14 FUN things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Last updated on November 3rd, 2024

From magical snowy trees, to the Northern Lights, and reindeer, we’re sharing 14 fun things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter!

If you’re looking for the ultimate winter wonderland, look no further than Finnish Lapland!

Icebreaker Cruise | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Reindeer Farm | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Here you can see an endless sea of snowy trees (it snows 200+ days per year!), soak in a steamy sauna, hike to frozen waterfalls, walk on the frozen sea, and even meet Santa Claus himself. There are countless things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter!

And in this guide we’re sharing all of our favorite activities from our visit to Finnish Lapland. Plus important things to know, like how to get there (including our favorite way!), what to wear to stay warm, and the ULTIMATE place to visit for an authentic experience.

Whether it’s your first winter getaway (like it was ours!) or you’re a seasoned winter explorer, Finnish Lapland will give you a memorable winter adventure. Nose icicles included!

Looking for more things to do in Finland and northern Europe?

Table of Contents

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About Finnish Lapland

Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Lapland is located in the northernmost portion of Finland, with most of the region above the Arctic Circle. It makes up about one third of the land area of Finland and is filled with endless, untouched nature. From dense forests, to rivers, to fells, which are barren hills.

And it is also very sparsely populated. In fact, there are more reindeer (200,000+) than people (180,000)! But one of the groups of people that call the area home are the Samí people. The Samí have lived in Lapland (which they call Sápmi) for thousands of years and are the only indigenous group in the European Union.

But despite being remote, Finnish Lapland is very popular with tourists, especially in the winter. You’ll find tons of tour companies, lodging options, and activities!

Why should you visit Finnish Lapland in the winter?

On first thought you may think that visiting Finnish Lapland in the winter is a crazy idea. It is very cold, covered in snow, and there is limited daylight, but that is part of what makes it special!

Coming from Texas, we had never experienced a true winter. So for us, visiting Finnish Lapland in the winter was very memorable and magical. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced!

But besides the cold weather, Finnish Lapland is worth visiting in the winter for a handful of other reasons:

It’s one of the best times to see the Northern Lights.
You can see free roaming reindeer AND meet Santa Claus!
Getting to witness little to no daylight is a unique experience.
The Finnish sauna experience is even better in the winter.
There are TONS of activities to keep you busy (and warm)!

14 FUN things to do in Finnish Lapland in the Winter

Note: For this list of things to do in Finnish Lapland, we’ll be using Rovaniemi as a reference point, since it’s the most popular city to visit. But we’re also sharing other towns to check out as well, which you could use as your homebase instead!

1. Watch the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

Northern Lights | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Possibly one of the top reasons people go to Finnish Lapland in the winter is to see the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. While there are no guarantees you will see them, visiting in the winter, when there is ample darkness, gives you a pretty high probability.

Although, we will say, we spent about a week in Lapland and it wasn’t until our final night when we saw them. And it was only for a couple minutes. So while we wouldn’t make the Northern Lights the only reason you visit Finnish Lapland in the winter, looking for them definitely should be an activity on your itinerary. And if you do get to see them, prepare to be blown away!

Below are some tips for seeing the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland in the winter. Including some tour options to up your chances!

What are the Northern Lights?

In simple terms, the Northern Lights are the interaction of the sun’s solar winds entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The result is a dance of blue, green, and purple shapes in the clear sky. There are always Northern Lights in the sky, but the conditions aren’t always right for humans to see them. The factors that can affect the visibility are cloud cover, air conditions, and the solar winds.

How to track the northern lights

Thankfully there are ways where you can track the likelihood of being able to see them at night. To check the Northern Lights forecast you look at the KP Index. This tells you the strength of the aurora activity. The higher the KP level (5+ is great!)l, the better your chance.

You can see the KP index through an app. We have used this app in both Alaska, Arctic Canada, and Finnish Lapland. These apps can tell you the KP index, the likelihood of seeing the lights, and the best time. Also, you can set up alerts to notify you when there is a high likelihood where you are. So that way, if you fall asleep, it can wake you up if the chances are good.

Some other good resources are the Finnish Meteorological Center, which shares the space weather forecast, Aurora Alert! Realtime, and Northern Lights Alert.

The best spots to see the northern lights

If the forecast shows a good KP index, then you’ll want to find a good spot to view them. Clouds and city lights are the enemy of Northern Lights, so you will want to find a spot away from a lot of light pollution that has a clear view from the sky. Going up onto a hill is a good idea too!

During our time in Finnish Lapland, we ironically saw the Northern Lights at a riverside park in Rovaniemi. Which was the most light polluted area of our time in Finnish Lapland. But despite this, we could still see them!

When are the northern lights visible in Finnish Lapland?

The Northern Lights are usually visible in Finnish Lapland from the end of August until April, totalling almost 200 nights a year! However, the best months to see them are usually around the equinoxes (September and March), which is when the activity tends to be stronger. And the best time of day is typically between 9 PM and 2 AM.

We visited Finnish Lapland in early January and had a lot of cloudy nights. But had it been clear, we may have seen them more!

Are they dull to the human eye?

One complaint people have about the Northern Lights is that they are not as vivid to the eye as they are in photos. Which is true! Cameras can capture more light than the human eye can. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see them with your own eyes.

During both times we have seen the Northern Lights in our lifetime we have been able to see the colors and watch them dance with our eyes. The key is having a very dark sky, not using a headlamp (use the red light feature if needed instead), and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness.

While our photos are always more vibrant than what we actually saw, we have still always been blown away by what our eyes witnessed.

Tour options

For the best chance to see the Northern Lights, go on a tour with a local guide, who knows exactly what to look for and where to go. The tour guides actively watch the forecasts and will notify you the day of your tour if the conditions are favorable. If they aren’t, they’ll give you the option to cancel your tour and refund you. We have also heard of some tours driving you around for hours to find them.

There are tons of options to choose from in Lapland and below are a few options in Rovaniemi. But there are tours offered from Levi, Kemi, Inari, and other towns too!

Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Tour
From Rovaniemi: Lapland Aurora Hunt with Barbecue
Rovaniemi: Northern Lights Wilderness Tour

See more Northern Lights tours

2. Go on an icebreaker cruise

Towards the top of our bucket list for our time in Finnish Lapland was going on an icebreaker cruise!

In the winter, ice makes navigation in the Gulf of Bothnia difficult. In fact, Finland is the only coastal country in the world where all the ports are completely frozen during normal winters. Because of this, economic growth and foreign trade slowed down in the wintertime and Finland and its neighbors needed a way to continue trade. Enter the icebreaker!

Icebreakers are big ships with a hardened hull and two swords that break the ice and create lanes in the ocean, allowing shipping routes to remain open in the winter.

And while they are still used for this purpose, there are also some ships that are utilized for tourism. On an icebreaker cruise you not only get to watch the ice breaking in action (which is SO mesmerizing!), but you also will get to walk on the frozen sea and float in the water in a crazy survival suit. Which will keep you 100% dry! It’s pretty wild!

There are a few options of icebreaker cruises in Lapland. You can cruise on the Sampo, Arktis or the Polar Explorer, which is the one we did. The Arktis and Sampo leave from a harbor in Kemi, Finland while the Polar Explorer actually leaves from a harbor in Båtskärsnäs, Sweden. However, no matter where the ship leaves from, you can be picked up in Rovaniemi or at various resorts.

We LOVED our time on the Polar Explorer Icebreaker (watch our experience here!). It was a memorable experience we’ll never forget!

3. Hike at Korouoma Canyon

A little over an hour drive east of Rovaniemi is Korouoma Canyon. This is a 30 km long canyon that was formed during the ice age, when ice fractured bedrock that was millions of years old.

You can visit this park year-round, but it becomes especially magical in the winter because its canyon walls form frozen waterfalls! There are around 14 that form, but 3 major ones, which you can see along a 5 km (3.2 mile) loop!

And while you can book a tour to visit the canyon, we highly suggest going on your own! In this guide we share all of the details you need to know to visit in the winter. Including how to enjoy a campfire in the forest and our must-visit stop for a warm drink and treat afterwards! You can also watch our experience in this video.

4. Experience a Finnish sauna

Finnish Sauna | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

One of the best things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter is to experience a Finnish sauna!

So what exactly is a Finnish sauna? First, you’ll get really hot and steamy in a sauna room and then once you’re ready, you go outside and dunk in some frigid water or roll in snow!

Research shows that this experience has tons of health benefits! Some of which include lower blood pressure, improved skin condition, reduced stress and inflammation, and muscle and joint pain relief. The list goes on!

We experienced our first Finnish sauna when staying at an off-grid cabin on a private island. And oh boy, was it memorable! After getting as hot as we could stand, we ran outside to dunk in a hole in the frozen lake. The contrast of the extreme hot and cold gave us an exhilarating feeling!

Most hotels and resorts offer saunas for guests, but if yours doesn’t, here are some popular tours near Rovaniemi that feature a sauna experience: Northern Lights with Sauna, Snow Hotel and Sauna Experience, Private Sauna, Jacuzzi, and Dinner.

Pronunciation tip: In Finland, they pronounce sauna “sow-nuh”, not “saw-nuh.”

5. Visit a reindeer farm

While we may think of reindeer as Santa’s faithful companions, in Finland they have a bit of a different meaning.

For centuries, reindeer have been an important part of the Sámi culture, with reindeer herding being the traditional occupation and source of livelihood for many Sámi families. These reindeer provide meat, hides, and antlers, as well as transportation.

As someone who grew up leaving out treats for Santa’s reindeer, seeing reindeer was one of the top things we wanted to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter.

There are a bunch of reindeer farms in Finland that you can visit. We went on a tour to SieriPoro Safaris, a family run farm whose family has been reindeer herding since 1800. On the tour we got to see reindeer, learn lots of fun facts about them, and go for a short sleigh ride. And after the tour, the guide even let us feed them a snack.

Another farm we really wanted to visit was Reindeer Farm Porohaka. But we ultimately chose SieriPoro Safaris because they included pick up in Rovaniemi.

One big warning we want to give though is to be careful and do lots of research any time there are animals involved in tourism. Spend time looking into the companies who offer these tours and make sure the animals are treated properly. We feel confident recommending both of these farms!

6. Go snowmobiling

One of the best adventurous things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter is a snowmobiling tour! Riding a snowmobile will take you to scenic areas that you wouldn’t be able to access otherwise.

There are tons of snowmobile tour options in Finnish Lapland. On this tour you’ll ride through forests full of snow covered trees, while this tour includes both snowmobiling and ice fishing, which we’ll cover next!

7. Try ice fishing

Ice Fishing | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Adam loves to fish, so trying ice fishing was high up on his list while in Finnish Lapland! Ice fishing is just about what it sounds like. You drill a hole into a frozen lake and using a very tiny (and super adorable) fishing pole, try to catch fish that live under the ice.

There are many ice fishing tours in Finnish Lapland, some of which include other activities as well. But we opted to try this on our own at the off-grid cabin on a private island that we rented. We rented the gear from our Airbnb host and one dark afternoon, headed out to our frozen lake. Unfortunately, we had no luck, but it was a memorable experience!

8. Visit Santa Claus at the Santa Claus Village

No trip to Finnish Lapland is complete without meeting Santa Claus at Santa Claus Village. Afterall, Rovaniemi is the official hometown of Santa Claus!

We’ll be the first to admit this sounds like the classic tourist trap. And yes, it is a tad cheesy, but it was actually a ton of fun!

Santa Claus Village is open year round, but obviously the best season to visit is the winter, when snow covers everything and the holiday cheer is on full display!

Meet Santa

You can’t come to Santa Claus Village and not meet Santa. Santa can be found at the Santa Claus Office and is free to meet.

We suggest going here first thing to get a timeslot to meet him. At your designated time, you’ll go back to the office and get in line. The line does take 45 minutes to an hour, but if you’re there in the winter, it’s nice to wait in the warmth of the indoors. When it’s your turn to meet Santa, you’ll walk up and he’ll have a chat with you. He’s just as friendly as you would hope!

While it is of course a touristy experience we totally thought it was worth it. It’s not everyday you get to say you met Santa in his hometown! You can also meet Mrs. Claus too!

Important thing to know: NO photos or videos allowed. You’ll need to purchase a photo/video package if you’d like something to commemorate your time.

Visit Santa’s Post Office

Since this is Santa’s hometown, there is a real working post office where you can see all of the letters sent to Santa from all around the world!

They have boxes organized by country, which are filled with letters. During the Christmas season alone he gets 30,000 letters a day. And in total, he has received almost 20 million letters from just about every country! 😱

But besides writing letters to Santa, you can also buy a postcard or card here and send one to yourself or your family back home! There are two different mail boxes you can put your mail in. One will be sent now, while the other will be sent to your future self, next Christmas.

We put postcards in both boxes and somehow they both got sent right away. But it’s still a fun concept and I’m sure it was just a silly mistake made by an elf on their first day!

Santa’s Salmon Place

There are several restaurants to choose from at Santa Claus Village and we highly recommend Santa’s Salmon Place! It is located inside a traditional Lappish tipi, with a raging fire in the middle. And they only serve one main dish here, which is fresh salmon cooked on an open fire. It is DELICIOUS (and this is coming from someone still warming up to salmon!)

We recommend adding on the traditional Finnish cheese served with cloudberry jam, one of our favorite Finnish foods!

How to get to Santa Claus Village

Getting to Santa Claus Village couldn’t be easier. It’s a short drive from Rovaniemi, but if you don’t have a car, no problem! The local bus number 8 runs year round from Rovaniemi city center to the village. And during the winter months there is a dedicated Santa Claus Bus that includes a stop at the airport. It costs a few Euros per person to ride, which can be paid by card or cash on the bus.

To head back to Rovaniemi after exploring, you will want to head to the bus stop at the front of the village. Just be prepared to fight for a spot on it! During our visit, it was chaos trying to get on the bus. Despite being the first people there, dozens of others tried to shove their way on first. And once on the bus, many people had to stand. Hopefully your experience goes smoother, but prepare for madness!

9. Stay in a unique accommodation

Finnish Lapland offers no shortage of unique accommodations. There are domes, with glass walls and ceilings, an ice hotel, and log cabins to choose from. And in our opinion, staying in one of these unique accommodations is one of the top things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter!

Some of the best places to stay in Lapland are Apukka Resort (Rovaniemi), Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos (Sinettä), Wilderness Hotel Muotka (Saariselka), and Wilderness Hotel Inari (Inari).

However, these accommodations are VERY expensive. And were way out of our budget. So instead, we booked a traditional off-grid cabin on a private island. Yes, a PRIVATE island!

While this may sound expensive, we paid under $200 USD per night for this experience. The island is located in very Northern Finland and to get to it, you will walk or snowmobile across a frozen lake. Once there, you will get to enjoy an off-grid cabin, which means zero electricity or running water. We kept warm by having a fire on our wood burning stove (plus a propane heater) and fetched water from a hole in the lake.

Our days were spent reading, playing games, enjoying the Finnish sauna, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and looking for reindeer out our window. You can see our experience here in this video!

We highly, highly recommend this rental. Yes, it’s rugged and requires work. But from the many Finnish commenters we had, this is the TRUE Finnish experience. It’s not as luxurious as the spots above, but if you want to feel like a local and have an authentic, one of a kind adventure, we couldn’t recommend it more!

10. Try Finnish food

Lohikeitto, What to eat in Finland, Traditional Finnish Foods to Try

One of our favorite things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter was warm up with some hot Finnish food!

Finland has a wide variety of traditional dishes that we suggest trying, but while in Finnish Lapland, make sure you get Lohikeitto and Poronkäristys.

Lohikeitto is a Finnish creamy salmon soup that has salmon, potatoes, carrots and leeks, and dill. It was easily one of our favorite dishes in Finland! In Rovaniemi, you can try this dish at Ravintola Roka Street Bistro, Nili Restaurant, and Cafe & Bar 21.

Poronkäristys is the traditional dish of the Sami people. It consists of reindeer meat served with potatoes and lingonberry jam. Nili Restaurant is also a great spot to try this! And for a different twist on reindeer, Ravintola Roka Street Bistro has some good reindeer options too.

11. Husky dog sledding

One of the most popular things to do in Finnish Lapland is go on a husky dog sledding tour! Unlike reindeers, huskies are not a traditional transportation method in Finland. Husky dog sledding was created mostly for tourism purposes. But it’s still a fun activity!

Similar to the reindeer farm tours, please do research before booking a tour. While animals tend to be treated very well in Finland, we have heard some stories of husky farms not treating the dogs well.

We have heard wonderful things about Bearhill Husky, Hetta Huskies, and Kota-Husky. All of these companies offer short rides, with Hetta and Kota offering overnight experiences as well (which is what we would LOVE to do).

12. Visit nearby towns

One of our favorite things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter was just road tripping in our rental car. We drove from Rovaniemi to Inari and it was neat to be able to see the Finnish countryside by car!

Some popular towns to check out are Rovaniemi, Saariselka, Inari, Kemi, Levi, and Ivalo.

Rovaniemi is where you’ll find many of the things listed on this guide, like Santa Claus Village. Make sure to stop by Coffee House Rovaniemi for a hot drink!

While not a major destination in itself, we drove through Sodankylä while road tripping through Lapland and stopped at Kahvila Smak. It’s a cozy cafe that serves delicious soups, coffee, and pastries. Plus, the woman behind the counter is the sweetest!

Saariselkä is home to the northernmost ski resort in Finland in Saariselka. And in Levi, you can not only ski, but also can check out Sámiland, which is all about the Sámi people.

Kemi is where the Sampo icebreaker cruise departs, as well as where you can find SnowCastle, a huge castle made of ice and snow.

Inari and Ivalo are located close to each other and both offer almost all of the activities we are sharing in this guide. Inari is the capital of Sámi culture and you can also visit Siida, the Sámi museum and nature center.

13. Ski, snowboard, or sled at a ski resort

Snowshoeing | Things to do in Finnish Lapland in the winter

As you might imagine, the Finnish Lapland countryside is thoroughly blanketed in snow in the winter. And while this part of Finland doesn’t offer giant mountains, it has plenty of hillsides and fells that are great for beginners. This makes for the perfect setting to ski, snowboard, and sled!

The ski season in Finland usually runs from November to April. Some of the more popular resorts in Finnish Lapland are Ylläs (the biggest ski resort in Finland), Levi, Pyhä, and Saariselkä.

You can rent snowshoes and skis from Arctic Attitude or Nordic Odyssey in Rovaniemi. But if you’d prefer to go with a tour, you can find both snowshoeing and cross country skiing tours.

14. Visit a national park

There are seven National Parks in Finnish Lapland that you can visit. These parks are open year round, offering a peaceful experience for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter.

Here are a few that would be fun to check out! They are only a couple hours from Rovaniemi and while some are accessible via public transportation, having a car will be easiest.

Riisitunturi National Park

Located two hours east of Rovaniemi, Riisitunturi National Park is popular to visit in the winter to see the spruce trees caked in snow! The trees take on a weird shape often referred to as popcorn trees. It’s also great for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and photographing its white forests.

Urho Kekkonen National Park

Rovaniemi is often referred to as the home of Santa Claus, but Korvatunri Fell in Urho Kekkonen National Park is Santa’s “secret” home. This brings lots of visitors to the park, but so does the kilometers of hiking trails and World War II history.

The park also offers saunas in the wilderness and 37 overnight huts and turf huts! We’d love to snowshoe or ski to one of these and stay overnight next time!

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

To breathe what scientists claim has the cleanest air in the world, head north to Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to take in the fresh air on its 500 km of maintained ski tracks and 100 km of winter hiking trails.

There are also FREE backcountry cabins you can stay in!

Planning your trip to Finnish Lapland

What are the best winter months to visit Finnish Lapland?

If you’re wanting to experience holiday activities, visiting Finnish Lapland in December and January is best. We personally visited in early January, right after New Years. The days were pretty short, but it forced us to slow down a bit, which we liked!

For a bit lower prices, still lots of snow, and a little more sunlight, we’d suggest March. It is said to be one of the best months to see the Northern Lights!

Where to stay in Finnish Lapland

Rovaniemi is the easiest place to stay in Finnish Lapland, as it is easy to get to from Helsinki and offers tons to do. Below are some options in Rovaniemi, plus a few in other areas of Lapland.

Hotels and resorts

Apukka Resort (Rovaniemi)
Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara (Rovaniemi)
Arctic Light Hotel (Rovaniemi)
Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos (Sinettä)
Wilderness Hotel Muotka (Saariselka)
Wilderness Hotel Inari (Inari)

More hotel options in Rovaniemi

Vacation Rentals

Forenom Serviced Apartments Rovaniemi
Nordica Design Residence Rovaniemi
Santa Claus Holiday Village
Cosy downtown apartment near Santa’s bus stop (where we stayed)

More vacation rental options in Rovaniemi

The ULTIMATE Finnish Experience

As we mentioned earlier, we HIGHLY recommend this off-grid private island! This isn’t your typical vacation rental, but it will give you a unique, local experience. You can see more of the property and our full stay in this video.

How to get to Finnish Lapland

What to expect on the overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi (Santa Claus Express)

By train

One of the most popular ways (and most fun if you ask us!) is to ride the Santa Claus Express overnight train from Helsinki. It’s a 12 hour journey and while flying would be much quicker, this train ride is an experience in itself! You can book a private cabin with bunk beds and for a few extra bucks, you can have your own private shower in your cabin!

We wrote a guide where we share everything you need to know about the Santa Claus Express overnight train from Helsinki plus our experience!

Fly

The easiest way to get to Finnish Lapland is to fly. And the most popular airport to fly into is the Rovaniemi Airport (RVN). There are frequent flights from Helsinki (HEL) and the flight is just over an hour.

Drive

You could also drive a rental car to Rovaniemi, but this would be an over 9 hour drive from Helsinki. On the bright side, you would see a side of Finland many visitors don’t get to see!

How to get around Finnish Lapland

Finland boasts an impressive public transportation system. There are bus or train options to most of the popular towns in the region, like Kemi, Levi, Inari, etc.

But for the most flexibility and freedom, renting a car is the best option! We rented a car for a few days in Finland and loved it. While we were a bit nervous at first, since we had zero winter driving experience, it was actually VERY easy! All rental cars in Finland come standard with winter tires. As we drove around, it felt like we were driving in normal conditions. There was no slipping or skidding and we felt very comfortable!

What to wear in Finnish Lapland in the winter

Winters in Finnish Lapland bring very cold weather and snow. And since you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors, you will want some solid winter gear. We are sharing our winter hiking gear list here, but below are a handful of items we want to emphasize bringing when visiting Finnish Lapland in the winter.

Base layers

The key to staying warm in the winter are layers. And one of the most important layers to wear are wool base layers. Wearing these underneath a lighter jacket, plus our heavier winter jackets, helped us stay warm while in Finland.

For wool base layers we both wore MERIWOOL tops and bottoms and loved them.

Winter jacket

You will also want a solid, insulated winter jacket. Adam wore an LL Bean jacket and Kathryn wore a North Face parka similar to this one. We both wore lighter jackets (like the Columbia Men’s Powder Lite Jacket and Columbia Women’s Heavenly Hooded Jacket) underneath as well.

Gloves/mittens

Gloves and mittens are a key element in staying warm. Mittens are preferred, since they keep your fingers together, which generates more heat. But they can be tricky to maneuver your hands with. So we like to do a mix of 3M Thinsulate Touchscreen Gloves with Carhartt Insulated Mittens over them.

Hat and buff

Keeping your head, neck, and face warm will make a huge difference. We like to wear a beanie or headband and also a buff.

Wool socks

We only wear wool socks in the winter. They do well with moisture, keeping your feet warmer even if wet. These MERIWOOL Merino Wool Hiking Socks are 75% wool and worked great for us.

Winter hiking boots

Besides our hands, our feet tend to struggle the most in the cold. One thing we learned while in Finland is that you actually want to buy boots one size too big, so that your feet have plenty of room, even with thick socks. The key to keeping your feet warm is circulation and if the boots are too tight, you won’t have proper circulation.

While in Finland Adam wore Columbia Bugaboot Snow Boots and Kathryn wore Columbia Ice Maiden Snow Boots.

Sun protection

The sun’s reflection off the snow can be incredibly intense, so make sure to not only wear sunscreen, but also sunglasses! Adam wears Men’s KALIYADI Polarized Sunglasses and Kathryn wears Women’s Ray-Ban Chris Sunglasses.

Hand warmers

Hand warmers are a lifesaver in the cold! We love Hot Hands Hand & Toe Warmers. Slip these into your gloves or boots, and they provide up to 10 hours of warmth.

Things to know when visiting Finnish Lapland in winter

Read the Finnish Way

To get a better understanding of the Finnish people and culture, we highly recommend reading The Finnish Way by Katja Pantzar before your trip. We learned a lot from this book and understood more of what we were seeing around the country during our visit.

If nothing else, you’ll learn about the Finnish concept of Sisu, which is basically having courage and fortitude to continue on in tough or uncomfortable circumstances. This is especially important when dipping your body into a frozen lake after a sauna! 😂

How cold does it get in Finnish Lapland in the winter?

Being near the Arctic Circle the temperatures will get extremely cold. In the months between December and March, the average high is below freezing. When we visited in early January, it was -26ºC (-15ºF) or colder most days. We had NEVER experienced anything like this. Just walking outside the liquid in our nose would instantly freeze! And my eyelashes froze a couple times as well!

But if we can do it, so can you! The key is to have warm layers and have a positive mindset. Many tours will include hot drinks! And some places, like Santa Claus Village, include lots of indoor activities to warm you up.

Batteries die quicker

One very good thing to know is that phone and camera batteries die quicker in the cold. To keep them charged longer, try to keep them inside your inner jacket pockets, so your body heat can warm them up.

Camera lenses will fog

Another technology struggle we encountered was our camera lens. When we would go from outside in the frigid cold to the warm inside, our lens fogged up.

We struggled to figure out how to prevent this. Sometimes we kept our camera in our backpack to keep it warmer outside, so the indoor temperature wasn’t such a dramatic difference, but it wasn’t always possible.

Just be prepared to wait a bit for it to de-fog indoors. And make sure that the condensation is gone before you go outside again, as it can freeze on the lens.

Is Finland expensive to visit?

While we didn’t find Helsinki to be too expensive, Finnish Lapland is another story. Lodging isn’t horrible and groceries aren’t too bad (we cooked a lot!), but what will possibly break your budget are tours. They add up fast!

To save money, we did a few of these activities on our own, like the Finnish sauna, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and Korouoma. While some of these were done at our off-grid private island, the cost of that Airbnb rental was actually cheaper than if we had done all of those activities on a tour. AND we got lodging out of it!

We personally don’t love massive group tours, as it feels extra touristy, so if you can, rent a car and try to experience as much of Finnish Lapland on your own. Not only will this be a more authentic experience, but you can also save a lot of money this way.

How many hours of daylight are there?

When visiting in the winter, the hours of daylight are very limited. To see the exact hours for your visit, we like checking this website.

December will have the least amount of hours and as you get further from the winter solstice (~December 22), the days will get longer. When we visited in early January, the sun just barely rose above the horizon. It looked like we were stuck at sunrise or sunset during the daylight hours. Which we thought was beautiful!

But one thing to know is that as you go further north, there will be less and less daylight. While Rovaniemi had close to 3 hours of daylight during our visit, Ivalo was experiencing polar night, where the sun does not rise at all.

What languages are spoken?

Almost everyone we encountered in northern Finland spoke English well. Menus at restaurants will have an English version and you won’t have difficulty communicating.

We love to learn a few words of the local language when we travel, to at least show that we care. Adam’s favorite word in Finnish was “kiitos” (key-toes), which means thank you!