If you enjoy cold weather, outdoor adventures, the snow and ice, then a trip to Finland is a must! There is so much to see and do in this beautiful country, and a week is a good amount of time to discover a lot of it! We did our best to outline some of the best places to see within this timeframe as well as tips and tricks we learned along the way.
We visited this winter destination in March 2026, which we thought was the perfect time of year! March is a better time to see the Northern Lights due to less storms in the region and temperatures start to rise along with less dark days.
Our Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/Fen-f9i89VI
Viator Excursions and Activities: https://www.viator.com/partner-shop/mcexploring/Worldwide-Experiences?medium=link&medium_version=shop
For our specific trip, we’d appreciate your support on the links below when planning your trip to Finland!
Day 1-2 GETTING TO FINLAND
Finland is located in the Nordic/Scandanavian region of Europe and a lot of it is in the Arctic Circle. It was about a 10 hour flight both directions from Dallas, TX to Helsinki, Finland.
Side Note – Capital cities can be fun to explore but if you want the Arctic experience, skip it and head north to maximize your time to see the Northern Lights!
Day 2-4 ROVANEIMI, FINLAND
We recommend at least 3 days to explore the Rovaneimi area. This is the entrance to the Arctic Circle and while touristy, there is a lot to do! Here we went on an icebreaker cruise in Sweden, stayed at an Ice Hotel, and visited Santa Claus’s village (where the Arctic Circle line is as well). We caught a flight from Helsinki to Rovaneimi on Finnair a few hours after we arrived in Finland.
Helpful Tip – Rent a car! You can certainly do this trip through tours, but renting a car is easy, and really gives you the ability to be mobile, especially for increasing your chance of seeing the Northern Lights!
We rented a car for this leg of the trip. Driving around Finland was quite easy. They drive on the right hand side of the road, and while the roads were snow packed, it wasn’t very slippery. We prefer renting cars whenever possible, it allows much more flexibility for doing what you want, when you want.
We stayed outside of town on our first night as the next day we were heading south towards Sweden and wanted a closer drive: Budget Hotel near Rovaneimi: https://expedia.tpo.mx/0xQliKsB
Here’s where we went while in Rovaneimi:
- The icebreaker cruise in Sweden was amazing! We got to swim in the Arctic waters, break ice, and also get to walk out on the ice! This is a full-day tour with the drive time from the Rovaneimi area. Polar Icebreaker Cruise: https://gyg.me/OEZDSrK8
- We stayed in a hotel completely made of ice! It will melt and then they will rebuild an entirely new one the next year! You can stay here or just visit! We stayed nice and warm during the night and would highly recommend!
Arctic Snow Hotel Tour: https://gyg.me/THsNhO0y
Arctic Snow Hotel Stay & Tour: https://gyg.me/C3TGTfzN
Arctic Snow Hotel (only hotel): https://expedia.tpo.mx/uSaB9tQh - Aurora (Northern Lights) are always possible throughout the Arctic Circle; here is a great tour if you don’t want to chase them yourself! Aurora Tour: https://www.viator.com/tours/Rovaniemi/All-Night-Long-Northern-Lights-Photo-Safari/d22130-481391P1?pid=P00151140&mcid=42383&medium=link
- Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle Line: Make sure you make a stop here and enjoy feeling like you are on the set of a Hallmark movie + officially cross the line into the Arctic Circle – a standout restaurant recommendation is here for some Norwegian Salmon! https://santaclausvillage.info/restaurants/santas-salmon-place/
Day 4-5 YLLAS
After our time in Rovaneimi, we ventured even further north! We spent one night in Ylläs and stayed at the Arctic Skylight Lodge: https://expedia.tpo.mx/1t81egr7
The glass igloos are dotted all over Finland and are a fun place to stay! Just know that they are “marketed to see the Aurora” from your bed and that may not always be the case. Aurora moves quickly and being mobile is by far the best way to see it! We didn’t do too much here with the drive times but just enjoyed our igloo and some yummy food! These accomodations are pricey in nature and while very fun, will not make or break your experience in Finland. If due to budget constraints, you need to stay elsewhere, you will still be able to see the Aurora on your trip most likely!
Day 5-9 IVALO/INARI
The next morning we drove from Yllas to Ivalo which is about 4 hours in the car. This destination puts you about 200 miles above the Arctic Circle! The last part of our trip we decided to do more of an “all-inclusive” type experience at the Wilderness Hotel Nangu: https://expedia.tpo.mx/I3R1GBup
Our 4 nights here we stayed in another glass igloo and our package included our food, drinks (non-alcoholic), and activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, aurora tours, and visiting a reindeer farm! They designed our itinerary with usually one day activity and one night activity. The last night we spent about 6 hours watching the aurora dance across the sky on the lake outside the hotel area.
There is also a Finnish sauna that you can use on property for 10 euro per visit as well as a Northern Lights alarm that you can pay 30 euro for your entire stay. We’d say both are worth it, especially if you don’t want to stay up late.
Again, being mobile with the aurora is really the best bet so having your own car here can be a nice thing to have. We did have one and our last day allowed us to explore town and sauna and ice dip at a neighboring hotel before heading to the airport.
Day 9-10 HELSINKI & HOME
Our last day in Ivalo we flew back to Helsinki in the evening and then did a quick overnight in town to fly back to the US on day 10. It was a magical trip in the winter and a special place with friendly people, yummy food, and tons of outdoor activities. The Aurora experience this far north (though sometimes hard to find) is AMAZING and something you have to experience yourself at least once in your life.
MC Exploring 