Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Finnish Lapland covers almost a third of Finland, stretching from the shores of the Bothnian Bay to the borders of Sweden, Norway and Russia far above the Arctic Circle.
Arktikum
Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle
Ranua Wildlife Park
Levi
+4 more places
This guide covers the best places to visit in Finnish Lapland, from the regional capital Rovaniemi to the ski fells of the west and the Sámi heartland around Lake Inari, with practical advice on seasons, transport and how to make the most of this vast region.
People come to Lapland for nature rather than monuments. Much of the region is protected as national parks and wilderness areas, crossed by well-marked trails and dotted with open wilderness huts, and Finland's everyman's right lets you walk, ski and pick berries freely across most land.
Lapland is also the traditional homeland of the Sámi, the only Indigenous people of the European Union, whose reindeer herding, crafts and languages remain very much alive in the northernmost municipalities. History here is recent and dramatic: during the Lapland War of 1944 and 1945, retreating German troops burned most towns, including almost all of Rovaniemi, which is why the region's buildings are largely modern.
Rovaniemi is the regional capital, the main transport hub and the starting point for most visitors. It sits at the confluence of the Kemijoki and Ounasjoki rivers, just south of the Arctic Circle.
On the riverbank near the city center, Arktikum combines the Arctic Centre's science exhibition with the Regional Museum of Lapland.
Arktikum in Rovaniemi, opened in 1992, houses the Arctic Centre science exhibition and the Regional Museum of Lapland. Photo: Leonhard Lenz, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
About eight kilometers north of the center, near Rovaniemi Airport, Santa Claus Village straddles the Arctic Circle.
Santa Claus Village, opened in 1980, sits on the Arctic Circle just north of Rovaniemi. Photo: Leonhard Lenz, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Ounasvaara, the forested hill across the river east of the center, has ski slopes, cross-country tracks and hiking paths with views over the city. The riverside promenade and the distinctive Lumberjack's Candle Bridge are pleasant on a summer evening under the midnight sun.
About an hour's drive south of Rovaniemi, Ranua Wildlife Park keeps around fifty Arctic and northern species, including brown bears, lynx, wolves, wolverines, moose and the only polar bears in Finland. A walkway of several kilometers winds through forest enclosures.
Ranua Wildlife Park is the only place in Finland where you can see polar bears. Photo: Alyunina, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Northwest of Rovaniemi the forest gives way to chains of rounded fells, home to Finland's largest ski resorts and its most popular national park.
Levi, near the village of Sirkka in Kittilä, is the largest ski resort in Finland, with dozens of slopes, many floodlit for the dark months, two gondolas and a lively village of restaurants and shops.
Levi, in the municipality of Kittilä, is the largest ski resort in Finland. Photo: DanielMichaelPerry, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
South of Levi, the resorts of Ylläs and the village of Äkäslompolo cluster around Yllästunturi fell. The atmosphere is quieter than Levi, the cross-country skiing network is excellent, and the fell marks the southern end of the national park.
Finland's most visited national park covers a chain of fells roughly a hundred kilometers long, from Ylläs in the south to Hetta in the north, with boreal forest between the bare summits. The Pallastunturi fells are designated a Finnish national landscape.
Pallas-Yllästunturi is the most visited national park in Finland, with a chain of fells about a hundred kilometers long. Photo: kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
In the far northwestern arm of Finland, near the meeting point of Finland, Sweden and Norway, the village of Kilpisjärvi sits beneath Saana, a steep fell that rises 1,029 meters above sea level.
Saana fell rises 1,029 meters above sea level beside Lake Kilpisjärvi in the far northwest of Finland. Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The northeastern corner of Lapland is the heart of the Sámi homeland, with vast wilderness areas around Lake Inari.
In the small village of Inari, Siida houses the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre. Exhibitions trace Sámi history, crafts, reindeer herding and the yearly cycle of nature in the north, and an open-air museum displays traditional dwellings and storehouses.
Siida in Inari is home to the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre. Photo: Manfred Werner - Tsui, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Inari is the largest lake in Sápmi and the third largest in Finland, with more than three thousand islands.
Lake Inari, the largest lake in Sápmi, holds more than three thousand islands, including the sacred Ukonkivi. Photo: Ukonkivi.jpg: Trogain derivative work: Bff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Saariselkä is a compact fell resort with downhill slopes, extensive ski trails and easy access to Urho Kekkonen National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Finland.
West of Inari, Lemmenjoki is Finland's largest national park, named after a river about eighty kilometers long that winds through a deep valley. In summer, riverboats carry hikers upstream toward old gold-digging grounds where a few prospectors still work claims.
Lappish cooking is built on reindeer, fish and forest berries.
Cloudberries, the golden Arctic berries that ripen in late summer, are served with warm squeaky cheese, known locally as leipäjuusto or juustoleipä, while bilberries and lingonberries appear in pies, porridges and juices.
Popular dishes to try in Finnish Lapland
Rovaniemi suits first-time visitors, families and anyone without a car, with the widest range of accommodation, tours and transport connections.
Saariselkä and Inari suit travelers interested in wilderness and Sámi culture, with cabins and lodges near national parks and lakes.
Kilpisjärvi and Hetta appeal to hikers and backcountry skiers who want remote fell landscapes, with fewer services and simpler cabins.
Where to stay in Finnish Lapland
December and January bring the polar night, called kaamos, when the sun barely rises in the north. It is the most popular time for Christmas trips, but temperatures can drop far below freezing.
Summer brings the midnight sun, mild temperatures and the hiking season, but also swarms of mosquitoes from late June through July, so pack strong repellent.
Lapland has commercial airports at Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo, Kemi and Enontekiö, with most flights connecting through Helsinki and extra seasonal and charter flights from other European cities in winter.
Distances are long and public transport is sparse outside the main routes, so renting a car gives you the most flexibility.
Arrive in Rovaniemi and spend the afternoon at Arktikum.
Visit Santa Claus Village and cross the Arctic Circle in the morning, then join a husky or reindeer safari in the afternoon.
Take a day trip to Ranua Wildlife Park, or ski and walk on Ounasvaara.
Travel north to Levi or Ylläs by bus or car.
Drive to the Pallas area for a fell walk or ski tour in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, returning to your resort for a sauna.
Continue northeast to Inari, visit Siida and explore the village and lakeshore.
Join a snowmobile or boat trip on Lake Inari, then head to Saariselkä and fly home from nearby Ivalo.
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