Finland doesn’t do half measures. In winter, it delivers the full Arctic package: husky sledding, reindeer farms, and serene snow-dusted forests. Come summer, snowmelt gives way to inviting forest trails, cycling paths, buzzing cities and long days stretching towards the midnight sun.
Whether you’re chasing the Northern Lights from a log cabin, teaching the kids how to build snow forts, or cycling between saunas and medieval castles, Finland makes every season feel like the right time to visit.
Here are three very different Finland trips that prove it’s an all-year destination.
Finnish Wilderness Week: Snow, Silence and a Little Science
If you’re picturing Finland in winter, chances are your imagination looks a lot like the Finnish Wilderness Week. Based at Basecamp Oulanka, a snug collection of timber lodges on the edge of Oulanka National Park, this trip is a full immersion into Arctic life. Days begin with frosty air and end with hearty dinners, saunas, and that warm Finnish knack for hospitality, while everything in between is about embracing the snowy wonderland outside your cabin door.
You’ll strap on snowshoes to crunch through forests where every branch is weighed down with snow, try cross-country skiing on the frozen surface of Juuma Lake, and spend a day mushing huskies through the silence of Riisitunturi National Park.
Evenings bring their own kind of wonder – snowshoeing under the stars in search of the Northern Lights, or honing wilderness skills like quinzee-building, with the option of sleeping overnight in your snowy creation if you’re feeling brave. And for those who prefer warmth over frost, there’s always Basecamp’s hot tub bubbling away as the perfect alternative.
But what makes this trip truly unique is that some departures also include the opportunity to make a real difference. Exodus’s Citizen Science Departures invite you to collect freshwater samples during your adventure, which contribute vital data to the eBioAtlas, the world’s largest repository of flora and fauna species information. In other words, your snowy getaway could help protect biodiversity both in Finland and far beyond. It’s proof that adventure and conservation can go hand in mittened hand.
Finland Family Winter Adventure: Experience the true meaning of winter wonderland
If winter was made for families, Finland got the memo. It’s a chance to swap school runs and screen time for shared adventures that are anything but ordinary. From the moment you arrive at Basecamp Oulanka, it’s clear our Finland Family Winter Adventure isn’t your average ski resort trip.
The week is designed to ease families into the Arctic rhythm. You’ll start with a gentle snowshoe walk along the frozen Kitkajoki River, before testing out Finland’s answer to the scooter – the kick sled – around Basecamp. Then comes the husky day, where adults take the reins and kids ride snugly in the sled as you mush through Riisitunturi National Park. Add in a cross-country ski lesson on Juuma Lake and you’ve already ticked off a trio of Finnish essentials.
It wouldn’t be a family trip without a little magic, which is why you’ll also meet reindeer, take a short sleigh ride, and finish around an open fire with hot drinks and sausages.
Later in the week, enjoy endless snow games: think pancake-making over a campfire, fort-building, sledding and building snow sculptures, all fuelled by hot chocolate and doughnuts. And if you’re craving variety, nearby Ruka resort offers downhill skiing and snowmobiles for an adrenaline hit.
Discover Finland’s Golden Triangle: Cities, Saunas and Summer Light
If winter belongs to Finland’s snow-draped forests, summer is when its cities come alive, and our Discover Finland’s Golden Triangle trip proves it. Linking Helsinki, Tampere and Turku (with a few storybook detours along the way), it’s a week of design, history, bike rides, saunas and island hopping, all played out under the long light of Nordic summer days.
It begins in Helsinki, where a walking tour introduces the city’s mix of cutting-edge architecture and deep-rooted sustainability. You’ll step inside the famous Rock Church, carved straight out of bedrock, before exploring Oodi Library, more community hub than book depository, complete with 3D printers, sewing machines and roof terraces. In the evening, a cruise around the Helsinki archipelago reveals the city from the water, all rocky outcrops, sea fortresses and shoreline cafés.
From there, it’s onward to Porvoo, where cobbled lanes and red-ochre riverside houses look lifted from a children’s storybook, and then by train to Tampere, the Sauna Capital of Finland, home to more public saunas than anywhere else in the country.
Here, you’ll cycle through town and countryside, finishing with a sauna (naturally) and a cooling dip in the lake – the local way to balance mind, body, and spirit.
Turku, the oldest city in Finland, adds a regal note with a medieval castle, while nearby Rauma’s wooden houses and café pastries give a sweet taste of UNESCO-listed heritage. And before circling back to Helsinki, you’ll wander the artist village of Fiskars and hike through Nuuksio National Park, pausing for coffee and pastries by an open fire in the woods.
Why head out in summer? Because the sun barely sets, the locals spill onto café terraces, and the archipelago is at its best from the deck of a boat. It’s a chance to experience the country’s golden trio of cities, stitched together by lakes, forests and coastlines, when Finland swaps its snow boots for bicycles and swimsuits.
So, whether you’re chasing the Northern Lights or the midnight sun, Finland is the perfect year-round destination. Take a look at our full collection of Finland Holidays here.
