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

Finnish Lapland Planner
Koskikatu and Hotel Pohjanhovi in Rovaniemi seen across the Kemijoki in late December

Polar night (kaamos) in Lapland

Weeks of blue midday light in deep winter

Photo: Xepheid / CC BY-SA 3.0

In Nuorgam, at Finland's northern tip, the sun stays down for almost two months. Further south it shrinks. Levi had it from 10 Dec 2025 to 1 Jan 2026, and Sodankylä, near the Arctic Circle, gets only about four days.

By Finnish Lapland Planner editorial team Updated

Dates by place

Polar night (kaamos): the dates primary sources publish
PlaceSun stays below the horizonSource
Nuorgam (northernmost Finland)125 Nov – 17 Jan, almost two monthsFMI
Levi2Sunset 10 Dec 2025 at 12:32 to sunrise 1 Jan 2026 at 12:11Levi.fi
Sodankylä1Only about four days, just before ChristmasFMI
Rovaniemi3Unresolved: Visit Rovaniemi says the sun does not rise in late December; FMI says polar night shortens towards the Arctic CircleVisit Rovaniemi; FMI
Levi.fi gives the 2025–26 season; the 2026–27 dates fall about the same days of the year. We found no primary-source dates for Saariselkä, Inari, Ylläs or Kilpisjärvi.Checked · 1 source · 2 source · 3 source, source

Polar night is longest in the far north and shrinks towards the Arctic Circle (FMI). We found no primary-source dates for Ylläs, Saariselkä, Inari or Kilpisjärvi, so we do not give any.

Kaamos and auroras

Auroras are no likelier during kaamos. FMI rates March and early April higher once weather is counted. Come in kaamos for the blue midday light and the deep-winter mood.

Questions about Finnish Lapland

By the editorial team

Does Rovaniemi have polar night?

Sources disagree. Visit Rovaniemi says the sun does not rise in late December. FMI says polar night shortens towards the Arctic Circle and gives Sodankylä, well north of Rovaniemi, only about four days.

Is it completely dark during polar night?

No. The sun stays just below the horizon around midday. Levi.fi times the last sunset at 12:32 on 10 December 2025 and the first sunrise at 12:11 on 1 January 2026.

What does kaamos mean?

It is the Finnish word for polar night, the weeks when the sun does not rise above the horizon.

Where is polar night longest in Finland?

In Nuorgam, the northernmost village, from 25 November to 17 January (FMI).

Are the northern lights better during polar night?

No. FMI rates March and early April best once weather is counted.