Lapland, Finland, Is More Than a Northern Lights Destination — Here’s How I Planned My Visit

It was 4 degrees Fahrenheit at 2:30 a.m. on a crisp winter night as our car pulled up to a working reindeer farm near Kilpisjärvi, a village in the extreme northwest corner of Lapland, Finland. (Lapland is the largest and northernmost region in the Nordic country, spanning nearly 40,000 square miles. It is perhaps best known for Rovaniemi, a city trademarked as the official hometown of Santa Claus.) After our driver dodged more than a few reindeer — there are thousands of these curious creatures on the farm — we arrived at our home for the next two days: Arctic Land Adventure.

I stayed in one of the property’s four glass igloo chalets, which have heated floors and all conceivable amenities. As I settled into bed, I was greeted with a pleasant (and memorable) surprise: unobstructed views of swirling green Northern Lights. (This region is particularly great for seeing the aurora borealis, thanks to the location and the lack of light pollution. In fact, the area has a 75 percent chance of Northern Lights from September to March.)

Beyond Arctic Land Adventure, Kilpisjärvi offers a range of accommodations from Cahkal Hotel to Tundrea, where stays range from chalets to glass-domed igloos. Both hotels offer adventures like cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and proximity to Arctic Land Adventure’s reindeer programming, which is open to the public pending availability.

Following some much-needed rest and a traditional Finnish breakfast, I suited up in Arctic expedition gear and set out on a snowmobile sleigh safari to meet Nils Matti, a 12th-generation Indigenous Sámi reindeer herder. His family has been tending herds on this land for the past 600 years and gave us a rare look at pristine Arctic tundra as we ventured 10 miles into what they call the “white-white” wilderness.

After the reindeer herd was fed, so were we — albeit with different fare: a delicious meal of moose and potato soup, hot strawberry juice, and lingonberry pie for dessert. Once back at the farm, I took in a traditional wood-fired Finnish sauna overlooking a frozen lake cap stoning a perfect first full day in Lapland.

The next day, we decamped toward Finland’s premiere ski resort and adventure capital of Levi. We broke up the 2.5-hour drive with a stop at Arctic Sauna World in Muonio’s Jeris Lakeside Resort. There are five themed saunas and an opportunity for “winter swimming” in Lake Jerisjärvi, but the highlight for me was the “Repo” sauna adjacent to the lake — its large picture window proffered spectacular views of the Northern Lights.

After dinner — I feasted on pork neck prepared in miso reduction — we continued to Levi where we settled into the Panorama Hotel, which is perched on the main ski fell. (That’s Lappish speak for mountain.) While I unfortunately did not see any Northern Lights here, the views over the snow-covered fells and valleys were otherworldly.

Home to the Alpine World Cup, Levi boasts spectacular tracks for not only downhill skiing but snowboarding, too. And though the greater Levi area can accommodate up to 25,000 travelers, the runs, lifts, and gondolas never felt crowded even though I was visiting in the peak of high season.

And the winter sports scene isn’t just for pros or those with experience. I am not an avid skier, and tried downhill skiing for the first time in Levi. I attended Levi Ski School for private classes, which were a fraction of the cost of lessons back home at a U.S. ski resort.

Beyond the slopes, perhaps the most adrenaline-filled experience I have ever had was driving a sled pulled by a team of six huskies. I set out with All Huskies, which is the only Green Activities-certified dog sledding experience in Lapland. (It was important to me to look at vendors with high animal welfare standards.) All Huskies is also one of the few companies to allow guests to drive the sled themselves.

All Huskies provided full arctic gear to keep us warm as we raced through Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. While journeys for a full-day safari vary from 6 miles to 22 miles, I felt the 9-mile trek was the perfect length for me. I experienced the initial excitement of the dogs, took in the scenery, and returned to a fire-warmed hut before getting too cold.

I spent my final two nights at Aurora Pyramids where the glass domes offered amazing vistas of the Northern sky and came complete with alarms to wake you in the event of an aurora.

But if you’re in the area, you should consider spending a night or two at Lapland Hotels Snowvillage, which is arguably one of the coolest experiences on Earth. The working hotel has 12 guest rooms, a bar/lounge area, and a restaurant — all made entirely out of more than 20 million tons of snow and ice. Each suite can accommodate two to five guests, and the experience entails climbing into a thermal sleeping bag that sits on a bed of ice.

On my final day in Lapland, I ventured into a family-owned and fervently protected woodland with HaliPuu to try their version of tree-hugging. And while this new-age concept may give you pause, it’s not what it necessarily seems: guests are led to a bustling campfire in the snow where a barista makes what Gordon Ramsay called one of the best coffees on the planet to warm you up after you cocoon in a hammock below a snow-covered canopy. It was a peaceful, relaxing, and utterly unique experience.

During my stay, I went on a snowshoe expedition in the forest with GrenTrek. Journeys here are capped at four participants, who are fitted with traditional wooden snowshoes. Guests are taught about wilderness survival as well as wild and plant life all while exploring virgin tracks dotted only by the paw prints of snow hares, foxes, reindeer, and wolverines.

As for standout meals, I recommend visiting King Crab House, which just might be Finland’s best eatery. I went for lunch and dined on Norwegian King Crab. (For the uninitiated, the Norwegian crustaceans have a sweeter and cleaner taste than their Alaskan brethren. And they’re tough to find in the U.S.)

To conclude my whirlwind week, I sat down for a traditional Lappish reindeer feast at Kammi. Here, guests check in with a host inside a nightclub before being led outside to a separate, fire-warmed structure made out of birch and peat, decorated with reindeer pelts, and lit by candles. While the menu consisted of reindeer in every imaginable preparation from sausage to roast, pork spareribs, salmon, and ample sides were also offered. The lively experience was a great way to spend my final night.