Finland in winter had long been grazing the top of our bucket list. So, when Nish & I finally booked our tickets to Helsinki in 2018, we knew exactly how we were going to spend our time in Finland. While 10 full days and 1 not-so-easy-to-get Schengen visa just to visit one winter destination with hardly a few hours of sunshine everyday felt like a costly mistake to many, I am glad we set aside enough time to explore the length and breadth of what turned out to be the most magical destination we’ve visited so far.
In case you’re wondering what’s so special about this Nordic nation in an isolated corner of Europe, here’s a clue – Everything! Be it in summer with its glorious Midnight Sun (it’s exactly what you think it is) or during winter when the Northern Lights paint the skies green and purple, Finland never disappoints. If you aren’t convinced yet, do give our article on the five best experiences in Finland a read. You will most likely return to this article in no time with a fully confirmed flight ticket to Finland 😋 From unique accommodations worth staying at to winter safaris that shouldn’t be missed, here’s everything you need to know before a big fat winter trip to Finnish Lapland.
Days 1 & 2 – Helsinki City Tour
Arrive and settle into Finland’s capital city – Helsinki. Despite short days with just over 6 hours of sunlight during winter, Helsinki is sure to keep you entertained with its numerous cafes, restaurants and shopping malls. Getting around the seaside city is also easy with its well-connected tram system.
Things to do
- Visit Helsinki’s iconic cathedrals. Our favorites – Helsinki Cathedral & Uspenski Cathedral. In fact, the former was so charming that it caught our eyes even before we set foot in Finland! Hint, hint: Window seat
- Take a stroll along Aleksanterinkatu and its surrounding lanes to satisfy all your shopping & dining needs
- Hop on a ferry and get to Suomenlinna – an 18th century fortress on an island just off the coast of Helsinki
- If you happen to visit during Christmas, don’t forget to check out the Christmas markets around the Senate Square. We had a heavenly cup of Glögi – a traditional Finnish berry drink – paired with drool-worthy ginger bread at one of the market stalls!
Travel Tips
Opt for a 2 Day HSL ticket for unlimited rides on all the trains, buses, trams and even the Suomenlinna ferry when in Helsinki. We would recommend purchasing your ticket at the airport as it also covers the train journey to Helsinki city. More information here.
Day 3 & 4 – Icebreaker Cruising at Kemi
Fly in to Oulu from Helsinki. Finn Air operates a number of flights on a daily basis direct to Oulu. From Oulu, take a train to the beautiful town of Kemi close to the Finnish-Swedish border. Spend your first day exploring Kemi’s Insta-worthy pink church that reminded us of strawberry cream cheese at first sight, walking on the frozen Baltic Sea at sunset at around 3 in the afternoon (Crazy, I know!) and visiting a Snow Castle that is entirely sculpted out of ice! You can even spend a night at the Snow Hotel and sleep on beds made from huge blocks of ice (no, you won’t freeze to death as they provide warm sleeping bags for you to cocoon inside).
Set aside the second day for a truly hair-raising experience – the Icebreaker! Set off on a cruise to the middle of a frozen sea and float in a natural plunge pool created by breaking thick sheets of ice underneath. It is as surreal as it sounds and difficult to put into words. You’ve just got to experience it for yourself!
There are 2 main operators that offer Ice breaker cruises from late December to early April from Kemi:
- Icebreaker Sampo
- Polar explorer Icebreaker
While Icebreaker Sampo is more popular and has been in operation for far longer, we booked our cruise from Polar Explorer as it offered the chance to cross over Sweden for a little while. From the hassle-free booking and hotel pick up/drop off service to the scrumptious buffet lunch next to a semi-frozen river, everything was so perfectly organized – we couldn’t have asked for more.
Travel Tips
- From Oulu Airport, take bus number 9 to Oulu City Centre. Oulu train station is a short walk from the city center. From there, take the train to Kemi. You can pre-book your train tickets up to three months in advance here
- Make sure you book the cruise at least 3 months in advance as it tends to be sold out very fast. This is an experience you wouldn’t want to miss out at any cost
- Kemi’s Snow Castle is only open from late January to early April every year
- The Snow Hotel experience is not for everyone. The rooms are maintained at around -5⁰C for obvious reasons and guests are required to leave their luggage at the lobby to prevent damages to the property. You should also be prepared to make a long walk to the lobby in the middle of the night as there are no ensuite bathrooms. If you are really keen to get a feel of it but not willing to brave the cold, go for a 20-minute tour of the castle priced at €30/person
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Days 5, 6 and 7 – Winter Safaris at Rovaniemi
Time to bid adieu to Kemi and begin the journey up north to the capital of all things fairy tale – Rovaniemi. The train journey from kemi to Rovaniemi takes around one and a half hours and is as magical as the destination itself. Alternatively, you can also take a Matkahualto bus – onboard Wi-Fi and flexibility to get off close to your accommodation being the main selling points – to reach the city. Once you’ve settled into Rovaniemi, prepare to check some of the craziest items off your bucket list!
Things to do
- On the first day, explore the city’s bustling shopping malls, souvenir shops selling all things reindeer and the famous Lumberjack’s Candle bridge
- Spend the next two days choosing between riding a snow mobile in the Finnish wilderness, making friends with Alaskan Huskies at a Huskey farm, trying your hand at ice fishing on a frozen lake and hunting for Aurora Borealis with fellow enthusiast far away from all the city lights – Ah, Rovaniemi!
- You can’t leave Finland without a refreshing sauna! Set aside some quality time to rejuvenate your body and mind. Our hotel in Rovaniemi even offered us the option to book the entire sauna for a private session!
Travel Tips
- You can pre-book your train tickets up to three months in advance here
- We would recommend you pre-book all the safaris to avoid disappointment. Lapland Safaris and Safartica are two of the more reliable safari operators in Rovaniemi offering a wide range of activities to choose from
- While our Aurora Picnic was fun, we didn’t actually get to see the northern lights on that day and felt the camp fire alone was not worth the price we paid. Probabilities of viewing Aurora can only be predicted a few days in advance. So, we would recommend you NOT to pre-book this activity. Research a little bit about viewing probabilities while you’re there and only book if your chances are great
- Considering Rovaniemi receives only 4 hours of sunlight during peak winter, schedule your activities carefully and consider spreading them out over a few days
Day 8 – A Date with the “real” Santa
It’s ho-ho-ho time! Take Santa’s Express from the city center and head to Santa Claus Village where you can snap a picture with the most popular resident of Rovaniemi – Mr. Santa himself, meet and greet his reindeers and even get a certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle – SO COOL!
Santa Claus Village also houses a post office that is run by Finland Post. You can write festive greetings to your loved ones from here and mail it with Santa’s official stamp. Wrap up the day with a traditional Lappish dinner at Restaurant Nili or their sister restaurant Nest.
Travel Tips
- Click here to view the complete schedule of Santa’s Express bus. Alternatively, you may take Bus No. 8 (be sure to check if schedules are the latest as they are updated regularly)
- You can check the park opening hours here
Days 9 & 10 – Hunting for Lady Aurora from a Glass Igloo
After four hearty days in Rovaniemi, it’s time to travel further north to where the temperatures regularly plummet below -20⁰C; Where silence and darkness reaffirm their stranglehold almost as if they are setting the stage for one of nature’s most elusive spectacles – the Aurora Borealis – to deliver a tantalizing performance.
And what’s more, Kakslauttenan Arctic Resort’s glass igloos gives you the opportunity to witness the dancing lights from the comfort of your beds without having to worry about the biting cold outside. Nish and I went into a complete trance the first time we saw the lights. There are very few things I would travel halfway across the world for and the northern lights is definitely one of them!
Travel Tips
- You can book tickets for the bus from Rovaniemi to Saariselkӓ here
- Kakslauttenan Arctic Resorts is extremely popular despite their remote location and steep prices and this should be one of the first things you book before your trip to Finland
- If you are worried about bursting your travel budget, consider staying in the glass igloo for a night and in the wooden cabin for the subsequent night(s). There are similar accommodation in Rovaniemi that cost slightly cheaper but the chances of seeing the northern lights directly above your head in Rovaniemi are also relatively lower
Day 11 – Back to base
We flew back to Helsinki from Ivalo Airport (30 km north of Saariselkӓ) and transferred to our flight to Singapore with a heavy luggage and heavier hearts! I swear we were already making plans for our next trip to Lapland on the flight back home. One trip – so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences!
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