Perfectly Designed Amazing Lodge with Artic ViewsN°001
Finnish Lapland, Finland
From $41,733 per night
Photo by VALO Hotel & Work on UnsplashSnow-silent forests, dancing skies and the warmth of a log fire
Finnish Lapland is Europe's great northern wilderness, a land of snow-laden pines, fell-top ski resorts and some of the world's most reliable aurora viewing. Renting a luxury chalet here, around Levi in Kittilä or near Rovaniemi, gives you a private sauna, a crackling fire and front-row seats to the northern lights, with a concierge to arrange huskies, reindeer and guides.
- Some of Europe's most reliable northern-lights viewing, roughly August to April
- Levi, Finland's leading ski resort, with long, floodlit runs above Kittilä
- Husky sledding, reindeer farms and snowmobile safaris through silent forest
- Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus, on the Arctic Circle
- Log chalets with private saunas, fireplaces and big windows on the sky
Known forNorthern lights, Levi and Ylläs ski resorts, husky and reindeer safaris, Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, midnight sun and private saunas
Best time to visitDecember to April for snow, skiing and auroras; June to August for the midnight sun; September for autumn colours and early northern lights
Nearest airportKittilä (KTT) for Levi and the fells; Rovaniemi (RVN) for Santa Claus Village, both with connections via Helsinki (HEL)
Ideal forFamilies chasing a storybook winter, couples seeking aurora nights, and groups of skiers and adventurers
Luxurious Lapland Chalet With Private SaunaN°002
Finnish Lapland, Finland
From $2,326 per night
2homes available
5–10bedrooms
up to 20guests
Finnish Lapland in pictures
Events not to miss in Finnish Lapland
- Mid-November
Levi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
The world's fastest slalom skiers open the World Cup season on Levi's Black slope, bringing a festival atmosphere to the resort just as the snow season begins.
- Mid-November
Christmas Season Opening at Santa Claus Village
Rovaniemi launches the festive season with the ceremonial opening of Christmas at Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, a magical date for families with young children.
- Mid-January
Arctic Lapland Rally
One of Europe's classic winter rallies sends cars sideways through the snowbound forest roads around Rovaniemi, a thrilling spectacle in the depths of the polar winter.
- Mid-June
Midnight Sun Film Festival
The village of Sodankylä hosts a beloved international film festival where screenings run through nights that never get dark, a cult fixture of the Lapland summer.
Finnish Lapland through the seasons
- Winter (December – March)
Deep snow, huskies and auroras
The classic Lapland season: skiing at Levi and Ylläs, husky and reindeer safaris, and long dark nights made for northern-lights watching from your chalet sauna terrace.
- Late Winter (March – April)
Sunshine on full snow cover
Lapland's best-kept secret, when daylight returns but the snow stays deep. Bluebird skiing, ice fishing and aurora nights without the deepest cold.
- Summer (June – August)
The midnight sun
Around-the-clock daylight for hiking the fells, canoeing quiet rivers and golf at midnight. Trails through Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park are gloriously empty.
- Autumn (September – October)
Ruska colours and first auroras
Finland's brief, vivid autumn turns the fells russet and gold, and the returning dark brings the first northern lights of the season, weeks before the crowds.
The Area and Where to Stay
Finnish Lapland covers the whole of Finland's far north, but villa life concentrates in two areas. The first is around Levi, the fell-top ski resort above the village of Sirkka in Kittilä, where log chalets and modern glass-fronted lodges sit within minutes of the lifts, restaurants and cross-country trails; the sister resort of Ylläs lies a short drive west. The second is Rovaniemi, the lively capital of Lapland on the Arctic Circle, home to Santa Claus Village, the Arktikum museum and riverside lodges that suit families combining city comforts with wilderness excursions. Wherever you base yourself, expect a private sauna as standard, deep snow at the door in winter and a concierge who can arrange guides, safaris and private chefs.
Things to Do
Winter is the headline act. Ski Levi's long, impeccably groomed pistes, many floodlit through the polar twilight, or glide the region's vast network of cross-country trails. Mush your own husky team through frozen forest, meet reindeer at a working farm, drive snowmobiles across fell plateaus and cut a hole in the ice to fish. After dark, head away from the lights to watch for the aurora, on a guided chase or simply from your chalet terrace. Rovaniemi adds Santa Claus Village and the excellent Arktikum science museum. In summer the midnight sun turns Lapland gold around the clock: hike the fells of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, canoe quiet rivers and pick cloudberries. Your concierge arranges private guides, gear and transfers.
Food and Local Flavour
Lappish cooking is built on what the wilderness provides: sautéed reindeer with lingonberries, Arctic char and whitefish from cold lakes, king crab, wild mushrooms and golden cloudberries. Levi and Rovaniemi hold a surprising depth of restaurants, from candlelit log-cabin dining rooms to contemporary Nordic kitchens, and many chalet stays begin with a traditional smoke sauna followed by a long, slow dinner. Leipäjuusto, the squeaky 'bread cheese' served warm with cloudberry jam, is the region's sweet signature. A private chef in your chalet is the most atmospheric way to eat here, letting you linger by the fire while the sky performs outside; the concierge can also book snow-restaurant experiences and wilderness dinners.
When to Visit
Lapland is a genuine year-round destination with two very different faces. December to April is the classic snow season: deep drifts, husky trails, skiing at Levi and Ylläs, and long dark nights made for aurora watching, with March and April adding sunshine and milder days to full snow cover. The northern lights are visible roughly from late August to mid-April whenever skies are clear. June to August brings the midnight sun, empty hiking trails and warm, bright nights, while September paints the fells in the russet and gold of the ruska, Finland's brief, vivid autumn. Christmas and February half-term book far ahead, so reserve chalets early for those weeks.
Getting There
Fly to Kittilä Airport (KTT) for Levi and the western fells, around fifteen minutes from most chalets, or to Rovaniemi (RVN) for Santa Claus Village and the capital of Lapland. Both are served year-round via Helsinki (HEL), with direct seasonal flights from London and other European cities through the winter. Transfers are short and straightforward, and a hire car is useful if you plan to roam between resorts and national parks. The concierge can arrange private transfers, and in deep winter it is worth booking cars with winter equipment well ahead.