Best time to go on a Finland winter vacation
Depending on location, winter in Finland begins in November and can last up to five months, with temps ranging from a balmy zero to a lung-freezing -35°C.![]()
You don't really need us to tell you the best time to go on a Finland winter vacation. But you may want to ask a Finn, because they claim that there are eight seasons here, depending on how far north you go. So there is still snow in Lapland in April and as early as November. The Northern Lights come out to play in September, right through until March. December to mid January are deepest, darkest winter, but people still get out there enjoying saunas and freezing lake swims. And countrywide, mid January until the end of February is full on winter activities.
Our Finland winter Vacations
Finland Northern Lights vacation, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1595 to £1995
5 days
inc UK flights
Northern lights family vacation, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing Spa hotel
From
£1095 to £2010
4 days
inc UK flights
Cross-country skiing vacation in Finland's eastern wilderness
Guided country skiing vacation through remote eastern Finland
From
€1110
7 days
ex flights
Winter vacation in Finnish Lapland
Winter Cottage vacations, Finnish Lapland.
From
£2095 to £2895
8 days
inc UK flights
Finland winter activity vacation & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
From
US $3279 to US $3999
8 days
ex flights
Husky safari in Finland
Sled with huskies through spectacular Finnish scenery
From
£2835 to £3235
8 days
inc UK flights
Things to do on Finland Winter Vacations
Things to do on a Finland winter vacation…
Things not to do on a Finland winter vacation…
Our top Finland winter Vacation
Finland Northern Lights vacation, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1595 to £1995
5 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2022: 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2023: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 15 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar
2022: 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2023: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 15 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Finland winter or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Finland winter vacations travel advice
Cross country skiing tips
Urpo Heikkinen, of our Finland supplier, Upitrek:
“I really recommend cross country skiing. You go from place to place, spending each night with different people – you feel like you’re having an adventure. The rhythm is flexible and it’s much easier than walking – you can cover great distances while still seeing wildlife and tracks in the snow. On the downhill sections you’ll enjoy the speed. In these remote areas people still have a more traditional way of living. They have gardens where they grow their own vegetables; it’s always Finnish food made with local ingredients, so no pizza or pasta! It all comes from very close by. Skiing from place to place is also an environmentally friendly way to see Finland – it’s much better than traveling by car.”
“I really recommend cross country skiing. You go from place to place, spending each night with different people – you feel like you’re having an adventure. The rhythm is flexible and it’s much easier than walking – you can cover great distances while still seeing wildlife and tracks in the snow. On the downhill sections you’ll enjoy the speed. In these remote areas people still have a more traditional way of living. They have gardens where they grow their own vegetables; it’s always Finnish food made with local ingredients, so no pizza or pasta! It all comes from very close by. Skiing from place to place is also an environmentally friendly way to see Finland – it’s much better than traveling by car.”
Family vacation tips
Ali McLean, from our supplier, Activities Abroad, and a dad:“A couple of years ago I was at Lake Inari, standing on a frozen lake waiting for the Northern Lights. It was -27°C and the kids were sitting inside a hut under blankets and next to a fire. About midnight the lights came out and I ran in asking them to come and see the display. My daughter looked at me and said, ‘nah dad, we’ve already seen them.’ Kids have to be a certain age to appreciate them; I’d say anyone below their teenage years doesn’t have enough of a grasp of what they are and gets too tired and too cold for the hunt. It tends to be a trip for the older generation while the kids get stuck in to all the great winter sports.”
Laura Greenman from our Finland winter vacations supplier Magnetic North, and a mum:
“The outdoor life helps family life as young and old can connect in nature – perhaps working together or enjoying a stunning sight. Our guides pass on their love of the outdoors to the younger generation; partly for fear that society is becoming too sedentary! Many trips are adapted for a wide age range such as dog sledding, snow shoeing, reindeer sledding, camping in the wild, and ice fishing.”
Snow shoeing tips
Tom Wilkinson, snow shoeing expert at our supplier, Exodus Travels: “If you can walk you can snow shoe. There are of course techniques/tips for going up and down, and through deeper snow, but really this is the winter sport anyone can do. With snow shoes a beginner can access places usually reserved for red hot off-piste skiers – and you’re far less likely to crash into a tree! Aside from thinking you’ll be using tennis racquets (modern snow shoes are sleek and light) people can forget that if you’re walking in deep snow, walking in single file means the person at the front does all the work breaking the trail, though good etiquette is to take turns doing that!”
Cultural tip
Laura Greenman, from our supplier, Magnetic North:“When we organise trips or experiences with Sámi people, we have to be really careful that what our travelers are seeing is genuine. Sometimes they might see Sámi in traditional costume for example, but we believe they should only see it if the locals were going to be wearing it anyway; we don’t want people on our trips to experience a ‘show’. We want people to spend time with reindeer herders and see what their day is like and see how they live with their families. These experiences aren’t forced and are in fact very personal and we find that people get so much more out of that than being shunted around a set-up situation.”
Finland winter vacations travel advice
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Finland winter vacations travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Finland winter vacations travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
Get some hand warmers for your mittens.![]()
– Steve Hirst
“It was easy to put too many layers of clothing on when doing sporting activities such as skiing. Take your own balaclava or two and glove liners. You can rinse out your clothes it you get too sweaty and dry them in electric dryers that each hotel has. So you don't need to go over the top with too many winter clothes. The warm winter clothes they supply are excellent and all you need are some thermals for a couple of days.” – Thomas White
“Get fit before you go. Get some experience on cross country ski techniques, especially if you are an alpine skier like me - crsos-country is different! Take clothes that you can layer on top for when you stop skiing... I really enjoyed the total immersion in the beautiful Finnish wilderness and the ability to enjoy its peace on your own, at your own pace, whilst also knowing you had a great team to catch up with. The locations and cabins were just stunning. The best thing about the whole trip was the peace. By Day 3, skiing was a meditation and I simply enjoyed the peace... take a day to visit Helsinki on the way home – very cool city.” – Paul Cundy
“Get fit before you go. Get some experience on cross country ski techniques, especially if you are an alpine skier like me - crsos-country is different! Take clothes that you can layer on top for when you stop skiing... I really enjoyed the total immersion in the beautiful Finnish wilderness and the ability to enjoy its peace on your own, at your own pace, whilst also knowing you had a great team to catch up with. The locations and cabins were just stunning. The best thing about the whole trip was the peace. By Day 3, skiing was a meditation and I simply enjoyed the peace... take a day to visit Helsinki on the way home – very cool city.” – Paul Cundy
Plan to take naps during daylight so you can stay awake longer for the night time aurora hunting.![]()
– Malcolm Raggett on a Northern Lights vacation
“Do it! Buy some good thermal underwear. Buy a bulk pack of hot hands hand warmers from amazon as they were worth their weight in gold!... It was wonderful. We all loved different activities... The cross country skiing and snowshoeing required more skill than we expected. However, the scenery for every activity was stunning and definitely the star.” – Susannah Stewart
“Pack light – the outer gear provided is good. Get fit – chopping frozen reindeer meat, lugging wood and water to the wilderness cabins is hard work in deep snow. Bring a camera – our camera worked but our phones switched off in the cold.” – Ruth Stevens on a husky safari vacation
“Take a lot of socks.” – Louise Robertson
“Be reasonably fit and you will enjoy the trip more, and don't go directly from a warm climate without acclimatising somewhere for the cold beforehand... The scenery was just fantastic, and I really enjoyed being with the huskies. The whole experience was like nothing I've ever done before.” – Jonathan Gilbert on a winter activity vacation
“Pack light – the outer gear provided is good. Get fit – chopping frozen reindeer meat, lugging wood and water to the wilderness cabins is hard work in deep snow. Bring a camera – our camera worked but our phones switched off in the cold.” – Ruth Stevens on a husky safari vacation
“Take a lot of socks.” – Louise Robertson
“Be reasonably fit and you will enjoy the trip more, and don't go directly from a warm climate without acclimatising somewhere for the cold beforehand... The scenery was just fantastic, and I really enjoyed being with the huskies. The whole experience was like nothing I've ever done before.” – Jonathan Gilbert on a winter activity vacation
More about Finland winter
We hope that this Finland winter vacations travel guide is like opening a sackful of magical Christmas presents, all of which have had thought put into them, made from expert artisans, that are responsibly sourced and, most importantly, will bring joy and leave you with great memories.
