16 Most Magical Things To Do In Finnish Lapland

Winter in Finnish Lapland needs a bit of planning, especially if you want to book the best tours, avoid freezing your toes off, and give yourself the best chance of seeing the aurora.

So, in this guide, I’m covering the best things to do in Finnish Lapland in winter, from classic snowy adventures to quieter experiences that are just as memorable.

But first, I’ll start with the practical bits, because Lapland is incredible, but it’s much better when you know where you’re going, how to get around, and how many layers you’ll realistically need.

Finnish Lapland covers a huge area, and the main places visitors tend to base themselves include Rovaniemi, Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Pyhä-Luosto and Inari.

If you’re after ski slopes, Levi and Ylläs are better options. If you want something quieter and more remote, Saariselkä or Inari might suit you better. But if this is your first time in Finnish Lapland in winter and you want the easiest logistics, I’d probably start with Rovaniemi and go from there.

Rovaniemi Airport is the best option if you’re planning to stay in or near Rovaniemi. It’s only a short drive from the city centre and Santa Claus Village.

There are also airports at Kittilä, Ivalo, Kuusamo and Kemi-Tornio, so your best airport will obviously depend on where you’re staying.

As a rough guide:

• Rovaniemi Airport works best for Rovaniemi and Santa Claus Village
• Kittilä Airport works well for Levi and Ylläs
• Ivalo Airport is best for Saariselkä and Inari
• Kuusamo Airport is handy for Ruka and the eastern side of Lapland

If you happen to be transitting through Helsinki, I highly recommend taking the overnight train to Rovaniemi. It’s way more memorable than a quick flight!

It’s definitely not the quickest option, but there’s something pretty lovely about going to sleep in Helsinki and waking up in the snow.

December is the big festive month, especially around Rovaniemi. This is when people come to see the man himself (Santa), snow, reindeer, Christmas lights – basically to get the ultimate Lapland experience.

It’s magical for sure, but it’s also the busiest and most expensive time to visit. So, if you’re planning a December trip, book as early as you can.

January is colder, darker and usually quieter once the Christmas rush is over. It’s a good month if you want proper Arctic winter conditions.

February and March are probably the best all-round months. I visited at the beginning of March and it was noticeably quieter than the festive period.

You still get snow, but the days are longer, the light is better, and it’s a brilliant time for winter activities.

April can also be a good option if you want snow but slightly milder conditions. It won’t feel quite as Christmassy, but it’s much more comfortable for outdoor activities.

You can still book all the snowy bucket-list experiences, but you’re not completely cut off from shops, cafés and places to eat. Very important when you need a hot drink to thaw out.

The suites are set among the trees, with huge windows looking out towards the forest. This gives you the chance to catch the Northern Lights from your bed!

It has dorms and private rooms, so it works for solo travellers, couples or anyone trying to keep costs down in a destination that can get very expensive. It even has a sauna!

Apartment stays can be a good choice in Lapland, especially if you’re travelling as a family or small group and wanting to save money.

Lapland in winter is definitely not a last minute kind of destination, especially in December, February and around school holidays.

Nobody. That’s who.

But, that doesn’t mean that everyone will get to see them. Because I didn’t. Yes, I’m still upset about it. But funnily enough I did eventually get to see them… in Ireland of all places!

You need dark skies, clear weather, solar activity, and a bit of luck. They can appear for hours, or they can show up for five minutes while you’re inside making tea.

In Finnish Lapland, your chances are generally better the farther north you go. Places like Inari, Saariselkä, Levi and Ylläs are good options because they have darker skies and less light pollution than bigger towns.

A few quick tips:

• Stay at least three or four nights if you can, as clouds can ruin even a strong aurora forecast. If you miss it the first night, there’s hope for another night.
• Don’t rely on the view from your hotel window unless you’re staying somewhere remote.
• If you’re not booking a tour, and instead hunting for the Northern Lights yourself, check both the aurora forecast and the cloud forecast.
• Wear more layers than you think you’ll need.
• Bring a tripod if you want proper photos.
• Be patient.

Oh, and just so you know, the Northern Lights look paler to the naked eye than they do in photos. Sometimes they’re bright green and obvious. Other times they look like a faint greyish glow until your camera picks up the colour.

I’m usually the person side-eyeing anything that involves animals and tourists in the same sentence, because so much of it is awful, dressed up as tradition when really it’s just animals being mistreated.

Husky sledding in Finnish Lapland is one of the few animal-based travel experiences I’d treat differently… when it’s done properly.

These dogs aren’t being dragged into something they hate. Good working huskies are bred and trained to run, and when you arrive at a kennel, you’ll usually hear them before you see them. They know what’s coming, and they’re so excited for it.

They’re so ready for it that we were told no petting or playing with the dogs until after their run cos they just want to get out for some exercise.

You’ll start the husky sledding tour with a safety briefing, then you’ll either sit in the sled while a guide drives, or you’ll drive the sled yourself. If you’re travelling as a pair, one person will drive while the other sits wrapped up all cosy in the sled, then you swap halfway.

Driving is fun, but it was way more physical than I was expecting. There’s a bit of leaning, balancing, and sometimes even jumping involved.

You can go husky sledding in most of the main Lapland destinations, including Rovaniemi, Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä and Inari. I’d personally recommend this sledding tour in Rovaniemi.

Of course, if your budget allows, there are longer husky safaris, such as this one, that run over 2 hours long.

I gotta say, my favourite part of the whole thing was playing with the huskies afterwards!

Grab your spot on a once-in-a-lifetime huskie tour here!

Visiting a reindeer farm gives you a closer look at that side of Lapland. You’ll have time to meet and feed the reindeer, hear a little about herding, and take a sleigh ride through the snow covered in cosy blankets.

The sleigh ride is slow and quiet. If you’re after speed, this probably isn’t the activity for you.

This top-rated reindeer farm visit tends to sell out quickly, depending on the season. You’ll even have a photographer capturing amazing shots

Make sure you wear proper winter layers. You won’t be moving much on the sleigh, and Lapland cold hits differently when you’re sitting still.

But if you’re already in Rovaniemi in winter, I’d still say go take a look, especially if it’s your first trip to Finland and/or if you’re travelling with kids (or if you’re just a big kid at heart).

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This is where you can cross the Arctic Circle line, visit Santa’s Main Post Office, meet the man himself and browse the little shops (which are expensive, but very cute).

Santa Claus Village is just outside Rovaniemi city centre, so it’s easy to reach by bus or taxi.

Santa Claus Office is usually open every day, but the hours change depending on the season. In peak winter, hours are longer, especially from late November to early January.

The most important thing you need to remember is to bring your driving licence with you if you intend to drive the snowmobile yourself.

We did this as a group and we each took turns driving. I must admit, I preferred being the passenger where I could just hang on and enjoy the surroundings.

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This snowmobile tour luckily included all the outer wear you need when out in the Finnish cold – thermal winter overalls, snow boots, gloves, balaclava, and of course your helmet. Just make sure you have enough layers on underneath to keep you warm.

Check out my full guide on what to pack for a trip to Lapland.

I actually also brought some of these hot hands for inside my gloves as I hate the cold!

Grab your spot on this snowmobile tour before it sells out!

The whole point of snowshoes is that they stop you from sinking straight into deep snow – which I now understand after sinking up to my waist one day of my trip. You strap them over your winter boots, grab poles if needed (aka if you have a major balance problem like I do), and head into the forest.

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It’s not really strenuous, but you will need to have a basic level of fitness to be able to keep up.

Around Rovaniemi, snowshoeing is usually done in nearby forest areas, around Ounasvaara, along Arctic Circle nature trails, or farther out in quieter wilderness areas. If you’re staying in Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä or Pyhä-Luosto, you’ll have even more access to snowy trails and national park scenery.

I definitely recommend joining a guided snowshoeing tour, which is the best option if you want to learn a little about the landscape as you go along.

I definitely don’t recommend wandering off alone into deep snow unless you know the route and conditions. Lapland is beautiful, but it’s still winter wilderness.

I didn’t try this one, but I felt I had to let you know that there’s also a snowshoeing tour you can do at night, which also includes searching for the Northern Lights! It’s highly rated, albeit a little pricy, but I think it would be really cool to head out on a nighttime hike to see the Aurora.

It’s a lot less dramatic than downhill skiing. Well, in theory. In practice, your first attempt may involve a lot of shuffling, arm flailing and wondering how Finnish pensioners make it look so easy. But you’ll get the hang of it. By the end, I was flying down a (tiny) slope, loving life!

There are cross-country ski trails all over Finnish Lapland, including around Rovaniemi, Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Pyhä and Luosto. Hotels and resorts have beginner-friendly tracks, rental shops and lessons, so you don’t need to arrive knowing what you’re doing.

This is a good activity to choose if you want to get out on your own and avoid booking an organised tour.

But, if you’re a complete beginner like I was, I’d book a short lesson or start on an easy route. Cross-country skiing is less scary than downhill skiing, but it’s still a workout. Your thighs may not love it.

It’s equally good for beginners or pros, with downhill skiing, snowboarding, and even a bobsleigh track!

And if skiing isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the restaurant, winter walking routes and gondola views.

I had never been in a sauna before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Basically, you sit, sweat, cool down, drink water, and repeat.

What do I mean by cool down?

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It’s tradition to plunge into ice water or lie on crisp white snow after a sauna session. It’s gets the blood circulating, is good for reducing inflammation and releases endorphins!

It feels great!

Just check the etiquette before you go. In some saunas, swimwear is optional. So be prepared. And whatever you do, hydrate.

Book a sauna and ice swimming experience with dinner here!

A guide will usually take you out to a safe spot, drill a hole through the ice, show you how to drop the line, and then… you wait. That’s pretty much the sport.

But honestly, that’s also the Finnish charm of it. You’re wrapped up in every thermal layer you own, surrounded by snow, forest and ridiculous Arctic silence, with a hot drink nearby and the very real possibility that your greatest achievement will be not losing feeling in your toes. Seriously, I wouldn’t be overly confident about catching fish…

A local guide will know the best spots, can check the ice conditions and stop you wandering onto a random frozen lake like an overconfident tourist. Finnish lakes in Lapland usually begin freezing between late October and December, but conditions vary, so ice safety really does matter.

Is it expensive? Yes. Would I still recommend doing it for at least one night? Absolutely.

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The main appeal is waking up surrounded by snow, staying somewhere quiet, and even seeing the Northern Lights from your bed if the sky behaves.

Halo Igloos Resort is located around 22km from the centre of Rovaniemi, just a 20 minute drive away. They actually offer a shuttle service, which needs to be arranged with reception the day before.

While not all the accommodation look like traditional ‘igloos’, they do all have glass ceilings and walls so you can lie in bed, see the stars, and hopefully the Aurora.

Book a bucket-list night in a Finnish Aurora Igloo!

But it’s cool! Ha – see what I did there?

Go for the photos, the fun of it, and the sheer ridiculousness of sipping something cold in a place that’s already cold enough to make your nose dribble.

Most visits are short, often around 15 to 30 minutes, which is plenty of time to enjoy a drink, admire the carved ice walls, and then happily return to your warm hotel room.

It’s farther north than Rovaniemi and has a quieter, more remote feel. This is a good place to learn more about Sámi culture, spend time around Lake Inari, and experience a less commercial side of Finnish Lapland.

A key stop is the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre in Inari, which focuses on Sámi culture, Arctic nature and life in the far north.

If you’re including Inari in your trip, I wouldn’t squeeze it into a rushed day from Rovaniemi. It’s about a 4 hour drive, so I’d recommend staying at least one night. There’s a really nice igloo hotel in Inari – book the Aurora Cabin for stunning views!

And yes, that can feel a bit awkward after you’ve just taken 47 photos of one looking adorable in the snow. But it’s also a traditional part of the local food culture, so it’s up to you whether you want to try it.

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This wilderness dinner is such a lovely experience. You’ll be picked up from Rovaniemi, driven around 30 minutes to a cosy cottage in the forest, and served a traditional 4-course Finnish dinner in front of a roaring fire.

Not a fan of trying the local food? This Northern Lights tour will stop off at the northernmost McDonalds in the world!

Book your Finnish homemade dinner experience here and avail of free cancellation!

You basically float in icy water while staying dry inside a thick waterproof suit. No swimming skills needed and no having to brave the elements.

It’s a surreal experience. You’re lying back in dark winter water, surrounded by snow and ice.

Wear warm layers underneath, especially socks. The suit keeps you dry, but winter in Finland is still colder than cold.

Book your ice-floating experience here!

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I fell in love with Lapland, and I’m sure you will too.

With reindeer farms, the cutest huskies, saunas, Santa Claus Village, ice floating, and the chance to see the Northern Lights, you’ve got a winter trip that’s anything but ordinary.