How to Spend Two Weeks in Finland

Don’t fancy planning an adventure here yourself? Join Culture Trip’s expertly curated five-day adventure in Finnish Lapland, in which our Local Insider will show you the very best of the region… and, yes, that includes the Santa Claus Village.

Your point of arrival in Finland will most likely be Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Travel to the city centre is easy, with buses running every 20 minutes. The central bus station is right in the middle of the city so it won’t be too difficult for you to find your hotel and get something to eat. For a nightcap, there are plenty of bars open late, particularly along Helsingkatu. You might also want to use this time to experience a real Finnish sauna – it’s more than likely the place you are staying will have one.

Helsinki is full of cultural and historical sites and quality restaurants. The Suomenlinna island fortress is a must-see, as are the Church of the Rock, Senate Square and Sibelius Park. On the cultural side there is the National Gallery, Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, and the Seurasaari Open Air Museum. These can all be reached easily with a day travel pass.

Finland is highly spread out, so the best way to explore the rest of the country is to rent a car. If this isn’t possible, there are regular buses and trains between most major destinations. The historic city of Porvoo is less than an hour from Helsinki and buses leave from the city centre regularly. In the city, you can take in more Finnish history by touring the old buildings and museums.

Begin to experience the vastness of the Finnish countryside by taking the four- to five-hour drive or train ride between Porvoo and Savonlinna. Along the way you will experience the breathtaking forests for which Finland is known. Regular rest stops will provide you with places to refuel, eat, and pick up local souvenirs.

Olavinlinna Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Finland. After spending several hours looking around the castle, spend the rest of the day relaxing in the town of Savonlinna, particularly the market square and the lakeside beaches.

The best way to experience the lakes of Finland is to take a boat tour across them, particularly Lake Saimaa, one of the largest lake systems in the country. There are several tour operators running day cruises across Lake Saimaa leaving from Savonlinna.

After taking the two- to three-hour drive from Savonlinna to Koli National Park, spend the day exploring one of the most stunning national parks in Finland on foot. Experience breathtaking views before spending the night camping or in a log cabin.

The journey across central Finland to Oulu takes around five hours, but offers even more chances for indulging in nature. If you can’t drive, you can take a bus from Joensuu for around €35.

Oulu is the gateway to the North on the Gulf of Bothnia. There you can see the old buildings, view the public artworks, or relax on the beach.

No trip to Finland is complete without seeing Lapland, but it is so vast that it will take several days to see it all. Driving or taking the train between Oulu and the Lappish capitol of Rovaniemi takes several hours, but will allow you to see the amazing Lappish wilderness. After arriving at Rovaniemi, be sure to have dinner in one of the restaurants to try local Lappish dishes such as reindeer.

Rovaniemi is the hometown of Santa Claus and there is plenty to see and do in the city at any time of year. You can visit the Santa Claus village, ride on a reindeer-pulled sleigh or, if you’re a little more adventurous, try sporting activities around the town such as husky sledding, hiking or cycling.

Inari is further north from Rovaniemi, but the trip of a few hours will allow you to see even more of Lapland. Inari is the central hub of the native Sami community, where you can visit the Siida museum to learn more about Sami culture then spend the night in the village.

As a final excursion, take the 9km (6mi) roundtrip from Inari to the Wilderness Church, an ancient Sami meeting place and location of one of the oldest surviving churches in Lapland. The trip takes around three hours and afterwards you can head back to Rovaniemi and perhaps enjoy another sauna for your final night in Finland.

After taking in all of Finland that you can, connecting flights back to Helsinki leave from Rovaniemi Airport several times each day. If you wish to extend your travel in the Nordics further, you could also travel from Rovaniemi into Sweden or Norway.