Lapland, Finland67°46.8′ N · 025°36.0′ E

Finnish Lapland Planner
Northern lights above a snow-covered grill hut at Naamijoki, Pello, in Finnish Lapland

Lapland, Finland

Finnish Lapland in winter

Husky rides by day, northern lights by night

Photo: YosemiteYamper / CC BY-SA 4.0

Finnish Lapland at a glance

When to go
February to early April
Best aurora odds
Kilpisjärvi, about 75%
Fly to
Rovaniemi, Kittilä or Ivalo
Tours from
$78.10 (aurora hunt)
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5 picks · from $78.10

Finnish Lapland is one night train from Helsinki. Come for a husky ride, reindeer in the snow and a guide who drives you out after dark to find the auroras. Rovaniemi has the most flights and most of the tours below.

By Finnish Lapland Planner editorial team Updated

Huskies, reindeer and aurora hunts

Aurora hunts, husky and reindeer rides, a canyon hike and an icebreaker, mostly from Rovaniemi.

Green northern lights over snowy ground near Rovaniemi, Finland

Top pick

Northern lights hunt from Rovaniemi with photos

Rated 4.8 out of 5. 2,703 reviews

A guided aurora hunt by van from Rovaniemi, with photos. The listing promises a refund if you see no lights.

from $78.10

Check availability
  • A husky team pulling a sled through a snowy forest on a dog-sledding trip in Finland

    Rated 4.6 (1,292)

    Huskies, reindeer and a snowmobile ride

    Three classic Lapland rides in one day out of Rovaniemi.

    from $222.55

    Check price
  • A reindeer pulling a sleigh with passengers along a snowy track in Lapland

    Rated 4.2 (1,584)

    Reindeer farm visit with a sleigh ride

    A shorter, cheaper way to meet reindeer near Rovaniemi.

    from $97.55

    Check price
  • A frozen waterfall on the cliffs of the Korouoma Nature Reserve, Lapland

    Rated 4.9 (1,665)

    Korouoma Canyon frozen waterfalls hike

    A winter hike to frozen waterfalls in a canyon south-east of Rovaniemi, with a fire and food.

    from $78.11

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  • The icebreaker Sampo in sea ice at the Port of Kemi at sunset

    Rated 4.7 (490)

    Icebreaker cruise from Kemi with ice floating

    A day on a working icebreaker in the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, with a shuttle from Rovaniemi or Kemi.

    from $364.39

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Things to do in Lapland

Five ways to spend a winter day and night.

  1. Green northern lights over Saana fell in Kilpisjärvi, Finnish Lapland
    Photo: WikiLucas00 / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chase the northern lights

    Go out with a guide after dark. FMI says look around midnight.

  2. Two harnessed huskies running through snow on a sled trip in Finland
    Photo: Markus Trienke / CC BY-SA 2.0

    Ride with huskies

    Huskies, reindeer and a snowmobile in one day from Rovaniemi.

  3. Reindeer grazing on the shoulder of Saana fell, above the treeline in Enontekiö
    Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Meet reindeer

    Visit a reindeer farm near Rovaniemi and take a sleigh ride.

  4. Ice falls frozen down the canyon walls at Korouoma, Posio
    Photo: Ninara / CC BY 2.0

    Hike a frozen canyon

    Walk to the frozen waterfalls of Korouoma, south-east of Rovaniemi.

  5. The icebreaker Sampo moored at the Port of Kemi, Finland
    Photo: Henri from Tornio, Finland / CC BY-SA 2.0

    Sail on an icebreaker

    Spend a day on a working icebreaker in the frozen Gulf of Bothnia.

Where to base yourself

Map of Finnish LaplandMap of Finnish Lapland with roads and streets, rivers, lakes, railways and national borders, and 6 numbered places, listed below the map. North is up.1Rovaniemi2Levi3Ylläs4Saariselkä5Inari6Kilpisjärvi50 km
  1. Rovaniemi. source
  2. Levi (fell) (approximate location). source
  3. Ylläs (Yllästunturi fell) (approximate location). source
  4. Saariselkä. source
  5. Inari. source
  6. Kilpisjärvi. source

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Rovaniemi has the most ways in: 39 direct winter routes and the night train. Levi is 15 km from Kittilä Airport. Kilpisjärvi tops the aurora table but has no airport or station.

Explore the Finnish Lapland guide

  • Where to stay in Lapland

    Rovaniemi, Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Inari or Kilpisjärvi? Compare aurora odds, January cold, polar night and airport transfers, with sources and dates.

  • Best time to visit Lapland

    September to April in Finnish Lapland, month by month: FMI temperature normals, aurora months, polar night dates and when snow arrives.

  • Northern lights in Lapland

    How often auroras show over Kilpisjärvi, Levi, Ylläs, Saariselkä and Rovaniemi, the best months and hours, all from Finnish Meteorological Institute figures.

  • Polar night (kaamos) in Lapland

    When the sun stays below the horizon in Finnish Lapland: Nuorgam 25 Nov – 17 Jan, Levi 10 Dec – 1 Jan, Sodankylä about four days, and the Rovaniemi question.

  • Train or plane north

    VR night trains from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and Kolari, day trains and flights to Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo: times for 15 Dec 2026 and which base each serves.

  • Flights to Finnish Lapland

    Every scheduled direct route into Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Ivalo for winter 2026–27 from Finavia's list, with airlines and which Lapland base each airport serves.

Questions about Finnish Lapland

By the editorial team

Which is the best base in Finnish Lapland?

For aurora odds, Kilpisjärvi (about 75% of dark, clear nights, FMI). For a short transfer, Levi, 15 km from Kittilä Airport. For the most flights and the night train into town, Rovaniemi.

When is the best month for the northern lights in Finnish Lapland?

FMI says March and early April once weather is counted. Summer nights are too light.

Can you take a train to Finnish Lapland?

Yes. VR night trains run from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and to Kolari, the railhead for Ylläs and Levi. On 15 December 2026 the earliest leaves Helsinki at 19:29 and reaches Rovaniemi at 07:20.

How cold is Finnish Lapland in January?

FMI's 1991–2020 January means run from −10.3 °C at Rovaniemi airport to −13.7 °C at Muonio, the nearest station to Levi and Ylläs. Single nights can be far colder.

5 picks · from $78.10

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