Lapland
Your ultimate travel duide for northern lights, top things to do, and hotels.
Summary
Travel to Rovaniemi, Finland
Northern Lights
Daytime Activites
Winter Clothes (Rental)
Hotels
1. Travel to Rovaniemi, Finland
Rovaniemi, Finland is THE city for people dreaming of travelling in Lapland. We offer here everything you need to create your lifetime best memory.
If you are an European citizen, no visa is required. If you are not European citizen, we recommend you to check what visa you would need here.
A travel of 5 to 10 days, gives you the time you need to enjoy all the daytime activities and the northern lights. To get to Rovaniemi, few options come to you:
Flights from Helsinki (capital of Finland) to Rovaniemi, or, in some cases (mainly in winter due to touristic season), from other countries straight to Rovaniemi, Finland. Finnair is the main company of this airport. Get your flight ticket here.
Train from Helsinki. You have to count about 10-12 hours of transport doable overnight or daytime. Trains are operated by VR, Finland’s national railway. Get your train ticket here.
Taxi available from the airport and train station. The airport is 10 minutes driving from the city centre. The train station is only 10 minutes walk from the centre. If you prefer to book, Menevä Taxi: +35880002120
2. Northern Lights
Northern Light season: Mid August – Mid April.
Northern light can be forecasting only 1 to 3 hours in advance (not many hours, not days, not weeks or month).
The weather is something we check on the night of your reserved hunt, because there are updates every day, and still the forecast can be wrong on the same day that’s why our decisions are not entirely based on forecast of the day and never based on forecast made few days in advanced.
Overall you might be wondering when is the best time to come to see northern lights, or you already booked your flight tickets and want to know how northern lights will be then. It is very important that you understand that no matter the week you choose to travel there will be every type of night. Per example 1 night can be amazing for northern light, the next night we have to cancel because it’s cloudy everywhere in the nordic countries, the night after we can have middle intensity northern light, the night after the strongest northern light of the season, etc…
So, if you can’t know how northern light will be during your travel, what can you do? We recommend you to stay a minimum of 5 nights in Lapland and to book your northern light hunt on the beginning of your travel, that way if we have to cancel due to cloudiness everywhere, you still have other nights. Or if you come on a night with small northern lights, you still have options for the rest of your trip if you want to try later. And if you get amazing northern light in the beginning of your travel, you can take off this pressure from your shoulders. Check all the info about our Northern Light Hunt.
3. Daytime Activities
Reindeer Sleigh ride: One of the most iconic animal of Lapland is definitely the reindeer. You can visit a reindeer farm all year around and in winter even go for a sleigh ride. We definitely recommend you our dear friends who own their family farm for more than 200 years already. Click here for more info.
Husky sleigh ride: Lovely kennel that you can visit and go on a sleigh ride all year around. In summer with a kart, in winter with a sleigh. Click here for more info.
Snowmobile: You can ride snowmobile when there is enough snow, and every year the snow comes at a different month, the snow condition can start being good in October in earliest case or December in latest case. One amazing guy here, is having his small snowmobile company, a concept on the opposite of the mass tourism, taking small, private or family group, the choice is yours. Click here for more info.
Snow Castle: Visit possible from 15th of December. Every year the snow Castle is rebuilt entirely out of snow and ice, with rooms that you visit or sleep in if you wish, ice bar and ice restaurant. The snow Castle is about 20 min far from the centre. They offer transfer service if needed. Click here for more info.
Spa: Relaxing massage, swimming pool in a beautiful nature place. Click here for more info.
Sauna: Can’t go to Finland without experiencing a traditional sauna in the middle of the arctic forest. Click here for more info.
Fatbike: If you’re a sportive, fatbike can be a good way to discover the area. Click here for more info.
4. Winter Clothes
In winter the temperature can drop as cold as -40°C/F at the most extreme. It is very important that you come prepared for the cold. Proper wool socks, base layer, winter boots, pants and jacket, hat and gloves. If you don’t have, you can rent here.
5. Hotels
We have 2 options to suggest you. An airbnb in city centre of Rovaniemi that can welcome from 1 to 4 people with a private sauna. A resort in the forest near a lake with treehouse rooms and restaurant. See options.