Lapland, Finland: Know Before You Go

The Basics

Currency: Euro. 1 GBP = 1.17 EUR

Population: 177,161 (2019)

Language: Finnish and Sámi

Documents: Passport

Time Zone: UTC+2

Driving Side: Right

Calling Code: +358

Flight Time: 3 hours 30 minutes from Bristol 

Airports: Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) and Kittilä Airport (KTT)

Weather

	Average High	Average Low	Rainfall (mm)	Snowfall (mm)	Hours of Daylight
Jan	-8	-14	3.4	204.2	4.5
Feb	-7	-13	2.1	168.9	8.2
March	-2	-9	6.3	146.1	11.9
April	4	-3	19.4	87.4	15.7
May	11	3	46.1	14.9	19.8
June	16	9	62.7	1.5	23.9
July	19	12	69.9	0	21.3
Aug	16	9	63.7	0	16.7
Sept	11	5	53.3	2.4	13
Oct	3	-1	37.1	58.9	9.3
Nov	-2	-7	18.4	146.6	5.5
Dec	-6	-12	7.9	171.9	2.6

Popular Sites and Experiences

Chase the Northern Lights

Skiing and snowboarding

Visiting Santa Clause village

Husky sledding

Reindeer sleigh ride

Ice fishing

Snowmobiling 

Sleep in a glass igloo

Useful Tips

Lapland is in the arctic circle so you can imagine how cold it gets. I visited in February and it got down to -18o. So you need to dress appropriately. Start with your thermal base layers, then add a fleece or wool jumper and then a ski jacket and sallopettes. In addition you will need ski boots, wool socks and gloves (plus silk glove liners for extra warmth), a warm, waterproof hat and a buff or balaclava. This is plenty to keep you warm. You don’t need a million layers, you just need the correct layers. 

Use the Northern Lights app to improve your chances of finding them. 

Consider preparing your own meals at your accommodation as Lapland can be expensive. 

If you want to hire your own car and drive yourself, make sure you have snow tires if necessary and make sure you are familiar with the rules surrounding winter driving in the arctic. 

Lapland is extremely popular, especially around Christmas time, so book any activities in advance to avoid disappointment.

I used the tour company Inghams for my trip and booked all of my excursions and activities through them. I would definitely recommend using them. 

Fun Facts

Lapland is a large region in the arctic circle that crosses Northern Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia.

The region is home to the Sámi people – the only indigenous people in Europe. 

Lapland has a population of around 178,000 humans and 200,000 reindeer. 

Finland has the cleanest air in the world.

The Sámi people believe there are actually eight seasons which are particularly important for reindeer herding. They are: Winter, Spring Winter, Spring, Spring Summer, Summer, Autumn Summer, Autumn and Autumn Winter.

Due to its position in the arctic circle, Lapland experiences 24 hour sunlight in the summer and as little as two hours of sunlight in the winter.