6 Best Things to Do in Lapland, Finland
Northmost region of Finland. Yes, be prepared to weather freezing times. When you think of the best things to do in Lapland, you will need a long list to tick off. Lapland right in the lap of nature offers you incredibly beautiful moments to cherish. For a tourist glaring at Northern Lights or enjoying a reindeer ride can be just memorable.
Among the best things to do in Lapland, visiting Santa Claus's home can be a child's priority. Skiing and ice fishing are some of the Arctic activities to do in Lapland. Let's explore the best things to do in Lapland through the expertise of Laura Pokela and Cosmina Cartas.
Northern Lights
Luck favours the brave they say. Well, here even bravery alone isn't enough to witness one of the spectacles nature flashes. Unless you live close to the Arctic circle this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Northern Lights could be seen from October to March. In Finland, they are visible only 10 – 20 times a year. Again, that heavily depends on weather conditions. The cloudless sky is ideal. Typically, 8 PM to 3 AM is when the magic can unfold. Making sure you are in the right spot at the right time matters a lot.
Booking a Rovaniemi Aurora Borealis Wilderness Tour can be an excellent choice to witness the Northern Lights. A northern light alert app can keep you notified.
Santa's Home in Rovaniemi
You have been believing Santa doesn't exist, isn't it? How surreal it can be to visit Santa Claus in person? Certainly, one of the magical things to do in Lapland is visiting Santa's Claus Village. Lapland's main town, Rovaniemi is officially the hometown of Santa Claus. You could visit Santa's Gift House and his lovable animals in Elf's Farm Yard. The location also has souvenir shops as well as Santa's Main Post Office, cafes and restaurants. You cannot miss this place especially when you are travelling with kids. It will certainly be a dream come true for anyone to visit this splendid spot during the Christmas season.
By December tours and resorts in Santa's Village are packed hence plan well if thinking of celebrating Christmas in Lapland.
Reindeer Ride
You are in the land of reindeers. Riding on a reindeer sleigh is one of the popular activities in Lapland. The semi-domesticated animal is used for different purposes. Sleigh ride tops the list of course. It provides a pleasant experience to the riders and a steady income to the owners. Several hotels in the region own them making it easier for tourists to go on a ride. From a few minutes, the ride can last a couple of hours or so. You can book a Reindeer Tour to visit Santa's Village tour or zoo or other places in the town.
Husky Safari
Along with reindeer ride, people enjoy going on dog-sledging safari. It is one of the best things to do when you are in Lapland. The trained pack of dogs glide you through the snow-covered woods and frozen lakes. Almost all the major ski resorts in Lapland provide husky safari options. There is a variety of Husky tours that range from daily short trips to longer husky trips to adventurous husky safari.
Also, you could go for a 2h scenic ride through the wilderness and snowy landscapes of Lapland. You could also combine the tour with ice fishing, spotting arctic animals or visiting Santa's Village. The prices range between 99EUR to 250EUR for the ride.
Many thanks to my Instagram friend #ceclyng for the amazing videos of the ride with her pack of huskies.
Skiing & Trekking
You are in an ice and snow skiing, ice-wind surfing paradise here. The whole region enveloped in a thick blanket of snow or ice means you can ski on endlessly. Cross-country skiing is a national pastime. There are several ski resorts that offer skiing opportunities. My Instagram friend #laurakisup is a pro when it comes to skiing, hiking, and windsurfing. Thanks to her we have a video of her ice-wind surfing.
Trekkers making their way through forests during Fall is a common sight. Experiencing the sheer joy of vibrant foliage colours on the trail. Abundant berries and mushrooms to pick is another reason to tread the forest path.
Ice Fishing
It may not be an adventurous experience. For those who are engaging in ice fishing, it is a pastime as well as a means to pull out something for dinner. Certainly one of the best things to do in Lapland, isn't it? To be stuck in the middle of a frozen lake for hours on end is no joke. When the lakes are frozen with at least five centimetres thick of ice, people venture out for ice fishing. Incising a hole, you just drop your hook with the bait and the waiting game begins.
Visiting special spots like Ranua Zoo, Levi Ice Gallery, Luosto Amethyst Mine, Inari, and et al can be a worthwhile experience too. Ranua Zoo is the northernmost zoo on the planet. In the northernmost region is scenically beautiful Inari village.
How to reach
Rovaniemi, Kittila, Ivalo, Kemi-Torino are the nearest airports. A wide network of railway and roads connect Lapland with major cities of the country.
Travel Tips
According to Cosmina, “We were in Lapland in December and got the chance to see the sun only 4 hours within a day. It could get a little annoying if you're eager to visit the place all day long. In the northern part of Lapland, the sun does not rise at all during whole December”.
Better to plan your traveling seasons and complete your bookings and reservations three months in advance.
Instead of travelling straight to the heart of Lapland, you can plan other alternatives. For instance, after landing in Helsinki, travel by train. It can cost you 7-8 hours of your trip but save you a few thousands of Euros. Especially so when you travel from outside of Finland.
Author
Deepu
A Travel enthusiast and Foodie, craving to explore the intricate beauty of nature and its gift of delectable treats. Pens down his thoughts and experiences to present a delightful journey for his readers
Reindeer ride and husky safari 👍🏻💗
Loved the part2 of Finland too
wow….benar-benar indah😍 saya membayangkan boleh bermain es dan salju di sana…terima kasih Travelogueofkuntala🙏🏻
Holy. Moly. Finland looks like a winter wonderland! I’d love to visit one day. The reindeer looks amazing.
Yes, ice and snow are what comes to mind first when I think of Finland! These activities look like fun
Oh, it is an article about Finland. I’m Russian and lived very close to the Finland border, but I used Finland only for great red caviar. I guess I missed so many things!
I have always wanted to go to Finland. I’ve heard it’s absolutely beautiful there.
What a detailed post. This post actually makes me want to speed to Christmas lol. I love snow! The pictures and videos are wonderful.
It’s been my long-time dream to see the Northern Lights. I hope to be able to visit Finland when there is an opportunity to do so.
I have always dreamed of seeing the northern lights. It is such an awesome natural light show, but we don’t live that far up north to see one! That husky safari looks exciting too.
Finland was on my bucket list from so many years. I think, after covid i’ll definitely visit this place.
Finland is indeed seen as the happiest country. I’d love to go there soon!
Its been so long sonce I visited Finland, I would love to go back. I live in Sweden, so its really easy for me just to go by boat from Stockholm 🙂
These areas that you’ve highlighted are prime examples of why I’ve always wanted to visit Finland. It’s just magical. Lapland would be first on my list.
Wow, this is so beautiful! I wish to be there someday and enjoy every activities.
A reindeer ride sounds like all of my childhood dreams come true! I hope to be able to travel here some day soon!
This looks like such an amazing place to visit! I hope to go myself one day in the future. I loved Helsinki, so I know I’d love Lapland! 🙂
I’ve always wanted to go to Lapland! These are awesome recommendations that I will keep in mind whenever I get the chance to visit. It would be a memorable trip after doing these activities.
That sled ride with dogs looks like a dream!! I want to visit!
Oh wow, so many wonderful things to do. I’d enjoy the excitement of the husky pull!
Finland looks like a wonderland! One of my dreams is to witness the Aurora Borealis in actual. I’d love to visit Santa’s Home to and then go for a reindeer ride!
My son so wants to go ice fishing. It doesn’t sound fantastic to me but if he wishes to than I am sure he will.
The town of Lapland in Finland and the whole landscape is like a beautiful winter fairy tale. I would love to visit this place, and most of all I would love to see Northern Lights once in my life.
Nina
I haven’t visited Lapland, Finland yet. I hope I can see it soon especially on winter time. So fun!
I’d love to go here soon. I hope time permits me!
Finland seems like such an amazing place to visit!
Witnessing Northern Lights is on my bucket list since long time. Such gorgeous pictures! Hopefully situation will improve soon and we will be able to travel again!