Finland is the Nordic wonderland of extremes — the land of the midnight sun and the polar night, of sauna culture and Sibelius, of Europe’s densest forests and its most spectacular Northern Lights displays. Regularly ranked as the world’s happiest country, Finland offers travellers an extraordinary combination of pristine nature, cutting-edge design, and genuine wilderness adventure: dog-sledding in Lapland, island-hopping in the world’s largest archipelago, and the most authentic sauna culture on the planet (there are over 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million).

Quick Facts: Finland Travel Guide

• Best time to visit Finland: June–August for the midnight sun, lake swimming, and festivals; December–March for Northern Lights, snow activities, and the magical Christmas season in Lapland; September–October for autumn colours (ruska) in Lapland
• Top attractions in Finland: Finnish Lapland (Rovaniemi — official home of Santa Claus), Helsinki’s Design District and Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (UNESCO), the Åland archipelago, and a traditional Finnish sauna by a lake
• How to get there: Helsinki Airport (HEL) has direct flights from most European capitals and Asian hubs; ~2 hours from Stockholm by ferry; direct train from St. Petersburg (when operating)
• Currency: Euro (€)
• Northern Lights: Visible on roughly 200 nights per year in Finnish Lapland; peak season September–March
• Sauna etiquette: Finnish sauna is a deeply cultural experience — naked (swimwear optional in public saunas), silent, and traditionally followed by a dip in a frozen lake in winter. It’s not a spa treatment — it’s a way of life.

Finland by Region

• Helsinki: A compact, walkable capital of Art Nouveau architecture, world-class design (Marimekko, Iittala, Artek), and a surprisingly vibrant food scene. Don’t miss the Suomenlinna sea fortress and the Löyly public sauna on the waterfront.
• Finnish Lakeland: Europe’s largest lake district — over 188,000 lakes connected by a labyrinth of waterways. Rent a cottage (mökki) by a lake and experience the Finnish summer ritual of sauna, swim, repeat. Read our Finland guides →
• Lapland: The Arctic north is Finland’s tourism crown jewel: husky safaris, reindeer sleigh rides, snowmobile adventures, aurora hunting, and glass igloos where you can watch the Northern Lights from your bed. Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle, is the main hub.
• Åland Islands: An autonomous Swedish-speaking archipelago of 6,700 islands halfway between Finland and Sweden — a cyclist’s paradise of quiet roads, red granite shores, and maritime heritage.
• Turku: Finland’s oldest city and former capital, with a medieval castle, a beautiful archipelago, and a dynamic student culture.

The Northern Lights in Finland

Finnish Lapland is one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis. The lights are visible on roughly 200 nights per year, with the best months being September–October and February–March. Unlike some destinations, Finland offers extensive tourism infrastructure for aurora viewing: glass igloos at Kakslauttanen and Levin Iglut, dedicated aurora camps, and guided photography tours. Pro tip: Book an aurora alert service (free via Finnish Meteorological Institute), pack thermal layers, and plan for at least 3–4 nights to give yourself the best chance of a sighting.

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomi), is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden on the west, Norway on the north and Russia on the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki.

Finnish forests offer not a large number of species. The importance of landscape and forestry has only pine, spruce and birch. With considerable isolation of the country and small population, many species that are now very rare in othe rparts of Europe, survived in the wild here. In southern and central Finland, you can normally see the elk, the largest of nearly seventy species of mammals. There are living several hundreds of brown bears. In addition, there are living arctic foxes, wolves, lynx, marten, muskrat, beavers, otters, wolverines, lemmings, hares and hedgehogs.

All the water in Finland is so clean that also in Tampere – Finland’s third largest city, you can find trouts in the lake that is in the middle of the city.

Have you experienced the Northern Lights in Lapland, swum in a Finnish lake after sauna, or discovered Helsinki’s design scene? Share your Finnish adventures in the comments — I’d love to hear your sauna stories! 🇫🇮

Explore all our Finland travel guides and natural wonders of Europe.