Visit Finland: Travel Guide to Lapland, Finland

Written By Benjamin Lopez

Visiting Finland in the winter is the ultimate bucket list item!

Located in northern Europe, sitting between Sweden and Russia, Finland is a country characterized by its outdoors. With over 70% of its land covered by boreal forests, Finland is often recognized as the happiest country in the world! Known for its massive population of reindeer, endless sauna availability (almost one per household!), 24hr sunlight in the summer, northern lights show in the winter, boundless outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, trekking, and fishing, Finland is the destination for anyone who is looking to witness beautiful landscapes and experience the spirit of the outdoors. 

My allure to Finland? Winter. I’m obsessed with winter and I needed to travel to a place that completely encapsulates the feeling of being in a snow globe. From frozen forests, to northern lights, reindeer, and days with only 4 hours of daylight - I wanted to experience a winter that you can only get by crossing into the arctic circle. To me there was only one place that could meet those expectations and that was the Lapland region of Finland. 

If you were excited by any of the aforementioned, then here is what it takes for you to get there: 

 

Things to know before you visit Finland 

So you’ve made the decision to travel to Finland, now what? Here are some facts you need to know before getting there: 

  • Location: The city of Helsinki is the largest and most populous city in the country. You’ll often have to fly through here to get to anywhere you want to go in Finland 

  • Language: the primary language spoken in Finland is Finnish! A bit more distinct than other Nordic languages, the Finnish language is the native language for Finns, followed by Swedish. No worries if you don’t speak either of these two languages, English is widely spoken throughout the country. About 70% of the population speaks English! 

  • Currency: the ever so trusty Euro. While most places accept cash as the currency, you’ll find that even the most local places accept card! Be sure to use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and you’ll have no issue with expenses. 

  • Safety: Consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, this is one place you don’t have to worry all that much about. Keep your normal precautions, but otherwise enjoy the country with ease. 

  • Daylight: if you’re visiting in the winter, know that daylight is limited to as little as 4 hours a day! Sunrise usually comes up by 9:30am and will go down by 1:30pm. Be very conscious of this as it’s easy to take for granted how little daylight lasts. Also daylight means just that, only daylight. You may not actually see the sun come up at all! Keep this in mind and plan accordingly.  

  • Electrical Plugs: while silly, if you’re coming from abroad, make sure to bring type C or F plugs to charge your electronics while in the country! This is often overlook and can get pretty expensive to go out and buy plugs/adapters for every single device you own. My advice is to order off Amazon before your trip! 

  • Entry Requirements: currently if you’re traveling from within the EU or from the U.S., then you only need to show proof of vaccination upon entry. This is changing on a day-to-day basis and as of December 21st, you will have to also show proof of a negative COVID test before entry. Please monitor Finnish government website for the latest. 

  • Vaccine Passport: as of December 2021, Finland has issued a federal mandate for in-door dining. This is that you must show proof of vaccination in order to eat at any establishment in the country. If you’re from the EU, then you can utilize the EU digital COVID certificate to dine in. If you’re from outside the EU, technically you just need to show proof of vaccination. Now, I say technically because ideally you would just show proof of vaccination; however, some restaurants strictly only take the EU digital COVID certificate meaning that if you are carrying a U.S. CDC vaccination card, then you may still be turned away (I say this from experience!) As this is changing week by week, I also recommend monitoring Finnish government websites for the latest.  

 

Flying to Lapland 

So how do you get to Lapland? The first thing to know is that “Lapland” is not a city, it’s actually the northernmost region of Finland and Sweden, located above the Arctic Circle. In Finland, the most popular city in Lapland is the town of Rovaniemi, which is the center of tourism for the region. Most of the winter activities, the reindeer, the Christmas activities, the igloo hotels, are located within this area. 

From the U.S.:  

It’s not possible to reach Rovaniemi without a connection. The best prices will come from connections in Helsinki. Finnair has recently started flying direct from cities like New York, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but if these don’t work, then your best connections will be through European cities such as London, Frankfurt, and Paris.  

If you can’t fly direct and you have to take a connection, then my recommendation is to book your flight to Helsinki, then book a separate reservation from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Trust me, this will be MUCH cheaper than booking just one reservation that includes a connection to Helsinki and a connection in Helsinki onto Rovaniemi.  

The average cost to reach Helsinki with a connection averages around $300 to $600. The average cost from a city that flies direct to Helsinki is about $800 to $1100. These are all economy tickets. 

The average cost to reach Rovaniemi from Helsinki is about $100 roundtrip with either Finnair or Norwegian.  

From Europe:  

Traveling to Rovaniemi from within the EU means connecting in Helsinki or Warsaw. Depending on where you’re traveling from, you may want to check the connections from within those two cities, primarily with airlines Finnair and Norwegian. Rovaniemi is a small airport and at the time of writing this, only offers flights to the two mentioned cities. 

The average cost to reach Helsinki from popular European cities is about $180 euros. 

The average cost to reach Rovaniemi via a connection in a popular European city is about $300 euros. 

 

Another alternative for visiting Lapland, is to fly into Kittila airport. This airport is located about 2 hours north of Rovaniemi and will be your access point if you want to reach the tip of the Finland coast and will be your best option for seeing the northern lights from igloo hotels! 

Rovaniemi at dawn

 

 

Moving Around 

Lapland is very sparse, so unless you plan to only stay within Rovaniemi, I would suggest renting a car! Renting a car lets you move around to your liking and not have to depend on hotel or shuttles from different places. 

Rovaniemi airport offers rentals from: 

  • Hertz 

  • Avis  

  • Enterprise 

  • Sixt 

  • Europcar 

  • Among others! 

My recommendation is to book as far in advance as you can! Seeing that it’s a small airport, then availability is limited. 

Surviving without a rental is certainly possible, but you’d want to ensure that A. your hotel/accommodation offers shuttle services to nearby attractions and B. that the activities you’re partaking in can pick you up from within your hotel radius. 

Lastly, if you’re worried about driving around in the snow and ice, don’t be! Roads are VERY well treated. Not once did I feel unsafe driving because of icy roads, even at night. Take this advice coming from a Texan that isn’t used to snow!

Driving through Lapland

 

Where to Stay 

If I had to choose the priciest expense, I would say it’s the hotel/lodging. But really, the question is: where are you okay with staying? 

A lot of us (myself included) are attracted to Finland for the idea of staying in an igloo-type hotel where you can witness the northern lights from your bed. These are certainly available, but just realize that they are PRICEY. Come to terms with where you’re okay with staying and don’t look back. 

Here is my personal list of the top hotels, filtered by location: 

  • Outside Rovaniemi: Arctic Tree House Hotel – located right near the airport and about 10min from Rovaniemi, this hotel offers individual accommodation units on its hillside with glass walls allowing you to see into nature and potentially the northern lights! 

  • Within Rovaniemi: Arctic Light Hotel – located in the town of Rovaniemi, this hotel is your best bet if you want to experience the town of Rovaniemi. This hotel is as urbanized as it will get and is walking distance from the town’s best restaurants, shopping, and attractions. 

  • Price range: $288/night 

  • In Santa Claus Village: Santa Claus Holiday Village – probably the best place to stay for families and for those who really want to take in the Holiday village. This resort is located right behind the popular Santa Claus Village and features your own cabin with kitchenette and personal Christmas tree on your porch. The hotel offers transportation to and from the airport, breakfast, and you can even organize Santa to drop off some overnight gifts!  

  • Igloo Hotels: Santa’s Igloo’s Arctic Circle – if you want to stay in an igloo, this is it! The hotel features glass ceilings, heated floors, and the opportunity to possibly witness the northern lights right from your bed! Perfect for couples and honeymooners.  

  • Away from Rovaniemi: Arctic Wilderness Resort – this is the hotel I stayed at! I chose it because it’s located 2 miles into the wintry forest, away from the city, next to a ravenous river, and at the foothills of great hiking. The hotels features private cabins that includes only just the necessities. If you want to feel like you live in the middle of the forest, then this is your place. I recommend the Panorama Huts! 

*All price ranges are shown in euros and are average per night stays for the lowest tier accommodation at each respective hotel. Prices were sourced at the time of writing this blog and change daily.  

Pictured left to right: Arctic Circle Wilderness Resort and Santa Claus Holiday Village

What to Do 

So you’ve made it to Lapland! YAY! What is there to do? Honestly, you could spend an entire week here and not get bored. Here are some must do activities to add to your list: 

  • Christmas Village – the official home of Santa Claus! And probably the most popular destination in the Lapland region. The Village features Santa’s office where you can chat and take pictures with him! You can also officially cross into the Arctic Circle by visiting the village, grab a bite at the numerous restaurants, and do some holiday shopping at the local shops. 

  • Reindeer and Husky Farm – a must do while visiting Lapland! If you’re interested in doing a reindeer led sleigh ride or a sitting in a husky sled, then I suggest visiting a Reindeer and Husky Farm! Here you’ll get to meet both animals and have numerous photo ops! After meeting them, you can hop on the sled and live out your winter dream. Check out the Raitola Reindeer and Husky Farm to get two in one! 

  • Northern Lights Tour – you can't come to Finland and not see the northern lights! Your best chance to see them is with a local who knows where you can find them. Tours usually start around 8pm and go well after midnight. Find the tour that is perfect for you, as you can always snowshoe to see the lights, snowmobile, or be driven out.  

  • Please note: seeing the northern lights are NOT guaranteed. Most tours will take you on the journey and hunt down the lights, but you very well may not get to see them. Seeing the lights takes lots of patience, willingness, and time. The further you are from city pollution the better chances you’ll have of seeing them. Lights are also very weather dependent as you need clear skies to be able to see. Booking a tour is absolutely still your best chance, as your tour guides will know where to go. I also recommend making a list and finding some places on your own (as back up) just in case they don’t show on your tour 

  • Skiing - I'm not a skiier, but the best and closest resort to Rovaniemi is PYHÄ SKI RESORT. Located about 1.5hr outside of town, this resort is often seen as the winner in terms of proximity.  

  • Snowmobiling: What better place to get around a winter wonderland than by snowmobiling! A very popular sport in Finland, you can rent most snowmobiles on tours and the tour guides will take you on a short or extended tour around the frozen forest! They’re very easy to drive and a high recommendation when visiting. If, for some reason, you go at the start or end of winter and there isn’t enough snow on the ground, then you may also get the option to ride ATV’s  instead! 

  • Snow hikes – Visit Vikaköngäs! It’s located about 20 minutes from Rovaniemi and right near the Arctic Wilderness Resort. This place is a very popular place for snow shoeing and hiking! You’ll have endless trails at your disposal to start your workout. 

Santa Claus Holiday Village

Top: Santa Claus Holiday Village

Bottom: town of Rovaniemi

 

Have Fun! 

Lapland is THE place to experience a true winter. Those kind of winters you only see in Christmas movies or on National Geographic. It’s a bucket list place that is as achievable and a place that truly exists for winter and nature lovers. 

A lot of people are held back from planning trips because they are intimidated by prices, but please don’t be. I hope I’ve given you the tools to help you make the decision and empower you to check Finland off your bucket list. If you have any questions, comment, email me, DM me, or work with me one-on-one for paid personalized planning!  

Can’t wait to see your Finland pictures! 

 

Ben 

Benjamin Lopez
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