If you’re thinking about disrupting the British winter with a short break, consider looking north. As in, Arctic Circle north. Hear us out.
The #BeastFromTheEast came and went, leaving behind a slushy mess, dashed promises of a day off work, and ruined shoes (we're not a practical bunch). Imagine the magic of that moment when we all woke up to dry, settled snow – but minus the chaos.
Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, sits inside the Arctic Circle. Its wild landscape of hills and forest is frosted with a metre or more of snow from November right through until May. It's built for the stuff. Plus, all that sound-absorbing powder makes for an incredibly peaceful experience if you’re looking to escape.
The Polar Night – when the sun hovers below the horizon for 24 hours and does not rise – lasts for around five weeks between December and January. So, actually, it makes sense to hold out your visit until this time of year, to get in a few more hours of daylight. Bear in mind, though, that if you’re eager to see the Northern Lights (because this is an excellent place to do so), you need to get there before the end of March.
Temperatures can drop to -30 degrees Celsius but during our trip in February, it hovered around -2 most days. Even so, this isn’t your damp and icy British cold. It’s dry and crisp. The air is clean (the cleanest in Europe). And when the sun shines, everything glistens like god’s own KiraKira.
Also, did we mention there were huskies…?
Getting there and getting around
Return Finnair flights from London Gatwick to Ivalo, the northernmost airport in Finland, hover around £170-£190 during Northern Lights season. If you can only manage a short break – four days or so – the 3hr 30 direct flight will help you make the most of your time.
Otherwise, it’s a changeover in Helsinki and a pricier flight. Which is the case for anyone coming from Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton or Edinburgh, unfortunately.
Once there, an airport transfer bus can take you from Ivalo to Saariselkä, a resort-like village that’s the best base for activities. There’s a Ski Bus for getting you to Saariselkä’s miniature ski resort; for everything else there are taxis – if you can spare the cash. The regulated metered rate currently works out at about €1.80 per km, which is going to make a dent in your wallet. A taxi from Ivalo airport to Saariselkä town is €55 for a 25-minute ride. If you're planning a trip for winter 2019, note that Finnish taxis will be deregulated by then.
If you prefer to drive, Hertz and Sixt hire out cars from Ivalo. The main roads are usually clear, but if you find yourself in slippery conditions, McLaren, whose Ice Driving Centre is just north of Saariselkä, advises the following: Look ahead as far as possible and stay alert (on a grey day, the horizon will blend into the road); accelerate gently and avoid aggressive braking; take your foot off the accelerator to slow down instead of using the brake if you have time to; and if you do start to slide, gently nudge the wheel in the opposite direction to where the back end is moving to counteract.
Shot on iPhone XWhere to stay
The exact number of saunas in Finland varies, but trust us when we say there are A LOT. Whatever price you pay for your accommodation, there will definitely be a wooden box for you to get hot and steamy in.
Glass igloos and glass-igloo-meets-log-cabin hybrids are the Instagrammer’s choice. If the Northern Lights fail to materialise, an igloo becomes essentially a very expensive glass bedsit. But if they do? Well, lying back in the warm with your own full-sky view is priceless. Kakslauttanen starts from €491 for a small, two-person igloo but you'll need to dash to a separate building for the showers, whereas these are included in the large, four-person igloos (€535). The chicer glass roof 'Aurora' cabins within the Northern Lights Village are part log cabin, part glass, so your bedtime privacy is preserved. They start at €499 in winter.
If you're less bothered where you sleep and would rather pack your days with snow activities, a dorm bed at Fell Centre Kiilopää hostel is just under €30 a night. It's outside of Saariselkä town but grazes the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park, so you really feel like you're in the wild. Free (yes, free) guided ski and snowshoe tours for guests run from the hostel six days a week during peak season.
For a holiday group of three or more, split the bill on a homely log cabin. They can cost upwards of £700 a week all-in, but there's this cosy apartment on Airbnb for £91 a night if you’re only planning a short trip.
If you want to go really fancy, then consider Jávri Lodge. Originally the holiday home of Urho Kekkonen, Finland's longest serving president, this boutique hotel is the place to get away from it all. No TV, no newspapers, a very well stocked bar, open log fire and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows for catching sight of passing reindeer. Dine with other guests at the minimalist banquet table, and enjoy food so fresh the chef only knows three hours before what his main ingredient will be. A four-night, full-board stay with one outdoor activity planned each day (think husky safari, skiing and snowshoeing) is £2,199 per person. This is extra-special anniversary/birthday/bumper tax rebate-level stuff.
Shot on iPhone X
What to eat
If you travel on Finnair, the blueberry juice makes for an excellent introduction to Finnish food: you will eat berries with almost everything.
Aside from the berries, meals in Lapland can be modestly described as ‘hearty’. Game meats, potato, mushrooms, and excellent king crab. Reindeer is as common as chicken is in Britain and expect to eat it in various forms: steak, minced, even on pizzas. Saariselkä is just south of the enormous Lake Inari, so white fish and lake salmon are menu staples, too.
Arrive early at the teeny, two-table Cafe Porotupa for a lunch of soup, pancakes and hot berry juice. Or stop by for your afternoon coffee and cake fix as you defrost in front of the crackling log fire.
We can vouch for the 5.0 Trip Advisor rating at Restaurant Laanilan Kievari. This is the place to practise your mindful eating, sampling fresh ingredients harvested from the restaurant's own garden. A highlight was the elk. You’ll want to ring ahead to check in on vegetarian, vegan or free-from options.
One-half restaurant, one-half sports bar, karaoke venue and disco, you could find yourself strolling into Teerenpesa at 7pm and not leaving until lights up at 4am. The space is so big, you won't hear a peep from the other side of the room as you tuck into more reindeer, salmon and creamy soup. Once dessert is finished, roll on over to the bar for a round of Finnish long drinks – gin mixed with grapefruit soda. As the only bar in Saariselkä, Teerenpesa can get pretty wild. We found ourselves on a packed dance floor getting down to "Cotton Eye Joe" with the locals on a WEDNESDAY night. I kid you not.
Kalsarikännit is the legit Finnish word for ‘drinking at home alone in your pants, with no intention of going out’, so make sure you schedule in some of that while you’re there, too.
Shot on iPhone XWhat to do
In Lapland, no one cares if you want to lounge in front of a fire reading for four days straight. In fact, they actively encourage you to dedicate at least one afternoon of your holiday to this, for ultimate Arctic zen.
Another minimal effort (and free) activity would be stepping outside and craning your neck to watch the Northern Lights. If the skies are clear, you should be able to see the phenomenon around every other night between September and March. Comparatively, in southern Finland, the lights are only visible on fewer than 20 nights of the year. Remove the guesswork with an app like My Aurora Forecast & Alerts.
Husky safari rides are magic. Driving the sleigh is surprisingly tough work, because the dogs do need a little help getting up the hills. But as a passenger you can sit back like some kind of Scandi princess and take in the scenery as you bump along. Husky&Co offers two to three-hour or four to five-hour tours, starting at €135 per person.
For more exertion, there’s the Saariselkä ski resort, with ski hire available. There are 15 runs but you’ll be whizzing down them in a couple of minutes, so expect to be using the lifts a lot. A three-hour ski pass is €36.
Shot on iPhone X
How to dress
Layers, topped with a decent padded jacket or coat for casual activities and sightseeing. Uniqlo Heat Tech leggings and polo necks are thin enough to wear under most regular outfits and can always be stripped off in the restaurant loos if you get too hot by the fire.
A pair of walking boots is advisable but everyone in the pub will be wearing trainers, so take those too.
For anything that requires staying out in the snow for hours, you’ll need a ski jacket, salopettes, gloves and snow boots. Some resort accommodation like Javri Lodge may be able to help you hire these, so email ahead.
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