Finland in 10 Days

Why September is the best month to visit the arctic circle and how to chase the northern lights. . .

I knew nothing about Finland before a friend shared her travel plans with me one day over tea. We were living together at the time and I would walk by her Lonely Planet: Finland book, lying on the table on my way to the kitchen each morning. She urged me to borrow it whenever I wanted. 

One day, I finally decided to take it to work. As a flight attendant, I can vouch that we work hard a lot of the time, but we also end up with some slower days. Lucky for me, it was one of those slow, long days. I found myself curled up on my jumpseat in the back of the plane with a cup of tea and this book. My crew members teased me that I had long departed the U.S. and was floating around somewhere in the arctic circle. They were right. I had been instantly transported.

Each page brought me another new, fascinating tidbit of information about this mysterious nation filled with beautiful nature. I knew pretty quickly that I needed to plan a trip, and soon! Before I knew it, I had put together a group of 5 of us for a trip that was to take place just 2 months later. 

I built a 10 day itinerary with a car rental to explore Finland. This route took us on a complete loop through the country, although there were plenty of things we did not have time to see in-depth. This itinerary is not for one who hates long car rides or for getting a comprehensive feel for Finland through conversations with its people. We did not find it easy to meet talkative locals. However, in regards to the land, it was a perfect way to get a taste of the different regions. 

We were all flying from different places, but set to arrive around the same time on September 3, 2021. Why September rather than December, you may ask? Well, it turns out that September is one of the likeliest months to have a chance at seeing the northern lights. It is also a shoulder season, so prices are lower all around. We built our trip around where we wanted to travel in Finland’s arctic circle, also known as Lapland.

Lapland is Finland’s section of the shared northern land that spans into Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. It is home to the indigenous people, the Sami people, known for their reindeer herding. This region also happens to be the best area to meet the real Santa Claus, wander through vast forests and view the northern lights.

We spent a lot of time in the car. Checking out your driving routes in advance is highly recommended. Many of the roads were unpaved, or covered in gravel (especially on the longer stretches between north and south). Sometimes google maps directed us towards the unpaved road because it was shorter in distance, but ended up taking longer because of how slowly we had to drive to avoid potholes. 

Finally, it is a good idea to bring a paper map along. I read this tip in another blog and was happy to have it in the car as a backup. Since we knew that internet coverage was spotty in more remote regions, we downloaded offline google maps on our phones. They mostly worked well for us. Still, it was nice to have a backup plan.

10 DAYS IN FINLAND

2 DAYS IN HELSINKI

On day 1, we arrived at Helsinki airport (HEL) and took the train directly from the airport to the city for about $5 per person. We had booked a 1 night stay at Diana Park Hostel in a mixed dorm for just $31 per person. After dropping our bags at our hostel, we explored the city on foot. There were plenty of museums, parks, and interesting architecture to explore. There was also a hockey event going on in the center, free to the public. 

On day 2, we checked out of our hostel early and left our luggage at the hostel for the day, free of charge. We took a fun boat tour of the archipelago islands near Helsinki. It was possible to book tickets right at the harbor. It was a great way to see the coastal neighborhoods and cute cabins/mansions on the islands. 

Definitely bring a warm jacket and hat for this one! The brisk Autumn wind was chilly on the water. The boat sold warm beverages, alcohol and snacks in the downstairs, covered cabin. We went down to warm up halfway through the tour.   

A few highlights to see in Helsinki:

• Helsinki Cathedral
• Temppeliaukion Church (it is excavated from rock – very cool!)
• Sibelius Monument
• Visit a museum: I recommend The Finnish Museum of Natural History
  • While we were here they had an Antarctica exhibition which is part of the reason I made it my mission to get to the bottom of the earth. 
• Visit the central market near the harbor (great place for handmade crafts and to sample reindeer)
• Uspenski Cathedral
• Take a stroll through Esplanade Park
• Helsinki Olympic Stadium
• Suomenlinna Fortress

After another full day of sightseeing, we picked up our rental car and made our way to Turku. 

1.5 DAYS IN TURKU

Considered to be one of Finland’s oldest towns, Turku is now known as a university town. With that comes plenty of bars and restaurants. We stayed at an Airbnb on the outer edge of the city where we could park for free but also walk to the city center. We chose to cook dinner at our Airbnb and melt in our personal sauna before heading out for the evening. (Finns are known for loving their saunas and many have them built right into their homes) We ordered a few over-priced beers at one of the floating bars along the river and enjoyed a laid-back evening of conversation. 

The next morning we drove the expanse of the Turku archipelago islands. Some of the islands are connected by ferries. We enjoyed the novelty of driving our car onto the boat and floating from one island to the next. At the last island that was reachable for this season, we had a blast renting bikes and exploring the many trails and farms around us. 

*One thing to note is that the round trip island experience that can be done as a day-trip in summer is no longer available in September. There are many seasonal activities in southern Finland that cease operation in August or September for the season. It’s always worth checking in advance.

1 TRANSIT DAY: TURKU TO ROVANIEMI 

On average, the drive from the south of Finland to the capital city of Rovaniemi takes about 10 hours. The roads are unpaved in some places with potholes and gravel. There are also wild reindeer everywhere! We still stopped and took photos with each spotting because we loved them so much. Be cautious, drive slowly and make sure to fuel up whenever you see a gas station. Stopping points can be few and far between in the more rural areas of Finland.

1 DAY IN ROVANIEMI

We were very excited to finally enter Lapland. We stayed in a hostel within walking distance of the city center. It was very easy to walk the main street and see everything from the outside in the span of 10 minutes. For dinner, we visited Nili restaurant for locally-sourced cuisine. The 5-course meal and cloudberry (famous to Finland) cocktail were divine!

After dinner we took the car and drove just beyond the city lights to a dark lake. We found a place right along the road with a break in the trees to pull off and wait. We didn’t have to wait long for the northern lights to grace us with their presence. Although faint to the eye, they showed up clearly in our phone photographs and go-pros. The lake even showed the reflection of the sky in some photos. 

The next morning we went to Santa’s Village. We visited Santa in his workshop and took a guided forest walk with 2 reindeer, Lumi and Mara. This was my favorite thing we did in Rovaniemi. We were allowed to play with all of the reindeer in their pen for as long as we wanted afterwards. There were plenty more things to see and do in the village, especially shopping, but we wanted to get on the road to our next stop.

1 NIGHT STAY AT LEVIN IGLUT GOLDEN CROWN

We couldn’t travel all the way to Finland without one unique stay. Built in a forested area, we found our next stay in a serene, remote area of Levin. Each igloo is made out of glass, temperature-controlled and very cozy. The beds were draped with furs and piles of pillows. Each igloo included 2 lounge chairs, a small kitchenette and private bathroom, complete with complimentary robe and slippers.  We had a wonderful stay and woke in the night to see a dancing display of the northern lights right over our heads. The only downside to the igloos is that the glass has a tendency to fog up, with no ability to adjust the igloo’s temperature or wipe the glass.

4 DAYS IN NORTHEAST LAPLAND

Our next stop took us further north into the arctic circle to the Ivalo region. Enroute, we made a stop at  Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park. It was a windy and overcast morning as we trekked one of the loops to the top of the small mountain. The path was well marked and the topography was free of obstacles. If not for the fog at the top, we would’ve been able to see the whole region surrounding us. 

Another one of my favorite adventures was the Extreme Huskies dog-sledding tour in Ivalo. Despite the snow-less season, many sled-dog farms offered a similar excursion to tourists. The main difference being that instead of hooking the dogs to a sled, they were hooked up to an atv of sorts, with a wagon that comfortably fit our group. 

It was quite the experience to watch the team of dogs hurtle through the forest, in perfect step with each other as they pulled us at a surprisingly quick pace. We were allowed to pet the dogs and take photos. Afterwards, we were invited into a teepee to drink hot chocolate around a fire and hold newborn puppies. We learned a lot from the husband/wife duo about their dogs and the training processes. It was difficult to leave!

The nature in northeast Lapland is worth visiting as its own trip. We visited 2 other national parks while in the area: Urho Kekkonen National Park and Oulanka National Park. Both frequent the tops of blogger and guidebook lists. While the former boasts tree-lined paths and climbing, rocky trails, the latter followed the path of the river with crashing waterfalls and scenic viewpoints. The weather in Autumn here was mostly sunny, but still chilly. Make sure to pack layers of clothing, a windbreaker, hat and gloves.

IN CONCLUSION

Finland does not receive the credit it deserves as a travel destination. The Finns themselves seemed surprised when we mentioned we were visiting for tourist purposes. In Rovaniemi, Santa Claus actually asked us why we wanted to visit Finland from Florida, with a hilarious amount of perplexity. Even though locals know the value of their country, they still seemed shocked by the genuine interest of outsiders. They are humble in a way that is unmatched by the other Baltic countries. Discovering Finland, especially in a shoulder season for travel, was a hidden gem. I think there is much more to discover on future trips and I look forward to returning one day.