The best of Lapland

Most of you were curious about Lapland so this week I will share my best tips to travel there at the lowest cost possible to get the best experience. Keep in mind that Lapland is an expensive destination since plane tickets can get really expensive and activities are not as cheap as visiting museums for example. You can still check out my previous article to know how to find the cheapest flights online.

❅ Travel by car: As I said in many articles, I spent one year living and studying in the north of Finland in Oulu. It was about 2 hours away from the Polar Artic Circle which is the beginning of Lapland. My friends decided to visit in the end of January and bought plane tickets to Oulu. From there we thought it was best to rent a car since train tickets cost a lot more and it is less convenient. Besides, the views you get from driving are stunning and worth the drive!

The car was rented through Sixt but there are many other renting companies everywhere in Finland. It was the least expensive in my opinion and the car was upgraded upon arrival which was more conformable.

From Oulu we went to Rovaniemi where we stayed one day and one night. Then we went to Levi for two days and two nights then back to Oulu. It was indeed a short trip but Lapland cities are quite similar and once you have done all the activities that you wish, it is pretty much over.

The car was only filled up twice so even though the gas is more expensive than in other European cities, it was not a big expense. Check out the gas stations before departure as there aren’t many of those along the way. From Rovaniemi to Levi there was only one or two gas stations for a 2 hour drive. Beware that the weather in Lapland is harsh especially in winter. The rental company had good winter tires installed but you still have to be careful on the road especially with reindeers who like to walk on the road.

❅ Stop by Santa Claus Village: Santa Claus Village is located in Rovaniemi next to the Polar Article Circle. Indeed, Lapland is well known as the origin of Santa and that’s why this “park” is located there. I recommend that you visit this place in the winter time as it is decorated for Christmas and filled with snow. In the village you can visit Santa’s workshops, Santa’s reindeers and huskies but also Santa himself.

The best part of the visit is that everything is free of charge. However, if you want a picture with Santa you will have to pay a high price (about 30€ per person for a digital picture). There are a few restaurants, cafés and you can also sleep in the village. The city of Rovaniemi is not far from the village if you want to visit the center.

❅ Spend the night in a cabin: Staying in hotels in Finland is expensive even for a low quality hotel. The best option is booking a cabin. You can book cabins through Booking or book Airbnb’s. The cost is usually lower and the atmosphere is cosier.

Cabins often have fireplaces and saunas so you can get the best Finnish experience during your stay. After a long day in the cold, a hot sauna in the evening is always a good idea. Go to the sauna and when you can’t stand the heat anymore, jump in the lake or roll yourself in the snow to cool down.  Do not forget to pack for cold weather as the temperatures can go below – 40 degrees Celsius in the winter time. Finnish cabins and Airbnb’s usually do not include bed linens and towels.

❅ Get a Husky ride: You cannot visit Lapland and not get a sled ride with husky. It was the activity that I was the most excited about. Booking activities is easy with the many tourism websites. You can even book activities online before hand which is practical.

After safety instructions we had to wait in a hut with a fireplace before going on the ride. The ride was about 15min long but you can book longer rides. I was surprised as the dogs do not go very fast and I wished it had lasted longer. After the ride you can pet the husky and drink hot tea in the tent while eating some Finnish sausage. It was such a typical Finnish experience and I do not regret doing it.

❅ Meet some reindeers: As written before, you can often see reindeers on the side of the road while driving in Finland. However, the easiest way to see them is to visit a Reindeer farm in which you can also book a reindeer ride. The best part is that in some husky farms, they also had a reindeer farm which you can visit. You can pet and feed them which you cannot do with wild reindeers found in the forest or on the road.

❅ Fall in love with the nature: Finland has about 70% of its surface covered with pine cone trees. It is a nature heaven by definition. Many National Parks are opened to visitors and they are worth the visit. Finland also has a lot of beautiful lakes to visit.

It is part of the Finnish culture, during hikes in parks or around a lake, to do a barbecue in the nature. Natural spaces have dedicated spots to do those barbecues with wood and benches where you can enjoy a nice time with friends. When walking around you will always see Finnish people grilling sausages while enjoying hot tea. That is why there always is a fire burning up which you can sit around, eat some food and then leave it for the next hiker. Do not forget to pack your bag of marshmallows for desert!

If you like stunning views I recommend that you go to the tourism office or search online for the best view points of the area. For example, Levi is also a ski station and you can observe the whole city from the top of the slopes.

If you want to observe Northern Lights, those viewpoints are probably the best spots to do so. To get the best chance to see them, you should download apps to see the probability of seing those day by day. If it is cloudy, you will not see them even if the index is high. You will also have more chance to see them in the winter time and later during the night. Be quick if you see some because they don’t last very long! Luckily I can say that I saw them and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.

❅ Ride a snowmobile: My friends absolutely wanted to snowmobile but I was not too excited about it since it wasn’t my first time. For 3 hours of snowmobiling we paid about 80 euros each but it was totally worth it. It was the best activity of the stay! Lapland is very flat and has special lanes and slopes for snowmobiles. In the middle we stopped in a cute wooden cabin for some coffees and pastries. It is a bit hard to plan this activity as you cannot predict the weather in advance.

Here were my tips for the best Lapland experience. I hope this article helped many of you to plan their next vacation. Since I spent one year living in Finland, it was a must for me to write my tips for the best Finnish experience. I am well aware that this kind of trip is one that we do once in a lifetime and I will always be grateful that I had this chance.

If you’re going to Lapland, comment this article with your tips to help others. Share this article on social media to help the blog.

Thank you again for reading my blog ღ

✈ eat.travel.sleep by Rachel