Where to Go in Finnish Lapland: Complete Destination Guide (2026-2027)

Planning a trip to Finnish Lapland but not sure where to stay? While many visitors only know Rovaniemi and Levi, Lapland is a vast region filled with unique destinations, each offering a completely different experience.

Some places are perfect for families visiting Santa Claus, others are ideal for skiing, hiking, chasing the Northern Lights or escaping into true wilderness. Choosing the right destination can make a huge difference to your holiday.

This guide introduces the most popular places to visit in Finnish Lapland and helps you decide which destination best matches your travel style.

How to Get Around Finnish Lapland

Finnish Lapland is a huge region, and not every destination is equally easy to reach. Some places have airports, others are served by overnight trains, while more remote areas require a rental car or bus connection.

Airports in Finnish Lapland

You can fly directly to several destinations in Lapland, especially during the winter season.

Airport	Best destinations
Rovaniemi Airport (RVN)	Rovaniemi, Ranua, Sodankylä, Pyhä, Luosto, Kemijärvi
Kittilä Airport (KTT)	Levi, Ylläs, Muonio, Enontekiö
Ivalo Airport (IVL)	Saariselkä, Inari, Ivalo, Utsjoki
Kuusamo Airport (KAO)	Ruka, Kuusamo, Posio, Salla, Suomu
Kemi-Tornio Airport (KEM)	Kemi, Tornio, Pello, Aavasaksa & Ylitornio

Overnight Trains to Lapland

Travelling by overnight train is one of the most comfortable ways to reach Lapland from southern Finland. You can even bring your own car on selected routes.

Direct overnight trains operate to:

• Rovaniemi
• Kemijärvi
• Kolari (best for Ylläs and nearby areas)

From the railway stations, you can continue by bus, airport shuttle or rental car to destinations such as Levi, Ylläs, Pyhä, Luosto, Saariselkä and many others.

Do You Need a Rental Car?

It depends on where you’re staying.

You can easily enjoy a holiday without a car in destinations like Rovaniemi, Levi, Ylläs, Ruka-Kuusamo Saariselkä and Pyhä-Luosto, where accommodation, restaurants and activities are quite close together. Rovaniemi is only place in Lapland where we have actual public transport. In other places you need to use taxis.

If you’re planning to visit Kilpisjärvi, Utsjoki, Enontekiö, Posio, Salla, Pello or other Lapland’s more remote areas, renting a car is highly recommended. It gives you much more freedom to explore national parks, scenic roads and smaller villages that aren’t easily reached by public transport.

Distances in Lapland are much longer than many visitors expect. For example, driving from Rovaniemi to Kilpisjärvi takes around 8 hours, while Rovaniemi to Saariselkä is about 3.5–4 hours. Always plan enough travel time between destinations.

Explore Finnish Lapland by Region

Officially, Finnish Lapland is one region. However, as someone who has spent years exploring it, I like to think of it as five different regions, each with its own atmosphere and personality. These aren’t official boundaries, you won’t find them on any map. Instead, they’re based on how the landscape, nature and overall how my personal feeling gradually change as you travel across Lapland. There’s no exact point where one region ends and another begins, but after living here all my life, I’ve found this to be a helpful way to understand the area.

At the heart of Central Lapland is Rovaniemi, along with its surrounding villages and attractions. This is where most visitors begin their Lapland adventure. You’ll find a mix of forests, rivers, family-friendly attractions and excellent access to the rest of the region.

Eastern Lapland is incredibly peaceful and, in my opinion, one of the most magical parts of Finland. The forests are denser, the trees grow taller, and the landscapes feel almost fairytale-like. National parks, quiet lakes and untouched nature make this region perfect for slowing down and escaping the crowds.

Western Lapland is known for its magnificent fells, dramatic landscapes and some of Finland’s best hiking and skiing destinations. Standing on top of a fell and looking out over endless scenery is one of the defining experiences of this part of Lapland.

Northern Lapland has a rugged beauty all of its own. The trees become shorter, the landscape grows more open, and the environment becomes increasingly wild. Many Finns would say this is what the “real Lapland” looks like.

The scenery changes subtly from region to region, creating a different atmosphere depending on where you are.

Destinations in Central Lapland

The perfect base for first-time visitors, Santa Claus experiences and easy access to many of Lapland’s most popular attractions.

Rovaniemi

Best for: First-time visitors, budget travellers, families, Christmas holidays

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and the Official Hometown of Santa Claus. It combines nature with modern city services, making it the most popular destination for international visitors.

Here you’ll find Santa Claus Village, reindeer and husky experiences, snowmobile safaris, excellent restaurants and a wide range of accommodation.

Ranua

Best for: Wildlife and family day trips

Ranua is best known for Ranua Wildlife Park*, where visitors can see Arctic animals including polar bears. It makes an excellent day trip from Rovaniemi or a relaxing stop on a Lapland road trip.

Sodankylä

Best for: Local culture and town surrounded by nature

Sodankylä is known for its Midnight Sun Film Festival, historic wooden church, gold museum Tankavaara and excellent location between Rovaniemi and Northern Lapland. It also serves as a great base for exploring nearby national parks. (Pyhä-Luosto)

Pyhä

Best for: National park hiking and skiing

Pyhä combines a compact ski resort with the stunning Pyhä-Luosto National Park. It’s one of the easiest places to enjoy Lapland’s dramatic landscapes year-round. Pyhä and Luosto are great places for adventure seekers. In Pyhä, you can try ice climbing*, snow surfing, or mountain biking*. In total there is 52 kilometers of winter biking routes in Pyhä-Luosto: 40 kilometers in Pyhä and 12 kilometers in Luosto. Pyhä also has very unique cliff adventure park Pyhäkuru*.

Luosto

Best for: Relaxation and family holidays

Luosto is famous for the Amethyst Mine, peaceful forests and easy access to nature. It is a wonderful choice for travellers looking for a slower pace with good location.

Destinations in Western Lapland

Home to Finland’s most famous ski resorts, scenic fells and spectacular road trips.

Levi

Best for: Ski holidays and luxury stays

Levi is Finland’s most popular ski holiday destinations. (Or as we locals call it, Las Vegas of Finland) During winter it offers world-class skiing, lively restaurants and countless outdoor adventures. Levi also has probably most beautiful husky rides* I have seen.

Ylläs

Best for: Nature lovers and outdoor adventures & SnowVillage

Ylläs is famous for its peaceful atmosphere, Finland’s largest ski area and the spectacular Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park. It’s a fantastic destination if you want to spend your holiday surrounded by nature. I recommend to try snowmobile adventures* in Ylläs area.

Muonio

Best for: Hiking, cross-country skiing and Northern Lights

Located between Levi and Kilpisjärvi, Muonio is one of Lapland’s hidden gems. The area is known for pristine wilderness, beautiful lakes and access to some of Finland’s most breathtaking hiking trails. Muonio is located at approximately 69 degrees latitude, directly under the Aurora Oval, a ring above the Earth’s Geomagnetic North Pole where the Aurora Borealis can be seen. During the Aurora season, you can witness the northern lights at least every other night.

Pello

Best for: Riverside villages and peaceful holidays

Situated along the Swedish border, Pello has beautiful river scenery, fishing opportunities and a slower pace of life that many visitors fall in love with. You can cross the Arctic Circle also in Pello!

Aavasaksa & Ylitornio

Best for: Scenic viewpoints and unique resorts

Aavasaksa is one of Finland’s national landscapes and a fantastic place to experience the Midnight Sun during summer. The area is also perfect for scenic road trips and has very unique “hobbit” resort Kaamos*.

Destinations in Northern Lapland

Experience Sámi culture, Arctic wilderness and some of the best Northern Lights locations in Europe.

Enontekiö

Best for: Remote wilderness and unforgettable landscapes

Enontekiö is one of Finland’s least populated regions and one of its most spectacular. Visitors come here for peaceful nature, hiking, fishing and incredible Northern Lights. The administrative center and largest settlement of Enontekiö is named Hetta, where the Enontekiö airport is also located. Other population centers include Kaaresuvanto and Kilpisjärvi.

Kilpisjärvi

Best for: Mountain landscapes and Arctic road trips

Located in Finland’s northwestern corner, Kilpisjärvi offers scenery unlike anywhere else in the country. It is home to Finland’s highest fells, the famous Three-Country Cairn and incredible hiking opportunities. Take a snowmobile tour to the border of three countries.*

Saariselkä

Best for: Family friendly and national park adventures

Saariselkä is the gateway to Urho Kekkonen National Park*. It is becoming families a favourite destination for winter holidays, hiking, skiing and multi-day wilderness adventures. From Saariselkä you can travel to Kirkenes for King Crab Safari.*

Inari & Ivalo

Best for: Sámi culture and Arctic wilderness

This region offers a unique combination of indigenous Sámi culture, enormous lake Inari, excellent fishing and some of the darkest skies in Europe for aurora viewing.

Utsjoki

Best for: Visiting the northernmost part of Finland

Bordering Norway, Utsjoki offers dramatic river landscapes and some of Finland’s most remote scenery. Nuorgam in Utsjoki is northernmost point of Finland.

Destinations in Eastern Lapland

Peaceful forests, national parks and hidden gems away from the busiest tourist destinations.

Kemijärvi

Best for: Lakes, local life and Eastern Lapland

Kemijärvi is surrounded by beautiful lakes and forests, offering excellent opportunities for fishing, hiking and exploring Eastern Lapland. You can travel to Kemijärvi from Rovaniemi by train. There is also very unique aurora train* running between Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi. Kemijärvi has also it’s own ski resort Suomu. Suomu is a small and peaceful ski resort that remains one of Lapland’s best-kept “secrets”. It’s ideal for travellers looking to avoid crowds while still enjoying excellent winter conditions.

Posio

Best for: Photography and national parks

Posio is home to Riisitunturi National Park,* one of Finland’s most photographed winter destinations and famous Korouoma frozen waterfalls. It also offers beautiful lakes, forests and year-round outdoor activities.

Salla

Best for: Wilderness and off-the-beaten-path adventures

Located close to the Russian border, Salla is famous for untouched nature, peaceful surroundings and excellent hiking opportunities. If you’re looking for authentic Lapland without the crowds, Salla is a fantastic choice. Salla has it’s own slogan “Salla, in the middle of nowhere” and it is very on point.

Ruka & Kuusamo

Best for: Skiing and year-round outdoor adventures

Although located just outside Finnish Lapland, Ruka and Kuusamo are often included in Lapland itineraries. The area is famous for Ruka Ski Resort, Northernmost all year Roller Coaster*, Oulanka National Park,* river floating in winter* and spectacular waterfalls.

Destinations in Sea Lapland

Where Lapland meets the frozen Gulf of Bothnia.

Kemi & Tornio

Best for: Icebreaker cruises and the frozen sea

Located on the coast of the Bothnian Bay, Kemi and Tornio offer experiences you won’t find elsewhere in Lapland, including icebreaker cruises*, the SnowCastle* and unique sea ice adventures.

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Which Destination Should You Choose?

If it’s your first visit to Lapland, Rovaniemi is the easiest starting point. For skiing and luxury, head to Levi or Ylläs. If you love hiking, choose Pyhä, Saariselkä or Kilpisjärvi. Families often enjoy Ranua and Luosto, while photographers and adventure travellers should consider Posio, Muonio, Enontekiö and Utsjoki.

No matter where you decide to go, every destination in Finnish Lapland offers its own unique experience. The best place isn’t the same for everyone, it depends on the kind of adventure you’re looking for.