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The Best Time to Visit Finland

Getty Images / Samuli Vainionpaa

Finland combines wilderness, design heritage, and strong epicurean traditions into one Nordic package. Although the climate varies throughout the year, all seasons in this mystical country have something to offer visitors. Still, the best times to visit Finland are the months of May through September, as these offer the mildest weather and the greatest number of tourist attractions.

While temperatures in the winter months rarely climb over 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1 degree Celsius), the chance to see the Northern Lights also makes this a great time to visit Finland. However, the fairly warm summers provide great opportunities to explore the culture and wilderness of the country, and late spring, especially  May and June , are the most pleasant months in Finland. Finns take their summer vacations in July, which means higher prices, some business closures, and the need for advance reservations. Meanwhile, August and September have more annual rainfall than the prime spring and summer months yet visitors still enjoy mild temperatures.

The Varying Weather in Finland

Contrary to what many travelers believe, Finland's climate is quite diverse and varied throughout the year. Not surprisingly, July is the country's warmest month and February is the coldest, and those two months are also the wettest and driest months, respectively. 

The overall climate is not as cold as many visitors think. Even though it's at the same latitude as southern Greenland, the country receives warm airflows from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Still, the weather is variable and can change quickly, especially in the winter. Winters are long and cold and the country's northern reaches might have snow on the ground for nearly half of the year. Average temperatures from November through March rarely exceed 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1 degree Celsius). 

Warmer temperatures can be found in southwestern Finland, especially the country's islands situated in the Baltic Sea. In the summer, the weather is mild and warm, like other parts of the region. From June through August, temperatures typically range between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 23 degrees Celsius). Keep in mind that beyond the Arctic Circle in the north of Finland, you can experience the Midnight Sun each summer, when the sun never goes down.

Key Events and Festivals

During May or June, the weather in Finland is typically warm and relatively dry, meaning that outdoor activities and events are plentiful. Just a few of the many spring and summer events in Finland include the  Organ Night and Aria Festival  from June through August; the  Naantali Music Festival , the  Black and White Theatre Festival , and the  Midnight Sun Film Festival  in June; and  Sirkus Finlandia and the  Pori Jazz Festival  in July.

The  Juhannusvalkeat  (Midsummer) Festival is a major celebration throughout Finland, complete with bonfires, dancing, and another revelry. The celebration of  Juhannus , as the Midsummer festival is called in Finnish, originates from John the Baptist whose commemoration and birthday are celebrated in Midsummer. Before 1316, the summer solstice was called  Ukon juhla , after the Finnish god Ukko.  

The High Tourist Seasons

Both winter and summer are the high tourist seasons in Finland, partly due to the special attractions, weather, and events you'll find in the country these times of the year and partly due to school and government holidays in Finland. While residents of Finland only get one week off from school in the winter—called the skiing holiday—kids and adults alike have more than four weeks of vacation to enjoy. As a result, you'll find larger crowds at popular destinations across the country from June to August and over the last week of December and the first week of January. Fortunately, this doesn't mean that hotels will be fully booked or popular attractions will be overrun—you can typically still find good deals on accommodations and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sights and events of Finland any time of year.

Spring in Finland is short and often overlooked as so many travelers flock to the country during the summer months. In some parts of the country, there still might be snow on the ground—it's even possible to ski through late spring—but the season is quite versatile depending on where in Finland you visit and when. While March can be chilly with temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), by May, temperatures are regularly in the mid-50s.

Events to check out:

• Vappu, Finland's version of International Worker's Day, is held on May 1. It's one of the country's largest holidays and brings residents to the street for days of partying. The celebration is also sometimes called Walpurgis Night.
• The Helsinki City Marathon is an annual road running event held each year in May. Formerly held in August, the marathon draws more than 6,000 runners each year.

In Finland's north, the  Midnight Sun  is best seen in June and July. While Finns are used to dark Arctic winters, Midnight Sun is the complete opposite, as this natural phenomenon results in the sun remaining visible for almost 24 hours a day during peak summer months. Finns embrace the contrast between the two seasons, and in summer, public places come alive and everyone stays out late. It's a festive, happy atmosphere. It's also an ideal time to go hiking and camping. Finland has 40 national parks , scattered around the country’s archipelago, lakes, forests, and fells. Finland’s “Everyman’s rights” mean that you can venture just about anywhere in the parks as long as you respect nature and clean up after yourself.

• In Helsinki during August, a must-do is the  city's annual Flow Festival , an urban music festival which is held in an abandoned power station on Helsinki's outskirts. The festival features some of the world's most popular flow performance acts and offers an impressive food menu with extensive vegan, organic, and farm-to-table selections.
• Organ Night and Aria Festival is a unique series of late evening classical music concerts held throughout the summer in Espoo that include recitals as well as grand performances of major works.
• The long-running Naantali Music Festival is held in the sunny, coastal town for which it is named. Concerts are held in a medieval abbey and other venues along the archipelago.

September and October are good times to visit Finland if you're on a budget and want to avoid the high tourist season. However, with the diminished crowds, many attractions will be closed. Still, photographers may relish the New England-style fall foliage display in September and October. If you don't mind missing out on the festivals and concerts but enjoy the thought of quiet and pleasant walks, beautiful landscapes, and relatively mild weather, then early fall may be the best time for you to visit Finland.

• The annual Sibelius Festival takes place each year in September and serves to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer and violinist. The festival includes performances by Sinfonia Lahti, the city's famous symphony orchestra.
• Helsinki Design Week spans two weeks in early September and features fashion designers, furniture designers, architects, and other creatives displaying their collections for the coming season.

If you consider yourself a winter-loving traveler, then the colder season may be the best time for your trip to Finland. It's a pricey time of year, but Christmas in Finland, packed with snow and local events, is a great experience. You can  visit Santa in Lapland  and cross the magical Arctic Circle at the  Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi , where you'll find Santa's reindeer and can even go for a reindeer sleigh ride.

Winter is also a time to visit the town of  Kemi where unique ice creations and snow castles attract visitors. The town, located by the Bothnian Bay, is known for the huge snow castle known as LumiLinna that has been erected there every year since 1996. Inside the monolithic ice sculpture, guests will discover a chapel, restaurant, and hotel, complete with ice tables, rooms, a bar, beds, and reindeer fur seat covers. Kemi also has a gemstone gallery that displays a model of the crown of Finland and other pieces like the imperial state crown of Britain and Sceptre of Czar from Russia.

• If you want to see the Northern Lights ( aurora borealis ), aim for December. The aurora effect is a result of charged particles from the sun striking atoms in Earth's atmosphere, causing electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state. When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, light is released. This process creates a beautiful light effect.
• The biggest events of the winter revolve around celebrating Christmas in Finland , which includes a number of unique traditions, starting with First Advent on the first Sunday in December.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best time to visit Finland is during the months of May through September, when the weather is mild and the tourist offerings are plentiful.

Finland is the eighth-most expensive country in Europe. Visitors pay more for alcohol, restaurant visits, and hotel stays than in other European countries where electricity and other services are cheaper.

Northern Lights season in Finland spans from mid-August until early April, and the best time for spotting the Aurora Borealis is at the beginning and end of the season.

Britannica. "Finland." Retrieved March 8, 2021.

Helsinki Times. "Why Juhannus Matters." June 27, 2017.

Britannica. "What Causes the Northern and Southern Lights?" Retrieved March 8, 2021

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The 15 best things to do in Finland

Nov 14, 2023 • 11 min read

From Helsinki to Lapland, here are the very best things to do in Finland © Chalermkiat Seedokmai

You’ll never see it all in one trip – which is just as well as Finland has got enough to hook you for a lifetime.

Whether it’s the sorcery of the northern lights in the frosty wilds of Lapland, bear watching in the remote, silent forests of the east, cloudberry foraging as the midnight sun blazes, or paddling from lake to lake with nothing but the seals and sea eagles for company in Finnish Lakeland, Finland will cast a spell over you.

But don’t take our word for it: in this country of extremes and extreme otherness, every moment and memory is wholly unique. Here are 15 of the best things to do in Finland to get you started. 

1. See the northern lights in Lapland

Holding your breath as the aurora borealis swoops and sways in the frozen Arctic night sky is an experience not quite of this world. No photo gets even close to conveying the moment when the heavens light up, the sky shifts in the most unsettling way, and green rays float down like strobe lights, as if the Nordic gods are having a wild party up above.

Finnish Lapland is one of the best places on earth to observe the electrifying, shape-shifting phenomenon that the Finns call revontulet , or fox fires – myth has it they were created when an Arctic fox running through the snow sent sparks flying into the sky. The Sámi have deep respect for the northern lights and remain silent in their presence, as some believe they are the dancing spirits of their ancestors. 

Rovaniemi makes a cracking first base for heading out on a tour to hunt down the northern lights. Or go further north still to the snowy fells of Saariselkä , Harriniva, Levi, or Utsjoki, where the odds of seeing the lights from September to April are sky high .

2. Feel festive in Lapland's Rovaniemi

Wish it could be Christmas every day? You’re going to love Rovaniemi, where you can cuddle up to the big, jolly, red-robed, chimney-diving dude 365 days a year. You are forever five years old as you whisper your wish list into Santa’s ear in his grotto at the Santa Claus Village , right atop the Arctic Circle. When you’re done, post letters with the Arctic Circle stamp at the post office or jump on a reindeer-driven sleigh.

And if you’re still fizzing with festive enthusiasm, nip across to the Santapark to hang out with toy-making, gingerbread-baking elves, hop on twinkly rides, chill at the ice bar, and meet – err – the other real Santa…  

3. Forage for cloudberries in Ranua

The mosquitoes are after blood, and the swamps want to suck you down, but who gives a damn: with a basket, a netted hat, a forager’s eye, and mile after shimmering mile of forest and lake ahead, you feel nothing but at one with nature joy as you venture into the remote wilds in search of cloudberries. And where better to find "Lappish gold" than in Ranua, the little town just south of the Arctic Circle that bills itself as Finland’s cloudberry capital?

For a few brief weeks in late July and early August, you can channel your inner hunter-gatherer and come here to pick the tart, creamy, amber-gold berries, born of winter snows, which drive Finns crazy for their taste and super-food potency. But it isn’t just about the berries – walking alone in the cottongrass-stippled swamps, feeling the space and silence, having the time to think – this is Finnish happiness. Visit Ranua can sort you out with foraging maps and apps and help arrange guides.

4. Dive in at the sauna deep end

If you’ve never done it before, you might find the idea of stripping naked in front of a bunch of sweaty strangers in a little wooden cabin unnerving, but relax: this is Finland. Wholeheartedly embracing the sauna experience is your fast track to the country’s steam-loving soul. Leave your modesty in the changing room, bring a towel and an open mind, and feel the stress slip away as water hisses on the stove, clouds of löyly (vapor) rise, and the temperature reaches a toasty 80°C (176°F). Round out by lightly whipping yourself with a circulation-boosting vasta (birch whisk), jumping in an ice hole, and drinking a beer, and you’ve reached peak Finnishness.

Saunas are everywhere in Finland, but ones you’ll never forget include the world’s biggest underground smoke sauna, Herrankukkaro (Mama's Pocket), on an island just south of Turku, rustic lakefront Jätkänkämppä in Kuopio, and Finland’s oldest working sauna, Rajaportin in Tampere . 

5. Hit the water in Finnish Lakeland

All is green and blue as far as the eye can see in Finnish Lakeland in the country’s east. Here you can’t pick a map up without sploshing straight into the water. The exact number of lakes is uncertain, but estimates weigh in at 55,000. Days here have their own mellow rhythm and simplicity that comes with the rising and setting of the sun over the forest and mirror-like lake.

For a true sense of back-to-nature freedom, nothing beats grabbing a paddle and taking to the waters in a kayak or canoe. With the world’s longest lake coastline, forest-blanketed Lake Saimaa  is a fabulous base to rent a canoe or join a guided tour. As you weave in and out of a maze of deserted islands, inlets, and bays, you might get lucky and spot the rare Saimaa ringed seal (endemic to this region), otters, reindeer, and elk. Nights are spent by the crackle of a campfire under a canopy of stars. Bliss. 

6. Rewind to medieval times in Old Rauma

With its lopsided wooden buildings in ice-cream pastels, flower boxes, and cobbles, UNESCO World Heritage Old Rauma is a pleasure to explore on foot. The largest wooden medieval old town in the Nordic countries might look like a theater set, but it’s very much a thriving little community, with its cluster of low-key cafes, shops, museums, and artisans’ workshops. Rauman giäl, an old sailor’s dialect, is still spoken here.

The Rauma Museum takes you back to the roots, with snapshots of local history and insights into craft traditions. Stay the night at Hotelli Vanha Rauma , lodged in a warehouse in the old fish market, to go even deeper.

7. Go deep into the wild in Urho Kekkonen National Park

This is the big one. With its off-the-map location and off-the-charts beauty, Urho Kekkonen National Park in Lapland is Finland’s largest national park, covering a whopping 2550 sq km (1548 sq miles) of forest and fell as it ripples east of Saariselkä to the Russian border. If you’re into long-distance hiking or cross-country skiing, it doesn’t get better than here, where you can pad for miles in utter solitude through old-growth forests of pine, spruce, and birch, crossing fast-flowing brooks and clambering up fells of myth, including 486m (1594ft) Korvatunturi, the spiritual home of Santa.

The wildlife is as phenomenal as you might expect. While the big predators (bears, wolverines, wolves, and lynx) keep a low profile, you can expect to see reindeer, moose, and plenty of birdlife, including eagles. But just as special is the kind of silence you only find this far north. Bring a backpack and sleep in a hiker’s hut or wild camp under the midnight sun.

8. Spend a very cool night in an igloo or snow hotel

If ever you’ve nurtured a dream of snuggling down on a reindeer hide in an igloo as the flakes fall thick and fast or the northern lights come out to play, Lapland delivers with its flurry of snow hotels and glass-roofed domes. The temperatures plummet well below zero, but don’t worry – expedition-grade sleeping bags or thermal duvets keep you toasty, and at the luxe end of the spectrum, there are saunas, hot tubs, and ice bars serving hot grog to keep you warm.  

Frosty favorites where you can sleep on an artistically made bed of ice include the Lumihotelli in Kemi and the lakefront Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi. If you fancy gazing at the northern lights from your bed instead, try the laser-heated, glass-roofed cabins at Wilderness Hotel Inari or the aurora bubbles at Wilderness Hotel Nellim .  

9. Delve into Helsinki’s design scene

Finland moves to an alternative beat when it comes to design, and in Helsinki you can dive in at the deep end. Swinging from outrageously bold to slick and functional in the classic Scandi mold, the capital harbors a line-up of excellent design shops. Pin down the best with a wander in the Punavuori backstreets in the heart of its Design District . If 20th-century design rocks your boat, you can easily spend an entire morning absorbed in prints that pop at Marimekko , modernist lines at Artek , and eye-catching glassware at Iittala . 

For more insight into the origins of Finnish design and its cutting-edge, visit the Design Museum ; the website has details of its free guided tours in English.  

10. Cycle in the Åland Islands

Sprinkled like stepping stones off the country’s southwest tip, the self-governing Åland Islands speak Swedish yet are technically Finnish. And they are beautiful. These 6700 islands – many of them just nameless specks of pink granite – have an almost dreamlike quality, with painterly light, reflecting waters, forests, and blonde-sand beaches easing ever so gently into the Baltic. Cycling is the way to go, with ferries hopping between islands and flat trails that make pedaling a breeze, zipping from castle to orchard, medieval church to windmill. Rent your wheels in the capital, Mariehamn , and set off in spring or autumn when the islands are at their quiet best. 

11. Go Moomin crazy

Go on, admit it: you came to Finland for the Moomins. You are not alone. Just about everyone has a secret soft spot for the weird-looking, cute white hippo-like characters (well, apparently they are actually large-snouted trolls…) that are so magically brought to life in Tove Jansson’s tales.

Join the kids in the Moomin house, cave, workshop, and nature trail at Muumimaailma (Moomin World), which sits on its own island just off the coast of Turku . Or for more of a cultural Moomin experience, head north to the imaginatively thought-out Moomin Museum in Tampere , which is stuffed with original illustrations and dioramas. 

12. Play in the snow in Lapland

Lapland in the deep freeze of winter is full-on Narnia, with its snow-blanketed fells, tundra, and forests. Some might be content to hibernate in a little cabin and watch the flakes flutter, but chances are you’ll be itching to get out and play. The options are boundless, whether you want to dogsled, snowmobile, cross-country ski, snowshoe into the icy wilds, or dash off on a reindeer-driven sleigh as the aurora flickers overhead. Levi and Ylläs come tops for crowd-free skiing and perfect powder. Or for the whole snow fun shebang, try Rovaniemi , Inari , and, farther north still , Utsjoki.

If that’s not quite intrepid enough, there’s always aurora ice floating in Rovaniemi. Kitted out in an Arctic survival suit, you’ll float on a frozen lake, peering up at the northern lights. It’s mad and magical. 

13. Shop at the local food markets

If you want to see Finnish food in all its wild, wonderful bounty, get yourself over to the nearest kauppahalli (covered market). Helsinki’s glorious late 19th-century market hall is a fantastic place to stock up on everything from reindeer steaks to forest berries and herbs, artisan cheeses, and ham slowly roasted over alder logs in a traditional smoke sauna. You’ll also find a tempting array of cafes, where you can grab a coffee and korvapuusti (cinnamon bun), or a lunch special like cured salmon on homemade rye bread. Try the harbor front Story for brunch under soaring arches.

The historic covered markets in Tampere and Turku are equally great for picnic fixings or lunch on the hoof. In summer, the action spills outside to the kauppatori (market square), where stalls are laden with everything from wild mushrooms to golden cloudberries.

14. Tune into Sámi culture

It’s a much-cited fact that Lapland’s Sámi people have 200 words to describe snow, but more incredible is the 1000 words they have for reindeer. The reindeer have been their lifeblood for many centuries in the stark, dark, bitterly cold north. Spending time among the Sámi gives an astonishing insight into their nature-bound, season-driven way of life, whether it’s listening to the haunting sound of the joik (rhythmic poem) around a hissing campfire in a lavvu tent, or meeting reindeer under the flash of the northern lights.

The Sámi capital, Inari , is a great starting point. Here you can get the inside scoop on Sámi life, from their semi-nomadic past to modern times at the cutting-edge Siida museum, and immerse yourself in the wilderness of nearby Lemmenjoki National Park .

15. Hang out with brown bears

Watching a bear emerge from the dense forests of Russia to lollop across the swamps in search of a midnight snack is one of those magic moments you’ll be raving about forever more. Out on a limb and properly immersed in the wooded wilderness, Lentiira on the Finnish–Russian border is one of Europe’s most outstanding places to observe brown bears in their natural environment. Though there are never any guarantees, the odds are brilliant during the bear-watching season (April to October) at the conservation-focused  Wild Brown Bear Centre. Every season works its charm – from the cubs and snows of spring to the never-dying light of midsummer and richly colored foliage of fall.

The bears here are shy but harmless. Keep quiet in your hide or – for greater privacy – a family-sized luxury lodge, and you’ll see plenty. Besides bears, you might also spot wolverines, wolves, and elk if you’re lucky.

This article was first published May 25, 2022 and updated Nov 14, 2023.

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