Itinerary to Finland – Ever heard of the mystical aurora borealis? Okay, maybe it’s a stretch to say that it is “mystical”. But the sight of it is truly as scarce as hen’s teeth.
Aurora borealis or the northern lights is a spectrum of colors spread out like a wave of curtains coming down from the sky. The phenomenon is known to occur during wintertime, but you can’t expect to see it in random places.
Finland, for example, is one of the best places to watch the northern lights. But, before you get yourself on the plane, there are some things you must know in advance. Read it below, t-mates!
Read more:
- Happy Days in Finland, Full of New & Unique Experiences
- Going on a Trip During Winter: Some Recommended Activities to Try & What to Prepare
- Essentials Items to Bring on Your Next Winter Holiday
Tips to Successfully Catch a Glimpse of the Natural Phenomenon
Pssst, come closer, t-mates! We have a secret we need to tell! Sadly, even if you’re already in Finland, it is not a guarantee that you’ll easily see the natural spectacles.
Wait, don’t be dispirited! Because we’re going to spill some tips on how to successfully witness the northern lights. Aren’t you curious? Then keep on reading!
1. Find the Best Time
The key to seeing aurora borealis is that you must come at the right time. Because, again, aurora borealis is not an everyday occurrence. Generally, the best season to watch the northern lights is mid-winter. But, although rare, some said it also comes out during late summer and autumn.
The lights also appear only at a certain time. Usually, people try to hunt for the light between 10 PM – 2 AM. So if you plan on doing it, don’t forget to pack some coffees and get some rest before!
2. Come to the Right Spot
Now that you know when to go see the northern lights, it’s time to settle on where you are going to see it. As the name suggests, your chances of witnessing the phenomenon are bigger in the northern hemisphere.
In Finland, this means the Finnish Lapland. In Lapland itself, the top two places for watching aurora borealis are Ivalo and Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is a great destination if you bring your family, as it is known for the Santa Claus Village, but it can get too crowded sometimes.
Therefore, we suggest you come to Ivalo, the north-most part of Finnish Lapland! Of course, there are still plenty of other activities you can do here besides waiting for the lights to come out.
3. Check the Weather Forecast
Overall, there are 3 key ingredients to boost your chances of spotting the northern lights even further. The first one is you have to make sure that the sky is free from all kinds of pollution. That’s why you need to get far from the city.
Then, it is also a common understanding to see the lights only during the night. The darker the surrounding, the more visible the light is. Lastly, the sky must also be as clear as possible. So keep an eye on the weather forecast and make sure you avoid those cloudy nights!
4. Don’t Just Stay for One Night
As there is no fixed guarantee that you will be seeing the northern lights, the best thing you can do is to enhance your chances. Therefore, staying only for one night is not recommended.
If you successfully catch a glimpse of aurora borealis on your first night here, that’s great! But at least you didn’t gamble your chances on that night only. If you get some more time, try to stay for at least 2 days, okay?
4D3N Itinerary to Finland: From City Sightsee to the Northern Lights!
Now that you’ve mastered the art of witnessing the northern lights, let’s get down to the fun part, shall we? Planning an itinerary to Finland! Don’t worry, t-mates, because we already got it done for you!
Day 1: Arriving in Helsinki and City Sightseeing
- Go to the hotel
- Hotel check-in
- Visit Kauppatori
- See the city from up above on SkyWheel Helsinki
- Get some rest
Before going to Ivalo, you will most likely stop at Helsinki Airport first. Rather than just making it a transit stop, why not explore the city a little, t-mates?
After checking in at your choice of hotel, you can go outside and begin your city trip. Helsinki is the hotspot for architecture and design. The city in general is so aesthetically pleasing you can just take a pic in every corner.
To really experience Helsinki, you need to go to the Market Square or Kauppatori as the locals say. Here you can taste authentic Finnish food and coffees while enjoying the view of cruises and ferries leaving the port.
Then, you can lead your way to ride the SkyWheel Helsinki! This Ferris wheel is up to 40 meters high, the tallest ride in the city of Helsinki.
While you’re on the Ferris wheel, you can see the aerial view of the whole Helsinki Archipelago. Plus, if you go with your bae, this can be a very romantic experience!
Day 2: Departing to Ivalo
- Head out to Inari
- Go to hotel
- Hotel check-in
- Visit Inari Lake
- Part through the snow with snowmobile excursion
- Hunt for the northern light
On the next day, the first thing you’re going to do is departing to Ivalo from Helsinki Airport. Upon your arrival, you can move your way to Inari and check in to your hotel room.
Before you go see the northern lights in the evening, let’s visit Inari Lake, the third-largest lake in Finland! During any other season, you can just chill on the side and absorb the beauty of the panorama.
But, in the winter, when the lake is all frozen, you can have an exciting snowmobile excursion! You can drive through the wintry landscape of Inari and truly see the snowy surroundings. Of course, there will be a professional to guide you, so don’t worry!
After getting some rest, you can gear up to hunt the enchanting colors of aurora borealis. To ease your trip, you can join an aurora hunting tour. But, if you’re lucky, you may even see the lights from your hotel. Either way, happy hunting, t-mates!
Day 3: Discover Thrilling Adventures in Kaamanen Village
- Go to Kaamanen Village
- Visit the husky safari
- Ride on the reindeer sleigh tour
- Have a warm bath at a Finnish sauna
- Go back to the hotel
Kaamanen is a small village located even further north in Finnish Lapland. It’s a tranquil destination as the village is surrounded by lakes and rivers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find exciting activities to do!
First, you can visit the husky safari. Not only that you’ll meet a bunch of cute huskies, but you can also have them pull you down the hill with a sled! Buckle up, t-mates. Because this is going to be a thrilling ride!
If that’s not enough, you can also find a reindeer sleigh tour that will take you around the village. Yes, just like what Kristoff and Anna from Frozen use to find Elsa!
It’s totally safe so you won’t have to worry much about the journey. In fact, we think the surroundings will be too captivating you won’t even have time to be scared from the ride!
After three whole days of exploring Finland, it’s only normal if you feel your body is a little tired from all of the activities. So, to unwind, you can visit and relax at a Finnish sauna!
A traditional Finnish sauna is a little different from the one you see back home. Aside from using higher temperatures, Finnish saunas also involve pouring water on hot rocks to release more moisture into the air!
Day 4: Heading Back Home
- Buy souvenirs from the local gift shops
- Fly back home
On the last day, we’re going to take it easy and just prepare ourselves for the long flight ahead. Instead of searching for other tourist attractions to visit, you can opt for a light walk around the area.
While you’re at it, make sure to spare some time to visit the local gift shops, okay? You’ve come this far to one of the north-most parts of the world, it would be a shame to come home with nothing in hand.
There are plenty of things that you can buy. Maybe some freshly made syrup and jam? A traditional wooden beer cup is also a great thing to bring home as it’s both memorable and functional.
But, if you really want to get something that resembles Finnish Lapland, you must have the Sami bracelet. These are the bracelets made by the Sami tribe using reindeer leather and decorated with metallic braids. There are also bags that use the fur of the reindeer.
After getting enough souvenirs for you and your family, you can pack your bags and say goodbye to Finland!
Finland’s Entry Requirements
After reading the itinerary to Finland, are you excited to visit the country? Before you go, make sure you already know the needed requirements to enter the country!
In addition to your passport and visa, the documents you need to prepared are as follows:
- COVID-19 vaccination certificate issued at least 2 weeks before arrival.
- Must bring a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result no later than 3×24 hours before arrival.
For more details on the requirements, you can check it on tiketsafe!
Realize the Itinerary to Finland and Witness the Rare Aurora Borealis
That’s it, t-mates! You’ve now pocketed the ultimate guide and itinerary to Finland that can help you catch the enchanting spectacles of the northern lights. But first, you must book your flight ticket, right? As always, tiket.com got you covered by providing plenty of flight route options all over the world!
So book the best ticket prices with promos and get free insurance* with tiket.com to discover more once-in-a-lifetime holiday experiences!
Mask on, tiket on!
*The information is valid at the time of writing. Price and other policies are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
