Focus on Finnish Lapland
A practical snapshot for planning trips in Finnish Lapland, including where to base yourself, the best seasons, and what to prioritize.
A Place of Magic
As soon as you land in Finnish Lapland, you’ll realise that it is a place truly like none other in the world. Nestled in Finland’s far north and encompassing all of the country’s lands north of the Arctic Circle, this region is said to be magical and it’s easy to see why, particularly in the winter months when it is coated in metres of glittering snow.
Lapland’s wide open spaces and seemingly endless wilderness completely transform between seasons, leaving return visitors wondering if they are even in the same place. Since Lapland varies so much — and the changes can happen in a matter of days — its seasons are divided into eight rather than the standard four.
A Place of Light
One thing that varies the most between seasons is the light. In the depths of winter, some parts of Finnish Lapland don’t see the sun peek over the horizon for more than two months. Rather than being pitch black, though, the land is lit in a deep blue twilight (also known as kaamos).
At midsummer, Lapland experiences the polar opposite in the midnight sun. Summer nights are never-ending — literally, since those places that get two months of darkness in winter experience the same amount of daylight in summer, with the sun circling around and around the fells without ever finding the horizon.
Sápmi
While known as Lapland to many, much of this region has another name — Sápmi, home of the Sámi people. The northernmost indigenous people in Europe, the Sámi call the northern reaches of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia home, and many still work as traditional reindeer herders. Inari is a place of particular importance to the Sámi, being home to an outstanding museum (Siida) as well as Sajos, home of the Finnish Sámi parliament.
A Place to Meet Santa
There are a host of experiences to be had in Finnish Lapland that are unique even from the rest of Finland. For one, Santa is said to be from Korvatunturi (the “ear fell”) in Lapland’s Urho Kekkonen National Park, but he has now moved his official office to Lapland’s capital city of Rovaniemi. There aren’t many places in the world where you can meet the jolly old man himself!
A Place Where the Northern Lights Dance
Of course, one of the most popular activities in the winter months is watching the northern lights. Even though temperatures can drop south of -30ºC, a pair of Arctic overalls will keep you cozy as you watch the skies light up in green, pink, and purple. It’s an unforgettable experience, and since Lapland offers more stable weather than other popular winter destinations, it also offers a higher chance of having this experience on your trip.
What You Should Know
Currency: Euro (€)
Time Zone: EET (Eastern European Time) – GMT+2.
Daylight Savings time from March-October – GMT+3
1 hour ahead of Norway & Sweden
Drives on: Right
Latitudes: 65 30′ ºN to 70º 05′ N
Size: 98,000 km2, almost 1/3 of Finland
Population: 185,000
Less than 2 people per km2 and only 3.5% of Finland’s population
Sámi Population: ~7,000, mostly in Utsjoki, Inari, and Enontekiö
Reindeer Population: Capped at 200,000 (so more reindeer than people!)
Capital City: Rovaniemi (~60,000 residents)
Northernmost Village: Nuorgam in Utsjoki municipality (~200 residents)
Borders: Sweden (west), Norway (north), Russia (east)
Visas: Standard Schengen visa regulations apply. Russian visa required to cross eastern border; application must be approved prior to arriving at border.
Seasons (names vary):
- Polar night (Nov-Jan)
- Midwinter (Jan-Feb)
- Late Winter (Mar-Apr)
- Spring (May)
- Summer (June-July)
- Harvest (August-Sept)
- Autumn Colour (Sept-Oct)
- First Snow/Early Winter (October-November)
Longest period of polar night (in Nuorgam): 25 November – 17 January (53 days)
Shortest period of polar night (on the Arctic Circle): 1 day, 21 December
Longest period of midnight sun (in Nuorgam): 16 May – 27 July
Shortest period of midnight sun (Rovaniemi): 1 day, 20 June
Posts from Finnish Lapland
The Huskies of Hetta
Somewhere in the darkness in front of me, six huskies ran. They seemed to dance across the snow, hardly sinking into it at all as they pushed ever forward. Snow crunched under my sled, weighed down with two people and a heaping pile of reindeer skins. The dogs panted and the wind whistled...
The Best Ways to Explore Utsjoki & Finland’s Remote North
If you’re looking for remote — and if you’re visiting Lapland, chances are you like remote places — it doesn’t get much moreso than Utsjoki. Finland’s northernmost municipality is also once of its most sparsely populated; most sources list the number of people living there as .25 people/km2. That’s
Menesjärvi: Blissful Lapland at its Best
Time and again on this blog, I’ve talked about the adventures that are possible north of the Arctic Circle. Whether it’s dogsledding across a frozen landscape in the dead of winter or white water rafting on midsummer, there are so many options that it would be impossible to cover them all. Even thou
Inari in Summer: Exploring the Lands of the Thunder God
In many parts of Lapland, the history of the region isn’t immediately obvious. You won’t find any cathedrals erected in 1000AD or even many buildings built prior to 1945, when the retreating Nazis razed nearly all the towns in the region to the ground. While this means you have to dig a little furth
Swimming Away from my Comfort Zone in Saariselkä
One of the best things about travelling around Finnish Lapland in summer was the sheer number of unique experiences that were available. Even though much of the region shares a very similar geography — rolling fells covered in dense birch and pine forest broken up by hundreds of lakes, which in turn
Hitting the Trails in Ylläs
Two years ago, my visit to Lapland in winter was magical. Everything about it was completely foreign to me, which made the trip that much more special. However, it could occasionally be limiting as well. My complete lack of experience with winter conditions meant that I didn’t trust myself to wander
Becoming an Amethyst Miner in Pyhä-Luosto
No matter where I am in the world, my visits to national parks usually include activities like hiking or kayaking. I love going out in nature when I visit a new place; it’s only then that I really feel like I start to understand the place I’m in. It’s no surprise, then, that some of my favourite pla
Things You Might Not Know About the Midnight Sun
Lapland and Northern Norway are not places that you travel to expecting to sleep at traditional hours. No matter what the season, the natural phenomena of the Arctic Circle are often at their strongest in the middle of the night; the northern lights dance overhead in the darkness of winter and the m
Celebrating Midsummer in Rovaniemi
In the Nordic countries, midsummer is a big deal. It’s similar to a national day, like the Fourth of July or Australia Day, but without the nationalistic overtones; simply put, it’s a huge party that celebrates the never-ending light of summer and the fact that there is no snow anywhere to be seen.
Jet Skiing to the Island of Horses
Usually, if someone mentions horseback riding, it brings to mind rolling hills in the country and river crossings at the base of epic mountains; it makes me think of being out on my own in the country. One thing I can categorically say I did not think of, prior to my trip to Rovaniemi this...
Great Ways To Spend Ruka’s Long Summer Days
Lapland is a region that is well known for its winter attractions. From dogsledding to northern lights watching, nearly all of the activities that immediately spring to mind when people think of Finland’s north are only available during the coldest months of the year. As a ski resort, Ruka (located
Introducing the Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Winter
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I absolutely loved Lapland and Northern Norway when I visited last year. My 28-day circuit around the region was full of crazy experiences and memorable places to stay, and I’ve never had a holiday quite like it. One thing I noticed when planning this trip, thoug
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day With the Aurora (And Knee-Deep Snow)
Most St Patrick’s Day celebrations involve a lot of Guinness and even more people wearing every shade of green in existence. Last year, mine involved neither–although some of the people with me may have been wearing green under a multitude of other layers designed to keep them warm in the -20ºC temp
Finland: Brought To You By The Angry Birds
There are a number of exports that are instantly associated with their country of origin. Finland may bring to mind Kimi Räikkönen and Nokia, but you can forget them because the Angry Birds are here, and the Finns want you to know that the birds that are eternally trying to rescue their eggs (and Ro
A Taste of Wilderness in the Middle of Rovaniemi
The most memorable part of my brief sojourn to Swedish Lapland last year — the trip that inspired me to go back for much longer this year — was my first venture out into the untamed wilderness in a sled being pulled by six huskies. I remember being bundled up in reindeer skins and canvas...
Bashing Through the Ice in a 3500-Ton Ship
Standing on the bow of the Sampo icebreaker ship, I looked out “to sea.” That sea was a frozen, barren stretch of ice that stretched all the way to the horizon, only broken by lines of churned-up ice left by the ship’s previous excursions. It looked as though we should be stuck, hemmed in as [&helli
Snowmobiling on the Icy Gulf of Bothnia
Standing in the middle of the frozen wasteland of the Gulf of Bothnia, I felt like I could have been a thousand miles to the north. Sure, in the distance I could see a small windfarm, slowly spinning away in the light Lappish breeze, but when I turned away from it I was greeted with […]
Nearly Being Steamed to Death…in the SnowCastle?
Never did I imagine that a stay in the SnowCastle would result in me nearly passing out from heat exhaustion. As I curled up in my Arctic sleeping bag, leaving only my nose and mouth poking out into the -5C air inside my little dome of a room, the only thing I could think of […]
Enjoying the Moment at the Arctic Snow Hotel
After having spent four of the previous five nights standing outside in seriously cold temperatures until well past midnight, it wouldn’t have been surprising if I couldn’t muster up much excitement about yet another cold night. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Yes, I was tired, but t
Cross-Country Skiing…Without Falling Over!
I’m just a little bit clumsy. I’ve fallen into a parked car, giving myself a concussion in the process. I’ve dislocated my toe on the Tongariro Crossing, having to hobble the final 2km so I could catch my bus. Last year, I planned to try cross-country skiing, only to break my leg before I got [&hell
Being a Big Kid at Santa Claus Village
Sometimes I feel like my entire trip to Lapland was simply an excuse to indulge my inner child for a month. After all, I spent the entire time playing in heaping piles of snow, trying to make up for the fact that the first time I saw any snow stick to the ground was just […]
Officially Licensed to Drive a Reindeer Sled
In the 1960s, a massive change swept across Finland. The Americans had finally perfected their design of a vehicle for recreational use on the snow — the snowmobile. While it has always been seen as a fun toy — sort of like a jet ski — in North America, the Ski-Doo imported by a schoolteacher [&hell
Ice Karting: Channeling My Inner Yoshi
MarioKart is one of my favourite games ever. Since it originally came out on the SNES, I’ve loved zooming around the tracks (always as Yoshi), tossing turtle shells at people and avoiding the inevitable strings of bananas piled all over the track. Don’t tell Finland, but I’d rather play MarioKart th
Dozing Off Under the Northern Lights…What Could Be Better?
Watching the northern lights is an experience that is truly beyond words. There’s not really a way to describe the feeling of staring up at the sky as it explodes into colour, at first cloudlike and faintly white before it slowly morphs into green (and sometimes pink, purple, and gold) streaks acros
Dashing Through the Snow…On a Saddled Finnish Horse
What comes to mind when you think of animals in Lapland? Reindeer? Huskies? Polar bears (and no, they don’t actually live there)? One animal I certainly wouldn’t have thought of before I went to Finnish Lapland was the horse. Like the cows that didn’t last very long in Honningsvåg, I thought horses
Learning How to Cook Lappish Delicacies
By no stretch of the imagination am I a cook. I have gotten a bit better about branching out from the basics and trying to add a bit of creativity into my cooking, but I always have that nagging feeling of “what if I try to feed something awful to the person I’m cooking for?” […]
Riverfront Saunas and Northern Lights at Hotel Kultahovi
When I arrived at the Tradition Hotel Kultahovi in Inari, I had just crossed the border from Norway, where I had spent ten days traveling up the northern coast. The differences between the countries were noticeable as soon as I arrived in Inari. Of course, there was the obvious — the language, the l
The Inari Sami and Their Reindeer
The Sami and their reindeer are inseparable. For thousands of years, the northernmost indigenous group of Europe have relied on these animals not just for their livelihoods, but for transport, food, and clothing as well. The fact that the Sami and their reindeer are so intertwined is obvious from th