Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Finnish Lapland: Rovaniemi, Huskies and the Northern Lights at Yllas
6 days in Lapland from December to March: two nights in Rovaniemi for huskies, reindeer and the Arctic Circle, then three nights at Yllas for aurora evenings, snowshoeing and a smoke sauna.
6 days · Rovaniemi to Kittila Airport · up to 12 guests
Yllastunturi above the forest in winter Photo: dr.eros, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yll%C3%A4s_fjeld_-_panoramio.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Rovaniemi to Kittila Airport
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Short walks of 1 to 3 km on snow, a husky ride of about 10 km sitting or standing on the sled, and a snowshoe outing of about 3 to 5 km over 2 to 3 hours with a shorter loop if you prefer. Aurora evenings mean standing outside in deep cold for an hour or two, and you can always stay in. No day has more than about 3 hours in the minibus, and that day is broken up by a museum visit and lunch.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 795 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- A husky safari through the forest outside Rovaniemi, two to a sled, taking turns to drive
- A reindeer farm with a herding family and a short sleigh ride
- The Arctic Circle line and Santa Claus Village in the lit winter dusk
- Three evenings set aside for the Northern Lights at Yllas, away from city light
- Snowshoeing in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, with lunch cooked over a fire
- A traditional smoke sauna by a frozen lake, with an ice-hole dip if you dare
- A full winter outfit lent to you for the whole trip
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 795 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi Airport to your hotel in central Rovaniemi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Rovaniemi
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Rovaniemi Airport (RVN), most likely via Helsinki, and plan to land by about 3 pm. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the short drive into town, about 15 minutes. Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland, sitting where the Ounasjoki river meets the Kemijoki just south of the Arctic Circle. Retreating German troops burned almost all of it in 1944, and it was rebuilt to a plan by Alvar Aalto, whose library and Lappia Hall still stand in the centre. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel and we fit everyone's winter outfit: thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava, yours for the week.
Evening
After a short briefing we walk to the Lumberjack's Candle bridge and upstream along the lit riverside path towards Koivusaari, the wooded island in the Ounasjoki with a boardwalk nature trail, then sit down together to a welcome dinner of Lappish dishes, such as sauteed reindeer with mashed potato and lingonberries, or salmon soup.
Included
- Pick-up at Rovaniemi Airport (RVN)
- Winter outfit fitting: thermal overall, boots, mittens, socks and balaclava for the whole trip
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk along the riverside towards Koivusaari island
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 5 pm fitting and briefing
Activity: If your flight lands late, a driver still meets you and your guide fits your outfit at the hotel.
Huskies, reindeer and the Arctic Circle
Rovaniemi to a husky kennel and a reindeer farm, then the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rovaniemi
- Drive about 1 h
The husky safari goes first, in the best of the short winter light. We drive out of town to a kennel in the forest, where the dogs start howling as soon as the sleds come out. After a safety talk from the mushers you ride two to a sled, one standing on the runners and one sitting, swapping halfway, on a trail of about 10 km through snowy spruce and frozen bog.
Afternoon
Lunch is hot and sit-down, by a fire in a kota hut: salmon soup or a reindeer stew with rye bread. In the afternoon we visit a reindeer farm, where a herding family explains how the animals graze freely and are gathered each year, and you take a short sleigh ride behind a reindeer. As the light goes we reach the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village, about 8 km north of town, step over the painted line and post a card from Santa's post office.
Evening
Evening free in Rovaniemi.
Included
- Husky safari of about 10 km with a kennel visit, two to a sled
- Sit-down lunch by the fire in a kota hut
- Reindeer farm visit with a herding family and a short reindeer sleigh ride
- The Arctic Circle line and Santa Claus Village
- An aurora outing out of town if the forecast is strong and the sky is clear
Optional experiences
- Official photos with Santa Claus (meeting him is free; the photos are sold separately)
Easier option: Ride as the passenger for the whole husky trail, wrapped in a reindeer skin, and let your partner drive.
More active option: Drive the sled for the whole trail, if your sled partner agrees and the musher is happy with your braking.
Free time: Evening free in Rovaniemi
Activity: Huskies pull hard. Standing on the runners means holding on and using the brake on the downhill parts; the mushers teach you first.
Arktikum, then north to Yllas
Rovaniemi to Arktikum, then north-west through the forest to Akaslompolo at Yllas
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Akaslompolo
- Drive about 3 h
We start at Arktikum when it opens, the science centre and museum on the riverbank whose long glass corridor points north. It explains the Arctic in plain terms: the cold, the light, the animals and the people of the north, and how Rovaniemi rose again after 1944. It is the best preparation for the days ahead and for the aurora.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in town we drive about 180 km north-west, two and a half to three hours in winter with a stop, through forest, frozen rivers and small villages, with Yllastunturi ahead on the last stretch by road 80, to Akaslompolo, at the foot of Yllastunturi. Your home for the next three nights is a hotel in or near the village, and you will not pack a bag again until the last morning.
Evening
Dinner is at the hotel. Afterwards we walk to the edge of the frozen lake, away from the village lights, for the first aurora evening, with hot berry juice and a guide who knows which way to look.
Included
- Arktikum science centre and museum with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Rovaniemi
- Drive to Yllas with your guide
- Dinner at the hotel
- First aurora evening: a guided walk to the frozen lake
Activity: The drive is in daylight or twilight depending on the month; in December we arrive in the dark.
Snowshoes in the national park
Akaslompolo to a trail in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park and back, then out to a dark spot for the aurora
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Akaslompolo
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A slow breakfast, then we drive a few minutes to a trailhead in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, which runs north from Yllas along a chain of rounded fells. With a local snowshoe guide we walk about 3 to 5 km through old spruce forest bent under crown snow, across open bog and up to a viewpoint over the fells, reading the tracks of hare, fox and grouse on the way. Snowshoes are easy to learn: if you can walk, you can do this.
Afternoon
Lunch is cooked over a fire at a wooden lean-to, sausages and a hot soup with coffee or juice. The afternoon is free. Try cross-country skiing on the tracks that start in the village, rest at the hotel, or warm up in its sauna.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice in the village. Later, if the sky is clear, the minibus takes us out to a dark spot away from the village for the second aurora evening, around a campfire.
Included
- Guided snowshoe outing in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, snowshoes and poles provided
- Campfire lunch at a wooden lean-to
- Second aurora evening by minibus to a dark spot, with a campfire and hot drinks
Optional experiences
- Cross-country ski hire or a lesson
- Downhill skiing at Yllas
- Snowmobile safari (drivers need a valid driving licence)
Easier option: Take the shorter loop of about 2 km to the lean-to and back, and spend the rest of the morning at the fire.
More active option: Spend the free afternoon on a longer cross-country ski tour on the village tracks.
Free time: Afternoon free; dinner on your own in Akaslompolo
Activity: Snowshoeing is about 2 to 3 hours on foot in deep snow, slow and steady with stops. If the sky is fully clouded, your guide calls the aurora outing off early and tells you by about 8 pm.
A free morning and a smoke sauna
A free morning in Akaslompolo, then a lakeside smoke sauna near Yllas
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Akaslompolo
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The morning is yours, because three busy days in the cold are enough for most people. Ski, sleep in, take a snowmobile or ice-fishing trip, or walk the village with its small shops and cafes; your guide helps you book whatever you choose.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon we drive a short way to a smoke sauna by a frozen lake. A smoke sauna is the oldest kind of Finnish sauna: a wood fire heats the stones for hours with no chimney, the smoke is let out, and the heat that remains is soft and deep. Sauna culture in Finland is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Between rounds you can roll in the snow, or step into a hole cut in the lake ice if you want to.
Evening
Then a farewell dinner is served at the sauna or nearby, and afterwards we stay by the lake for the third aurora evening, under a sky with almost no light around it.
Included
- Traditional smoke sauna by a frozen lake, with towels
- Ice-hole dip, if you want one
- Farewell dinner
- Third aurora evening by the lake
Optional experiences
- Snowmobile safari (drivers need a valid driving licence)
- Ice fishing on a frozen lake
- Cross-country or downhill skiing at Yllas
Easier option: Skip the ice hole and keep to the warm sauna, the fire and the dinner table.
More active option: A morning cross-country ski tour on the village tracks before the sauna.
Free time: Morning free in Akaslompolo
Activity: Bring a swimsuit for the sauna. The ice-hole dip is entirely optional and supervised; skip it if you have a heart condition.
Yllas to Kittila Airport
Akaslompolo to Kittila Airport (KTT)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A last breakfast with the fell outside the window, and time to hand back your winter outfit at the hotel. Mid-morning we drive about 50 km to Kittila Airport, about an hour on quiet forest roads, where your guide sees you to the check-in desk before saying goodbye. Kittila has flights to Helsinki for onward connections, so book a flight leaving after about 12 pm. Ending here rather than back in Rovaniemi saves you a two-and-a-half-hour drive on the last morning. If you would like more time in Finland, Helsinki is an easy addition: we can suggest hotels and what to see, including the Suomenlinna sea fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site a short ferry ride from the market square. If you need to fly from Rovaniemi instead, tell us when you book and we arrange a transfer back there at a set time.
Included
- Drop-off at Kittila Airport (KTT)
Activity: Book a flight from Kittila leaving after about 12 pm.
- Rovaniemi2 nights
- Akaslompolo3 nights
- Kittila Airportend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December and January bring the deepest cold and the shortest days: about 2 hours of sun in Rovaniemi near the solstice, and at Yllas the sun barely clears the horizon around it, with long twilight. February has more light and is often the coldest month. March has 11 to 12 hours of daylight, deep snow and milder days. The Northern Lights are possible on any dark, clear night through the whole season; cloud is what most often hides them.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time winter visitors who want huskies, reindeer and a fair chance at the Northern Lights in one week
- Travellers who would rather spend all their days in Lapland than in Helsinki and on a train
- Solo travellers, couples and families with older children
- People who do not want to buy a full set of Arctic clothing for one trip
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed aurora: nobody can promise one
- Travellers who cannot face standing outside at -20 C for an hour or two
- A Sami culture trip: the Sami homeland is further north, around Inari
- A ski holiday: skiing is optional around the planned days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Rovaniemi2 nights
- Akaslompolo3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights: 2 in central Rovaniemi and 3 in or near Akaslompolo at Yllas
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfer from Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) on day 1 and to Kittila Airport (KTT) on day 6
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group throughout
- Transport to the kennel, the reindeer farm, the trailhead, the sauna and the aurora spots
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 briefing to the airport on day 6
- Local mushers, reindeer herders and a snowshoe guide for those activities
Activities
- A full winter outfit for the whole trip: thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava
- Husky safari of about 10 km near Rovaniemi
- Reindeer farm visit with a short sleigh ride, near Rovaniemi
- The Arctic Circle and Santa Claus Village
- Arktikum science centre and museum, Rovaniemi
- Guided snowshoe outing in Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park
- Traditional smoke sauna by a frozen lake at Yllas
- Three guided aurora evenings at Yllas, plus an outing from Rovaniemi if the forecast is strong
Meals
- 5 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: by the fire on the husky and reindeer day, in Rovaniemi on day 3 and a campfire lunch on the snowshoe trail
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Rovaniemi, the first night at Yllas and a farewell dinner after the smoke sauna
Not included
- International flights to Rovaniemi and from Kittila
- Visa or ETIAS travel authorisation fee, if it applies to your dates
- Travel insurance, which should cover weather delays
- Lunches on days 5 and 6, and dinners on days 2 and 4
- Drinks, including alcohol, which is expensive in Finland
- Optional activities: snowmobile safari, ice fishing, skiing and ski hire, photos with Santa
- Thermal base layers, hat and liner gloves
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 795 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Five nights in 3-star-plus hotels, 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, private airport transfers, a minibus and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a full winter outfit for the week, the husky safari, the reindeer farm and sleigh ride, the Arctic Circle, Arktikum, snowshoeing with a guide, the smoke sauna and three guided aurora evenings.
Will we see the Northern Lights?
We cannot promise it, and nobody honestly can. Finnish Lapland lies under the band where the aurora is most often active, but you need a dark, clear sky, and winter here is often cloudy. We plan three evenings at Yllas, away from city light, plus an outing from Rovaniemi on a strong forecast. Your guide calls hopeless nights off early.
Is warm clothing included, and what should I pack?
Yes. We lend every guest a thermal overall, insulated boots, mittens, woollen socks and a balaclava for the whole trip, fitted on day 1 from the sizes you send us. Bring thermal base layers (wool is best), a warm mid layer such as fleece, a hat, thin liner gloves, a swimsuit for the sauna and indoor clothes for the evenings.
How cold does it get?
In December to February expect around -10 to -20 C, and some nights drop below -30 C. March is usually milder, with long sunny days. Dry cold with the right layers feels better than it sounds, and every activity has a warm hut, a fire or the minibus close by.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus, so everyone fits around one fire at lunch and one table at dinner. Some other Lapland group trips take up to 16 guests.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome briefing on day 1 to the airport on day 6. Local mushers lead the husky safari, a herding family runs the reindeer visit and a local guide leads the snowshoe outing. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Walks are short, the husky ride is about 10 km and you can sit as a passenger the whole way, and the snowshoe outing is 3 to 5 km at a slow pace, with a 2 km loop if you prefer. The hardest part for most people is the cold, not the effort.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own for all five nights is from CAD 795 on top of the small-group price, shown before you request to book, with nothing added later. Solo guests share a sled with another guest or the guide, and join the same group, table and activities as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
The trip runs from December to March. December and January have the longest nights and only a few hours of twilight, which suits the aurora and the Christmas mood. February is cold with more light. March has long, bright days on deep snow and the same dark nights for the aurora.
Will we meet Sami reindeer herders?
Probably not on this route. The Sami homeland in Finland is the far north, around Inari and Utsjoki. Near Rovaniemi most reindeer are herded by Finnish families, and that is who we visit. If Sami culture is your main interest, ask us about adding Inari and the Siida museum.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and style and send a request to book. We check the hotels, kennel and activity partners and confirm your trip within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until then. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 4,245, and the private trip from CAD 7,640.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, driver and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can quote the same hotels, activities and transfers for you. We can also add nights in Helsinki before or after.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.