An Essential Guide To Finland's Serene Lapland

Finnish Lapland may be one of the more remote holiday destinations on the planet but those who make the journey find it full of culture, mythology, and history with multitudes of activities unique to the region. Lapland stretches across the northern parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and a small part of Russia, but you can gain the full experience in Finnish Lapland alone.

Discover the area’s beauty for yourself on Culture Trip’s epic five-day adventure in Finnish Lapland. Led by our Local Insider, you’ll discover the best of the region with a small group of culturally curious travellers.

When to visit

Visit Riisitunturi National Park in winter for a chance to spot the Northern Lights

There are draws and setbacks to visiting Lapland in both the summer and winter. Close to 24 hours of daylight in the summer can mean it’s difficult to sleep, but Lapland in summer has spectacular views and chances for hiking and cycling. The winter is, of course, incredibly cold with potentially dangerous ice and only a few hours of daylight. But it also comes with the Northern Lights, winter sports, dog sledding, and reindeer sleigh rides among other things. The time of year you choose to visit will depend upon your own preferences over the things you want to do and the weather extremes you can handle.

Rovaniemi is home to the Santa Claus Village

This is a big hit for tourists throughout the year, regardless of their age. The Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, just outside the Arctic Circle, is the capital of the Lapland province and the official hometown of Santa and his reindeer. You can visit Santa and get a photo with him in his hut, while the village (and the city in which it is based) has shops, hotels, restaurants and winter activities.

History and culture

The native Sami people traditionally herd reindeer

Santa isn’t the only important part of the local culture. There is a lot of history and mythology to explore as well. The native Sami people, who are spread across all parts of Lapland, traditionally herd reindeer, sell handmade crafts, and share their stories and folklore with visitors.

Sports

Husky dog sledding is an exciting and traditional way to explore Finnish Lapland

Lapland is a heaven for sports lovers, particularly those who love winter sports, with many available throughout the year. In the summer there is canoeing, hiking and cycling through a serene landscape. In the winter, when the ground and lakes are frozen, there is dog sledging, skiing and snowboarding. It is an ideal spot for professionals, enthusiasts or even those who want to try something new.

Wildlife

The great grey owl is one of the animal species you might spot in Finnish Lapland

The Sami, and all Finnish people, are particularly proud of their wildlife and go to great lengths to protect them with some of the best ecological policies in the world. This means you can see a fascinating range of wildlife during your time in Lapland, and perhaps even a few rare or endangered species, so long as you are careful to avoid the dangerous animals.

Lapland Safaris offers opportunities to spot these animals in the wild by dog sled, snowmobile, boat, fatbike or on snowshoes. Or to see all of the Arctic wildlife at once you can visit Ranua Wildlife Park, the northernmost zoo in the world. In 2016, the zoo welcomed a polar bear cub, the second ever to be born in Finland. The zoo also holds Arctic foxes, brown bears, owls, wolves, moose, beavers, wolverines, and many other Arctic animals from all parts of Lapland.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.