Looking for the best things to do in Finland? Use this month-by-month travel guide to plan your Finland trip with igloos, Northern Lights, saunas, and Santa.
Finland isn’t just a destination – it’s a full-sensory mood. Here, the Northern Lights dance across Arctic skies, summers glow with the Midnight Sun, and locals treat sauna culture like religion.
Finland is also:
- A Lonely Planet top travel pick for 2026
- The happiest country in the world
- Experiencing peak solar activity (translation: strong auroras!)
- Home to one of the largest archipelagos on Earth
- Famous for wild traditions like icy dips after sauna and Santa spotting in Lapland
If Finland has been sitting somewhere between bucket list and maybe one day, this Finland travel guide might be the nudge that turns wondering into wandering.
Table of Contents
📆 Best Things to Do in Finland Every Month
Finland changes beautifully with the seasons, and this monthly guide helps you explore the country the way Finns experience it.
❄️ Top Things To Do in Finland in Winter (January)
January feels like stepping into a snow globe someone shook way too enthusiastically. Snow is everywhere, the air is crisp, and Lapland looks like a postcard curated by elves.
It’s prime time for bucket-list adventures: sledding behind huskies, chasing the Northern Lights, and warming up with a sauna (or three). The days are short, but that just means more night skies glowing in neon greens and purples.
Highlights:
- Husky sledding & reindeer safaris
- Northern Lights Aurora chases
- Stay in an ice hotel or glass igloo
- Sauna + icy pool swim (terrifying but iconic)
❄️ Things To Do in Finland in February
February continues the winter magic, but with slightly longer daylight and a cozy romantic vibe. It’s perfect for honeymooners or anyone who enjoys being wrapped in wool and eating pastries while pretending to be outdoorsy.
Ski resorts like Levi and Ruka offer world-class slopes, snow parks, and après-ski culture. Plus, café culture thrives – Finns are the world’s #1 coffee drinkers and February proves why.
Highlights:
- Skiing & snowboarding in Lapland ski towns
- Frozen-lake winter adventures
- Fatbike rides across snowy trails
- Hot chocolate + korvapuusti in Helsinki cafés
❄️ Things To Do in Finland in March
March is the sweet spot between deep winter and spring awakening. There’s still snow, still auroras, still huskies – but also sunshine and longer daylight.
Locals love spring skiing: smooth slopes, warmer temperatures, and pastel pink sunsets that make every photo look like a film still. If you’re chasing the aurora but want friendlier weather, March is perfection.
Highlights:
- Spring skiing with soft snow and warm sun
- Aurora safaris with longer evenings
- Snowmobiling adventures
- Ice fishing trips
- Frozen lake saunas
🌿 Things To Do in Finland in April
April is a transition month – half winter, half optimism. Snow melts in most regions, especially in the south, revealing forests waking up and birds returning.
It’s a great time for Helsinki tours – exploring museums, boutique cafés, saunas, and design districts. Prices are lower, crowds are lighter, and locals finally begin smiling again.
Highlights:
- Helsinki Design District and museums
- Smoke sauna experiences
- Early nature trails opening up
- Runeberg cakes and spring pastries
🌸 Cool Things To Do in Finland in May
May feels like Finland stretching after a long hibernation. Wildflowers bloom, lakes sparkle, and sunshine suddenly lasts much longer.
Locals take to cycling paths, forests, and outdoor cafés like they’ve been released back into the wild – which, basically, they have. It’s an ideal time for budget travelers since prices are still pre-summer reasonable.
Highlights:
- Helsinki archipelago cruises
- Hiking in national parks
- Picking seasonal berries
- Lakeside cycling routes
☀️ Things To Do in Finland in June
June marks the start of Finland summer travel, and with the Midnight Sun glowing past midnight, sleep becomes optional.
Midsummer is a national event filled with bonfires, folklore, dancing, flower crowns, and dreams (literally – Finnish girls put flowers under pillows to dream of their future spouse).
Highlights:
- Paddleboarding and kayaking
- Midnight Sun photography
- Midnight Sun picnics by the lake
- Open-air concerts and cultural events
☀️ Best Things To Do in Finland in July
July is peak summer – warm lakes, sunny beaches (yes, beaches!), everyone staying in lakeside cottages, eating berries, and sitting in saunas watching golden sunsets that last for hours.
Some of the best things to do in Finland in summer include kayaking under the midnight sun to exploring vibrant cities and national parks. Roads fill with road-trippers exploring wild nature, and the atmosphere is laid-back, happy, and warm.
Highlights:
🍂 Things To Do in Finland in August
August blends late-summer energy with early autumn coziness. Forests brim with berries and mushrooms, markets overflow with seasonal food, and sunsets deepen to copper and rose gold.
Highlights:
- Mushroom hunting & berry foraging
- Wilderness food experiences
- Boat rides in the archipelago
- Slow-travel wellness retreats
🍁 Things To Do in Finland in September
September brings Ruska – Finland’s iconic fall foliage season. Forests blaze with red, orange, and gold. It’s a photographer’s paradise and a hiker’s dream. Cooler nights also signal the return of the auroras.
Highlights:
- Hiking Ruska trails
- Aurora watching returns
- Lakeside cabin stays
- Oulanka & Urho Kekkonen national parks
🍂 Things To Do in Finland in October
October feels quiet, atmospheric, and poetic – perfect for introverts who romanticize foggy forests and hot drinks. Helsinki becomes extra cozy with galleries, design exhibitions, and warm pastries everywhere.
Highlights:
- Stay in cozy cottages with fireplaces
- Autumn photography walks
- Korvapuusti + hot glögi
❄️ Things To Do in Finland in November
November marks the beginning of Finland’s slow transformation into a winter wonderland. It’s quieter and more affordable than December.
Christmas lights start glowing, and Santa Claus Village wakes up slowly from “off-season” (aka elf nap time).
Highlights:
- Santa Claus Village before peak crowds
- Prime Northern Lights viewing
- First snow adventures in Lapland
- Christmas markets begin opening
🎄 Fun Things To Do in Finland in December
If Finland had a personality, December would be its confident main-character era – wrapped in soft snow, proudly showcasing beloved traditions like Christmas book-giving, Turku’s declaration of Christmas Peace, and snow lanterns flickering outside cozy homes.
Everything feels like a perfectly directed holiday film scene: reindeer wander through forests, gingerbread fills kitchens with warmth, elves seem just plausible, and Auroras paint the sky while snow drifts down slowly.
Highlights:
- Meet Santa Claus in Rovaniemi
- Husky sledding & reindeer safaris
- Northern Lights Aurora chases
- Stay in snow hotels & glass igloos
- Christmas Sauna (absolutely sacred)
- Christmas markets in Helsinki, Turku, & Tampere
🎯 Things to Do in Finland All Year Round
Discover Finland’s top activities you can enjoy any time of year, from saunas and lakeside adventures to Santa’s Village and cultural hotspots.
- Santa Claus Village: Visit shops, cafés, and meet Santa in the Arctic Circle anytime.
- Finnish Saunas: Lakeside, public, or hotel saunas open year-round.
- Explore Helsinki: Museums, markets, and design districts are always open.
- Art & Culture: National Museum, Ateneum, and Amos Rex exhibitions.
- Taste Finnish Cuisine: Reindeer, salmon, rye bread, and pastries, any season.
- Lakeside Relaxation: Canoeing, kayaking, or skating on frozen lakes.
- Unique Stays: Glass igloos, treehouses, cabins, and hotels all year.
- Nature & Wildlife: Forests and national parks are open for exploration anytime.
🎄 Christmas Markets in Finland 2025
Discover Finland’s most festive Christmas markets in 2025, where cosy lights, local crafts, and winter magic set the perfect holiday mood.
- Helsinki – Senate Square (28 Nov – 22 Dec 2025): Cozy lights, handmade crafts.
- Tampere – Keskustori Central Square (29 Nov – 22 Dec 2025): Wooden stalls, festive treats.
- Turku – Old Great Square (Vanha Suurtori) (Weekends | 22 Nov – 14 Dec 2025): Historic charm, traditional music.
- Porvoo – Taidetehdas (Art Factory) (12-14 Dec 2025): Local design, winter ambience.
- Rovaniemi – Santa Claus Village Market (6-7 Dec 2025): Arctic magic, Santa vibes.
🏨 Where to Stay in Finland
Finland’s hotel scene blends wilderness, design, and comfort, with stays ranging from glass domes to award-winning boutique hotels.
- Arctic TreeHouse Hotel: Northern Lights from bed
- Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort: Famous for its thermal glass igloos.
- Golden Crown – Levin Iglut: Chic glass igloos on the slopes of Levi.
- Apukka Resort: Igloos, cabin perks, wilderness activities.
- Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle: Touristy, family fun.
- Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos: Glass domes & ice suites.
- Aurora Village Ivalo: Great activities & food
- Aurora Collection, Inari: Luxury + wilderness
- Foxfires Private Boutique Guesthouse: Design + silence
- Kuuru Lakeside Cabins: Peaceful Lapland escape
- Hilltop Forest Resort: Peaceful getaway with forest scenery.
- The Torby Hotel (Fiskars Village): Boutique countryside hotel.
🍽 Best Foods in Finland
From cinnamon buns to fresh Arctic fish, Finnish cuisine is comforting, seasonal, and deeply connected to nature.
- 🍲 Lohikeitto salmon soup
- 🍻 Local craft beers + hot glögi
- 🥐 Korvapuusti cinnamon buns
- 🍫 Fazer chocolate (smooth, classic)
- 🧀 Leipäjuusto with cloudberry jam
- 🍮 Mämmi (sweet rye pudding)
- 🖤 Salmiakki (salty black liquorice)
- 🥟 Karelian Pastry (rye crust, rice filling)
- ⭐ Joulutorttu (star pastry with plum jam)
- 🍓 Shrove Bun (creamy cardamom treat)
- 🍓 Runeberg Torte (almond-berry pastry)
- 🍓 Wild berries, foraged ingredients & seasonal pies
✈️ How to Get to Finland
Finland’s currency is the Euro, and cards are accepted almost everywhere, making payments easy for travelers. Visitors need a Finnish Schengen visa, so it’s best to plan ahead.
Finland’s capital, Helsinki, serves as your entry point to Finland, with flights from Europe, Asia, and beyond ensuring seamless travel year-round. It’s the perfect gateway to Lapland, the archipelagos, and scenic countryside.
How to Travel Within Finland:
Finland’s public transport is clean, fast, and reliable. From trains and buses to domestic flights and cycling, here’s how to travel efficiently while exploring the country.
- 🚆 Trains: Fast, punctual, and super comfortable for city and regional travel.
- 🚌 Buses: Perfect for reaching remote Lapland towns and scenic spots.
- 🚲 Cycling: Explore cities and countryside easily during warmer months.
- ✈️ Domestic flights: Quickest way to reach Lapland in winter or far-flung destinations.
🛠️ Finland Travel Hacks
These travel tips and hacks will help you explore Finland efficiently, save money, and enjoy the best experiences throughout the year.
- 📶 Get a Finland eSIM: Instant connectivity without swapping SIM cards.
- 🚇 Grab a transport pass: Save money, skip queues on public transport.
- 🏡 Stay cozy & cheap: Cabins, hostels, or guesthouses work everywhere.
- 🧊 Book igloos early: Especially for December; they sell out fast.
- 🔌 Bring a Type-F plug adapter: Finland uses Type-F sockets.
- ❄️ Pack for anything: Layers, boots, winter gear, or summer repellent.
- 🥪 Eat smart: Markets and self-cooked meals keep costs low.
- 💧 Refill your bottle: Tap water is super clean and free.
- 📅 Travel off-peak: Spring or autumn for fewer crowds and better deals.
- 🌑 Mind the daylight: Helsinki gets 6 hours; Lapland as little as 2-3.
These Finland travel tips will make your trip to Finland comfortable, budget-friendly, and full of authentic experiences.
Finland feels like a fairytale come to life – after all, it’s the official home of Santa himself. Venture into the snowy silence of Arctic Lakeland or the magical forests of Karelia, and suddenly winter becomes more than a season – it becomes an experience.
Charming old towns like Porvoo and Rauma showcase colourful wooden houses, cobbled streets, and warm cafés glowing against the crisp northern air. Meanwhile, Helsinki blends modern Nordic style with timeless winter charm, creating a perfect balance of cozy tradition and bold design.
In Finland, every snowy street, forest path, and village square feels like a glimpse into a living winter story – one you’ll want to return to again and again. ❄️🎄
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