Finland Travel Guide
Our first trip to Finland combined three nights in Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland with a day in Helsinki before we headed home. We went because we wanted to see the Northern Lights. We never saw them. It was cloudy every night we were there, but we loved the trip enough that Finland is still somewhere we want to return to.
Most of our Finland coverage so far comes from that winter trip to Saariselkä, where we stayed on top of Kaunispää Fell just after Christmas. We went reindeer sledding, snowmobiling and tobogganing, and discovered very quickly that we had underestimated how cold Finnish Lapland could be.
This Finland travel guide brings together everything we’ve published from our trips, along with the practical information you need to start planning your own.
Helsinki:
We ended our Finland trip with a day in Helsinki after flying back from Lapland. It was still the Christmas season, so we spent the day exploring the city and visiting the Christmas market before heading home.
Helsinki was completely different from the few days we’d just spent in Saariselkä, and we’re glad we gave ourselves the extra day rather than flying straight home. Our Helsinki guide covers what we did and what we’d recommend if you’re adding a day in the city to a Finnish Lapland trip. Read our full Helsinki guide →
One Day in Helsinki
Saariselkä
Saariselkä is where we spent three nights between Christmas and New Year’s on our first trip to Finnish Lapland. We stayed at the Star Arctic Hotel on Kaunispää Fell, which had opened only a few weeks before we arrived.
We came hoping to see the Northern Lights and had cloudy skies every night. Fortunately, Saariselkä gave us plenty of other reasons to love the trip. Our Saariselkä guides cover what we did, where we stayed, how we’d plan a one-day visit and what we’d do differently if we went back. Read our full Saariselkä guide →
Saariselka Travel Guide
One Day in Saariselkä
The Best Time to Visit Saariselkä
Best Time to Visit
When to visit depends heavily on where you’re going. For Finnish Lapland, winter is the main season for snow activities and long nights for Northern Lights viewing. Summer brings very long daylight hours and a completely different trip. If you’re planning Saariselkä specifically, see our Best Time to Visit Saariselkä guide.
Currency
Finland uses the euro (€).
Language
Finnish and Swedish are Finland’s official languages. We had no trouble using English during our trip.
Getting Around
We flew from Helsinki to Ivalo for our Saariselkä trip. Ivalo Airport is about 30 kilometers from Saariselkä, and our hotel arranged our transfer. If you’re traveling elsewhere in Finland, trains, domestic flights, buses and driving all make sense depending on your route.
Winter Travel
Do not underestimate the cold in Lapland. It was around -30°C during our December trip, and the winter clothes we’d brought weren’t enough. We ended up buying warmer gear in Saariselkä.
Northern Lights
Give yourself more than a night or two if seeing the Northern Lights is important to you. We stayed three nights in Saariselkä and had clouds every night. Being in Lapland gives you the opportunity to see them, not a guarantee.