniemi -[ Santa village, Reindeer safari, snowshoeing, Sami Farm visit, Northern light tour, snowshoeing arctic forest] 1-night Kakslauttanen igloo 1 day Kemi [ Ice breaker] 1 or 2 days Inari —- Should I replace this with Saariselka?

Hey your itinerary looks great. February is actually a great time to visit 🙂

Thats pretty insanely beautiful blog about Lapland, which has let our wanderlust craving for this Finnish adventure more than ever before!! Would be great it you could give us the details of northern light hunting…is there some dedicated package we can book !!

Great blog post.Helpful and informative tips. I like it thanks for sharing this information with us

your post is amazing and awsome. i really like your post. Thanks for all the great info. I’ve sharing this post with my friends family and relatives. thanks for sharing this awsome and amazing blog.

Hi can we plan the same Itinerary in this November 2022

Yes you can as Finland is open without any restrictions from 1 July 🙂

Do they ask and check for driving license for snowmobile riding during safari? I only have two wheeler license Indian license.

They often ask for licences, yes 🙂

Hey, How is Finland in first week of November? how much of daylight is there?

It’s great for seeing the Northern Lights. But day light hours are very limited 🙂

Hello Savi and Vid, looking forward to travel to this beautiful country during this Christmas. I would like to know, where you guys stayed at, during your trip in KEMI.

Looking forwards to hearing from you!

Cheers from a fellow traveller!

Hey there – we did a day trip to Kemi and didn’t end up staying overnight 🙂

This is a very awesome and cool trip. I would like to visit these places.. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful trip plan.

This is a wonderful Place to visit. I like it.

Hi! Can we do this in 7 days? Basically 5 coz the 1st and last are flight days.

Hi Savi/Vid,

Can you please advise if the below itinerary looks ok to visit Finland in feb ? Is ice breaking cruise experience available in any other countries ?

2 Night Helsinki 2 Night kemi 2 Night Salla 2 Night Roveniami 2 Night Saariselka 2 Night Inari

This looks lovely. We haven’t seen the ice breaker day trip in another country

We have been looking for information on how to organize a trip to Lapland, so thank you for the wonderful and informative article. It was a pleasure to peruse this article! For individuals like me who are attempting to learn more about it, it can be really beneficial. This site is excellent.

Hi Vid/Savi I would like to experience the northern lights and staying in an igloo – is august end a good time for these? Are igloo stays operative then?

Hey Pooja – for both those experiences the time b/w September end and March beginning is the best

Thanks for sharing informative article.

1.u had suggested to stay overnight in pulp or kemi -for icebreaker cruise So on reaching Helsinki-would u suggest to stay overnight which of these places for next day cruise -and wgich hotel The snowcastke hotel do not have ice hotel rooms -so do u suggest stay there or anywhere else in kemi or do u suggest to base in rovaniemi and do sampro cruise from there ??- 2. and in December how many hours daylight available?- 3. and do u suggest morning or afternoon icebreaker cruise — 4. secondly how many days u suggest igloo and log cabins each -is the igloo cramped ?there r diff varieties in igloo and which do u suggest – dr mythily

Hello – you can base yourself in Rovaniemi and explore from there! Afternoon Ice breaker cruise is great as there are only a few hours of daylight in December (5-6, sometimes even less depending on the time of the month)

Hello, we are planning to travel here in Feb. Is it safe to rent a car, given no experience in driving on snow roads? (have driven in other countries during summer though). Or using public transport a better bet? Planning to do Helsinki – Kemi – Rovaniemi – Saariselka. Thanks

Hey Pratik,

You should be fine. Roads are cleared of snow regularly so that’s not an issue. Just take it slow in the first few days – you’ll see that you’ll find it quite easy to drive in Finland even in snow. Not much traffic – be careful of reindeer appearing on the roads though 🙂

thank you for the information

5 comments on “The Ultimate Lapland Itinerary”

Thank you very much for your detailed information with pictures .This will surely help to our up coming trip to the Lapland. We are doing almost the same trip and hope the weather is kind. Our trip starts from the 20th feb 2019,

Glad you liked the post 🙂 February is a great time too.. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful trip!

You have explained your stay in Lapland in great detail. The sledge ride looks very tantalizing. The food also looks amazing. Your post has ignited in me a sudden urge to visit Finland. Your article is very informative and I learnt a lot from it! It is definitely an experience to cherish!

This is great! Thanks much for detailed information. I am visiting Finland in Feb 2020. This is helping me plan out my trip.

Glad you liked the post 🙂 Have a great trip

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Lapland travel blog — the ultimate lapland travel guide: how to travel & what to do in lapland finland.

Located in the north of Finland, Lapland is very close to the North Pole, so there are 200 days of cold winter a year. Any visitor, whether a child or an adult, wishes to have a trip to this place to meet Santa Claus , along with the reindeers. Moreover, this place is also an extremely attractive destination with a lot of interesting experiences. Lapland Finland (Finnish Lapland) is world famous as “the Official Hometown of Santa Claus”. In addition to the above nickname, is there anything else that attracts tourists from all over the world? Let’s experience Finnish Lapland through the sharing below. So, what country is Lapland in, what to do in Lapland, how to travel to Lapland Finland and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Lapland for the first-time? Let’s check out our Lapland travel blog (Lapland blog) with the fullest Lapland travel guide (Lapland guide) from how to get to Lapland Finland, best time to come, where to stay, what to see in Lapland Finland, things to do in Lapland Finland as well as what to do in Rovaniemi to find out the answer!

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Lapland travel blog: Where is Lapland Finland and what country is Lapland in?

Finnish Lapland is a very large region with an area of about 100,367 square kilometers of which 92,667 square kilometers is land, 6,316 square kilometers is freshwater and 1,383 square kilometers is sea. Lapland stretching through 4 countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia’s Kola Peninsula with an area equivalent to 3 countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland combined.

In which the Lapland region in Finland (Finnish Lapland, Lapland Finland) occupies one third of the country’s area and the capital of the entire Lapland – the city of Rovaniemi is also located here. This is the official hometown of Santa Claus, so it is often said that Finnish Lapland (or Rovaniemi Finland) is the hometown of Santa Claus .

Some interesting things about Finnish Lapland:

Although this entire Lapland region spans 4 countries, the official name is widely known in 2 countries Sweden and Finland. Therefore, when it comes to the place of Lapland, you should often add the country name, so that people can clearly distinguish which region you are talking about.
The population of Finnish Lapland is over 180,000 people, mainly concentrated in 4 big cities (Rovaniemi, Tornio, Kemi and Kemijärvi), the population density is about 1.98 people/km2 – the lowest in Europe and less than number of reindeer here (200,000).
Reindeer here are popularly raised as a meat producing animal in other countries. Near the village of Santa Claus, there is an Artic Circle – marking the arctic circle of the earth. Therefore, there is a phenomenon of 2 months in the summer when the sun never sets (lighting all day and night).
Lapland Finland is also a very large region rather than a specific city or place. So when someone talks about Finnish Lapland tourism, you should understand that they mention to traveling to Rovaniemi city – the capital of the whole Lapland Finland region, where the village of Santa Claus and some remote surrounding areas is upper it, where you can hunting aurora (the Northern Lights) and other winter activities.
Rovaniemi was almost destroyed 90% in World War II, but then the great Finnish architect Alvar Aalto redesigned the whole city as it have the appearance as we see today. There is currently a top 2 Finnish university named after his name, Aalto University – the top 7th school in the world in art and design section.

Lapland travel blog: When should you visit Lapland Finland?

Tourists often come to Finnish Lapland with the desire to experience aurora borealis hunting and take part in some winter activities. That’s why I think the most suitable time and best time to travel to Finnish Lapland is in the period from November to March. Because this is the time when you have the highest opportunity to seeing the Northern Lights along with this place is completely covered with white snow creating a magical scene comes along with a special and vibrant Christmas atmosphere.

Personally, I would recommend going from the beginning of November to mid-December because at this time there will be also a Christmas atmosphere here and it is not as crowded as December. Meanwhile, January and February are the peak winter months, the temperature is usually in the range of -20 to -40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, for those who are not used to extreme cold temperatures, coming here in this season is no different from being tortured :). In addition, the aurora often appears when it is cold and clear. If there is too much snow, the opportunity of seeing it is also lower than other times. There are times from September to November when it is very cold but without snow, it is easy to see the aurora borealis.

Lapland travel guide: How to get and how to travel to Lapland Finland (How to get to Rovaniemi)?

How to travel to lapland finland from other finland’s cities.

To get to Rovaniemi Lapland, you usually need to get to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Then from here, you can take the train, onnibus or plane to getting here. The distance from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is about 700-800km.

Onnibus: Usually you will need to transfer in Oulu city. Total travel time is about 12 hours (8 hours to Oulu and 3 hours to 4 hours from Oulu to Rovaniemi). Ticket price is around €18-35.
VR train (the Finland’s national railway company) often runs 2 trips a day from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Travel time: 8 to 12 hours. Ticket price: €40-90/way. The fare of €40 usually only appears in the summer, when the travel demand to Lapland is less than other seasons.
Airplane: Finnair (the Finland’s flag carrier and largest airline) often has quite a few direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Ticket price is about €70-100/way.

If you depart from some countries with lot of demands for travel to Finnish Lapland such as the UK, the Netherlands, there are also direct flights from these countries to Rovaniemi. As far as I know, there are currently 7 airlines flying directly to Rovaniemi from 5 European countries which are the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine in which the UK is the country with the largest number of tourists to Lapland Finland.

Lapland guide: Getting around Finnish Lapland

If you simply visit Rovaniemi, I think the most suitable means of transport is the public bus. Ticket price is €3.2/way and you can catch a bus from Rovaniemi center to Santa Claus village in 15 minutes.

However, if you want to participate in more winter activities, perhaps renting a self-drive car will be more appropriate. Because Lapland is a very large and extremely sparsely populated region, it will be quite difficult for you to participate in winter activities such as aurora hunting in the north, ice lake fishing, etc. without active means of transport.

Lapland travel blog: Where to stay in Lapland Finland?

Because Lapland is very large and the attractions are not gather in a single cluster like in other cities, finding a room here is not simple at all. Not only that, Lapland is also famous for various types of accommodation that are rarely found anywhere in the world. So, I will write a detailed article to guide you how to choose a hotel in Lapland later.

In general, in my travel experience, you should find a room and book it as soon as possible. Quality rooms in Lapland often sell out very quickly because here are few people, the hotel is not too abundant, but the number visitors flocking here from China, Japan, Germany, and Britain is quite a lot… Last time my friend searched for a room 4 months in advance but she still couldn’t find a good place to stay.

However, if you want to stay in upscale hotels, close to Santa Village, you can book hotels right in Santa Claus Village ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ).

You can also refer to the two other luxury hotels: Arctic TreeHouse Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ) built in a high hill, offer panoramic windows with beautiful nothern lights view.

Or Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ). This is a hotel that is extremely suitable for visitors to see and admire the Northern Lights.

At first glance, the Kaklauttanen looks like it just step out of a sci-fi movie. The hotel consists of many rooms like turtles located next to each other. “Tortoise shell” is made of glass, does not absorb water vapor no matter how cold it is, guaranteed, guests can see the Northern Lights anytime it appears. Each room has a comfortable bed and a comfortable bathroom.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

Santa Claus Holiday Village ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Arctic Light Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Scandic Rovaniemi City ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Arctic City Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Rovaniemi ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )

Check out more top and best hotels in Rovaniemi on Agoda.com or Booking.com .

Lapland travel guide: Things to do in Lapland Finland, what to see and what to do in Lapland Finland

What to do in rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland which is considered the official hometown of Santa Claus . This place is famous for its Santa’s village and many other interesting winter activities such as reindeer riding, husky sledding, skiing, visiting museums…

Some indispensable places, things to do in Rovaniemi Lapland:

Santa Claus Village

Located about 8 km from the center of Rovaniemi city, Santa Claus Village is open all year round regardless of winter or summer. Here you will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus, visit the post office where Santa works, send letters to people all over the world…

There are 3 most attractive places in this village are Santa Claus Office, Santa Claus Main Post Office and Arctic Circle. Ticket price: free. However, there are some other activities that still cost money. There is also a service to stamp your passport to certify that you have gone through the Arctic Circle for €1, and a service to take pictures with Santa Claus for €20-40. So, fun and interesting!

Arktikum Museum

The museum displays artifacts, provides information about people, animals and plants that have lived in the Arctic Circle of the earth during typical historical periods, such as during the World War II and the period that Finland was invaded and took part of the territory by Russia (1939-1940).

Address: Pohjoisranta 4, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland Hours: 10AM–5PM/Monday: Closed Ticket price: €9

SantaPark – the Home Cavern of Santa Claus

As an amusement park built in an underground cave with many recreational activities, especially suitable for families with young children.

Address: Tarvantie 1, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland Ticket price: €34.

Visit Raitola Reindeer & Husky Farm, experience reindeer riding and husky sledding

Near Santa’s village there is Raitola Reindeer & Husky Farm (Address: Välttikankaantie 11, 96900 Rovaniemi, Finland) that offers tours of reindeer sleigh riding sleds or husky safari sledding with various tour packages. Ride a reindeer-drawn sleigh like a horse-drawn carriage, while exprience a husky sledding like a thrilling game.

Driving in Lapland Finland needs to be careful because the reindeer often roam on the roads. Sometimes if you’re driving and see a couple of them suddenly crossing the road, don’t be surprised. Because the number of reindeers much more than residents living here.

Ounasvaaran Hiihtokeskus Ski Resort

You can come here to ski or hire a guide if you still don’t know how to ski. Ticket price €20 for 1 hour or day ticket of €40. Hire a guide costs about €30-50.

In addition, if you have children, you can go to the Science Centre Pilke museum (Address: Ounasjoentie 6, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland) and the Angry Birds Playground (Address: Valtakatu 4, 96100 Rovaniemi, Finland).

Some other activities when traveling to Finnish Lapland

Explore the beautiful lakes and ice fishing.

Lapland is a place full of beautiful lakes. In which, the most beautiful and famous lake is Inari. This is also the largest lake in Lapland with an area of over 1,000 square kilometers. If you come to Lapland on cold winter days, you will see that the surface of Lake Inari is completely frozen to form a giant mirror. You can experience ice fishing.

In winter when the lake freezes, locals often have a hobby of walking on the ice, skating on the lake or punching holes in the ice for fishing. This is probably an experience that requires extremely high patience for tourists.

Hunting Aurora (Northern Lights)

According to an old legend, an arctic fox whipped its tail and sent twinkling lights into the sky, creating the aurora borealis. Lapland is located in the Arctic region, so you will have a higher chance of seeing this natural phenomenon than anywhere else. However, Rovaniemi is a city with a dense population and is “polluted” by lights, so it’s best to go to the very remote hills, the darker and less inhabited the better.

In fact, hunting the aurora is a very bad luck. You will have a hard time guessing exactly whether that time will have the aurora or not. Usually the forecast is only accurate within 1 week. If you wait until that date to book tickets for travel and accommodation, I guarantee that the possibility of staying in a “thousand-star hotel” is very high or else the cost will be sky-high.

In fact, hotel rooms in resorts and convenient locations in Lapland usually need to be booked at least 6 months in advance. So, when traveling to Lapland Finland, if you see the aurora borealis, you are lucky, if not, just unlucky :).

The more you traveling to the north, the clearer the visibility and the higher the chance, so many visitors flocking here because of that. However, there are also many days when the aurora is very visible, so you can see it right in the city of Rovaniemi or even in the southern provinces of Finland. Well, if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights right in Rovaniemi, you should go to the Artikum Science Museum. This is the best spot to see the aurora borealis in the city. You download the “Aurora” app to monitor the possibility of aurora in specific locations.

Personally, I would not recommend you booking aurora hunting tour, the aurora appears or not depends mainly on the weather, not on people. If you book a tour but there is no aurora on that day, that’s okay. Instead, always monitor the weather and go up as close to the north as possible, especially in forests with less light pollution, the chances of seeing it will be high. Remember to prepare warm clothes, sleeping bags, food and water. It takes a lot of effort to hunt this “super picky girl”.

Camping in the forest

This activity is quite popular with nature lovers like Finnish. You should camp in national parks where firewood is available, free kitchens for grilling food, and tents near the lake. Camping in the winter is also quite interesting, but it is necessary to carefully prepare warm clothes, fully equipment as well as find out the places where camping and fire are allowed first.

As I mentioned in previous posts, sauna is a Finnish initiative and sauna bathing has become an indispensable part of their lives. Winter is probably the best time to try this experience. If possible, you should rent a hotel room with a sauna room, so that after every day of going out to explore the experience, when you return, you will be able to enjoy a body sauna for comfort and relief.

In fact, when bathing in a sauna, Finns often go nude and after each interval they will jump into the icy lakes outside or take a cold shower. You should try this feeling :D. An indispensable experience when traveling to Finland.

Besides activities such as skiing, husky sledding, reindeer riding… You can try the feeling of snowmobile in the forest or surrounding areas. Usually, tourists will go on a tour, but if you have experience driving this and are not afraid of getting lost, you can rent it. The price is around €150/basic package and €25 extra per hour you rent. You can refer at this progearmoto website . Regarding tours you can refer to Arctic Circle Snowmobile for €55 per person for 30 minutes — 1 hour with a driver. This is one of the experiences that many thrill-seeking travelers enjoy when traveling to Finnish Lapland on their own.

If you are interested in learning about Sámi culture, you should drive 4 hours from Rovaniemi to Inari. The winter nature here is also very impressive with many interesting sites such as The Sámi Cultural Center Sajos (Address: Menesjärventie 2A, 99870 Inari, Finland), Karhu souvenir shop. The Sámi is an ethnic minority of Finland and residents live in Lapland mainly are Sámi people.

Lapland travel tips

If you go with a few people but still want to experience all kinds of winter activities without spending too much, join the tour group of ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organized by the Finnish schools. Most of the people going are exchange students coming to study in Finland, so you will have the opportunity to meet many people, participate in many recreational activities at a very affordable price. The tour package usually includes accommodation with sauna, transportation, activities such as husky ride, snowmobile… are all included. You can choose to go with ESN with any school in Helsinki . In Helsinki, there are a number of schools such as Laurea, Haaga-Helia, Aalto, University of Helsinki, Arcada, Metropolia… Tour prices are around €340 for 7 days. The referal link at Timetravels .

What to do in Lapland: Shopping

Coming to Lapland, visitors will be fascinated to see very high quality products that are famous throughout the Nordic region and throughout Europe. All brands are manufactured according to Nordic standards for safety, accuracy, durability over the years, high applicability and smart and traditional designs such as Finnish Knives (Puukkos), Wooden handmade Kuksa Cups, Taigakoru jewelry, Marimekko fashion, Arabia porcelain,…

How to travel to Lapland Finland: Suggested Lapland itinerary 5 days 4 nights

Day 1: Go to Rovaniemi and walk around the city
Day 2: Visit Santa’s village, visit husky dog farm, experience reindeer riding, husky safari…
Day 3: Visit Santa park, Arkitum museum, aurora hunting
Day 4: Snowmobile, ski resort
Day 5: Bonfire camping, ice fishing, aurora hunting

Lapland travel blog: What to eat?

Reindeer meat: The most popular livestock in Lapland. People in Lapland will often raise a lot of reindeer for fur and meat. Therefore, reindeer meat is a specialty that you must try!
Smoked salmon
Muikku fish

These are famous local dishes in Lapland. In addition, you should combine going to the supermarket in Rovaniemi if you want to have a cheap self-sufficient trip.

Lapland blog: Traveling cost

The cost of a self-sufficient travel, I think it largely depends on each individual. There are many factors that affect the trip costs such as where to stay, whether you rent a car, whether you participate in activities such as husky sledding, reindeer riding… I give a few basic costs below:

Meals: €12/meal. If you buy food from the supermarket to cook, you can comfortably spend about €20 a day.
Hotel: The lowest price is about €30 per person. The highest is about €300-400.
Traveling: €12/day. If you rent a car, it will increase to €40-50/person/day. Participate in other activities: Each activity costs about €30-40.

I think for comfort, the traveling cost is about €150 a day, all inclusive. Of course, this cost is higher than in the capital Helsinki or other European countries but still lower than Norway, Switzerland…

Lapland travel guide: Some tips before you go

The most commonly spoken languages in Finnish Lapland are Swedish and Finnish. However, most people living in the city will speak English fluently. So, you can rest assured!
You should exchange money at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. It is best to exchange at legitimate counters for the best and safe exchange rates.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Lapland you can refer to

Lapland 2 Day Tour from Rovaniemi
Highlights of Rovaniemi Day Tour
The Frozen Waterfalls of Korouoma Day Tour from Rovaniemi
[DISCONTINUED] Lapland Wellness and Relaxation Tour
Aurora Borealis Small Group Tour with Free Photos from Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi: Lapland Northern Lights Tour with BBQ
Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village and Arctic Circle
Rovaniemi: Snowman World Entrance Ticket
Lapland: Husky Carriage Ride Under the Northern Lights
Rovaniemi: Apukka Husky Adventure

Read more Trip review to the fairy tale Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi, Lapland – Finland , Where to stay in Lapland Findland and Finland travel guide here .

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Lapland in winter – the perfect 1-week Finland itinerary

January 20, 2023
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Lapland in winter is magical – but only if you have an appetite for sub-zero temperatures, thick layers of clothing, immensely short days, and tough snow-laden terrains. But in return, you will experience unrivalled gorgeous landscapes, exciting adventure sports & unique wildlife. There isn’t a better time to visit the Finnish Lapland than the winter months of December & January, specifically around Christmas time when the winter wonderland and home of Santa Claus comes to life in its full glory. Think reindeer rides, snowmobile safaris, husky safaris, Northern lights, igloos, saunas, ice-fishing and other thrilling activities that can only be enjoyed in the Arctic.

Packing appropriately is necessary when you visit Lapland in winter – the weather can be quite adverse, and you wouldn’t want your trip to be ruined because of frost bite or not having thick enough clothes to be able to enjoy being outdoors in -20 degrees C. It sounds, and is, tough no doubt, especially if you grew up in tropical or warm countries like I did. Thermal inners, fleece lined pants, waterproof and snow-resistant boots, woollen socks, down jackets or parkas, beanies, warm winter/ ski gloves, neck warmers, mittens…it’s time to shop!

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you plan to take this trip to the magical winter wonderland for Christmas:

While tourist season starts to pick up late November/ early December, some parts of Lapland still don’t have enough snow for winter activities to start. The best time to experience Lapland in winter to the fullest is between mid-December – mid-March
Contrary to popular belief, while this is a good time to see the Northern Lights, it’s not the best. It’s highly probable that the skies are covered by clouds on most nights and your view is hindered
The days are short – sun rises at around 11 am and sets around 2 pm. This gives you barely 3-4 hours of light in a day, so don’t load up on too many activities unless they can be done in the dark (night skiing is quite popular in the well-lit ski areas of Lapland)
Most activities will provide you appropriate top layers to protect you from the immense, biting cold. However, it’s best to be prepared with your own layers
I always find it helpful to buy a local sim card when visiting a foreign country as it allows you access to GPS and makes it easier to find your way around than constantly asking the people. The DNA unlimited prepaid sim card came cheap and with unlimited data as well as calling minutes within Finland
Buy the 1 or 2-day HSL ticket when in Helsinki to allow you unlimited rides on the public transportation system (trains, buses). While Helsinki has good connectivity, once you’re out into Lapland, the infrastructure is not the same; you would either need to rent a car to drive around and choose your accommodation carefully to give you easy access to the places you need to visit or rely on the taxis.

Day 0: Helsinki

If you’re planning on visiting Lapland in winter, you’re likely to fly into Helsinki, the capital of Finland. While the city itself doesn’t have a lot to see, if you’re travelling around Christmas time, you will find a cheerful vibe with festive markets in the city center. When we visited at the beginning of December, we were lucky to catch the Christmas opening parade on Aleksanterinkatu Street (or Aleksi, as called with love by the locals). The Market Square in Old Town transformed with fairy lights and decorations, into a beautiful festive market on the harbour serving hot wine (or glögi, the traditional Finnish version of mulled wine embellished with almonds, raisins and sometimes vodka). While most years, there’s another popular festive market at Senate Square , we visited during the time when the pandemic was still at its peak, so most markets were cancelled. Nevertheless, the streets were lit up and one could still feel the magic in the air.

As days are short in winter, one must plan their time and activities carefully. If you have the entire day in Helsinki, you could visit the city center later in the evening and take a ferry from the Market Square to Suomenlinna Fort (15 min ride, book here ) during the daylight hours. If you already have the HSL ticket, you can use this ferry for free. While the area itself is interesting to explore from a historical perspective (it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the highlight of this trip, especially if you visit after mid-December, is the ferry ride through the icy waters; the sight of the ferry boat breaking the ice during the journey is unique and stunning.

Recommended hotel to stay in the heart of Downtown Helsinki: Hotel Finn

Day 1: Helsinki & Train to Rovaniemi

If you’re visiting Lapland in winter, I would highly recommend choosing Rovaniemi as your destination, for several reasons. Firstly, it is known as Santa Claus’ home and has an entire Santa village which is Christmassy throughout the year but truly comes alive during the festive season. The city is magical – with igloos, ski slopes, reindeer and husky rides, gorgeous hikes through snowy landscapes and what not.

The best way to get to Rovaniemi from Helsinki is by train. One can choose to fly but the trains are cheaper and while they take longer (12 hours appox), the sleeper trains are extremely comfortable and convenient, and will also give you the opportunity to save the costs for staying at a hotel overnight. You can book your train here .

On this day, assuming you have already explored the city center in Helsinki and its festive markets the day prior, take the opportunity to visit Töölönlahti bay , where you will find the famous landmark of Helsinki - Kalevala Monument in the Sibelius Park . While you are here, visit the cosy and charming Café Regatta , an outdoor café in a small, red cottage by the sea in Töölö, with a vintage countryside interior and decoration. Do not miss the opportunity to try fresh cinnamon buns and hot chocolate with marshmallows, as you warm your hands on the bonfire in the outdoor seating area of the café. In the winter, the waters of the ocean would have started to freeze, and the bright red color of the café, set against the grey backdrop of the incessantly cloudy winter skies, make this place totally Insta-worthy.

Töölönlahti bay

Cafe Regatta

Sibelius Park Monument

Enjoying Cinnamon Buns and Hot Chocolate at Cafe Regatta

Another unmissable activity in Lapland in winter is visiting a sauna. Two saunas stand out in terms of popularity when it comes to Helsinki and I would recommend checking this activity off your to-do list while in the city, before you move to Lapland, as it’s easier to find here. The two most popular ones are - Allas Sea Pool, an outdoor hot pool overlooking the ocean; and Löyly Sauna, an indoor sauna with allows you the opportunity to take a dip in the icy waters of the ocean, should you choose to up your adventure quotient and go for an adrenaline-rush activity.

We chose the Löyly Sauna . One word of caution – the Finnish people like their saunas to be immensely hot (they kept adding wood to the steamer until it became almost 50 degrees C!!) and if you’re not used to this, you’re unlikely to be able to spend more than 10-15 minutes at a time. You could, in that case, choose to sit in the outdoor lounge, where you can buy some drinks to enjoy relaxation time. There’s also a restaurant attached to the sauna, in case you want to grab a bite. To be honest, I had not thought that I’d be able to take a dip in the icy ocean while it was -11 degrees C outside but when I was there and saw so many people attempt it, and spending 15 minutes inside the scorching, steamy sauna, along with my FOMO kicking in, I suddenly felt that I needed to do it! I did it, in fact twice, and I highly recommend not missing it.

In the evening, board your train to the heart of Lapland – Rovaniemi. Interestingly, the train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is called The Santa Claus express. We took the train at 7.30 pm and reached Rovaniemi, after a wonderful cosy sleep, at 7.30 am the next day.

Ready for a dip in the (almost) frozen ocean!

Santa Claus express to Rovaniemi

Click here to read How to plan to a trip to see the Northern Lights in Iceland .

Day 2 & 3: Santa Claus Village and other activities in Rovaniemi

You’ll arrive in Rovaniemi early in the day if you choose to take the overnight train journey. While in Rovaniemi, I highly recommend spending one night in an igloo hotel. These are expensive, no doubt (they are likely to be upwards of 400 $ a night), but the experience is extraordinary and unique, and absolutely worth it!

Igloo hotels are usually 2 types: the ones which are only shaped like an igloo but not made with snow. These are warm inside and have a glass façade that allows you to view the Northern Lights at night, should you be lucky enough; or the traditional, proper snow igloos. The glass igloos are open throughout the year whereas the ones made of snow only begin to pop up once the snow is thick and hard enough to build them, around mid or end of December. We stayed in Santa’s Igloo Arctic Circle ; these are glass igloo located a short 5 min walk from Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.

If you wish to enjoy a more authentic experience of staying in a traditional Snow Igloo, Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos are a fantastic option. Although they’re situated about 30 min away from Rovaniemi in a city called Sinettä, these are the closest snow igloos in this area.

Santa's Igloos Arctic Circle

However, if you find it too expensive to stay in an igloo, you may choose to stay in Rovaniemi City Centre, which is only 15 minutes away from the Santa Claus Village, and can be easily reached by bus no. 8. We spent 1 night at the igloo resort and the remaining 3 nights at Hostel Cafe Koti , a very reasonably priced, excellent hostel in the city center. The hostel has great facilities, and is located not too far from the bus station that will bring you to the Santa Claus Village.

Santa Claus Village & Santa Park

You can spend the entire day (don’t forget, days are short!) in Santa Claus Village either exploring the area or doing some activities.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride:

You have an option to take a short or a longer reindeer sleigh ride at Santa’s Village. We did the 3-km long safari into the deep forest. Remember to bring warm clothes because it can get cold on this ride. Unfortunately, we did it a bit later in the day and the reindeers seemed tired and out of it, which meant they were moving slow, the opposite of what I had expected from the ride. I ended up feeling sorry for their plight!

You can book online here or just buy the tickets on the spot. A long ride costs about €70 (did I forget to mention that Finland is expensive?).

Husky Farm Visit and Short Ride:

The husky park is also at Santa Claus Village and because we had done the long reindeer sleigh ride, we decided to keep the Husky Ride shorter. However, I would recommend the opposite as I enjoyed the husky ride way more! The ticket includes visit to the husky park, where you can also pet the animals.

Book it online here or buy on the spot (but remember that sometimes the tickets sell out for the day so buy them earlier to be able to get a spot at a preferable hour). The short ride cost me €40.

Visit the ‘original’ Santa Claus and send a postcard back home

Visit Santa Claus’ office (free entrance but he charges for a picture!), watch the elves at work and send a postcard or a special letter from Mr Claus as a Christmas present to someone. Cards, letters, and parcels sent from Santa Claus’ Main Post Office are stamped with a genuine and popular Arctic Circle postmark, a perfect Lapland/ Finnish souvenir!

Snowman World

We were there early December, when the snow igloos of Snowman World were being built right next to the Santa Claus Village and were expected to open by mid-month. If you’re travelling to Lapland in winter, especially late December until February, Snowman World is an excellent place to enjoy activities such as snow and ice slides, snow tube, ice-skating, and even has a Snow Restaurant and Ice Bar. Tickets cost €28 and are valid all day.

Click here to read the Perfect 1-week Itinerary for Austria in Winter .

Day 4: Ounasvaara Ski Resort

Maybe you’re a ski enthusiast or maybe not, but you can’t be in Lapland in winter and not give skiing a shot! Ounasvaara is hardly a 10-minute drive from Rovaniemi City Center. Unfortunately, there is no bus that goes there so your only options are to drive to take a taxi. Taking a ski lesson is not too expensive (39 €/person for 2 or more people) which includes the lift pass; however, if that’s not up your alley, you could enjoy other activities such as tobogganing, or visit the Rendi Snow World for tubing. When we visit at the beginning December, there was not enough snow for tobogganing and tubing, but we did manage to take a ski lesson, a first for us!

You may skip Ounasvaara altogether if it doesn’t interest you and indulge in some other winter activities instead , such as:

Snowmobile Safari: Absolutely recommended! We did a 2-hour safari through the Arctic snow forest, and it was an excellent experience. Click here for prices and booking.
Snowshoeing in the wilderness: This one is for the adventurous souls! You may choose to do this during the daytime or even at night, to catch the Aurora Borealis! Click here for prices and booking.
Aurora Borealis Ice Floating: Once again, this is not everyone’s cup of tea but if you are a daredevil (this was a bit too much for me too, honestly) then why not give this a shot? This is an amazing opportunity to catch some unparalleled, Instagram worthy photos! Click here for prices and booking.

Playing with snow at Ounasvaara

Learning to ski!

Snowmobiling through the forest

Click here to read What to do in Budapest in winter .

Day 5: Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls

This was, undoubtedly, one of the best experiences of our trip to Lapland in winter. We were given appropriate clothing and shoes to experience this 5-km hike through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Arctic snow forest and a spectacular frozen waterfall. We booked it through a company that does only small group tours, and the trip is of about 7 hours, which includes the 2-hour drive to the Korouoma Canyon (and back), a tour guide for the hike, hot chocolate and a typical Finnish barbecue at the end of the hike. The scenery is breath-taking, as you walk through deep snow, crossing rapids, cliffs, and waterfalls. If you visit late in December or between Jan – Feb, you may even choose to do the ice-climbing on the waterfall (although, it’s really pricey but once-in-a-lifetime experience!).

Click here to book the hiking experience, and here for the ice-climbing experience.

Incredible Hike at Korouoma Canyon

Traditonal Finnish barbecue & hot chocolate at the end of the hike

Day 6: Visit Arctic SnowHotel

While you may choose to stay at the Arctic SnowHotel in an igloo, if that’s not something you end up doing, spending a day as a visitor is not a bad idea either.

Click here to view their packages and visitors options.

Arctic SnowHotel Outdoor Jaccuzi Image Courtesy: Arctic Snowhotel

Day 7 & 8: Kemi (optional)

Visiting Kemi only makes sense if you’re in Lapland in winter but after mid-December until end of March, as there isn’t enough snow before this time to operate the 2 key attractions of this city. A short journey by train from Rovaniemi (1 hr, 20 min), Kemi is known for its Sampo icebreaker cruises which are stunning and a unique experience. The cruise lasts for 3.5 hours on the frozen sea, where the views of its breaking through the ice are unimaginably spectacular. For the adventurous, there’s an option to try the ice floating experience, whereas the others could simply enjoy a hot drink in the Icebreaker bar.

Experience365, the website to book your Sampo Icebreaker Kemi cruise, also provides pick and drop from Rovaniemi at an additional cost, so you may choose that option if its more convenient for you.

Sampo Icebreaker Cruise, Image Courtesy, Young Adventuress

Sampo Icebreaker Cruise, Image courtesy: Young Adventuress

Another advantage of booking your cruise through them is the complementary pass to enter the Kemi SnowCastle Resort. The snow castle is built every year from snow and ice made of sea water. Within the snowy walls, shining white pathways lead you to fairytale-like sceneries with gorgeous snow sculptures. There’s also a sauna in the snow castle and a restaurant to enjoy your lunch.

If you chose to stay back at Kemi for another day, you could explore the town, or head back to Rovaniemi, or even onwards to Helsinki by train (overnight journey, 11 hours) or flight.

Kemi SnowCastle, Image courtesy Young Adventuress

Kemi SnowCastle Image Courtesy: Young Adventuress

You may wish to skip Kemi altogether and extend your stay at Rovaniemi.

Day 9: Return to Helsinki and Fly out

While there are direct flights from both Rovaniemi and Kemi, they’re quite pricey. Unless you’re in a hurry and want to save on the journey time, why not take a train back? I personally love long train journeys, be it overnight (which also saves your cost of staying in a hotel) or a daytime journey where you can savour the beautiful landscapes at a comfortable and enjoyable pace.

Click here to read How to plan the perfect 3 days in Black Forest in Germany .

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Winter In Lapland: The Ultimate Itinerary For Families

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A young boy pets a husky dog after a dog sledding experience, a must do on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Every option on this Finnish Lapland itinerary will seem like a magical winter wonderland for families! Have you ever wanted to escape to a cold-weather oasis? Perhaps meet Santa in his homeland? Or experience the Northern Lights? You can get it all in Lapland, Finland ! From the thrill of Santa’s Village to dog sledding through the wilderness, there are so many ways to enjoy this vacation as a family. Decorate cookies, spend time with local wildlife, or even meet Santa Claus himself! Here, we outline a five-day itinerary for Rovaniemi . This town is located on the Arctic Circle and the official hometown of Santa Claus. In addition to family-friendly tips on things to do, we’ve also gathered the best hotels. We also note other family-friendly destinations within a few hours to experience all the region has to offer. Keep reading for our Finnish Lapland Itinerary For Families!

RELATED ARTICLE : Family Vacations to Plan a Year in Advance

Day 1: Santa’s Village for Reindeer Rides and Snowmobiling

A young boy and his dad are bundled in blankets while riding a sleigh pulled by a reindeer in Lapland at Santa's Village, a must do on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Start your Finnish Lapland itinerary for families with a visit to a special spot. Santa Claus Village , located about 5 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from downtown Rovaniemi , is a one-stop shop for lodging, regional activities, shopping, and meeting Santa. Not to mention, you can see where Santa receives all of his letters! Start slowly with a short reindeer ride through the trees, then experience the thrill of a faster pace with a kids’ snowmobile track a few steps away (available for ages 4 and up). For older kids, you may want to consider a snowmobiling tour , which can last anywhere from a couple of hours to most of a day; tour companies generally offer transportation to and from your lodging.

Research Santa Claus Village or snowmobiling tours from Getyourguide.com!

Day 2: Joulukka and Dog Sledding

A dad and his young son ride on a sled pulled by huskies in Findland.

Joulukka – or Santa’s Secret Forest – will make for an unforgettable family experience in Lapland . You can experience the magic of Christmas year-round by request, though the visits are most popular during wintertime. Enjoy this experience with Santa through a group or private meeting and partake in fun activities, perfect for kids of all ages. Stroll through an elf village, visit the toy factory, try gingerbread cookie baking, or drink hot chocolate heated on an open fire. You can even keep the excitement of the day going with a thrilling dog sled ride! Husky Park Arctic Circle Adventure offers walk-up, shorter rides along with pre-booked adventures, and Bearhill Husky offers longer tours if your children are older.

Getyourguide.com has many options for dog sledding! Book your tour here!

Day 3: Lampivaara Amethyst Mine and Sledding

A young boy sleds down a snowy hill on a green sled, a must do on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Do you have a gem lover in the family? You’re in luck! In the middle of Pyhä-Luosto National Park , just 90 minutes from Rovaniemi , lies Lampivaara Amethyst Mine , with gems formed millions of years ago. During winter, visitors travel to the mines via the “snow train”. Families will learn about the amethyst from local experts, and then get a chance to dig for their own stone to take home! Don’t forget to pause and take in the natural beauty of the national park around you. Families who opt not to rent a car can get to and from the mines via the ski bus. After you head back to your lodging, grab a sled and zoom down any of the nearby hills. At most resorts, and Santa Claus Village, in particular, sleds are plentiful and available for guests’ use on-site.

Book your tour to Lampivaara Amethyst Mine through Viator here!

Day 4: Ranua Wildlife Park and the Northern Lights

Snow-covered trees sway in the wind, while a brilliant display of the Northern Lights dances in the sky behind them, a must see on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Animal lovers will truly appreciate a day with arctic birds and mammals at Ranua Wildlife Park , which has 50 varieties of animals on-site. Spend time with brown and polar bears, appreciate the beauty of the various owls or watch the reindeer in action. Got some little legs in your family? Grab a sled from guest services and make the most of the visit! Tickets and guided tours can be purchased ahead of time online, and children under 4 are free. If you’re able to get in a nap after the zoo, and the weather cooperates, consider a Northern Lights safari . While it might be a late night for the littlest travelers, we highly suggest it. Vivid colors in the night sky appear from late August to early April, providing an unforgettable backdrop during your family trip to Lapland!

Use Getyourguide.com to book Northern Lights tours or Viator to book Tours of Ranua Wildlife Park!

Day 5: SantaPark

Three dancers on stage perform at Santa Park in Rovaniemi, a must do on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Are you looking for somewhere to escape the weather in Lapland ? If the cold has caught up to you, there’s nothing better than a fun day indoors. Luckily, families can get that at SantaPark , a fun Christmas theme park! Children and adults alike will enjoy the abundance of activities available here, from crafts to exciting performances. Go to elf school to learn elf secrets and skills, mail holiday greetings from the Post Office, take in a stunt-filled elf show, decorate cookies, chill out in the ice gallery, and so much more! There’s also a magic train ride and a chance to see Santa (perhaps again). An on-site restaurant means you don’t have to leave to make a day of it at SantaPark !

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi with Kids

A young boy stands in front of a red cabin at Santa's Village in Lapland.

Are you wondering where to stay in Rovaniemi with the kids? Santa Claus Holiday Village is a popular place for families. The one-bedroom units with a small kitchen allow you more space and amenities; some suites are also available at Nova Skyland Hotel . Both are steps from the activities in Santa Claus Village. A bit further afield, Arctic SnowHotel and Santa’s Glass Igloos both offer clear views of the night sky from the comfort of your igloo. Or, go for something in the heart of Rovaniemi, which offers countless restaurants ( Cafe Bar 21 serves waffles all day!). Stay near a science center , a playground , and more at the family-friendly Santa’s Holiday Homes .

VRBO has accommodation options near Santa Claus Holiday Village. Look for your stay here!

Nearby Towns for Families to Consider Visiting

A dad pulls his two sons along on a sled in Findland.

Rovaniemi isn’t the only place to have a magical adventure in Finland’s Lapland region . For avid skiers, Levi has some of the best runs in the region. Even further north is Ivalo and Saariselkä , ideal for nature lovers who want a more remote arctic experience. Kittilä , Ylläs , and nearby Äkäslompolo offer beautiful winter escapes as well. Visiting a nearby city is a great way to round out your Finnish Lapland itinerary for families .

READ NEXT : Magical Christmas Towns in the U.S. for Families

Family-Friendly Traveling Tips for Visiting Finland

Dogs lead a dogsled into the snowy woods, a must do on our Finnish Lapland itinerary for families.

Have snow gear to bring? Wear it on the plane or use compression packing cubes in your suitcase to make the most of luggage space. Alternatively, if you’re a light packer, you can rent all the needed gear from head to toe on-site. To get there, direct flights to Rovaniemi and other Lapland airports are offered seasonally from the United Kingdom and more regularly from Helsinki , Finland’s capital city. For train lovers, families can also catch an overnight train for their winter adventure. And while we’ve tried to make it easy to plan, if you’re looking for more help, explore the numerous tour options on offer.

Have a Magical Trip!

Two parents and their two kids stand near Santa in Lapland.

We hope you liked this Winter In Lapland: The Ultimate Itinerary For Families by our top contributor Megan Tucker ! Surely with this Finnish Lapland itinerary for families , it will be easy to plan an unforgettable trip to Finnish Lapland , the home of Santa Claus, and a beautiful winter wonderland. You may want to consider planning this one a year in advance , but regardless of when you do, you’re sure to create a fabulous, family-friendly adventure. Enjoy the journey!

*Unless otherwise noted, all images within this article are couretesy of and belong to Megan Tucker.

*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the attractions, accommodations, or things to do on this list may be closed. Please ensure availability before making your decision.

*This post may contain affiliate links that may earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links in no way inform the hotels, sights, products, or other recommendations included in our articles. All opinions and recommendations expressed here are compiled from submissions submitted by the generous members of our Families Who Love To Travel community.

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Finland and Lapland

Lapland itinerary: the ultimate travel itinerary through Finnish Lapland in winter!

A tour through Finnish Lapland : the ultimate winter experience! In this blog, you will find an itinerary for a five-day trip through the north of Finland: one of the most beautiful parts of Lapland. During this itinerary, you will have the chance to see the northern lights several times or to enjoy the other magical things that Lapland has to offer. We also give you tips on other highlights of Finland. This gives you a good idea of what there is to see in Finland and which destinations you want to include on your Finland itinerary.

Lapland itinerary

A trip to Lapland: the number one thing on Ries’s bucket list before he turned 30. Especially because of the northern lights that you can see well above Lapland in the winter months. But there are many more reasons to take a tour of Finnish Lapland. For instance to visit Santa Claus Village (together with your kids). You can also take a husky ride through the thick snow, or drive a snowmobile. All in all, a winter trip to Finnish Lapland is magical!

Round trip in Finnish Lapland

The northernmost part of finnish lapland.

In this blog, we focus on the northernmost part of Finnish Lapland, the region around Ivalo . A little further south are the cities of Rovaniemi, Levi & Kiitala. Here too you have the real Lapland feeling in winter. With snow-covered lakes and igloos to sleep in. However, here you are in a more southern part of the polar circle, which reduces the chance of seeing the northern lights. These areas are also more touristy.

Ivalo or Rovaniemi / Levi?

Not sure whether you should visit Ivalo (northernmost region of Finnish Lapland) or Rovanimie / Levi (southern region of Lapland)? Then consider what kind of a holiday you would like to have. If you go with small children , and you want to visit Santa’s village ( Santa Clause Village ), to sleep in an igloo or ice hotel, and you don’t mind if the region is touristy, visit Rovanimie or Levi . Also nice, in the surroundings of Levi you can ski and from here you can take a day trip to go out to sea with an icebreaker .

How expensive is a trip to Lapland Finland? Read all about prices and a realistic Lapland budget during your trip in this blog!

5-day itinerary for Lapland

The Lapland itinerary below is based on our own experience in the area around Ivalo (the northernmost tip of Finnish Lapland). And those experiences were great, so we would like to share this Finnish Lapland itinerary with you.

You start your journey (after a short stopover in Helsinki) in the city of Ivalo. Here you will pick up your rental car and then drive to the village of Inari . Inari is located on the beautiful Lake Inari which you can walk on in winter. After two days you drive on to Kaamanen , an even more northern area. Here you are close to the border with Norway. You will stay here for two days.

On the way back to Ivalo , it is nice to make a stopover in Saariselkä ! This is a large tourist village with a Christmas atmosphere, an ice bar and shops. Nice to have seen to complete your trip through Lapland.

The 5-day route through Finnish Lapland is as follows:

Ivalo (arrival & departure).

Your itinerary through the north of Lapland starts in Ivalo. This small village with an airport is located 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. If you have rented a car, this village is the place to do some shopping. We cooked in our lodges almost every day, and the supermarket in Finland is not much more expensive than the one in the Netherlands.

An activity that you should definitely not miss here is a snowmobile safari ! The lakes in Finnish Lapland are frozen over from mid-October to mid-April and therefore ideal to drive over with your snowmobile! So special how fast these snowmobiles go! Our snowmobile tour departed from Ivalo. For this, we drove up and down from Inari, the place where we slept. The distance Ivalo – Inari is only 35 km , you are already there in half an hour.

Inari (2 nights)

The snowy lake Inari: really a picture-perfect! We stayed in Inari for 2 nights, and highly recommend this to you too! This is the least populated municipality of Finnish Lapland and therefore perfect for star photography and for photographing the aurora (northern lights). We stayed in a lodge that was on the lake on which we created some snow angels! In the morning when we came out of the lodge, we saw fresh traces of reindeer everywhere. We also saw these beautiful animals in the wild several times around the lake.

From Inari you can do a cool activity: visiting a husky farm and then taking a husky sledge tour ! Seeing these beautiful dogs with their bright blue eyes was truly a highlight of our Lapland trip. Curious about what you can expect from this? Read our tips in the blog about a husky tour in Lapland !

Hotel tip: Wilderness Hotel Inari & Igloos

Travel time from Ivalo to Inari: 30 minutes by car

Kaamanen / Kielajoki (2 nights)

Kaamanen is a small village, even further north in Finnish Lapland. The village lies on a swamp and is surrounded by rivers and lakes. It’s a peaceful destination, really off the beaten path ! A stay near Kaamanen guarantees an authentic experience. No tour buses here full of tourists, but peace and a lot of space! We stayed near Kaamanen in the village of Kielajoki and the Giellajohka hotel of the same name.

Activities you can do here include enjoying a Finnish sauna, ice fishing, hiking on the frozen lakes and cross-country skiing. In addition, you are so northern and with little light pollution that the chance of spotting the northern lights is even bigger here!

Kaamanen will always have a special place in our hearts. Here, in the snow on a frozen lake, Ries got on his knees to ask me to marry him ! It was amazing! And as icing on the cake, it was so bright that same evening that we saw the northern lights dance from our bedroom while we were warm in bed.

Hotel tip: Giellajohka Travel time Inari to Kaamanen: 30 minutes by car

Back to Ivalo via Saariselkä

If your journey is almost over but you still have some time to spare, consider heading back from Kaamanen to Ivalo, passing the village of Saariselkä . This nice and touristic village is about 30 minutes drive from Ivalo. Surrounded by mountains, Saariselkä is a good base for activities such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and hiking. We made a beautiful aurora night walk in Saariselkä where we saw the northern lights dance beautifully above the snow.

Hotel tip: Top Star Saariselkä

Travel time Kaamanen to Ivalo Airport: 1-hour drive.

Curious about what we packed and wore to stay warm in Lapland? Then read our Lapland packing list tips !

What are the most special & unique hotels to sleep in Finnish Lapland? Read this blog with the best hotels in Lapland !

Tips itinerary Finnish Lapland

Now that you’ve read the Lapland itinerary above, we have a few more tips to help you create your ultimate Lapland trip!

The Northern Lights in Lapland

It was a big dream of Ries to have seen the northern lights for its 30th year. Unfortunately, he did not succeed, he was 30 years and 3 months. But don’t feel sorry, because, during the 4 nights in Lapland, he was able to see the northern lights not once, but four times. Every night it was spot on! This is not normal, it can just as easily happen that there are clouds every day and unfortunately you do not see the northern lights once. You do have some influence on your chance of seeing the Northern Lights! How? You can read that in our blog about the northern lights in Lapland !

Flying on Ivalo:

Driving a car in lapland.

Although buses run between the villages in Finland, we recommend that you rent a car. We picked up this car immediately upon arrival at Ivalo airport. A rental car gives you all the freedom you want. In the evening, for example, we went for a drive by car to a place where there were no clouds. Because of this we also saw the northern lights that evening. We recommend renting a car through Sunny Cars . We are a big fan of Sunny Cars ourselves because it saves a lot of hassle, as you are always fully insured, and you can easily (and often free of charge) change or cancel your booking.

Driving a car in Lapland is not nearly as scary as it sounds. Cars have good winter tires and the roads are kept free of snow. In the evening there is good street lighting and everyone drives quietly and obeys the traffic rules.

Other destinations in Finland

Finland is not only a nice destination in the winter but also a great destination during summertime. An additional advantage: you are in the north, so you have very long summer days and you will find beautiful nature parks in Finland. A trip to Finland is a great adventure! You can do outdoor activities here such as canoe trips, multi-day treks and (wild) camping. See below a map of Finland with the best destinations.

More blogs on Finland

Lapland tips: all you need to know for a winter holiday to lapland in finland, budget finnish lapland: costs and prices of a trip to (finnish) lapland, what to pack for lapland our packing list for lapland in finland.

Thanks for the great blogposts about visiting Lapland! We are currently planning our trip for March, and we probably only want to stay in the most Northern part (Inari/Saariselka) because we want the least touristy area and highest chances for seeing the Northern lights. In your experience, how different is the Inari area from the Saariselka area? We are debating whether it is worth the hassle to stay in two different places, or just book one hotel and do all activities from there.

Hi Kirsten, Oooo nice!! Well Saariselka is more touristic (with a whole village focused on tourisme) then Ivalo. So I would recommend Inari or even more north, Kaamanen. It isn't far from Saariselka so you can still do activities there. Northern light chances are highest in the most Northern and less light polluted area so that would also be Inari. Enjoy!

The Most Amazing 5-day Lapland Itinerary

In December 2018 we embarked on a trip-of-a-lifetime. Destination: Lapland, Finland. We were going to visit Lapland as a family to enjoy some winter fun and to visit Santa in his hometown. In this post you’ll find details of our amazing 5-day Lapland itinerary with kids to help you plan your own magical family trip to Lapland. This itinerary for Lapland is designed for a winter trip and can be used by families, solo travellers, groups and couples.

*This post may contain affiliate links. To find out more about affiliate links and how they work, please see my Disclosure Policy .

An Amazing 5-day Lapland Itinerary

Our 5-day lapland itinerary with kids, lapland day one, lapland day two, lapland day three, lapland day four, lapland day five, how to plan your visit to lapland, faq about lapland, related posts.

Lapland, Finland is a destination that many families would love to visit with their kids. It is also a destination that is popular with solo travellers, couples and families without kids. While this itinerary focuses on our trip to Lapland with our son, it can easily be adopted for those taking a trip to Finland without kids. We saw many groups without children enjoying all the activities discussed in this post.

This Lapland itinerary is designed for those staying a couple of nights in the town of Rovaniemi, where we chose to base ourselves, during the winter. You can still use this itinerary for other regions of Lapland, tailoring your excursions to those available in your town/area. I advise you to research them before you arrive so you can plan ahead of time.

While we stayed 4 nights and had 5 days in Rovaniemi, you can pick and choose your excursions to suit the amount of time you have in Lapland. If you are travelling without kids, you can easily get most of this itinerary for Lapland done in 3 days instead of 5. So, use it as a guide.

Note that if you are visiting Lapland for the day on one of the Lapland day trips, this itinerary is not for you. Your excursions are pre-organised and to a timetable.

We visited Lapland in December 2018 and before we went, I did some research and planning to ensure we had a good idea of what we wanted to do and when. We had planned some winter activities ahead of time and I had a rough idea of other things we wanted to do.

Learn about what was on our Lapland Bucket List here .

The most important item on our agenda, the whole reason for our trip, was to visit Santa in Lapland. Among the many things to do in Lapland for families, this is probably the top reason they choose to take this trip. Whether you choose to book one of the Lapland packages or book Lapland DIY , Santa is going to play a very important part, especially those travelling with kids. And on a Rovaniemi itinerary that means paying Santa Claus Village or SantaPark a visit.

We also wanted to do a husky safari and pre-booked one before we went. We got advice from Visit Rovaniemi , the tourist office, who suggested a company that has a good ethical policy. The other thing we booked ahead of our arrival was a family photo shoot with a local photographer.

Remember, that the day is extremely short in Lapland during winter, with daylight hours typically from 10am to just after 2pm. While this won’t stop you enjoying yourselves, be mindful of booking excursions that you want to do in day light.

Let’s see how we spent our 5 days in Lapland.

For our family trip to Lapland, we flew from Portugal to Finland. We had looked at direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, but they were working out quite expensive, so we chose to take the overnight train, dubbed the “Santa Express”, although at 12 hours, it’s not quite what you’d call express.

So, day one saw us arrive into Rovaniemi at around 10am local time, to a fabulous white, winter wonderland. We immediately went into the station building and stowed our bags in the lockers. If you are going to Lapland and are arriving by train, I suggest you do the same as lockers are at a premium. There are other lockers available at the shopping centre in town.

After stowing your bags, head back outside and get your pictures with the train which should still be on the platform. Enjoy a snowball fight as well. Then, if like us, you cannot check into your accommodation until 3pm, why not walk towards town and head to Arktikum, the Arctic museum and science centre. You can grab lunch in the cafe before enjoying the museum at your leisure. There is a cloak room where you can store your ski jackets, hats and gloves. I highly recommend you visit this museum.

You can explore and learn about the Arctic, its indigenous people and wildlife, and learn about conservation and also how climate change is affecting the region. There is also a chance to learn about Lappish history. You will easily spend a few hours in Arktikum, which is one of the best things to do in Rovaniemi with kids .

When you leave the museum, you can either walk back to the train station or shopping centre to collect your bags, or hop a taxi. If you are visiting in December and have spent a good few hours in the museum, you will most likely come out to darkness. This is the Arctic winter time after all.

Check into your accommodation, drop your bags and take a walk into town, stocking up on necessary supplies in the K Market supermarket in the shopping centre, Shopping Centre Revontuli.

You can either have dinner at your accommodation or have dinner in town. We highly recommend Rosso’s, an Italian-type restaurant located just off Lordi Square, opposite the offices of Visit Rovaniemi. They serve good food at a very reasonable price for Finland. Then it’s early to bed ready for your next day.

For our second day in we started with a family photo shoot with local photographer Kaisa Siren . Kaisa picked us up from our AirBnB apartment and drove us to Ounasvaara Forest where we had some amazing shots taken in the snowy forest. Afterwards, we visited a local Husky Park where we got the chance to meet some of the dogs and get some pictures with them, before being dropped off at Santa Village.

So, if you are visiting Lapland in December and want to capture some special moments in Lapland, I highly recommend a photo shoot with Kaisa. She is very friendly, welcoming and produces some amazing pictures. She will also judge the best time of day for your shoot to make the most of the short winter days.

As you will probably finish your shoot just after lunch, you should head to Santa Claus Village , Rovaniemi. Grab lunch in one of the restaurants, or eat a packed lunch if you’ve brought one, and then soak up the atmosphere of the village. As Santa Village is located right on the Arctic Circle in Finland, make sure to visit the Information desk to get your Arctic Circle Crossing Certificate. And, if you’ve got your passport with you, you can also get it stamped for a fee.

At Santa Village, start getting some pictures, allow the kids to do some sledding if there are some free, and play in the children’s playground. Although a word of warning, if there is ice on the big slide, don’t allow very young children to come down it, as my son hit his head off the side of the slide on his way down.

If you are travelling without kids, or your kids are older, this day would be the ideal one to do a Northern Lights tour. If you are doing one, head back to your accommodation in the afternoon for a rest and some food before joining your tour later in the evening. We looked into a Northern Lights tour but as many start around 9pm, we knew our son would not be able for the late time at almost 5 years of age. Maybe next time.

After we finished in Santa Village, we got the number 8 bus back into town and had a nice cuppa and some cake in Choco Deli Oy cafe, before meeting family in Rosso’s for dinner. Be warned, this cafe does the most amazing cakes and has an array of chocolates on offer that are very hard to resist.

For our third day in Lapland, we planned to spend most of our day at Santa Claus Village. There are a host of activities available at Santa Claus Village, Lapland and it is also one of the best places to see Santa in Lapland. To beat the tour group crowds, either arrive first thing in the morning or plan to arrive later and plan your visit to Santa after they have arrived/left.

Start your day at Santa Claus Village with some snowmobiling. The Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park is located at the back of the village and charges €20 for 10 minutes for children, although it seems a lot longer than 10 minutes. Our son loved this, so much so he went twice. They also do longer Snowmobile safaris for older children and adults. Pre-booking may be necessary.

After snowmobiling, head to Santa Claus’ Reindeer for a 1km reindeer safari through the forest at the back of the Village. There are 3 different lengths of safaris from here; 400m, 1km and 3km. The 1km lasted about 15 minutes and was more than enough for us and our son. The 400m reindeer safari cost €18 per adult and €14 per child, while the 1km cost €29 per adult and €23 per child.*

Following your reindeer ride, head to the Santa Claus Main Post Office to see all the letters sent to Santa from around the world. Also, you can send your own postcards home to loved ones and organise letters from Santa. This post office gets very busy in the day, so if it’s crowded, wait until later in the day when the tours are gone, and it quietens down.

By now you may be getting hungry, so stop for some lunch. The Napatapuli restaurant does reasonably priced food and my son and I shared the chicken nuggets and chips basket in here.

After lunch you can either visit Snowman World or pay Santa a visit. We spent some time in Snowman World and enjoyed some tubing after marvelling at the ice carvings in the bar/restaurant. Because the snow was late arriving in the year of our visit, the igloo and ice rink were not complete. Just be aware of this. Entry to Snowman World was €25 per person.*

After your visit to Snowman World, browse the shops, let the kids play in the playground or go sledding. On this particular day we met up with family in the afternoon, enjoyed a warm cuppa in the Napatapuli restaurant and then captured our pictures of the village after the crowds had gone.

We missed the last bus back into Rovaniemi so we got the Santa Claus Village Hotel to call us a taxi which cost us €25.

For day four of our Finnish Lapland adventure, we booked ourselves onto a husky sledding tour. We got advice from Visit Rovaniemi about which one to choose and went from there. If you are interested in any Lapland excursions, then Visit Rovaniemi is the place to contact. We booked a morning tour with Bearhill Husky and it was one of our best Lapland experiences.

Read all about our Bearhill Husky Sledding Adventure here .

So, day four should be the day you plan your longer safaris, whether it is a reindeer or husky safari. You will most likely be picked up mid-morning, either from your accommodation or a central location in town. And you will be finished before the sun starts to set. For those who have travelled from afar, by now you should be adjusting and getting over your jet lag.

Once you are finished your longer excursions, I suggest you head to Pilke, the Biodiversity Museum located right beside Arktikum. This museum shows you how important the Arctic forests are to the region. This is included in the Culture Pass and is a great museum and science centre for kids. There are lots of areas for them to explore, build things and even tree felling vehicles to climb up into.

There were also several sections and displays which appealed to the scientist in me. Overall, we loved Pilke and suggest you add it to your Lapland itinerary.

On our last day in Lapland we headed to SantaPark , the underground home of Santa Claus. We first went to the train station before the first train arrived and stowed our luggage in a locker, ready for collecting later for our overnight train back to Helsinki. If you are on the same schedule, do this well before 10am to get the best chance of a locker.

From the train station take the bus to SantaPark and enjoy this underground cavern which has a theme-park feel to it with an Elf School to attend, Mrs Gingerbread’s Kitchen where you can decorate your own gingerbread biscuits, a magical Santa train which reminded me of Disneyland’s It’s A Small World ride. And of course, there is also the opportunity to meet Santa.

We chose not to do this as we had already met him at Santa Village and felt it might confuse our young son. We also did not think anything could top our meeting with Santa the day before. We did have lunch at SantaPark which was a bit chaotic. Ordering lines were not where we thought they were and collection of food in different places. However, it filled our bellies. So, you’ve been warned.

Once you have completed a circuit of SantaPark, let the kids enjoy some free play in the Angry Birds play area before heading back into Rovaniemi to tick off the last museum on your Culture Pass, Korundi.

This museum is a contemporary art museum and while some of the displays and works of art are astounding, be watchful with young kids. We spent most of our time, particularly on the second floor, telling our son to be careful around all the glass pieces. We were glad we visited it, but it is probably more suited to teens. Alternatively, you can swap around the days you visit the Pilke and Korundi Museums.

If you are catching the train back to Helsinki, make your way to the station on foot (it’s not very far), collect your bags and bid a fond farewell to Lapland.

And that completes how to spend 5 days in Lapland. I hope it gives you an idea of how many days in Lapland you’ll need to enjoy yourself and tick most things off your bucket list.

In this section you’ll find a summary of how to plan a Lapland 5-day trip yourself.

I wholeheartedly suggest you book Lapland yourself . It isn’t as scary as you think and by going DIY, you can take things at your own pace, relax and not rush around like a headless chicken in a crowd of other headless chickens.

Firstly, check out flights to Lapland from your starting country using Skyscanner . From the UK, Easyjet fly from both Gatwick and Manchester direct to Rovaniemi. There are flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi which would have negated the need for us to take the train but they were more expensive than our flights from Portugal to Finland. As we were trying to keep the cost of our trip to Lapland down, we decided against these flights. And the train was an experience.

From other countries, you will most likely need to fly to either the UK to catch the direct flight, or into Helsinki to catch either a plane or train to Lapland.

If you are thinking of doing the train, sign up to their newsletter early in the year to get notified of when they released their Saver Tickets. These cost us just €49 per person each way, with our son travelling free of charge as he was under 10 and sharing our bed.

Once transport is sorted, I suggest looking at AirBnB for accommodation close to the city centre. If you are new to AirBnB, sign up via this link to avail of money off your first completed stay.

Alternatively, you can check out hotels.com for accommodation in hotels and other venues around the city and surrounding area.

And finally, once flights, transport and accommodation has been sorted, I suggest you look into your longer excursions and/or photo shoot and book them ahead of arrival. Other things like the reindeer or husky rides at Santa Claus Village and SantaPark do not need to be booked prior to your arrival.

And I would also suggest, if you are using the train to get to and from Rovaniemi, that you consider spending a few days in Helsinki like we did. It’s a great city and has a lot on offer for families.

Read my Helsinki – Things to Do with Kids post here .

Lapland is an area found within Sweden, Finland, Norway and part of Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

Within Rovaniemi, there are two options to meet Santa in Lapland. The first is at Santa Claus Village and the other is SantaPark. We chose to only see Santa at Santa Village. The Santa we met was amazing, very engaging and even knew a few words of Portuguese, much to our surprise and delight. He didn’t rush us and was happy for us to take our time. If you are taking a trip to see Santa in Lapland and are heading to other areas, check out the Santa options available on TripAdvisor for the area you are visiting or consult the tourist boards within the area. You could also see what options are mentioned in the package holidays on offer for the other areas of Lapland.

I have briefly given you an outline in the section above and you can find more details about visiting Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland in this post of mine . For other areas of Lapland, you will need to decide where you want to go and investigate your options both via a package holiday or by doing it yourself.

This firstly depends on what part of Lapland you visit. It will also depend on what you want to get out of your trip. It has been said by some people that Rovaniemi is quite commercialised, but we never thought so. As it is a big town, there is lots of amenities catering for everyone. If you want a more intimate, quieter affair, then perhaps going further north to Levi or Yllas would suit you better. Also, the further north you go, the earlier the snow will arrive and there are more options available should you want to do some skiing.

If you are travelling from the UK, as mentioned, Easyjet fly direct to Rovaniemi. So, yes, there is an option to fly straight to Lapland. If you are taking a package holiday, then the tour operators such as Santa’s Lapland and TUI fly their planes direct to Lapland. However, be warned that the direct flights with Easyjet get booked up quickly.

Yes, in my opinion, if you are going all that way, and especially if you are connecting in Helsinki, then you should add a few days in the Finnish capital onto the end of your trip. A few days is more than enough to enjoy the Helsinki sights. There are a range of Helsinki attractions suitable for those travelling with or without kids and in this post you’ll find some ideas of things to do in Helsinki.

I hope this Lapland itinerary for 5 days has given you some inspiration for how to plan your time in the region and given you an idea of what you can achieve in 5 days during the Lapland winter season. And rest assured that it’s not just for kids, Lapland is for adults as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Lapland, ticking off everything from our bucket list including meeting Santa and enjoying an amazing husky safari with Bearhill Husky. We also enjoyed some Helsinki sightseeing after we’d finished in Lapland to top off our trip.

Has this inspired you to consider visiting this magical winter wonderland now?

If you are thinking of going to Lapland and are unsure about what to pack, you’ll find my Lapland packing list here full of details on what clothing to pack for Lapland, with or without kids. And for tips for visiting Lapland, check out my post here . It’s got 30+ practical top tips to ensure your trip is an awesome one.

*Note: Prices are correct for December 2018.

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3-Day Tours in Lapland

Enjoy 3 days in Lapland on a magical winter trip planned by the regional travel experts at Nordic Visitor. Hunt for the northern lights, have fun in the snow, or meet Father Christmas on your 2-night break. Your package includes accommodation, excursions, and airport transfers.

VISIT LAPLAND ON A 3-DAY TRIP

Want to spend 3 days in Lapland? We can help!

Take a short break to Lapland in winter for an unforgettable trip to the Arctic Circle. With 3 days to explore, you’d have time to go dog sledding and stay in a hotel made of snow and ice. You could also chase the northern lights on a snowmobile excursion.

Choose between visiting Swedish or Finnish Lapland for your 3-day tour. Read on to find out more about each region and see which one would suit you best.

When you book a trip to Lapland with Nordic Visitor, you get handpicked accommodation, airport transfers, access to our 24/7 helpline, and many other benefits. You also enjoy personal service from your own dedicated travel consultant.

Get in touch via our contact form, live chat or toll-free numbers and we'll gladly plan your Lapland getaway.

— WHY US?

Why book with nordic visitor.

All bookings protected by our package travel insurance
Accommodation, activities, transfers & breakfasts included
Professional service from Scandinavian-based travel experts
Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
Flexible & customisable tour options

Experience Lapland in 3 Days

Enjoy an action-packed winter getaway with a 3-day Lapland tour. Accommodation, airport transfers and activities are included in your travel package.

Winter Getaway at the Arctic Snowhotel

Stay longer in lapland.

Extend your stay to experience more of Lapland in one trip. You’d get to try more activities and increase your chances of spotting the northern lights.

Lapland Adventure - Aurora Sky Station

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As a travel agency based in the Scandinavia region, Nordic Visitor knows how to make the most of your time in Lapland. Choose from a variety of tours that include the must-see attractions as well as lesser-known highlights, all handpicked by our own Scandinavian travel experts.

To ensure a stress-free Lapland trip, Nordic Visitor handles all the local details for you: accommodation, activities, airport transfers and other services.

Oh, and we can customise your itinerary! For example, you might decide you want to add extra nights at a certain location. In that case, your personal Nordic Visitor travel consultant will be happy to make suggestions and modify your itinerary.

What do our customers say?

The reviews speak for themselves. See what Nordic Visitor travellers said about their experience with us.

Camilla Thom, Spain

Icehotel winter adventure, january 2017, i will never forget this experience.

The tour guides were excellent. Especially Emile and Maurice. This was a huge adventure for us both, starting with the dog sled picking us up , going to the Ice Hotel and then the fabulous evening on the snowmobile. Even though we weren't lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, it was still wonderful. What good cooks all the guides were too! I will never forget this experience.

George, United States

Best of lapland classic - rovaniemi, march 2017, experience of a lifetime.

Everything was wonderful. It was the experience of a lifetime. My daughter and I had a blast!

Nilima, India

Lapland - land of the midnight sun, june 2015, lapland is beautiful.

Day tours were excellent, guide and service was excellent

Lapland is beautiful. We were able to see the midnight sun because of nordic visitor they have planned our tour very well and the local guides were very co operative.

Vandana, United States

Classic lapland adventure & icehotel, february 2015, everything went smoothly.

Cicci Erikson customized our trip exactly the way we wanted, every thing went smoothly, the employees at Kiruna tours were very friendly and cordial, I would recommend Nordic Visitor to my friends and will use them in the future.

Arkadiusz, Singapore

Classic lapland adventure & icehotel, december 2014, worked perfectly well without any glitches.

My Travel Consultant, Cecilia, was extremely helpful and professional in all aspects of dealing with the customer. Her invaluable assistance allowed me to choose, modify, and combine the existing tours to fulfill all my needs. The hotel locations were excellent and the arrangements made by Cecilia ensured that everything worked perfectly well without any glitches. I would strongly recommend such excellent services to anyone who would like to have an unforgettably pleasant holiday.

Christy, United States

Icehotel winter adventure, january 2015, overall a great experience.

Overall a great experience. Cecilia was very helpful and responsive.

Mariana, Hong Kong, SAR

Classic lapland adventure & icehotel, january 2017, excellent time in kiruna.

My daughter and I had an excellent time in Kiruna during the Chinese New Year. I would like to thank Sofia Sundkvist who assisted us throughout the trip. She is very responsive and accomodating. We slightly changed our plans and she always quickly responded to me by email and helped us with what we needed. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to meet her in person, but all the people (from Nordic Visitor) whom we met throughout this trip are excellent people. They always carry a smile, happy with what they are doing, experienced and knowledgeable.

Carla, United States

Lapland - land of the midnight sun, june 2017, outstanding in every way.

Your company is outstanding in every way. The booking agents were responsive when we had questions. The information provided was excellent. The tour guides and the company's you contracted with are without exception outstanding. I would recommend your company to anyone who is planning a Scandinavian trip

Olga, Israel

Husky tour in the wilderness of lapland, march 2015, beyond my expectations.

Thank you so much for being there and helping people to discover those incredible places around the Scandinavia. I've met so many great people and had such a splendid time, that I will never forget. My main purpose was to see the Northen Lights, but I've got so much more and everything was just beyond my expectations! I would like to thank our Nordic Visitor agent Jennie Elofsson for a great assistance, she's been very helpful and super quick giving us all the answers we need. Also I would like to thank our amazing guides, who made our tour so very special and intimate: Emil and Jenny.

Lapland Adventure - Aurora Sky Station, February 2015

Made every experience unforgettable.

Genuinely - one of the best trips we have ever undertaken. We received a great welcome in Kiruna, our guides were excellent - and made every experience unforgettable! The Aurora... was glorious!

Sue, Australia

Classic lapland adventure & icehotel, january 2014, suggestions were all great for limited time.

Jennie, our agent, was fantastic. She sorted everything out in the limited time we had in Kiruna and her suggestions to fit in as much as we did in three days were all great.

Hwee Hwee, Singapore

Best of lapland classic - rovaniemi, january 2017, enjoyable beyond our expectations.

Our experience with Nordic Visitor is absolutely delightful! We are very impressed by the professionalism of the staff and the seamless organisation of the tour. Our holiday was enjoyable beyond our expectations!

Gianguido and Romana

Service was impeccable under all aspects.

A long sought after vacation resulted in a fascinating experience, and this result must also be credited to the careful preparation and to the friendly professional assistance of your consultants. On site, the service was impeccable under all aspects.

Cold, silence and nature conjure in suggesting me to summarize what we have lived through with words from Sweden’s national anthem. "TYSTA, GLÄDJERIKA, SKÖNA".

Annette, Australia

Custom booking, march 2015, i am very glad to have chosen nordic visitor.

Everything went very smoothly and with great ease! Being greeted by the chauffer and shiny black Mercedes in Copenhagen and driven to the Scandic Palace Hotel right in the city centre was a real treat. Thank you. I am very glad to have chosen Nordic Visitor because you are based in these wonderful Nordic Countries and I wanted to experience local culture. Many thanks to Cecilia for helping us to achieve this.

Icehotel Winter Adventure, February 2015

One of the most amazing trips I've ever done and one of the best in regards of organization.

Geoff and Maria, Australia

Icehotel winter adventure, december 2013, a must for something completely different.

The Ice Hotel was AMAZING, what a concept. The dogsled from the airport was a fun experience. The Scandic Ferrum for the rest of the stay was fantastic. The staff at both places were exceptional. The snowmobile tour, although eventful, was just a hoot. The most fun we have had in ages. All the meals in all locations were just great and good value. Kiruna is a lovely town and the people are terrific. There aren't enough adjectives to describe it all. Just a load of fun. A must for something completely different. Everything was organised beyond expectation. Just do it!!!

Icehotel Winter Adventure, December 2016

Exceeded our expectations.

The overall experience exceeded our expectations and was a truly wonderful experience. The husky sled transfer from the airport was amazing. Every trip we did had helpful, happy and informative staff.

Irene and Sarah

Lapland adventure - aurora sky station & icehotel, january 2013, a more beautiful place would be hard to find.

We have just got back home after probably the best holiday we have ever had! Everything was superbly planned and the guys at Kiruna Guidetur were fantastic. In fact everyone we met was friendly and so helpful. The hotels were excellent and the food really great - especially at the Abisko Tourist Station and when we went up to the Aurora Sky Station the girl who did the dinner there was world class, especially when she had to prepare the meal in such cramped conditions,

The activities were wonderful - the snowmobiles, the husky sleds, the horse and sleigh ride, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The Ice Hotel was fantastic too. It is such a magical place - the snow, the clear air - all absolutely wonderful. A more beautiful place would be hard to find. Thank you so much for organising the holiday for us. I have been on the phone this morning urging all my friends to go there!

Adam, Italy

Would definitely recommend nordic visitor.

Everything was great. The tour guides and employees were extremely friendly and professional. They accommodated us as best they could whenever we needed something. I would definitely recommend Nordic Visitor and this package to anyone. Dress warm!

Once in a lifetime experience! Thank you! It couldn't have gone better.

Paddy, New Zealand

Lapland adventure - aurora sky station & icehotel, january 2015, inside the artic circle at kiruna.

We booked through Nordic Visitor and they organised the activities with Kiruna Tourism and we had an amazing trip, meet at the airport -23 C, deck out in clothing which we kept for the 4 days, transported around, good hotel and had great guides who were welcoming, knowledgeable and communicative. Couldn't ask for anything more, Went snow walking, dog sledding, visited Abisko viewing station, Ice hotel and Sami Village.

C S, Australia

Icehotel winter adventure, february 2013, friendly efficient and very helpful.

We would like to say that our consultant Cecilia was fantastic, we travel widely and she is the best consultant we have dealt with, friendly efficient and very helpful.

Getting to Lapland

Nordic Visitor tours of Lapland begin in either Kiruna, for Sweden itineraries, or Kemi or Rovaniemi for Finland trips. You can find some direct flights from airports across Europe.

Otherwise, you can reach Lapland with connecting flights from Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, or Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Another option is to fly to Copenhagen in Denmark and travel to Lapland from there.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the main gateway for international air travel in Sweden. From Stockholm, you can fly to Kiruna with SAS or Norwegian. The journey takes around 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is Finland’s main air travel hub. From here, you’ll be able to take a direct flight to either Kemi or Rovaniemi with Finnair or Norwegian. Both journeys take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

We recommend checking airline websites directly for flight availability and timetables. You can also use an airfare search engine, such as Skyscanner, Dohop or Kayak, for example.

Flights are not included in Nordic Visitor packages. However, all of our itineraries can be customised with extra nights in your arrival city if you’d like to rest up after your flight.

Different ways you can experience Lapland

We have tours for all varieties of travel styles and interests. See our options for exploring Lapland below.

ICE & SNOW HOTELS

Santa claus, snowmobile adventures, culture & history, reindeer & sami culture, winter tours, what to see and do on lapland 2-night breaks.

Imagine jetting off to a winter wonderland in Northern Europe, discovering pristine scenery laden with snow. You could find yourself in this enchanting landscape on a 3-day Lapland holiday.

Lapland is situated in the far north of Sweden and Finland, within the Arctic Circle. It is a region characterised by beautiful forests, lakes and rivers. Here the dark night skies of winter light up with the shimmering colours of the aurora borealis.

Spend your 3-day tour enjoying activities in the snow, soaking up the native Sami culture, and cosying up by the fireplace.

Explore these Lapland winter trips
Discover 7 reasons to visit Lapland in winter

TOP THINGS TO DO IN LAPLAND

Lapland offers opportunities for adventures and indulgent experiences in equal measure. This means that you can be as active or relaxed as you wish on your winter trip!

Here are the top things to do in Lapland :

Go mushing through the snow on a dog sled
Marvel at the otherworldly northern lights
Explore the countryside by snowmobile
Search for Santa Claus in his homeland
Sleep in an ice room or a glass igloo
Try skiing, ice fishing or snowshoeing
Experience local Sami customs and cuisine
Celebrate Christmas or New Year’s Eve
See Arctic animals in their native habitat
Warm up in a traditional Finnish sauna

When you book a Lapland tour with Nordic Visitor, you can add optional activities and day trips to your itinerary. We recommend that you reserve any extras in advance to guarantee availability.

Speak to your personal travel consultant at Nordic Visitor about the excursions you’d like to incorporate into your Lapland itinerary. They will organise everything on your behalf, while you relax and look forward to your winter escape.

Browse these classic Lapland holidays to start planning your trip
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our Lapland travel experts

TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN LAPLAND

Where you go in Lapland will largely depend on the activities and sights you want to enjoy. You can read Nordic Visitor’s Lapland travel guide to learn more about each area, which will help you decide where to visit.

Here are the best places to go in Finnish Lapland :

Santa Claus Village
Kemi

These are the top places to visit in Swedish Lapland :

Abisko National Park
Aurora Sky Station

VISIT ONE OF LAPLAND’S ICE HOTELS OR GLASS IGLOOS

One of the “coolest” things you can do in Lapland is stay in an ice hotel. Marvel at the ice sculptures, imaginative themed rooms, and restaurants and bars crafted from frozen water. Since many of the hotels melt in the spring, artists start from scratch and rebuild them each winter.

Spending the night in an ice suite is an experience you’ll never forget. You are kept cosy thanks to thermal sleeping bags and reindeer hides, with the chance to step into a hot sauna in the morning.

If you’d rather sleep in a warm room, you can take a guided tour of these ice hotels instead.

A great alternative is staying in a glass igloo in Lapland. Snuggle up in your heated dome, looking through the clear glass up to the night sky. You might even be treated to a northern lights show from your bed!

Here are the best ice hotels and glass igloos to visit in Lapland:

ICEHOTEL (Kiruna)
Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos (Rovaniemi)
SnowCastle (Kemi)
Choose from one of these Lapland ice and snow hotel packages
Learn more about the best ice hotels in Finland and the ICEHOTEL in Sweden

VISIT SWEDISH OR FINNISH LAPLAND

For your 3-day trip to Lapland, take your pick from visiting Swedish or Finnish Lapland. Both destinations offer similar experiences, such as the chance to hunt for the northern lights, go snowmobiling, and ride in a dog sled.

However, Swedish and Finnish Lapland each have particular highlights that you should know about before you decide where to go. Take a look at these itinerary recommendations for a taste of what to expect in Sweden and Finland, respectively.

Check out the best Lapland holidays for a winter getaway

3-DAY ITINERARY SUGGESTION FOR SWEDISH LAPLAND:

Day 1 - Arrival in Kiruna and snowmobile safari After touching down at Kiruna Airport, a driver will meet you and take you to your hotel. Enjoy some time at leisure, perhaps getting to know the town or simply relaxing before you head out later.

In the evening you’ll get to explore the countryside on a snowmobile excursion, searching for the northern lights. Follow your guide through the snow as they lead you to the best spots to look for the aurora. Feel the thrill of the ride as you go.

Then, sit beside the fireplace in a wooden hut and tuck into a rustic dinner of traditional local food. Afterwards, your guide will take you back to your accommodation.

Spend the night in Kiruna.

Day 2 - Dog sledding and night at the ICEHOTEL Today you can enjoy one of the most special activities and traditions in Lapland: dog sledding.

Meet the huskies at the kennel and learn how to drive your sled from an expert guide. Head out onto the trails and glide through the woods and snowy plains, soaking up the views as you go. Afterwards, fuel up with a hot cup of coffee and a light lunch by the campfire.

Next up, you’ll visit the famous ICEHOTEL, situated in the village of Jukkasjärvi just outside Kiruna. This was the original ice hotel that set a trend for the many others that now exist around the world.

Begin with a guided tour of this extraordinary hotel, learning how artists build it using ice from the Torne River nearby. Then comes the highlight: sleeping in a room made entirely from ice and snow!

Spend the night at the ICEHOTEL or ICEHOTEL 365.

Day 3 - Departure Start the day with a warming cup of lingonberry juice served in your ice room before heading to the restaurant for a delicious breakfast. You might like to follow that with a relaxing visit to the sauna.

Afterwards, you’ll be transferred back to Kiruna Airport where you’ll fly home from your Lapland holiday.

Explore these Kiruna tour packages to experience Swedish Lapland
Find out the top 10 reasons to take a winter break in Kiruna, Sweden

Or you could visit Finnish Lapland for your short break. We’d recommend adding an extra night, staying for 4 days.

4-DAY ITINERARY SUGGESTION FOR FINNISH LAPLAND:

Day 1 – Arrival in Rovaniemi and snowmobile safari After touching down in Rovaniemi Airport a driver will meet you for your transfer to your centrally located accommodation. Unwind after your journey or explore the town a little before your first adventure in Lapland.

Snowmobile safaris are one of the most thrilling ways to chase the northern lights! This evening, you can ride a snowmobile through the snowy countryside around Rovaniemi. Follow your guide as they lead you to their favourite places for spotting the aurora.

Before returning to your hotel, warm yourself by the fire and enjoy a hot drink and snack with your guide.

Spend the night in Rovaniemi.

Day 2 – Dog sledding and Finnish sauna

Wake this morning for a transfer to a local kennel and dog sledding excursion. Here you will meet the huskies and learn all about this traditional mode of transport in Lapland: mushing.

After a lesson in driving your sled, you and your team of excited huskies are ready to follow your guide along the snowy trails.

Return from the surrounding forests and plains to refuel with a warming beverage around a campfire, a cosy setting for sharing stories with your fellow mushers.

Bring the day to a close by returning to the twinkling lights of Rovaniemi and indulging in Finnish sauna culture.

Day 3 – Reindeer farm and Santa Claus Village

Today, hop on a snowmobile and make your way to a traditional reindeer farm. Here you can learn about the culture of Lapland’s native people, the Sami, and enjoy a sleigh ride.

Next, prepare to meet the “man in red” with a visit to Santa Claus Village, just outside Rovaniemi.

Soak up the festive atmosphere of this Christmassy haven, which is open year-round. Enjoy a private meeting with Santa with the elves on hand, and send a postcard from the Santa Claus Post Office. Then why not browse for souvenirs at the craft shops?

Spend the night in Rovaniemi or upgrade to a warm glass igloo at the Arctic SnowHotel.

Day 4 - Departure Today you’ll be transferred back to Rovaniemi Airport where you’ll fly home from your Lapland holiday.

Discover Finnish Lapland with one of these Rovaniemi tours or Kemi packages
Read this guide to Finland in winter for more inspiration

BEST TIME TO VISIT LAPLAND

The best time to visit Lapland is between December and March, when you can enjoy the magical white scenery, northern lights, and excursions in the snow.

Certain activities are available in Lapland year round. For example, in summer you can meet Father Christmas, or even visit certain ice hotels that use solar power to keep some of their rooms frozen. However, we recommend travelling in winter for the quintessential Lapland experience.

Learn more about visiting Lapland in December or January
Check out Lapland tours in February or March

Thanks to snowfall from mid-October to mid-May, you’ll be surrounded by snow-blanketed scenery between December and March. What’s more, in winter you have the best chances of seeing the northern lights. The long, dark nights provide the ideal backdrop for watching the aurora borealis.

In summer, on the other hand, there are long daylight hours in Lapland – a phenomenon called the “midnight sun”. With light skies all night long, it is too bright to see the northern lights.

Find out how to increase your chances of spotting the aurora borealis with these guides:

• Best time and place to see the northern lights in Sweden • Best time and place to see the northern lights in Finland • What are the northern lights? Aurora borealis explained

Explore these northern light tours in Lapland to hunt for the aurora
Read about Lapland’s daylight hours and climate on the Nordic Visitor travel guide

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR IN LAPLAND

Perhaps you want to time your Lapland trip for December to celebrate Christmas or New Year’s Eve in this winter wonderland?

Spend Christmas in Lapland and you could attend a festive gala dinner for Christmas Eve, accompanied by Santa’s elves. Join in the fun and help to decorate the Christmas tree before you tuck into the big feast.

You could then have the ultimate Christmas Day in Santa’s homeland. Whizz through the snow on a reindeer sleigh, meet Santa in his workshop, and taste delicious Christmas food. Think freshly baked gingerbread biscuits and a warm glass of glögg (mulled wine).

Or visit Lapland at New Year for a celebration to remember. You could attend a New Year’s Eve party in a wooden hut in the middle of a Finnish forest, experiencing local customs and cuisine. And, of course, you’d get to watch a spectacular fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.

Don’t forget, you can get into the festive spirit at any time of year when you visit Santa Claus Village in Finnish Lapland!

Check out these Lapland Santa holidays
Find out about spending 4 days , 5 days or 6 days in Lapland

— REGIONAL SUPPORT & KNOWLEDGE

Get the most out of your holiday.

Explore places handpicked for you by regional experts
Save time and effort with everything arranged for you
Relax knowing you can reach us 24/7 during your trip

About Nordic Visitor Tours

Nordic Visitor is a Lapland tour operator and has been creating incredible travel experiences for customers in the region since 2010. Our Scandinavian travel experts know Lapland inside out, and will use their knowledge to craft your perfect itinerary.

With your Nordic Visitor package, you can expect personal service from your own designated travel consultant and a tailor-made itinerary with quality travel documents. Furthermore, we have long-standing professional relationships with trusted local partners, which are carefully selected by our staff for their high standards of service.

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Our Swedish phone number is +46 8 666 23 30

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Whether you have a single question or a special request, we're here for you.

Freedom to Roam in Finnish Lakeland, Swedish Lapland, and the Norwegian Fjords

Go off the beaten track in finland, sweden, and norway to discover the best of northern europe’s wild nature in this adventurous, wide-ranging itinerary..

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Lake Saimaa

Courtesy of GoSaimaa

Travel across the landscapes of Finnish Lakeland, Swedish Lapland, and the Norwegian fjords, immerse yourself in the local lifestyle and Sami culture, and experience the power of Nordic nature. You’ll visit the Nordic cities of Helsinki, Bergen, Stavanger, and Kiruna and explore the landscape through engaging activities. It’s a trip filled with the joy of friluftsliv , the Nordic concept of life in the open air, and under-the-radar destinations in Northern Europe. And you can always turn to 50 Degrees North for tours and Nordic expertise.

Iris Expedition Dining _ Salmon Eye.jpeg

Trip Highlight

Restaurant iris.

Trip Designer

The nordics.

Helsinki Cathedral

Courtesy of Tern Bicycles/Visit Helsinki

Day 1 Exploring Helsinki

Kuru Resort

Courtesy of Julia Kivelä/Kuru Resort

Day 2 Helsinki to the Lake Saimaa Region

Day 3 adventures in linnansaari national park.

A Finnish sauna experience immersed in nature

Photo by Harri Tarvainen/Visit Finland

Day 4 Rantasalmi to Joroinen

Steamboats in Mikkeli

Courtesy of Visit Mikkeli

Day 5 Joroinen to Helsinki to Kiruna

An Ice Hotel suite

Courtesy of Hans-Olof Utsi/imagebank.sweden.se

Day 6 The Wilderness of Arctic Sweden

Sarek National Park

Photo by Anders Ekholm/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se

Day 7 Sami Cultural Experiences and a Distinctive Spa

Bergen Bryggen

Photo by Giovanni Tagini/VisitNorway

Day 8 Norway’s Mountains and Fjords

Pulpit Rock with a view of Lysefjord

Photo by Øyvind Heen

Day 9 Hardangervidda National Park

The cozy streets of old Stavanger

Photo by Fredrik Ahlsen/VisitNorway

Day 10 Stavanger, Lysefjord, and Flørli 4444

Delicious cuisine, like that of a Swedish Fika, or coffee break, abounds throughout the Nordic countries.

Magical 7 Day Winter Itinerary for Visiting Lapland with Kids

Ever dreamed of visiting Santa at his home in the Arctic Circle? We travelled to Rovaniemi hoping to do just that

**We were lucky enough to have been gifted free or reduced price tickets for some of the attractions mentioned below in this article , in exchange for promotion through our social media channels. All opinions expressed remain our own.

Introduction

We decided to go on a winter family holiday with a difference this year, to Lapland, famously the home of Santa Claus. Would it live up to expectations…?

To give a flavour of our time there, as well as helping with some ideas for the best places to go, we have produced this 7 day winter itinerary for visiting Lapland with kids.

A reindeer in the snow wearing a colourful harness for pulling a sleigh

Where is Lapland?

Lapland is located in Finland, being the country’s northernmost region. Much of the region is so far north that it is inside the Arctic Circle.

How cold is it in Lapland?

If visiting in winter, Lapland can be very cold. Temperatures of -20°C are pretty common, with it sometimes dipping to colder than -35°C! Be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes and be properly equipped for such low temperatures, especially if visiting with kids. It is honestly tough being outside for longer than about half an hour when it is so cold.

Family stood in front of a giant snowman at the Santa Claus Holiday Village

What is there to do in Lapland?

Famed as being the home of Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, much of Lapland tourism centres around this jolly old fellow. Expect a lot of Santa themed places and experiences to visit.

Away from all things Santa, the area is home to vast areas of beautiful and unspoilt woodland wilderness. In winter times, as well having endless snow to enjoy on the ground, the long hours of darkness bring a chance of viewing the spectacle of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, in the night sky.

Winter activities include reindeer and husky dog sled rides, snowmobiling, skiing, sledging and ice fishing. Not forgetting of course Finland’s all-time favourite activity, the sauna.

In summer, eternal sunshine bathes the region and its local festivities, providing an alternative and no less peculiar experience. Woodland walks, fishing and mountain biking can all be enjoyed in the great outdoors during summer.

What Time of Year Should I Visit Lapland?

Lapland can be visited at any time of year, with the different seasons bringing different attractions. That said, even though the Santa Claus Village remains open all year round, most of the Santa-based tourism focuses on the winter months, with many attractions closing outside of this time.

If visiting in winter, December and the run up to Christmas is the busiest time, peaking during the school holiday weeks. We opted to visit in January. All the attractions were still open and the crowds were much smaller. I think it was a good time to visit and I’d recommend anyone else to do the same. It was nice for my kids to be able to see Santa after Christmas and say ‘Thankyou’ for their presents. In my opinion, this was just as special for them as seeing him in the buildup to Christmas and far outweighed for us the prospect of fighting the December crowds.

4 children wearing thick winter clothes sat around a bonfire in the snow

How long do I need in Lapland?

If you are just wanting to visit Santa (with or without kids!) and experience the region’s coldness and wild charms, a few days should be enough.

If, like we were, you are wanting to see a bit more of all that the region has to offer, a stay of around a week provides enough time to experience more variety.

Obviously, if time is no object, a stay of longer provides even more opportunity to relax and enjoy your surroundings, or spend longer on other winter activities, such as skiing. Also, if desperate to see the Northern Lights, don’t expect to just turn up and see them. Their appearance is actually quite rare, especially for big displays. The longer you can stay in the area, the more likely you will be to be lucky enough to see them.

Getting To and Around Lapland

Lapland can be reached by direct flights from various European destinations. The airport to fly into is Rovaniemi.

However, being only a small airport, flights into Rovaniemi are quite limited and often expensive. There are many more flight options into Finland’s capital city, Helsinki. From Helsinki it is possible to then take an overnight (and very comfortable) sleeper train up to Rovaniemi. This train ride actually only adds to the excitement for little ones making their way up to visit Santa.

Once in Rovaniemi, there are various public buses that run between the different attractions. The timetables are sometimes a bit difficult to locate and are not always that reliable. The buses are warm and easy enough to use once onboard though. There is also a large fleet of local taxis, including many minivan taxis that can take up to 6 passengers (which was very useful for us having 4 kids with us). Taxi fares are expensive, so expect to budget that into your stay.

While you obviously can walk around Rovaniemi town, you should not underestimate how quickly you can get cold when outside (especially small children). Even a 20 minute walk can leave you frozen, so we found that we quickly opted for taking taxis over walking.

Collection of woodland cabins in the snow

Where to Stay in Lapland

Lapland, being a big region, obviously has many different places and styles of accommodation to stay in. Most tourism centres around the city of Rovaniemi, the region’s capital. This is therefore a good starting point when looking for local accommodation. As well as many hotels and guesthouses, the city also has woodland cabins that can be rented, in various locations just outside of the city. These provide a beautiful and peaceful escape. We opted to stay in such a cabin during our stay.

The major tourist attractions, including the Santa Claus Village , also offer a range of on-site accommodation for anyone wanting the convenience of staying right in the heart of the Santa action.

Elsewhere in Lapland, there are peaceful wooden chalet retreats all over. It just depends on how remote and isolated you want to be during your stay.

For a truly unique experience, consider a stay in the Arctic SnowHotel, sleeping either in a frozen room sculpted from snow and ice, or in one of their glass igloos with uninterrupted night sky viewing.

Magical 7 day Winter Itinerary for Lapland

Day #1 – helsinki.

Girl sat in the snow by a stone statue with grand buildings behind

If, like us, your journey into Finland takes you first to the capital city, Helsinki, there is plenty to explore there. The grand old buildings and open parkland of the old city and harbourfront provide pleasant spaces to wander around.

Try some local Finnish delicacies to eat at the beautiful and historic Vanha kauppahalli fresh food market hall. Reindeer and salmon meals feature heavily.

For an elevated view of the city, take a ride on the SkyWheel Helsinki . If booked in advance, it is even possible to ride the big wheel in a sauna carriage!

View from a big wheel ride of a frozen harbour

If staying in the city, there are many hotels and appartments for rent around the city centre. We stayed in an appartment with its own balcony and sauna, conveniently located close to the central train station.

If, however, you are heading straight off for Lapland, overnight trains run from Helsinki up to Rovaniemi and beyond (badged as the ‘ Santa Claus Express ‘, which is a nice touch). Private, 2 berth cabins can be reserved for the trip, complete with comfortable bunk beds to sleep in. Having small children, we squeezed 6 of us into 2 cabins. It is also possible to reserve cabins next to each other that have an interconnecting internal door. The journey takes around 12 hours to complete.

4 small children wearing matching Santa pyjamas sat on a top bunk bed

Day #2 – Santa Park, Rovaniemi

4 children stood in the snow outside a building called 'Santa Park'

When first in Rovaniemi and Lapland, you’ll probably immediately notice how cold it is. If you thought Helsinki was cold, Lapland definitely takes it up (or down?) a notch. Because of this, a nice activity to start off with (or to save for any other day with a particularly bad weather outlook), is the Santa Park experience. This is because, being based in a giant underground bunker, the experience is completely indoors and heated throughout.

On entering the Santa Park, visitors can leave coats and bags at the cloakroom before descending an illuminted tunnel down into the experience. Once inside, the bunker has been designed with various attractions surrounding a central stage and cafe area.

Wearing a santa hat holding a plate of cookies on a Gingham table cloth

It is possible to send a postcard from Santa’s post office, decorate gingerbread cookies, attend elf school, or take a ride on a modern VR machine. Add to this an acrobatic stage show and a chance to meet the main man Santa Claus himself, and you can be sure of a fun day out. The only downside is that some of the activities inside require additional payment on top of the entry fee to enter the attraction.

Children sat on a snow themed indoor fairground ride

For somewhere to stay, look to reserve yourself a beautiful woodland cabin somewhere outside of Rovaniemi town. You can then cosy up in front of a fire while the kids play on sledges outside. We enjoyed our stay at the rustic but modernised Kieppi Chalet, managed by NortsaV Tours .

Day #3 – Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi

At the epicentre of all Santa-based tourism in Lapland is the Santa Claus Village (or Joulupukin Pajakylä to give it its local name), which is located a short drive outside of Rovaniemi. While it inevitably feels a little bit ‘Disneyland in the snow’, it manages to retain a certain charm about the place, despite the waves of package tourists flocking for their chance to meet Santa. While obviously most activities in the village come at a cost, the chance to meet Santa is completely free. You only have to pay for the photos if you want to keep them.

Family in the snow at a sign marking the Arctic Circle line

Besides offering a chance to meet Santa, there are a range of other winter themed activities to do in the Santa Village. These can mostly just be paid for on arrival at the park, but it is advisable to pre-book the more popular activities during peak times. There is too much to do in the Santa Village in just one day, so I have allowed it 2 days in this itinerary.

The freezing cold temperatures mean that you shouldn’t be planning to do too many different outdoor activities in 1 day, or else you’ll find you pretty quickly stop enjoying them as you just get too cold. This is especially true of small children.

Family having a twilight reindeer sleigh ride in illuminated snowy woodland

On our 1st day in the Santa Claus Village, we posed for the necessary arctic circle photos, then visited Mrs Claus , before taking a magical, twilight reindeer sleigh ride through the surrounding woodland.

We also ate some amazing food at the Santamus restaurant, which comes highly recommended.

While it is possible to stay right in the Santa Claus Village, after spending some time there, we happily returned for another night at our woodland cabin.

Day #4 – Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi

As said previously, there is a lot to see and do at the Santa Claus Village, so I have given it 2 days of my Lapland itinerary.

For Day 2, we started by visiting the Husky dogs at the Arctic Circle Husky Park for cuddles before taking a fast-paced (and chilly!) dog-sled ride through the woods. We then retreated indoors for a visit to see the main man, Santa Claus himself.

A dog sled on snow with family sat inside being pulled by a team of husky dogs

We finished our day with a visit to the fun Snowman World . Sculpted out of snow and ice and run by the same team behind the famous Arctic SnowHotel (more on that later), Snowman World has snow and ice slides, a snow maze, ice skating rink and ice bar. The ice bar features family discos on Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Children ice skating on a small rink illuminated with a pink light

Other activities that we couldn’t do with very small children in the Santa Claus Vllage (but looked fun) included snowmobile tours and snow go-karts.

That night we spent our last night at our woodland cabin outside of Rovaniemi.

Day #5 – Ranua Resort and Zoo, Ranua

3 small children sat in the snow in front of a sign advertising a winter animal park

Having spent several days in and around Rovaniemi doing all things Santa Claus, we were ready to explore a bit more of the local area.

Located an approximately 1 hour drive from Rovaniemi is the town and resort of Ranua. Ranua Resort is the region’s premier zoo and wildlife park, housing many rare arctic species that are adapted to living in this harsh environment, including a polar bear.

As well as offering the chance to see some of these animals up close, the resort area is also located in a beautiful and wild area of woodland. It makes a magical, winter environment to explore. For those wanting something more adrenalin-fuelled, snowmobile tours can be arranged.

The Ranua Resort also has a selection of modern, wooden chalets for rent, each themed on a different animal from the zoo. We very much enjoyed our stay in the wolf chalet, complete with private sauna and log burning stove to keep the cabin lovely and cosy.

Day #6 – Arctic SnowHotel, Sinettä

For anyone looking to experience something a little different during their lapland stay, a visit to the excellent Arctic SnowHotel in Sinettä is a must. The hotel can be reached in an approximately 30 minute drive from Rovaniemi. We’ve all seen ice bars before, but this takes the concept to another level with an entire hotel constructed entirely out of compressed snow and ice.

Every room in the hotel is uniquely constructed and decorated by a team of artists each year to carve and create a whole building that stands as a work of art.

2 children lying in big, puffy sleeping bags in an ice room

It is possible to just visit the hotel and explore its various rooms and suites on a tour from Rovaniemi. This can also include a sauna experience or dinner in the ice restaurant. Actually staying in the hotel raises the experience to another level though. Despite the bedrooms being a chilly -5°C, extra cosy sleeping bags are provided to keep everyone warm.

For anyone wanting to escape the cold, the hotel also has heated restaurant and bar areas in buildings outside of the main hotel building. There are also heated glass igloos available for sleeping in, that offer uninterrupted views of the night sky.

An open bonfire with salmon being cooked in front of it

We were lucky enough to experience a night actually inside the Arctic SnowHotel. We had an amazing room themed around Rock & Roll music and all slept surprisingly well, even my 3 year old!

If you’re interested in reading more about our stay, be sure to also check out our review of staying in the Arctic SnowHotel with kids.

Day #7 – Rovaniemi

After the excitement of a night in the Arctic SnowHotel, we returned to Rovaniemi while we waited for our overnight train back to Helsinki to depart that evening.

If spending another day in Rovaniemi, you may feel you wish to spend more time back in the Santa Claus Village if you don’t feel you’ve been able to do all of the activities you wanted to do there.

Alternatively, there is also the option of visiting the SnowGlow Winterpark in the centre of Rovaniemi. With snow slides and ice skating, as well as an evening light show, it provides another option for family entertainment conveniently located right in the centre of town.

Christmas trees outdoors in the snow lit with string lights

We then took the overnight ‘Santa Claus Express’ train back to Helsinki.

Of course, having not been lucky enough to have seen any Northern Lights at all during our stay in Lapland, that night there was a beautiful display of the Aurora Borealis that we missed by 1 day because we were already on our train back. I guess you can’t have everything – we’ll just have to return!

Lapland is a beautiful and largely unspoilt region of Finland. It is hard to appreciate the scale of the seemingly endless snow and pine forest wilderness without being there yourself. While the extreme cold temperatures do make it challenging to visit, especially with small children (think putting gloves back on 10 times a day!), it makes the area no less wonderful. In fact in kind of adds to the magic of the experience.

The woodland activities also help to make the area so special to visit. Zooming along through the woods on a husky dog sled will stay with us all forever.

Snow covered wooden cabin, with sign saying 'Mrs Santa Claus' Christmas Cottage'

Although some of the Santa experiences can feel a little commercialised at times, you also just cannot underestimate the sheer delight in a small child’s face when they finally get to meet the ‘real’ Santa.

As a family trip away it was different from many people’s traditional idea of a holiday in a warm and sunny location, but we all had a great time nonetheless. While Finland may also not be the cheapest country to visit, the people are very welcoming and the whole experience was definitely worth it.

In terms of making lasting memories, I don’t think there is a better trip out there than a visit to Lapland.

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A one week, bucket list Lapland Winter Itinerary

I’m sure we all have ideas in the back of our minds about bucket list holidays that we want to take. Often, there is something holding us back though. Is it the potential cost? Or maybe the fact that because the trip has to be just perfect , it needs a lot of careful planning? I’ve had many of these trips in the back of mind that I haven’t taken (yet). One trip I have been keen to take for a very long time is a Lapland winter holiday. Crisp powdery fresh snow, clear skies and the Aurora Borealis dancing through the sky. It’s been a dream of mine for years. Or at least it was, until I decided to plan a one week, bucket list trip to Finnish Lapland.

The pine forests of a Lapland winter

I’d often seen magazine and online articles of the famed Glass Igloos of Lapland, and dismissed ever staying at such a place due to the cost. The thing is though, I questioned myself, if it was something I really wanted to do, would I be disappointed with the trip if I missed them out? Would I wish I had done things differently? I started doing some research – plotting and planning options, and discussed budgets with my other half. We both agreed that if the price was right for the entire trip, we’d go for it. We’d compromise on some things, but we’d stay in those Glass Igloos!

This post is a breakdown of the itinerary that we put together for our Lapland winter trip. It includes transport, accommodation, activities and most importantly cost. I’ve also thrown in a few tips of what to bring and what to wear to cope with the seriously low temperatures that you may encounter on your trip. We based our trip around the the town of Saariselkä due to it’s vicinity to Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, home of the Glass Igloos. So let’s head out on a journey to see frozen forests, cosy log cabins, huskies, reindeer and a search for those elusive Northern Lights.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, where I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As usual, all opinions are my own.

A one week Lapland Winter Itinerary

Our trip to Lapland was booked for early February. We had considered January for our trip, but as the Saariselkä region is located 250km north of the arctic circle there is a six week period of polar night. This means that from mid December to the end of January, the sun stays below the horizon. We wanted long nights, but also the opportunity to see the pastel hues of winter skies during daylight, so opted for February. As a rough guide, in early February, sunrise was at 9.30am with the sun setting at 3.30pm and a fairly long period of twilight late in the afternoon.

The travel day. Our flight from Gatwick was booked with Finnair, * scheduled at 12.00pm and due to arrive at Ivalo Airport at 17.30pm, a 3.5 hour flight time.

A minor glitch

*Our trip didn’t get off to a smooth start. Our flight was cancelled, we had to transfer from London Gatwick to London Heathrow for an evening flight to Helsinki which landed at midnight. A few hours in an airport hotel and a 7.00am flight from Helsinki to Ivalo and we arrived at 8.00am the next morning. Thankfully our airport lounge booking was transferred to Heathrow and Finnair organised all the flight changes and overnight stay. Their service and compensation for this delay was perfectly acceptable. It could have been much worse.

But let’s pretend it didn’t happen

For the purposes of this itinerary, let’s pretend that the flight went smoothly and I’ll tell you how our day should have gone. We had booked the hire car through SixT , who we had used on a previous trip to the Italian Dolomites. Their service was impeccable, so we always try and use them now, provided they do collection and drop off at our airports of choice. Our car for the week was a Volkswagen Polo, complete with winter tyres and ice scrapers etc. With thick snow on the ground, it took a while to get used to the way the car handled the roads, but after a while it was fine.

The journey from Ivalo Airport to Saariselkä is 26km – approximate 40 minutes on the winter roads. Saariselkä is a small town in Northern Finland surrounded by fells and a perfect base for a Lapland winter break. With a number of hotels and cabin rentals, as well as the unique resorts, there is something to suit all budgets. Santa’s Hotel Tunturi (our intended accommodation) is located in the centre of the town with a choice of rooms and suites. It’s a great base for the town with plenty to explore within walking distance. There are a range of restaurants and bars in the town to choose from.

Cost Breakdown

Airport Lounge: Gatwick / Heathrow Number 1 Lounge – £32.00 per person

Return Flight: London Gatwick to Ivalo with Finnair – £267.00 return flight per person

Car hire for eight days: SixT – £150.00 per person

Accommodation: Santa’s Hotel Tunturi, Saariselkä – £74.50 per person bed & breakfast

Day Two (once we arrived) kicked off with a visit to check in at Northern Lights Village for our two night stay. As we were really early, our cabin wasn’t quite ready so we were asked to return back later. This was absolutely fine, as we had exciting plans. We were off to ride the longest toboggan run in Lapland.

The longest Toboggan Run in Lapland

Saariselkä Ski and Sports Resort is on the outskirts of town and has 15 slopes, as well as the toboggan run. We booked a Winterpark ticket which included a two hour lift pass for the chair lift and toboggan rental, then off we headed to the frozen chairlift. A peaceful lift ride with the cold wind biting our faces, we arrived at the top of the fell for an awesome and exhilarating toboggan run back down to the start. We managed three runs with our two hour lift ticket.

The longest toboggan run in Lapland

For lunch we chose to head into town and to the Pritti Bar and Restaurant within Santa’s Hotel Tunturi, to at least spend some time there (after the missed first night)! I had a great burger and my first local beer, which went down really well. Once done, we headed back to the Northern Lights Village, to see our Aurora Cabin for the first time.

Aurora Cabin

Having booked well in advance, I had requested a cabin looking out onto the forests (for photography purposes). We were given Cabin Number One – the furthest cabin away on the resort. Keys in hand, we loaded up a toboggan with our luggage outside the reception building and headed on our way up the hill to our temporary new home. This is the easiest way to transport luggage on these types of resorts. There are no bellboys available to deliver bags to your room, although if you have mobility issues you can drive to your cabin to drop off your things.

Interior of the Aurora Cabins at Northern Lights Village

Aurora Cabin through a Lensball

The Aurora Cabins were lovely. A modern take on a cosy log cabin, combined with a half domed window looking out towards the forests and up at the Northern Sky. There was a seating area, a mini bar and a full bathroom, although given the relatively small footprint, the shower was kind of above the toilet – more of a wet room (literally) I guess. It was functional though, and with underfloor heating the bathroom floor dried really quickly. The walk from our cabin to the main building was between five and ten minutes.

Ice Restaurant

A quick drink at the main bar (the local beer Lapin Kulta is awesome, by the way) and it was time to head across the way to the Ice Restaurant and Bar. A beautifully lit igloo style room with an ice bar, ice tables and wooden stools covered with reindeer hide. I would say it was cosy, but at -5C it was a little chilly. Thankfully, with the right clothing, this is fine for an hour or so. There are also blankets supplied that you can wrap yourself up in if you get a little chilly. A three course meal of local dishes and delicacies, washed down with Lapin Kulta and warming coffee, it was a really great experience, but we were ready to head back to the log fires of the main building after an hour or so!

Ice Restaurant at Northern Lights Village

Accommodation: Northern Lights Village (Aurora Cabin) – £230.00 per person (per night) including breakfast and three course dinner

Morning Activity: Saariselkä Toboggan Run – £23.00 per person

Lunch: Santa’s Hotel Tunturi – Pirtti Bar & Restaurant £20.00 per person (approx)

Dinner: Ice Restaurant – £39.00 surcharge per person

For a more in depth review of the Northern Lights Village, take a look at my review post here .

A night of cloudy skies (no Northern Lights) and a good sleep, we awoke on Day Three ready for animal related adventures. But first it was time for breakfast. The breakfast offering at Northern Lights Village is a typical European style continental buffet with hot and cold options. There are some local specialities such as the delicious Karjalanpiirakka – google them, they were awesome. We had a short wander around before it was time for our first activity of the day.

A reindeer sleigh ride

The reindeer paddock is on site at Northern Lights Village and just a short walk from the main building. After a brief introduction by the guide about the reindeer, it was time to take our seat in the sleigh, before heading into the forest. Our reindeer safari was the shortest option available at 25 minutes and was a really relaxing experience. We left the paddock and took a circular route around the surrounding forests, taking in the beautiful Lapland winter scenery.

Reindeer Safari through the forest

Reindeer safari done, it was time for lunch. Lunch is not included within the main price of staying at the Northern Lights Village although there is a great soup and salad buffet available for €15.00 in the restaurant. Complimentary hot drinks are also available throughout the day. It’s also worth noting that it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the main building into Saariselkä, where there are numerous alternative lunch options available.

Husky rides through the frozen forests

The afternoon activity was one I was really looking forward to. We were off to meet the huskies! The Husky Farm where the activity took place was approximately 20 minutes away by shuttle bus transfer, deep in the forest outside of Saariselkä. Having been briefed by one of the dog handlers, it was clear this would be more interactive and not quite as relaxing as the Reindeer Safari. With sleighs made for two – one seated while the other stands, steers and brakes the excitable Sibernian Huskies whisk you off in to the forest yelping and barking excitedly. It turns out that five huskies are not really capable of pulling a combined weight of 30 stone up hills, so there is a lot of help required. Exhausting! It was a wonderful couple of hours with some awesome scenery along the way.

A husky safari through the Lapland wilderness

Once back at the resort it was time to freshen up, chill at the cabin for a while before heading out for dinner. The buffet dinner menu was on a rotation and featured a wide range of starters, main courses and desserts. The standard and variety of food was excellent, and the room itself was a lovely space to enjoy the evening, with a selection of comfortable seating areas near the roaring log fires for your after dinner drinks.

Following dinner it was back to the Aurora Cabin to gaze up at the skies in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Aurora. You guessed it, cloudy again.

Northern Lights Village at night

Morning Activity: Reindeer Express 25 minutes (booked via Northern Lights Village) – £62.00 per person

Lunch: Northern Lights Village Restaurant Kota: Soup & Salad Buffett Lunch – £13.20

Afternoon Activity: Husky Safari 1 hour (booked via Northern Lights Village) – £129.00 per person

Dinner: Northern Lights Village: Restaurant Kota (inclusive)

Day Four arrived and it was time to check out of the Northern Lights Village and head for pastures new. We had decided to head out and explore the wilderness of the Urho Kekkonen National Park. A friend who lives in Finland had recommended visiting the Kiilopää Fell if we were in the area, so we made sure to do this. Located about 16km south of Saariselkä, Fell Centre Kiilopää was a great base to get out and explore the wilderness.

With a range of accommodation options as well as winter activities booking, there was access to hiking trails, cross country skiiing and snowshoeing routes. The road to Kiilopää was a slight detour off the main E75 road that we had been used to navigating. I say road, it didn’t really look like a road as it was so snow packed, but it was an interesting drive and the car coped well given the conditions.

The snowy road to Kiilopää

Fell Centre Kiilopää

Hotel Niilanpää at Suomen Latu Kiilopää

Our overnight stay was at the Hotel Niilanpää , which was part of the Fell Centre Kiilopää complex. Only 80 metres away from the main Fell Centre building, the hotel had 34 rooms and a couple of apartments. The majority of the rooms were twin rooms with an en-suite shower room. The rooms were fairly basic, but warm and comfortable. Somewhere to sleep and shower – perfectly acceptable and with lovely views from our room out to the back of the hotel, we were happy. A quick soup and salad buffet lunch at the Kiilopää Restaurant and we were ready to explore.

Hotel Niilanpää

Hotel Niilanpää twin room

The most beautiful winter scenery

Before heading to Lapland, I wondered if I would get bored of the Lapland winter scenery. Snow and pine forests and very little else – would it get to samey? I was so wrong on this. The scenery on the hike to the Ahopää Fell summit was one of the most breathtaking and beautiful scenes I have witnessed. The first section of hike was gentle, along a trail dotted with pine trees laden heavy with snow. An occasional glimpse of some local wildlife and other hikers – but otherwise, pure silence apart from the crunch of powdery snow beneath our feet.

Pete had gone way ahead of me at one point, so it was just me and the wilderness. I’ll admit, I did shed a little tear and it wasn’t because of the bracing cold. Well not that time anyway. If I ever fell in love with a place, this was it. The hike to the summit became steeper and more open, with less trees for shelter. It was colder and there was a chilly wind, but we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset scene that made it worthwhile.

The entrance to the fell trails at Kiilopää

Beautiful Lapland winter scenery at the Kiilopää fell

Stunning sunset at the Kiilopää fell

Once back down at the Fell Centre, we grabbed coffee and cake for warmth before freshening up for dinner. Dinner was (once again) buffet style at the Kiilopää Restaurant. When I say restaurant, this is more of a cafeteria style area which is functional rather than comfortable. The food was good, they served beer and I was happy. There is also a small supermarket and gift shop onsite if you wanted to grab snacks of drinks for the room. There is also an à la carte restaurant on site which looked lovely, but it was only open on selected evenings.

Accommodation: Suomen Latu Kiilopää, Hotel Niilanpää Twin Room – £60.00 per person including breakfast

Lunch: Kiilopää Restaurant Soup Buffet – £9.00 per person

Afternoon activity: Kiilopää Hike

Dinner: Kiilopää Restaurant Dinner Buffet – £20.50 per person

Another cloudy night (you know where this is going don’t you?) with a lack of Northern Lights and we were up and ready for more adventures. Having only spent one evening at Hotel Niilanpää we were moving on to our final and most eagerly awaited accommodation of the trip – Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort . Before that though, we had another exciting activity to do, which took us back to the Northern Lights Village. A quick buffet lunch and we were ready for an exciting two hour Snowmobile Safari.

An epic snowmobile journey

Having been safety briefed and kitted out with the required snow suits and helmets, we followed the guide out of Saariselkä and along the snowmobile routes (marked with red X’s). We were really lucky that there was only one other couple on our trip – there can be a group of up to 30 snowmobiles sometimes. The route took us to the frozen fells, deep into the forests and along open stretches of snow where we could pick up speed and get a real feel for it. We covered about 50 km during the journey, with a couple of stopping points where we swapped drivers. It was an awesome experience.

Snowmobile Safari photo opportunity

Those famous Glass Igloos

The moment we had been waiting for. Time to check into the Kakslauttanen East Village and spend the night in one of the Glass Igloos I’d seen so many photos of during the years. We had only booked one night in an Igloo – I’d done some research and it was clear they weren’t designed for a lengthy stay. Nestled in the forest, the sight of the Glass Igloos was just as magical as I expected it to be. Once again we had to walk to the Glass Igloo’s and bring our luggage by toboggan. A couple of uphill sections were quite tricky, but otherwise it was fine.

The Glass Igloo at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

The Igloos are functional in size and space, with a small WC to the right as you enter, storage space to the left and two single beds either side of the sleeping area. Simply decorated and with zebra print throws on the beds, the main selling point of these igloos are the views. A 180 degree domed glass ceiling provides unobstructed views of the northern sky. Perfect for those Aurora sightings. For us – perfect to stare up at the clouds!

View from the Glass Igloo at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Dinner and drinks in evening were at the East Village Kelo Restaurant and Bar. There was an inclusive three course, table service, set menu with a choice of two dishes per course. Mains were generally meat (reindeer) or fish based, and the desserts were fantastic. An à la carte menu was also available as a replacement or supplement to the set menu, at an additional cost. The restaurant was decorated in a rustic log cabin style, with a large roaring fire in the corner. There was also a separate bar area on the lower level.

Accommodation: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort East Village Glass Igloo – £268.00 per person (per night) including breakfast and three course dinner

Morning Activity: Kiilopää Hike

Lunch: Northern Lights Village Restaurant Kota: Soup & Salad Buffett Lunch – £13.20 per person

Afternoon activity: Snowmobile Safari 2 hour (booked via Northern Lights Village) – £102.00 per person

Dinner: Kakslauttanen East Village Kelo Restaurant (inclusive)

If you are looking for more information about the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, check out my review post here .

We fell asleep after gazing up at the clouds from our glass igloo and awoke early the following morning. Frustratingly, the mornings were clear and bright. The skies only seemed to cloud over in the evening when we most wanted them to be clear. We took a walk to breakfast through a beautiful winter wonderland scene. As there are no bathrooms (only a WC and basin) in the East Village Glass Igloos, there is a separate shower block and sauna building where you can freshen up nearby.

Morning views at Kakslauttanen East Village

The gorgeous cosy cabins

After checking out of the Glass Igloo, it was time to check into our Large Cabin for the last couple of nights of our Lapland winter trip. The cabin felt huge in comparison to the Glass Igloo. A large open plan space combining kitchen, seating area and bedroom with a king size bed. With a large stone fireplace in the corner of the sleeping area, it felt cosy and rustic. There was a large bathroom that led through to a private sauna. It was lovely.

The deck of the cabin at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort cabin interior

Exploring Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is separated into two villages, located a couple of miles apart. A shuttle service transports guests between them. The East Village is the original and more ‘rustic’ village, whereby the West Village is larger, more modern with far more facilities. We chose to spend some time exploring the West Village and see what facilities were on offer. As well as the main service building which included reception and the restaurant, there was Santa’s Village to explore, an art gallery and Igloo Tower viewing platform. A Planetarium is due to open late in 2019. The West Village is widely spread out and we spent a couple of hours exploring the area.

Exploring the West Village at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Beautiful Lapland winter scenes at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort West Village

The Glass Igloo Bar and Aurora Restaurant

We chose to dine on our second evening at the Aurora Restaurant in the West Village. You can eat at either village as part of your inclusive rate, but you must book in advance. A great feature at the West Village is the awesome Glass Igloo Bar, built in the same style as the accommodation Igloos. We had a couple of pre-dinner drinks in here, the lighting is low so that you can get the best views out to the night sky

The Glass Igloo Bar at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort West Village

The Aurora Restaurant is far more modern than Restaurant Kota at the East Village. The menus are similar, but it’s a much larger space to accommodate for the higher number of guests at West Village. We enjoyed the meal and finished off the evening with another drink at the Glass Igloo Bar before taking a shuttle bus back to our cabin.

Accommodation: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort East Village Large Cabin – £268.00 per person (per night) including breakfast and three course dinner

Lunch: Kakslauttanen West Village Aurora Restaurant: Soup & Salad Buffet Lunch – £13.20 per person

Afternoon activity: Exploring Kakslauttanen West Village

Dinner: Kakslauttanen West Village Aurora Restaurant (inclusive)

Our final full day in Lapland, and still no sign of the Northern Lights. Another cloudy night and no sound of the Aurora Alert which is installed in all the accommodation to wake us. Following breakfast we spent the morning venturing along the trails outside of East Village to experience some more beautiful Lapland winter scenery, before heading back for lunch.

Cross country ski trails at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort East Village

Smoke Sauna and Ice Pool fun (madness)

Our final activity was the Finnish tradition of a smoke sauna and ice swimming. It’s something I had told myself I was determined to do, but questioned whether I actually would. I’m no a fan of getting into cold water, let alone icy cold water! Nevertheless, we took a drive up to Fell Centre Kiilopää, where they have a traditional smoke sauna which is open on selected days of the week. If I’m really honest, I am not really a fan of being too hot either. Great combination for this activity don’t you think?!

The idea is that you spend around ten minutes in the smoke sauna then head outside and take a dip in the ice cold water, where the average water temperature is approx. -1ºC! The sauna was fine at first, until it got busier. As more water got thrown on the wood, the heat became almost unbearable for me, so it was time. Time to head outside and take the dip in the icy cold water. I bravely walked the pathway to the pool and climbed down the steps. Didn’t hesitate – just had to get it done. Gingerly, I waded down the steps, and dipped in as far as my shoulders before instantly turning around and climbing out! I was proud that I had done it, even if I had spent barely any time in the water. If I’m honest, I didn’t really find it enjoyable, but it was exhilarating.

Smoke Sauna and Ice Pool

Kelo Restaurant

A final dinner at the Kelo Restaurant rounded off our final evening in Lapland, and with a forecast of cleared skies and minor geomagnetic aurora activity, we headed back to our cabin, lit a fire and waited. We stood on the deck of the cabin staring out at the starry skies waiting for a hint of green to appear. But, sadly it didn’t. Not this time anyway. It may seem like a disappointing end to a story, but thanks to everything that we did listed above, we had the most awesome experience. And there’s a very good reason to return now, isn’t there?

Cosy cabin scenes at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

Morning Activity: Exploring Kakslauttanen East Village

Lunch: Kakslauttanen East Village Kelo Restaurant: Soup & Salad Buffet Lunch – £13.20 per person

Afternoon Activity: Smoke Sauna at Suomen Latu Kiilopää – £11.50 per person

Take a more detailed look at the activities to do in the Saariselkä area here .

The cost of a bucket list Lapland winter break

So what is the cost of a Lapland bucket list holiday? I guess the answer is that it’s relative to everyone’s actual bucket list. For us, we wanted to experience as many activities as possible, while staying in unique accommodations that provided us with the best opportunities of seeing the Northern Lights. I am the type of traveller where I like to have my creature comforts on hand, so having resorts with lots of nearby facilities is important to my planning. Our trip to Lapland (in February 2019) cost us in the region of £2,500.00 per person. That included all the accommodation and activities listed above, as well as money for fuel and spending money for drinks, snacks and gifts.

This is the most I have ever spent on a single holiday by quite a long way, but I think the experiences and memories we made, make this a worthwhile cost. We saved for the best part of a year to be able to afford it, and I’d make the trip again in an instant. The majority of cost came from staying at Northern Lights Village and Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. These are not cheap options, and there are plenty of other options in the area that are far more cost effective. You should question what exactly you want from the trip and what you consider the value of that to be. When staying in these types of resort, it’s important to remember that you are not paying for a luxury experience – you are paying for a unique experience in a beautiful part of the world.

What to pack for a Lapland winter break

I pondered for ages about what to pack for this trip. I worried I would get too cold and I really don’t like being cold. It makes me sulky and miserable. After much research I went out and did some clothes shopping, most of which was in Trespass or Decathlon. I didn’t buy the most expensive winter clothing, as I didn’t figure I’d get much use out of it afterwards, but it’s now all packed away for the next time I choose to visit the Arctic Circle or try my hand at skiing.

To keep warm when out during the daytime, in temperatures as low as -18C, this is what I would wear.

Thermal base layer including long sleeve round neck top and full length bottoms.
Polyester tracksuit bottoms.
Ski Trousers
Two pairs of woollen socks.
Hiking boots.
Thick woollen sweater.
Ultra Lightweight Down Jacket with Hood.
Woollen Hat
Thick Ski Gloves

That’s a lot of clothing, but it genuinely kept me quite toasty while I was out exploring. It’s important to cover up as much of your face while you are out. Despite it not feeling that cold, if you left your face exposed for too long (maybe 10 minutes) you’d really feel the chill. I also carried a pair of fleece gloves so that I could swap them out to take photos. Have you ever tried using your camera with ski gloves? Not easy. I did pack a couple of pairs of jeans, of which I wore over the thermal base layer a couple of times in evenings but you’d get cold after about ten minutes outdoors. Basically, avoid denim and cotton clothing.

Keeping warm during a Lapland winter break

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14 comments.

Mariola daher

great read, thanks for the tips… this place is on my list to visit, especially staying in an igloo

Sally Akins

A trip to Lapland has been on my bucket list for ages, so this is really useful. I especially like the cost breakdowns, so handy!

Suzanne Jones

Everything here to help plan the perfect lapland trip – just need to book it now! Love the photos too, so dreamy!

alison abbott

What a dreamy winter vacation. I can’t imagine adding anything to this itinerary to make Lapland any more perfect. Definitely money well spent!

Anna Parker

We want to take our little boy here when he’s a bit older so I have loved reading all about it!

I just loved my trip to Lapland earlier this year, and I’d totally go back and do yours too! The igloos look amazing and I could never get tired of that snowy scenery either (and I’ve got to give spotting the Northern Lights a second try too!).

Stefan (BerkeleySqB)

That does sound like a fabulous holiday, though not on the cheap end of the scale. You chose a great selection of activities and accommodations and restaurants and the cost breakdown is very useful and often surprising. The costs just vary so much depending on the level of luxury you choose. Those couple of cheap soup and buffet lunches for a tenner each or so next to big budget items like igloos or ice restaurant…

Dylan Jones

Thanks Stefan. The igloos and cabins were high on the bucket list and that’s where the majority of cost is, but it’s always good to balance with more budget friendly options. Not everything needs to be expensive!

Mitch - VeryTastyWorld

Thank you for this post. This is trip that we have long wanted to undertake. It’s our dream to see the northern lights. It sounds as though you had a terrific time despite the many cloudy night skies. Thanks also for the cost breakdown – that was really helpful.

Wanderingkellers

The toboggan ride and sleigh ride sound like something my family would love. Sounds like a great trip and I love your recommendations on what to pack.

Vanessa Shields

Wow! This looks like the ultimate winter dream trip! Staying in the glass igloo looks amazing waking up to those views. How cool that you got to ride with both reindeers and huskies! I’d want to do both on top of the toboggan run and snowmobiling. It’s a bummer you didn’t get to see the lights. The same happened to me when I visited Alaska in February. Next time!

I’ve been thinking about a trip to Finland and have focused on summer travel but after reading your blog I might reconsider and travel during the winter. It sounds like an absolutely amazing time with so many different outdoor activities. THXS for all the great ideas. Keep writing those blogs in 2022

Peggy Zipperer

Excellent read! The first paragraph sounded like me as I rationalize the splurge I know I’m going to make! I read anxiously through each day, waiting & hoping you were able to see the lights. Lots of other amazing adventures regardless!

This is really thorough Dylan. Such a shame the northern lights didn’t make their appearance. They are fickle. But at least you surrounded the trip with as many activities as you could. It’s a steep trip but worth it.

Visiting the Winter Wonderland of Finland With Kids: Itinerary for 7 Days

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Have you ever wanted to take your kids to the official post office of the North Pole? Are your kids believers of Santa? Do you love winter & outdoor adventure? Then this is the trip for your family! In this article on planning a winter trip to Finland with kids, reader Shannon shares how she planned the perfect 7 day itinerary for Finland, including both Helsinki and Rovaniemi in Lapland, plus plenty of must-read Finland travel tips.

Before planning this trip, I read all kinds of blogs, articles, tourism sites, travel agency itineraries & quickly got overwhelmed with the choices. A family trip to Finland just seemed like a daunting vacation to plan.

Well don’t worry: I’ve figured out the hard stuff and it’s really not that complicated if you follow this winter Finland with kids itinerary for 7 days. Fair warning, Finland is not an inexpensive trip, nor is it a trip to book last minute. It is amazing, though!

Finland with kids 7 day itinerary summary Want to skip the details and get a quick glance at our 7 day Finland itinerary for winter? In this box you’ll find all of the awesome Helsinki and Rovaniemi activities for families we did, plus where to stay in Rovaniemi with kids!

Day 1: Arrive Overnight: Helsiniki
Day 2: Day trip to Tallinn Christmas Market (Estonia) Overnight: Helsiniki
Day 3: Explore Helsinki Family photo session Overnight: 7:30pm train to Rovaniemi
Day 4: Santa Claus Village Overnight: Glass Resort , Rovaniemi
Day 5: Reindeer Farm Excursion Optional Northern Lights Excursion Overnight: Glass Resort , Rovaniem i
Day 6: Ice Fishing & Snowmobiling Excursion Arctic SnowHotel tour & dinner Overnight: Glass Resort , Rovaniemi
Day 7: Husky Farm & Sledge Riding Excursion Snowman World Overnight: Glass Resort , Rovaniemi

Tips for your Finland family trip

Lapland is the northernmost region of Finland, where the Arctic Circle crosses. The town of Rovaniemi is home to the official post office of Santa Claus .
If you plan to visit Lapland during Christmas time, plan to book accommodations about a year in advance . If you visit at other times, you may have more leeway on timing & pricing, but Rovaniemi at Christmas is truly magical.
There are a handful of towns in Lapland with airports, resorts & winter excursions, but Rovaniemi is the largest .
We booked all of our excursions through Nordic Unique Travels , which provided van transportation from our accommodations and any borrowed gear we needed. The tours were all excellent and very convenient! Since many of the outfitters provide snowsuits and boots for their excursions with their logo emblazoned on the back, we noticed that Safartica and Nordic Adventures offered similar excursions.

Finland Winter Itinerary for Families

There are so many awesome experiences to incorporate into your itinerary for Finland with kids in winter! We were able to spend a little time exploring Helsinki with kids and then get a really full experience visiting the winter wonderland of Rovaniemi with kids. While I wouldn’t change the order of our time in Helsinki and nearby because of transportation scheduling, once you get to Lapland with kids it doesn’t matter in what order you schedule all the things to do in Rovaniemi with kids.

Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Helsinki

If you are coming from the US, all of your flights will take you to Helsinki. Finnair (OneWorld) is the most common carrier from the US. If you are flying within/connecting in the EU or UK, you may have the option to fly directly to Rovaniemi but those tend to be seasonal.

We flew into Helsinki and opted to stay a few days before making our way to Rovaniemi. It’s very easy to get from the Helsinki airport to the city center. You can take the train straight from the airport for about $5 per person or book a private transfer if you’re bringing a lot of luggage or anticipate that you’ll be exhausted after a long travel day.

You’ll want to stay in the center of Helsinki to make the most of your limited time. It’s very walkable and public transportation is easy.

Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 2: Day trip to Tallinn Christmas Market (Estonia)

The lovely Tallinn Christmas Market runs from late November through the first week of January and it’s a simple ferry ride away from Helsinki in neighboring Estonia. We booked a ferry ride the night before on one of the three ferry companies that go to Tallinn. We chose Eckerö because it was the least expensive and had the best times to maximize our day. We booked the 9am departure and 6:30pm return. The ferry takes between 90 mins-2 hours depending on direction. We paid €19 for adults & €10 for children for a round trip. Children age 5 & under are free. Prices may vary with the season, so these are strictly for reference.

Don’t forget to bring your passport along just in case. We were never asked for it, but everything online and in the port indicated that we would. Be sure to arrive one hour before departure; we needed almost all of that time to check in and board. Boarding and disembarking was a bit chaotic, but once you’re settled it’s quite pleasant. Unless you pay for a higher class, it’s open seating and I highly suggest you find seating ASAP, as it becomes quite difficult to find once everyone is onboard.

There are a few dining options onboard and the food was pretty good. We had coffee, juice and muffins on our morning ride in the coffee bar and an à la carte dinner in the cafeteria on the ride home. The cafeteria offers great seating each way! There are timed buffet seatings for breakfast and dinner that you can pre-book if you prefer.

Once you’ve arrive in Tallinn, Estonia, there is a lovely Old Town center where the market takes place. It was fun to walk around & explore. The Tallinn Christmas Market itself is fairly small with a large Christmas tree in the center. The market got busier as the day went on. There were a handful of rides for little kids, cookies & sweets, traditional glögg, sauerkraut and sausages, along with souvenirs and local wares. Walking around Old Town was unique and worth the visit. There are adorable shops and restaurants to explore, as well as an outdoor skating rink in front of St. Nicholas’ Church. You could definitely feel that Estonia’s history melded Russia, Scandinavia & Europe into its own unique blend. It was well worth the day trip from Helsinki to Tallinn!

Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 3: Explore Helsinki

You’ll spend most of the day strolling Helsinki to soak up its winter charms. Don’t miss the beautiful lights even after Christmas in the main areas of Senate Square and Esplanadi. Both areas have many shops and restaurants to visit. You’ll find local goods & souvenirs at the outdoor market in Market Square overlooking the harbor. We found some lovely knitted mittens at an outdoor tent whose proprietor knits her wares between helping customers!

Both Ateneum Finnish National Gallery and Kamppi Chapel were closed when we visited Helsinki with kids in December 2022, but both have plans to open in the coming months. The Helsinki Christmas Market in Senate Square typically runs until several days before Christmas, so unfortunately we didn’t get to experience it. If you plan your family trip to Finland in winter to be a little earlier, be sure to pay a visit to the Market!

We arranged a photographer via Flytographer in Helsinki to take family pictures. It’s a great way for travelers to connect with talented local photographers! We have done this in 3 cities so far and I would highly recommend it. I’m usually the photographer, so I’m rarely in pictures. Flytographer gives me the opportunity to get quality pictures of our entire family in a memorable location, and the photographer usually has great local knowledge to share.

Family photo shoot in Helsinki with kids

As I mentioned above, you can fly directly into Rovaniemi from a handful of EU/UK airports seasonally. You can also fly from Helsinki, which takes a little over an hour and has many flights per day. Alternatively, you can choose to take the Santa Claus Express train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi! We opted to take the train to Rovaniemi and then fly back for our return home. It was the perfect way to balance the unique train experience with travel efficiency.

The Santa Claus Express train is an overnight train with evening departure times at 7:30pm and 11pm, both arriving approximately 12 hours later. Make sure to book directly through the VR Rail website , which is the official rail of Finland, rather than a reseller.

Sleeper car on Santa Claus Express train to Rovaniemi Finland

We opted for 2 sleeper cars with private bathroom for the 4 of us. There are sleeper cars with private bathrooms or shared bathrooms. Each sleeper car has a bunk, which accommodates 2 people. Luggage (carryon sized roll aboard/personal item) can slide under the bottom bunk, while larger luggage would have to be stowed in the baggage car. There are dining options onboard, as well as free wifi. Having taken many train rides in many countries, both day and overnight, the Santa Claus Express was one of the better experiences in terms of comfort, amenities and cleanliness.

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Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 4: Santa Claus Village

You’ll wake up refreshed as you pull into Rovaniemi on the train the following morning. Santa Claus Village is a just a 10 minute taxi ride from the center of town and 5 minutes from the airport.

Santa Claus Village has everything Christmas along with many accommodations, restaurants, activities & shops. You can take pictures of yourself at the official line of the Arctic Circle complete with live camera feed . You can mail a postcard from the official post office of Santa Claus. Hot tip for the believers in your family: you can have a personalized “ Official Certificate of Niceness ” along with a letter from Santa mailed directly from this post office to you before Christmas. We received ours in the mail a few days before Christmas.

There are “taster” length activities within SCV, like reindeer sleigh rides, kids snowmobiling on a track, elf school, and so on. Mrs. Claus has her own cottage where you can visit her and take pictures. She was lovely and kids get a fair amount of private time to chat with her.

My one regret was not looking into the best Santa experience in Rovaniemi. We visited the Santa in the Christmas House in Santa Clause Village, but unfortunately he was a big letdown and not that different than your average mall Santa. There was another Santa in the Santa Clause Office that may have been better, but we didn’t want to confuse or spoil things for our believers. As for other Santa experiences, there is one at Santa Park , which is an underground bunker that has been turned into an amusement park for Santa and his elves near the town center. There is also Joulukka, Santa’s Secret Forest excursion in the woods that can be arranged as a small group or privately. Had I known how underwhelming the Santa Clause Village Santa was, I would have considered the two options for visiting Santa.

What’s the best place to stay in Rovaniemi with kids? Since this was likely a once in a lifetime trip for us, I wanted to maximize our chances of seeing the Northern Lights in a glass igloo, yet wanted to be walkable to activities. We opted for the Glass Resort in Santa Claus Village . It was a great location, as we could walk to everything within Santa Claus Village but we backed up to the woods for a secluded feeling.

Many of the Rovaniemi accommodations offer breakfast & dinner in their price, so factor that into your price comparisons. The restaurant had a huge buffet breakfast every morning & a delicious three-course dinner every evening. Be sure to tell any transportation that it’s the glass igloos in Santa Claus village , as more than one driver dropped us at the wrong glass igloos.

Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 5-7: Things to do in Rovaniemi with Kids

Now that you’ve settled into, it’s time to explore all of the awesome things to do with kids in Rovaniemi! I’ve grouped together days 5 through 7, as you can mostly do these in any order you want. As I mentioned above, we booked all of our excursions through Nordic Unique Travels and were very happy with our experiences.

Rovaniemi Reindeer Farm excursion

SieriPoro reindeer farm in Rovaniemi Finland

Our first excursion was a half day reindeer farm visit at SieriPoro Reindeer Farm , a real working reindeer farm. It was truly an authentic experience that included a reindeer sleigh ride, learning the history & practices of reindeer farming, ending with juice & cookies around a fire in a traditional Finnish hut.

Rovaniemi Ice Fishing & Snowmobiling tour

Salmon grilled over the fire with brown bread during ice fishing in Rovaniemi Finland

Our second excursion was a full day with a morning of ice fishing, a grilled salmon lunch on the ice & snowmobiling after. This was a very long, cold day, but was so unique & the grilled salmon was delicious. Make sure to wear more than one pair of wool socks if you’re out all day & take any additional cold weather gear for this. See details of this Rovaniemi tour.

Arctic SnowHotel tour & dinner

One of the dining rooms within the Ice Restaurant at SnowHotel in Rovaniemi Finland

We made reservations well in advance for dinner at the Ice Restaurant & a tour of the SnowHotel . This experience was not inexpensive, but was truly unique. I highly recommend it! We were able to see most of the guest rooms with each individual themed snow carvings, along with the chapel, bar & restaurant. It was amazing to see everything that they could carve from snow and ice, especially since it all melts after the end of March!

If you stay in Santa Clause Village, you can prearrange transportation from Snowman World (below) to the SnowHotel as they have regular transfers. I highly recommend this, as it’s much cheaper than a taxi. Since the SnowHotel is away from the lights of Santa Clause & Rovaniemi, we were lucky enough to be there on a clear night and catch the Northern Lights on our visit. It was the only sighting during our entire trip, so it’s definitely not guaranteed.

Snowman World

On the other hand, Snowman World was a cool (pun intended) experience within SCV. If you want to sled, skate, slide, or eat in a snow & ice wonderland, this is for you. Your entry gives you access all day, so you can come & go throughout the day. Eating in an ice restaurant is a unique experience. You must make a reservation to eat, but you can do this same-day at the main entrance. Since Snowman World is run by Arctic SnowHotel, it has a similar feel but is scaled down geared more towards outdoor family fun.

Husky Farm & Sledge Ride

Our final excursion was a Husky Farm & Sledge Ride . This was hands down everyone’s favorite thing to do in Rovaniemi for families! We rode as a family of 4 in our own sledge with 6 huskies pulling us. Others in our group either rode as 2 adults or families of 3 or 4 depending on age of children. Teenagers were counted as adults for weight purposes, so you may need to split up if you have older children or more than 2 adults. We did stop halfway to switch drivers. I can honestly say that driving was fun, but riding in the sledge was equally as fun.

Northern Lights Tour

Real Northern lights or Aurora borealis above the snow covered forest, winter night landscape, stars sky and beautiful polar lights

One thing we didn’t do was a Lapland Northern Lights tour . It’s on my bucket list though! These tours are great because an experienced guide picks you up and takes you to the best Northern Lights viewing areas, far from everything else. The tour company provides warm gear, which is important because you’ll be outside in the cold for several hours. This is a better option for families with older kids or even teens, as the return time may be very, very late. Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee you’ll see the Northern Lights, as the weather has to cooperate.

At the end of your 7 day Finland itinerary, you’ll hop a quick flight from Rovaniemi back to Helsinki and on to your home airport. Finland was a whirlwind of a trip and I could have spent a few more days in Lapland exploring more. It also gave me the desire to visit Finland in summer so that I can visit the various islands scattered around Helsinki as well as the country’s beautiful coastal areas.

One thing is for sure: Finland will steal your heart and make you want to visit again.

About Shannon As a lover of travel and mom to 2 very adventurous boys, I’m usually found chauffeuring my kids to after school activities or packing every school break with new adventures to see the world for our family of 4

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What to read next

2 thoughts on “visiting the winter wonderland of finland with kids: itinerary for 7 days”.

What month did you guys visit? I am planning a visit with my family of 4 (kids 5, 10) next winter.

Shannon’s trip was over winter break. Good luck with your planning!

Norway & Finland Trip: 7 Stops to Add to Your Lapland Itinerary

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Excited to do a combined Norway Finland trip? I was too. Hubby and I enjoyed this scenic arctic itinerary in autumn.

The red beach of Pallas, gentle fells of Kilpisjärvi, views of Muotkatakka, the roaming Rovjok waterfall, the lively city of Tromso, the fishing village of Sommaroy, and the glacier of Blåvatnet.

If you’re an outdoor enthusiastic like us, you’re going to love this scenic arctic itinerary that features both Finland and Norway.

This itinerary makes a wonderful summer or autumn trip. It will give you incredible scenery, attractions and plenty of exercises too.

You’ll need to be in good physical health to do some of the activities in this itinerary. You’ll definitely need good hiking boots and hiking poles will be very helpful too.

This itinerary is perfect to do with a friend, spouse, or as a small group. I wouldn’t recommend it to small children. So, jump in your rental car, fill up the tank, get ready for the destination of a lifetime, and add the places below to your vacation guide.

Table of Contents

Norway & Finland trip: Tips & basic information

Rovaniemi in finland, the red beach and arctic fells of pallas, beautiful views from kilpisjärvi, the roaming rovjok waterfall, lively tromso in norway , sommaroy in norway, glacier of blåvatnet.

You will be crossing the border between Norway and Finland so make sure to have all needed traveling documents to travel in both countries.
Renting a car is usually cheaper in Finland. I recommend having some kind of navigation app or system in use.
If you take a ferry in Norway, the staff will take a picture of your license plate and send the invoice to you later. Our invoice arrived after 8 months and it was less than 15 euros.

7 Scenic places to visit in northern Norway and Finland

If you plan on heading towards the Arctic region this summer season and are an outdoor fan, here is a list of things everyone should add to their itineraries.

The starting point of your journey might be driving or taking the train to Lapland or arriving by plane to Rovaniemi.

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Rovaniemi is about at the Arctic circle and is one of Finland’s most popular tourist destinations, with awe-inspiring landmarks you have to see, the most important being the Santa Claus Village where you can visit Santa Claus every day.

Not in the Christmas spirit? That’s okay; you can also enjoy some time on the water, white water rafting on the Arctic river, or go Canoeing under the midnight sun. I have a complete Rovaniemi guide for you but here are some of my favorite accommodation options when in town:

Places to stay in Rovaniemi:

Arctic Light Hotel
Sokos Hotel Rovaniemi

You head north and after driving for three hours, you’ll get to our next stop in Pallas. Just a short stroll from the dirt road you’ll find the Red Beach of Pallas .

On the red beach, you’ll have lovely views to the fells. There’s also a camping place with a hut over campers, a fireplace, and an outhouse. These huts are something you’ll see across Finland in most national parks. They are a wonderful and free accommodation system for avid hikers. Very simple, but effective.

Red sand beach at Pallas Finnish Lapland

You can either stay the night in a tent on the Red Beach, continue the road trip, or then spend the night in Lapland hotel Pallas . If you stay there, don’t miss the highest peak of the National park, Taivaskero, quite nearby. It’s the place where they lit the Olympic Flame for the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 and you’ll find a marking about this at the top. The climb requires that you are in good physical condition.

Drive further until you reach Kilpisjärvi. This road is very beautiful and my favorite time of the day is to drive it when the sun is setting and the waters on the left are shimmering in the evening light.

Our next destination is just next to the road: Muotkatakka

Before Kilpisjärvi, Muotkatakka is a great spot to stop and admire the views. It’s perfect if you are not into hiking because in Muotkatakka the ascend is quite small and the views are still wonderful. If you cannot do the arduous hike of Saana fell in Kilpisjärvi, this is definitely a must. You can find the exact location via this map link .

Kilpisjärvi is a village in the municipality of Enontekiö near the Norweigan border. Kilpisjarvi is the only alpine village in Finland and is famous for its lake and fells, which tourists seek out to hike and explore.

In Kilpisjärvi, you can take a boat cruise with the boat Malla to the world’s northernmost spot for three national boundaries. Take a stroll around the yellow cairn and you have been in Finland, Sweden, and Norway in seconds.

My favorite place to stay in Kilpisjärvi is Arctic Land Adventure where you can get up close and personal with reindeer at this Sami reindeer ranch. There are also wonderful chalets in the village center.

This is an amazing hidden gem just next to the road after you drive a short distance from the Finland-Norway border. There are clear brown signs to it. Definitely a must! If you want to go all the way down be prepared to do some proper climbing. There are no steps or no extra help for you.

Tromsø is the 12th most populous municipality in Norway, where it is home to many islands and mountains with amazing views and natural beauty to explore, including Tromos Fjords, which are natural, steep inlets carved by glaciers.

If you are looking for a little adventure, take the Fjellheisen cable car 421 meters above sea level to a panorama, where dinner is served using all local ingredients, or take advantage of the city life here by stopping by local art galleries, the local Museums, and the Historical Sites.

Sommaroy (aka Summer Island) is an island in Norway where that doesn’t set for 69 days during the summer, giving the area plenty of time to enjoy the land and water around them.

Sommaroy is an old fishing village with white beaches, plenty of herring fishing, and beautiful scenery everywhere you look. Once you get to this little island, you can take a Sommaroy cruise, and do a little ice fishing. We had lovely time at Sommarøy Arctic Hotel which I warmly recommend.

A car drive and ferry away, you can see an actual glacier. This is definitely a full-day hiking day. Come packed with snacks and water. Also swimming suit if you want to take a dip in the incredibly blue lake under the glacier.

There’s my list of seven wonderful arctic places to visit in Finland and Norway.

All of these places offer amazing scenery you will never forget and make the perfect sporty vacation spot whether you’re going on a romantic getaway, a fun vacation, or flying solo to experience the adventure of a lifetime.

Would you want to visit both Finland and Norway in one trip? Let me know in the comments below.

More travel guides about Finland? Here are some of my favorite places in Finland:

Detailed Travel Guide to Ruka-Kuusamo
25 Fun Activities to Do in Tampere
100 Ideas to Do in Helsinki
11 Things to Do in Turku
How to Travel Sustainably in Finland

About Varpu I’m the founder of Her Finland. I love cultural tidbits, aha moments, Finnish folklore, and cinnamon buns. My newest interest is learning bird songs. Read more about me..

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Monday 1st of May 2023

Hei. I enjoy your blog! If you only do the drive - how many days should you allow? We are traveling with old folks :-)

Sunday 4th of December 2022

Please send me an itinerary for Finland and norway

Friday 9th of December 2022

Hei Salim, thanks for your comment! Based on our experiences, I think this 7 stop route is a great option to use as the base of your trip. Have the best time!

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Winter Wonderland

Search for santa on a lapland day trip.

> Winter Wonderland

Tour Details

Thermal suits and boots

From £599

Returns flights and transfers

Lapland? In a day? And back in time for supper?

Exceptionality is the basis of all adventures. Journeying to a new place and living the stories to be told is all part of the fun - and a Winter Wonderland day trip to Lapland is certainly exceptional: it’s a family adventure for the festive period.

From the moment the early morning alarm clock rings, there is great anticipation: a trip to Lapland to visit the REAL Father Christmas is no ordinary day! After descending from the clouds and seeing the sprawling snow-capped vastness of Lapland below, the excitement continues to build. This is a land of jolly snowball fights, perfect snow angels, and spritely tobogganing – and who can wait to get going?!

Of course, no trip to Lapland would be complete without calling in on Santa himself – you’ve travelled a long way to see him. Don’t forget to bring a letter, he’d love to know what’s on your Christmas wish list! But it’s not time to head home yet, not without trying your hand at the winter experiences that Lapland is famous for: husky sledding, snowmobiling, and a reindeer sleigh ride are all waiting to be sampled!

What an adventure! What memories! What fun!

For overnight stays in Lapland during the countdown to Christmas, you may like to consider our Snow is Falling holiday, or our Wonderful Christmas Time holiday for stays during the festive period itself.

What's Included

Return flights with hot meals onboard
Private family meeting with Santa
Small gift for children from Santa
Taster husky experience
Taster snowmobile adventure
Taster reindeer sleigh ride
Warming lunch
Loan of thermal suit and boots
Government air passenger duty

What we love

Fitting so many winter activities into one day!
Seeing the children’s faces when they meet the REAL Santa
Spending quality family time surrounded by the magical Arctic wilderness

Departing From

Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Teesside International, Exeter, Glasgow, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich

Suitable For

Families, Groups

Included Activities

Our one-day Winter Wonderland trips run throughout December until Christmas Eve, with convenient departures from regional airports across the UK, from as far north as Aberdeen, to as far south as Exeter – making Lapland easily accessible to all.

Upon arrival in Lapland, you’ll be taken to collect your all-in-one thermal snow suits and winter boots – essential to keep warm in the Arctic climate, where temperatures can drop to a chilly -30C! And then, into the crisp snowscapes which Lapland is famed for.

All of our Winter Wonderland day trips take place in uncommercial, wilderness locations, unspoiled by mass-market tourism or crowds of Santa pilgrims. It’s an outdoors day, filled with Lapland’s favourite activities: snowmobiling, husky sledding, and a reindeer sleigh ride. Activities take place around a frozen river or a frozen lake – your base from which to set off on a search for Santa!

A warming lunch is included, and provides much needed energy for more playing in the snow. Hot inflight meals on both flights are also included, usually a breakfast on the outbound flight and a dinner on the return to the UK.

Family Meeting With Santa

Duration: Variable

You’ve travelled a long way to see him! Every family has a private meting with Santa, where you can tell him of your Christmas wish list!

Snowmobiling

Duration: Taster Session

Dash through the snow on a snowmobile – propelled by engine and excitement! A driving licence is required for drivers; children are pulled in a sled.

Husky Sledding

Glide through the snow on a sled pulled by an eager team of huskies. Each family shares a sled, led by your newest four-legged friends!

Reindeer Sleigh Ride

A gentle, peaceful ride, meandering through crunched paths of pristine snow in a sleigh led by Santa’s faithful reindeer!

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone. We have had an epic experience with so may memories made.

- Peter Smith

Went to Lapland on Christmas Eve, and got the truly magical day we were hoping for.

- Fleur Tedstill

Well done to the whole team for a truly magical experience and making our Christmas extra special.

- Wendy Hodge

Winter Wonderland was fantastic! The food, the snow, the husky rides, Santa, the reindeer.... Everything you could wish for to get you into the Christmas spirit. We all had the best time and made some...

- Alexandra Readman

Frequently asked questions, what is the deposit.

To confirm the holiday, the deposit is £200 per person. The final balance is due ten weeks before departure, though these terms may differ if you have booked through a travel agent.

Is the day trip suitable for infants?

The majority of the day is spent outdoors in the snow and temperatures can plummet to -40c. Given the extremely cold weather conditions, we generally do not recommend the day trip for infants under the age of 2 since children feel the cold most.

What happens if there is a delay on the flight?

If there is a delay leaving the UK on the outbound flight, we will endeavour to delay the return inbound flight by the same duration, so you do not lose time in resort. A delay of the return flight is at the discretion of the operating captain and cannot always be guaranteed. If the delay to the outbound flight is likely to exceed three hours, it may be necessary to cancel the departure since we may not be able to provide a full day’s activities in resort, but such an occurrence is very rare.

What currency should I take?

The currency in Finland is the Euro. Many establishments in Nordic countries will not accept cash and only accept payment by debit or credit card. Please note that additional drinks throughout the day are not included.

What should I wear?

Temperatures can reach as low as -40c in the winter and so it is imperative that you bring adequate clothing for the weather. We provide a thermal all-in-one snow suit and snow boots on arrival in Lapland, but you should wear multiple under layers and bring hats, scarves and gloves (and plenty of pairs of socks!) We give further details of what to wear in our brochure and in the pre-departure booklet in the My Booking section of our website.

WE CAN HELP YOU START PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP

Book online today.

* Please note: All snowmobile activities carry a €980.00 damage deposit which is payable locally. The driver of the snowmobile must be at least 18 years old and be in possession of a valid driving licence.

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Northern Lights 3 or 4 nights from £949
Festive Lights 3 or 4 nights from £1059
Aurora Hunter 7 nights from £1439
Snowmobile Voyager 3 or 4 nights from £1239
Santa's On His Way 3 or 4 nights from £1199
Winter Wonderland Daybreak from £599
Sleigh Bells Ringing 3 or 4 nights from £1399
Snow is Falling 2, 3 or 4 nights from £1099
Dashing Through the Snow 3 or 4 nights from £1299
Glass Cabins
See the Northern Lights
Real Snow Igloos
Visit Santa in Lapland
The Reindeer of Lapland
Ski and Snowshoe
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The Perfect Itinerary For 5 Days In Lapland, Finland
The Perfect Itinerary For 5 Days In Lapland, Finland
The Perfect Itinerary For 5 Days In Lapland, Finland
Lapland day trip itinerary I TUI
The Ultimate Lapland Itinerary
Ultimate guide to Lapland. Have you ever dreamed of visiting Lapland

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The Ultimate 2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary
Day 3 - Northern Lapland, Levi & Samiland Exhibition. In this itinerary, with a 3-day trip to Lapland or 4 days in Lapland, you'll head out of Rovaniemi and Southern Lapland to Northern Lapland. While Rovaniemi is all about Santa and Christmas joy, Levi, the main resort city in Northern Lapland is all about nature, the Northern Lights, and ...
The Ultimate 7 Day Finland Itinerary for Winter
Day 4: Rovaniemi. We're going to suggest a full day trip today out of Rovaniemi and down to the town of Kemi on the coast. Here, you're going to take a truly unique trip - a ride on an icebreaker boat! Launched in 1961, the Sampo is a genuine icebreaker built for serious arctic conditions.
The Ultimate Itinerary for Lapland and Arctic Circle, Finland
Length of the trip. We suggest setting aside at least 10-12 days for a trip of your lifetime to Finnish Lapland. A rough breakdown is as follows (scroll down for the detailed itinerary 🙂 ) :-. Fly into Rovaniemi/Oulu from Helsinki. Kemi: 2 nights. Rovaniemi and surrounding areas: 4-5 nights.
How to get the best out of four nights in Lapland
A four-night itinerary for seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland, Finland. Day 1: Arrival. Day 2: Snowboarding in Pyhä and Northern Lights. Day 3: Visit a reindeer farm / Snowmobiling to the amethyst mine. Day 4: Husky safari and Northern Lights hunt with snowshoeing. Day 5: Ice hotel and departure.
The Ultimate Lapland Itinerary
Since this is not so easy to plan I've put down a detailed itinerary of Lapland including tips, suggestions and all my personal experiences. Day 1- Fly to Helsinki. We flew in from Dubai to Helsinki with Finnair. It is the only direct flight from the Middle East to Finland.
Lapland travel blog
How to travel to Lapland Finland: Suggested Lapland itinerary 5 days 4 nights. Day 1: Go to Rovaniemi and walk around the city; Day 2: Visit Santa's village, visit husky dog farm, experience reindeer riding, husky safari… Day 3: Visit Santa park, Arkitum museum, aurora hunting; Day 4: Snowmobile, ski resort
Lapland in winter
Day 5: Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls. This was, undoubtedly, one of the best experiences of our trip to Lapland in winter. We were given appropriate clothing and shoes to experience this 5-km hike through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Arctic snow forest and a spectacular frozen waterfall.
Lapland Highlights
On your third day in Lapland, do as the locals do: snowshoe through the snowy forest, build a campfire, and warm yourself with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and sausages barbecued over the fire (vegetarian options are also available). ... Finland 5-Day Tours & Itineraries. Finland Tours & Itineraries. Northern Lights Road Trip from Rovaniemi to ...
Ultimate Lapland Aurora Adventure
Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Rovaniemi, Northern Lights Tour This trip offers lots of opportunities to spot the northern lights. Welcome to Rovaniemi, the capital of magical Lapland in northern Finland. Upon arrival at the airport, your driver will be waiting to take you to your accommodation.
The Ultimate Finnish Lapland Itinerary for Families (5+ Days)
Day 1: Santa's Village for Reindeer Rides and Snowmobiling. Start your Finnish Lapland itinerary for families with a visit to a special spot. Santa Claus Village, located about 5 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from downtown Rovaniemi, is a one-stop shop for lodging, regional activities, shopping, and meeting Santa.
Charlotte Plans a Trip » Lapland itinerary: the ultimate itinerary
A tour through Finnish Lapland: the ultimate winter experience! In this blog, you will find an itinerary for a five-day trip through the north of Finland: one of the most beautiful parts of Lapland. During this itinerary, you will have the chance to see the northern lights several times or to enjoy the other magical things that Lapland has to offer. We also give you tips on other highlights of
The Most Amazing 5-day Lapland Itinerary
The Most Amazing 5-day Lapland Itinerary. October 16, 2019 by Cath Jordan. In December 2018 we embarked on a trip-of-a-lifetime. Destination: Lapland, Finland. We were going to visit Lapland as a family to enjoy some winter fun and to visit Santa in his hometown. In this post you'll find details of our amazing 5-day Lapland itinerary with ...
3 Days in Lapland : Tours 2024/2025 : Nordic Visitor
3-Day Tours in Lapland. Enjoy 3 days in Lapland on a magical winter trip planned by the regional travel experts at Nordic Visitor. Hunt for the northern lights, have fun in the snow, or meet Father Christmas on your 2-night break. Your package includes accommodation, excursions, and airport transfers. view tours. Suggested Tours. Client Reviews.
10-Day Travel Itinerary in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Go off the beaten track in Finland, Sweden, and Norway to discover the best of northern Europe's wild nature in this adventurous, wide-ranging itinerary. Travel across the landscapes of Finnish Lakeland, Swedish Lapland, and the Norwegian fjords, immerse yourself in the local lifestyle and Sami culture, and experience the power of Nordic nature.
Magical 7 Day Winter Itinerary for Visiting Lapland with Kids
Magical 7 day Winter Itinerary for Lapland. Day #1 - Helsinki. Exploring Helsinki in the snow. ... Private, 2 berth cabins can be reserved for the trip, complete with comfortable bunk beds to sleep in. Having small children, we squeezed 6 of us into 2 cabins. It is also possible to reserve cabins next to each other that have an ...
A one week, bucket list Lapland winter itinerary
A one week Lapland Winter Itinerary. Our trip to Lapland was booked for early February. We had considered January for our trip, but as the Saariselkä region is located 250km north of the arctic circle there is a six week period of polar night. This means that from mid December to the end of January, the sun stays below the horizon.
Visiting the Winter Wonderland of Finland With Kids: Itinerary for 7
Finland With Kids Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Helsinki. If you are coming from the US, all of your flights will take you to Helsinki. Finnair (OneWorld) is the most common carrier from the US. If you are flying within/connecting in the EU or UK, you may have the option to fly directly to Rovaniemi but those tend to be seasonal.
Lapland Holidays 2024 / 2025
Lapland spreads out across northern Finland, with a flight time of around three and a half hours from London. Known as Santa Claus' homeland, this place dishes up the stuff of festive fairy tales - think snow-dusted forests, cosy log cabins and more reindeer than people. When it comes to booking your Lapland break, you can opt for one-day ...
Enchanting Lapland Day Trip
Lapland Holiday Day Trip from. £719 per person. All meals included. All activities included. 100% ATOL protected. Book today for just £200/€200 pp deposit. View Availability. Overview. Itinerary.
Norway & Finland Trip: 7 Lapland Itinerary Stops
The red beach of Pallas, gentle fells of Kilpisjärvi, views of Muotkatakka, the roaming Rovjok waterfall, the lively city of Tromso, the fishing village of Sommaroy, and the glacier of Blåvatnet. If you're an outdoor enthusiastic like us, you're going to love this scenic arctic itinerary that features both Finland and Norway.
Winter Wonderland in Lapland Day Trip with Santa
Included Activities. Our one-day Winter Wonderland trips run throughout December until Christmas Eve, with convenient departures from regional airports across the UK, from as far north as Aberdeen, to as far south as Exeter - making Lapland easily accessible to all. Upon arrival in Lapland, you'll be taken to collect your all-in-one thermal ...
Search for Santa Day Trip in Lapland
Search for Santa Day Trip. This one-day adventure to Lapland is packed with activities from start to finish, including a meeting with Santa himself. Your day will take place at Kittila's Snow Village, where you'll have a huge choice of things to do. Little ones can zoom down the snow slide, or learn how to drive a miniature skidoo.

The Ultimate 2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

How Many Days in Lapland?

Getting To & Around Lapland

Getting Around Lapland

2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

Day 1 – Lapland Capital, Rovaniemi

Arktikum

Arctic Sunset & Eat a Traditional Lappish Meal

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

Day 2 – Santa Claus Village or Exploring Rovaniemi Nature

Santa Claus Village

Rovaniemi Nature

Day 3 – Northern Lapland, Levi & Samiland Exhibition

Samiland Exhibition

Northern Light Safari

Where to Stay in Levi

Day 4 – Skiing or Winter Activities

Skiing in Levi

Apres-Ski/Dinner at Tuikku

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The Ultimate 7 Day Finland Itinerary for Winter

Finland Itinerary for Winter

Day 1: Helsinki

Where to Stay in Helsinki

Day 2: Helsinki

How to Get to Rovaniemi from Helsinki

Day 3: Rovaniemi

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

Day 4: Rovaniemi

Day 5: Rovaniemi

Hiking / Snowshoeing

Ice Fishing

Snowmobiling

Husky Sledding

Visiting an Amethyst mine

Days 6 & 7: Head North

Where to stay in Saariselka

Where to stay in Kittilä

Map of 7 Day Finland Winter Itinerary

Finland Itinerary Overview

How to Get Around Finland in Winter

Tours of Finland in Winter

Further Reading for Visiting Finland in Winter

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The Ultimate Itinerary for Lapland and Arctic Circle, Finland

Day 1 – Fly into Oulu

Days 2 and 3- Float with Icebergs in Kemi

Day 4 – Settle into Rovaniemi

Days 5 and 6 – Experience the best of Lapland’s safaris

Day 7 – Meet Santa Claus on a day trip

Day 8 – Devour a traditional Lappish meal and say bye to Rovaniemi

Day 9 – Sleep on a bed of ice at The Arctic Snow Hotel

Days 10, 11, and 12 – Immerse yourself in Arctic Wilderness in Saariselka and spot the Northern Lights

Day 12 Take the flight back from Ivalo

Planning your trip to Finland – The Essentials

Length of the trip

Don’t come back without trying these typical Finnish things

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – Truly ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’

Packing for Lapland, Finland : Staying warm in the Arctic

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