Lapland: A Complete Guide to the Ultimate Winter Getaway
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Welcome to Lapland, the magical snowy home of Santa Claus, nestled just inside the Arctic Circle! This is such a beautiful destination for a wintry or festive getaway – either to experience Nordic activities, cozy up in a Finnish spa, or indulge in all the Christmas activities. Here’s my complete guide to visiting Lapland!
The main international airport in Finland is Helsinki (HEL). You can then take a domestic flight to Rovaniemi, Ivalo (for Saariselkä), or Kittilä (for Levi) – based on whichever area you’d like to explore first! There’s also an overnight train you can take to Rovaniemi if you’re interested!
There’s not much in terms of public transportation so you’re best served renting a car or using Uber to get around. All vehicles are fitted with snow tires for safety! Here’s a helpful guide to driving in snowy and icy conditions.
The most popular city in Lapland and the home of Santa Claus! It’s a bit touristy and some things can feel “gimmicky” – I would recommend visiting but don’t spend 100% of your time here (like we did).
SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY VILLAGE | Stay at the actual holiday village, just steps from all the Santa attractions! Each red cabin is fitted with a personal sauna.
SANTA’S IGLOOS | Also within walking distance of the village! Stay in a north-facing igloo (and maybe you’ll be lucky to see the northern lights!)
Less touristy and more luxurious than Rovaniemi, Saariselkä is definitely the place to go if you want more of a relaxing getaway. There’s also less light pollution, making it a great place to see the northern lights!
AURORA QUEEN | Luxury 5-star igloos for fantastic views of the lights!
GÁLDU | Luxurious boutique hotel with gorgeous rooms, and a spa and wellness center.
A great choice if you’re interested in skiing as well as traditional Lappish activities! It’s near Levi (the main ski resort in Finland).
LEVIN IGLUT | Beautiful igloos and a traditional wooden teepee with a shared BBQ and fireplace!
NORTHERN LIGHTS RANCH | Stunning cabins with large glass windows and a heated ceiling for prime northern lights viewing!
I also highly recommend browsing Airbnb to find remote cabins and Finnish spas! We stayed in the most beautiful Finnish spa just outside of Rovaniemi. The cabin was fitted with a wood-fire sauna, fireplace, hot tub, and cold plunge cut right into the lake! It was so incredibly peaceful.
I highly recommend booking an expedition with a guide (we loved the Beyond Arctic tour) – they have all the apps to track the lights and will drive you way out into the wilderness to find them!
Seeing the lights is highly dependent on weather conditions, and on foggy nights they may not be visible. Book your expedition early into your trip, that way you can book an additional tour later on if you don’t get lucky your first go around.
SUCH a fun and cool experience. And fun fact – there’s more reindeer than people in Lapland!
I generally feel pretty strongly against animal tourism as the ethics can be questionable – but the reindeer in Lapland live a pretty good life! They’re semi-wild and roam freely, but are owned by herders who care for them following traditional Sámi practices. Just do your research and make sure you book through an ethical company!
Sleigh ride, meet the reindeer, warm drinks by the fire.
Sleigh ride, meet + feed the reindeer, warm drinks by the fire, and Northern lights spotting.
Sleigh ride, meet the reindeer, warm drinks by the fire. Combined with a husky kennel visit and sled ride!
If you’re visiting Rovaniemi, you have to make a stop in Santa Claus Holiday Village and release your inner child. Visit Santa’s workshop and meet Santa, send yourself a postcard from the North Pole post office (the actual official post office where kids write their letters to), have a drink at Mrs. Claus café, and cross the Arctic Circle!
If you’re here for dinner, book a beautiful meal in a glass igloo or head to Santa’s Salmon Place for the freshest salmon you’ll ever eat.
The cutest thing to do in Finland – husky sledding! You get to mush your own team of huskies through the arctic wilderness (don’t worry, you’ll get a lesson first). Sadly, we didn’t get to do this as our tour was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
Like most working dogs, these huskies LOVE their job – they bark impatiently from the minute they’re hooked up until they start running and have an absolute blast the entire time. Just make sure you book with a reputable company who takes great care of their pups.
Mushing lesson, husky sled ride, hot drinks by the fire.
Mushing lesson, meet and greet with the dogs, sled ride, hot drinks by the fire.
Mushing lesson, meet and great, and sled ride! Combined with a reindeer visit and sleigh ride.
Such a fun way to explore the Arctic tundra and get a little adrenaline kick! Some tours include a BBQ or hot drinks halfway through.
You can also find evening tours that include Northern Lights hunting, but I will warn you – the wind + nighttime might be a lethal combination for those not well adjusted to the cold (like me).
Snowmobile ride with a wilderness stop.
Snowmobile ride with hot drinks,
Snowmobile ride with hot drinks.
The traditional Finnish spa revolves mostly around temperature therapy. Most spas will include a sauna, hot tub, and cold plunge! We loved the two nights we spent at a traditional spa cabin, but you can also find some spas to visit for just the day:
LEVI FOXFIRES | The most gorgeous spa experience in Lapland. Includes a sauna, hot tub, and a kota!
APUKKA, ROVANIEMI | Offers several experience options with sauna, hot tub, and lake plunges!
I didn’t ski during my time in Lapland (next time, for sure). But for my avid skiers – Levi Ski Resort is the place to go! You’ll find 44 slopes, plenty of restaurants and aprés ski, ski rentals, lessons, etc.