Winter vacations in Finland

In the northerly reaches of Finnish Lapland, and with zero light pollution once you leave your village, your chances of witnessing the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) are very high. “Everyone knows this is a wonderful place to see the Northern Lights, but there is so much more to Finnish Lapland than just that,” says Riitta Kiukas, founder of our Finland specialists Skafur Tour. “We have eight seasons here, and what that means is there is a constant sense of change: nature, light, colours, and animal behaviours – and, of course, activities for travelers.”

Long a favourite for family winter vacations, Finland is where you come if you’d rather round up a team of huskies than a bunch of last-minute gifts on the high street. It’s where you can watch the aurora borealis race across the night sky instead of spending hours unspooling a string of Christmas tree lights. And where the chance to meet Santa Claus in his grotto might just be the least exciting part of your trip.

If you can’t stand being confined in the winter months, you’ll adore the sense of space you can find in Finnish Lapland and how easily you can leap into complete wilderness. There’s a veritable smorgasbord of activities to enjoy up here: snowshoeing through forests where the tree boughs droop with snow, fishing through holes carved in frozen lakes, and thrilling snowmobile safaris are just the start of it. Cross country skiing is practically ingrained in the culture, with generally flat landscapes making this a perfect place for beginners to learn the ropes.

Want to know where to base yourself for a winter vacation in Finland? Ask a local expert, like Riitta Kiukas, who can recommend just the place depending on your travel dates, the type of activities you want, and the sort of atmosphere you’re looking for.

If you want to go north then head to Ivano. “Ivalo is a key Lapland destination, with the northernmost airport in Finland, and there you have important Sami communities in Saariselkä and Inari. There are a lot of lovely wilderness hotels by Lake Inari and in the hills, and it’s one of the best places for observing the Northern Lights as your chances are better the further north you get.”

Salla in south-east Lapland is loved by families, with log cabins, reindeer farms and husky safaris within walking distance. Kilpisjärvi, where Finland, Norway and Sweden meet, is very far north but an entirely different landscape, with higher mountains and vast expanses. “It’s ideal for adventurous couples and families, and has snow until the end of June.”

If you want to see the Northern Lights, then a stay in Finnish Lapland will improve your chances greatly. An evening in a wilderness cabin is a popular activity – if you go early on in your trip you can visit again if the lights don’t make an appearance. In the depths of winter when it’s dark most of the time, you could head out just a little way from your accommodation on skis or snowshoes to try and see them. You won’t need torches because the snow is so bright.

Snowshoeing, if you’ve never tried it, is as easy as it is fun. It will take you around 10 minutes to get the hang of it, after which you can follow your guide through pristine expanses of snow. As with cross country skiing – another ever-popular activity here – a few hours on the cross-trainer in the gym before you go, or a bit of hill-walking, won’t go amiss.