Finland winter holidays travel guide
Dear Santa, I am starting to get a little bit fed up with the fact that Christmas is starting earlier every year, that it has been commercialised to within an inch of its life and, that after the main event, I feel a bit empty. Any tips...?
The Finns have a way of embracing wilderness and winter that is not only second nature and admirable, but also innately fun. They've got this.![]()
Dear traveller, Check out my Finland winter holidays travel guide. This has all the ideas you need to shake off that winter malaise. Our responsible holidays do also start early here, but only because nature invites it. You can see the Northern Lights before they have even started thinking about hanging up the Oxford Street ones. Go snow shoeing through wilderness instead of surviving the storm of shopping centres. And swap that ‘empty feeling’ by cross country skiing through exquisitely empty, snowy woodlands. You’ve been really good this year. Go have fun in Finland. S x
Our Finland winter Holidays
Finland Northern Lights holiday, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1997 to £2444
5 days
inc UK flights
Winter holiday in Finnish Lapland
Log fires, lakeside trails and a range of winter activities
From
£2410 to £2445
8 days
inc UK flights
Northern Lights family holiday, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing spa hotel
From
£1225 to £2250
4 days
inc UK flights
Cross-country skiing holiday in Finland's eastern wilderness
Guided country skiing holiday through remote eastern Finland
From
€1140
7 days
ex flights
Lapland holiday, husky safari & log cottage
Luxurious log suite,northern lights & overnight husky safari
From
€1950
5 days
ex flights
Finland winter activity holiday & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
From
£2549 to £3349
8 days
inc UK flights
Is a Finland winter holiday for you?
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Our top Finland winter Holiday
Finland Northern Lights holiday, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
From
£1997 to £2444
5 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2023: 5 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2024: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 5 Mar, 12 Mar, 19 Mar, 26 Mar
2023: 5 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2024: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 5 Mar, 12 Mar, 19 Mar, 26 Mar
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Finland winter or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Finland winter holidays
map & highlights
You know you are onto a winter winner when you can go to a country’s capital city, enjoy its city life but then, within an hour, be immersed in national park natural nirvana. Wilderness is everywhere, and Finns also don’t run away from it in winter. They jump into it. Ideally straight from a sauna into the snow. See the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland, but do so wrapped in reindeer blankets sitting by a fire. Swap the adrenaline of downhill skiing for a natural fix of cross country in remote Hossa National Park. Travel with huskies from hut to hut in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Finland feeds all of our feral cravings.
1.
Cross country skiing, Hossa
2. Family activity holidays, Lapland
3. Helsinki
4. Husky safaris, Pallas-Yllästunturi
5. Northern Lights, Lake Inari
6. Snow shoeing, Wild Taiga
2. Family activity holidays, Lapland
3. Helsinki
4. Husky safaris, Pallas-Yllästunturi
5. Northern Lights, Lake Inari
6. Snow shoeing, Wild Taiga
Cross country skiing, Hossa
1. Cross country skiing, Hossa
A brand new national park, designated in 2017, Hossa is ancient wilderness in many parts. The cross country skiing loipes are well trodden however, given that they have routes through ancient pine forests and around Lake Somerjarvi for - literally - ages, as the Stone Age rock art at Värikallio depict so beautifully. This is real cross country skiing, from one wilderness hut to the next. With saunas.
Family activity holidays, Lapland
2. Family activity holidays, Lapland
An antidote to 24-hour Santa trips, with authentic Finnish Lapland so much more appealing than sitting on a stranger's lap, being given a tacky present and going home again. Snow shoe around fells, forests and lakes of Kuusamo. Learn to kick sledge, go reindeer sledding, experience a husky safari or try ice fishing around Luosto. Family winter activity holidays aren’t bah humbug; they're pure ho ho ho.
Helsinki
3. Helsinki
Helsinki raises the bar in terms of winter city breaks, offering so much more than Christmas markets and steamy museums. Tailor your holiday to enjoy city highlights as well as time at nearby rural spots. These include Lohja where you can skate on the frozen lake or Fiskars Village with its fantastic collection of artisan workshops. Like Santa's grotto for grown ups. And check out fine Finnish fare on a culinary tour.
Husky safaris, Pallas-Yllästunturi
4. Husky safaris, Pallas-Yllästunturi
With over 1,000km2 of boreal forest and high fells and over 500km of hiking and cross country skiing trails, this is a dream for winter wanderlusters. In Finnish Lapland, husky safaris are one of the most popular ways to discover these frozen landscapes, which the dogs know like the back of their paws. Speed through the fresh powder of the snow covered forest floors, or across frozen lakes and plains.
Northern Lights, Lake Inari
5. Northern Lights, Lake Inari
Not only is this a magical, remote spot to see the Northern Lights but also one for learning about the local Sámi culture. The Lights have a deep spiritual significance for the Sámi, as they believe that they are the souls of the dead. They certainly move the soul when they arrive, especially if you sleep out in an exquisitely designed bubble made for that purpose. The local Siida Sámi Museum is a must.
Snow shoeing, Wild Taiga
6. Snow shoeing, Wild Taiga
Dominating the Kainuu region, snow shoeing never seemed more sublime. Feb-Mar are when the trails are at their best and days are getting a little longer. Trek across frozen wetlands and blanketed ancient forests of Hossa or Riisitunturi National Parks. Or around along Karhunkierros Hiking Trail in Oulanka. And when the Northern Lights come out, it’s Taiga Taiga burning bright.
More about Finland winter
The best time to go on a Finland winter holiday? The clue is sort of in the title. However, winter goes on for longer the further north you go, and seeing the Northern Lights, which is up there on many people’s winter wish list, can actually happen as early as September. Read more below.
