7 Day Trip to Finland and Seeing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
Why Finland? Where is Finland & Can I See the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) There?
Finland is a beautiful country located in Northern Europe, with a population of around 5.5 million people. It is known for its stunning natural landscapes, pristine lakes, and vast forests. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Finland is Levi, a ski resort located in Lapland, the northernmost region of the country. Levi is known for its beautiful winter scenery, including the Northern Lights, as well as its world-class skiing and snowboarding facilities. The resort also offers a range of other winter activities, such as snowmobiling, ice fishing, and reindeer sleigh rides, making it a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts and families alike.
I surprised my wife, Lauren, with a trip to Finland for her 25th birthday. The trip was booked through Eurotrip Adventures, a company with relatively cheap trips all planned out for you; some of the activities are included and other are optional add-ons for a fee.
So what did we do on our 7 day adventure through Finland?
Day 1:
Around 0520 we left our home in the Ramstein, Germany area and drove an hour to the Frankfurt airport. Upon arrival we met with a gentleman from Travel-Parking.de, a valet service company. He inspected the vehicle, helped us unload our luggage, and took our car for us. For €96 this has been the cheapest and quickest option to date for parking at the Frankfurt airport. After checking in to our flight with Air Baltic and going through security we anxiously waited to board our flight to Helsinki. Luckily, the flight was right on time and there were no delays before or after boarding.
Upon arriving to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, around 1600 we got our luggage and headed to the train station in the airport. Tickets for a train ride from the airport to the city center were a mere €4 per person, a bargain if you ask me. After a short 28 minute train ride through the snowy outskirts of the city, we arrived at the Helsinki train station. Here we were able to lock our luggage up in secure lockers while we explored. (There are varying sizes of lockers and prices depend on the size of locker: €4-€8/24 hours.) At this point, we were famished. We found a burger joint close by and grabbed some burgers and fries.
We had time to kill as the bus from Eurotrip Adventures wasn't arriving for us until 2100, so we decided to walk around and explore the area. We ended up heading to the Senate Square, a beautiful building exhibiting neoclassical architecture. After capturing a few photos, we were cold and decided to find a café to enjoy some hot tea while we waited. Soon enough, it was time to grab our luggage and head to the bus.
The bus ride was approximately 12 hours long, and not the most enjoyable to be honest. It was cramped, hot, and uncomfortable. We tried our best to sleep throughout the ride, but it's easier said than done, haha.
Day 2:
At around 0930, after driving through the night, we arrived at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland. Everyone put on their extra layers, hats, and gloves as it was around 20°F outside. We departed the bus and had about 4 hours to ourselves to explore the village and all that it had to offer.
We explored Santa's post office, his house, Mrs. Claus' office, and more. You are able to meet Santa himself, however the line was fairly long and we didn't want to spend time waiting so we skipped this part. The walk through his office to see him was well decorated, very festive, and super creative. There was a section for a reindeer baby daycare, gifts to be sent out, elves baking treats, and more. Here you can also send letters to loved ones and friends, as well as pay €9 to have Santa send a personal letter to someone at Christmas time (a great idea for little ones).
We then decided to go and see the reindeer! They were so precious! Because it was Lauren's birthday trip (and I didn't know it was later included in the trip) I paid for us to go on a 1km reindeer sleigh ride. It was very peaceful and the reindeer was precious. After, we were able to hang out with the reindeer, pet them, and take photos with them. We were very warm during the ride thanks to the reindeer hide they gave us as a blanket.
From here we walked a little ways through the village and located the Husky Park. We decided to pay the €10/adult fee to go in and see the Huskies. They have over 113 huskies on the property, and for another €10 you can also hug, feed, and interact with some of the huskies. At this point, our toes and fingers were frozen. We decided to head back to the main village area and find something warm to eat. We found a little Chinese restaurant and enjoyed some good, hot food. It was then time to get back on the bus and head to Levi, a 3 hour drive away.
Upon arriving at Levi at 1700, we all checked into our accommodations and had the evening to ourselves. Our apartment was very cute and had a small kitchen and our own sauna! After relaxing for a little while, we ventured out and found some amazing pizza at Koti Pizza. It was so tasty! Because Levi is a small town, everything is easily within walking distance which made it very convenient and easy to find anything you may need. We took a short walk to a grocery store and grabbed some snacks and food to cook for breakfasts to save some money.
Day 3:
The next morning we woke up, cooked ourselves some food, and got all bundled up. **The secret is to wear one pair of socks, put toe warmers on, and then another pair of thick wool socks inside waterproof boots. For the hands, wear wool glove liners, put some hand warms in waterproof mittens, and this way you have a heated, insulated place for your hands at all times. Also, be sure to bring thermal underwear as this was a must!** We boarded the bus at 1100 and headed ~10 minutes to the Levi Husky Park. Upon arriving we were greeted and immediately started our tour of the park. We were shown and told stories of huskies, red foxes, Arctic foxes, wolves, and reindeer. Some of their animals have even been movie stars in a few Finnish films. ** Arctic foxes are a small fox species found throughout the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They have thick white fur during the winter months, which helps them blend in with their snowy surroundings, and brown fur during the summer. Arctic foxes are known for their ability to survive in extremely cold temperatures and harsh conditions. Arctic foxes are considered to be an endangered species due to a number of factors, including climate change, overhunting by humans, and habitat loss.**
After our tour of the park, we were able to kiss a reindeer! Yes, KISS! We were given a cookie to place in our lips and then slowly approach the reindeer. The reindeer then took it from your mouth with theirs; their furry lips felt rather funny. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
We then all lined up and waited our turn for the husky sled rides. The huskies clearly love their job and pulling the sled. As the dogs waited to start running, they were jumping with joy and excitedly waiting for the cue to start running. They took us on a 5 minute ride across a frozen lake and through some gorgeous, winter trees covered in snow. It was extremely cold with the arctic wind in your face, but more than worth it! Once we arrived back from the sled ride, we walked over to a hut with a burning fire pit where we were greeted with hot drinks and a Finnish sausage.
Once we got back to the quaint, ski village of Levi we fancied ourselves some Italian food. We found a cute restaurant called Ristorante Renna. The food was delicious and had very large portions. We didn't know what to do until it was time for the Northern Lights hunt that evening, so we decided to go bowling at the small bowling alley in town. It was €41 for a lane for one hour and in that time we played 4 games between the two of us so it was more than worth the money.
Later that evening it was time to see the Northern Lights!! Around 2140 we boarded the bus and headed up a mountain and away from light pollution. Because we were so far north, we were still able to see the sun setting until around 2330 at night on the mountain. It was spectacular. ANDDDD... We saw the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. They are fairly dim to the naked eye, but if you use an extended shutter speed (2.5-4 seconds) and a tripod, they light up so bright on your screen! You can also use night mode on your smartphone to capture them. We headed back down the mountain around 2330 and rightfully passed out once we hit the bed.
Day 4:
The group was heading to the reindeer village for an hour in the morning, but since we had already enjoyed our time with reindeer at the Santa Claus Village, we decided to sleep in and catch up on some much missed sleep. After waking up around noon and eating some food at a local café, we spent the day leisurely exploring and buying souvenirs for our loved ones. It was a relaxing day for us and that was much needed. We also decided we didn't care to take another long bus trip back so we bit the bullet and bought plane tickets from Kittilä (a 15 minute drive from Levi) back to Helsinki, and we're super glad we did!
That evening we went out with the group, back to the mountain, to go hunt for the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, we didn't see any that evening... Or so we thought. As I was later editing some photos I had taken of the midnight sunset and stars, I realized I HAD captured part of the Aurora Borealis! We definitely couldn't see it with the naked eye and the camera only vaguely captured it...but it was there!
When we returned to the hotel, I showered and got ready for bed. Lauren had been watching the Northern Lights prediction and live web cam and decided to venture out to the frozen lake, Immeljärvi, to see if she could photograph the light show. Shortly after she arrived, she exclaimed on the phone how bright and magical they were! Because the time had changed they were coming out later in the evening. She was there for about an hour, until about 1am before becoming a popsicle and heading back to share her photos with me.
Day 5:
This was a busy and fun-filled day! We woke up around 0800 to get ready for our snow mobile adventure! After eating a small snack and bundling up, we headed out to meet the bus. Neither of us had even driven a snow mobile before and we were super excited! Upon arriving we were given a brief introduction, signed some paperwork, paid €15 for insurance, and we're given our gear. They provided us with heavy duty, warm, body suits, thick wool socks, insulated and waterproof boots, thick wool/leather gloves, a baclava, and a helmet with wind screen. We were more than protected from the cold elements that awaited us outdoors. Once everyone was dressed, we headed outside to the snow mobiles! We were given a brief explanation of how to operate the vehicle and how to maintain a safe distance. And then.... We were off!! If you've ever driven an ATV/4-wheeler and a jet ski, I'd say a snow mobile is kind of like those two if they had a baby together.
We started off with the learner's key, or the "slow key," and at the half way point we all stopped and took photos. The leader/instructor also said she trusted our driving abilities and gave all of us the "fast key." I was at the back of the group and, of course, I had to see how fast these bad boys went. So when a straight away was approaching I would slow almost to a stop and wait for Lauren, in front of me, to almost disappear from sight. Then...PEDAL TO THE METAL!! I got up to 112 kmh (or 70 mph). Boy was I moving!! Needless to say, it was an amazing time as we rode across frozen lakes and through the snow covered forests. 10/10 would recommend!
When we got back to Levi, we grabbed the most amazing meal ever!! No joke. It was a Finnish pancake house called Pannukakkutalo Levi. We each got our own sweet pancake and decided to share a savory one with chicken, mozzarella, and pesto. It was incredible! I could eat Finnish pancakes everyday for the rest of forever if I could make them that good!
We then headed back to our room to put on our swimsuits. I know! Swimsuits! In Finland! When it's 20°F outside! WTH is wrong with us?! Hold on, hold on, hold on...bear with me here. We through on our swimsuits under our thermals and warm clothes and boarded the bus. We headed to the "Ultimate Lapland Experience!" What's that you may be wondering? Well, it consisted of HOT hot tubs on the frozen lake, two saunas, andddd a polar plunge in the frozen lake! Yikes. A few people did the plunge right away. Lauren and I headed to the hot tubs to relax first. We then made our way to one of the saunas, and eventually... We did the polar plunge!! Lauren did it a total of 3 times and I did it twice. I'm surprised we even did it at all to be honest. It felt amazing after the fact, but it was definitely not the most enjoyable experience in the moment. However, I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!
That evening, we didn't take the bus to go see the Northern Lights because the driven wouldn't have been able to have his required 12 hours of rest during the night before the next morning. So instead, Lauren and I packed up our belongings and headed out around 1130 to go to Lake Immeljärvi in hopes we would see the lights ourselves. And… We did!! It was so beautiful and magical. It was also cold as balls. We lasted about an hour before we decided to make the trek back to the hotel to warm up and count sheep.
Day 6:
This was the day the group was heading out on the bus, but because we bought plane tickets we decided to go skiing and snowboarding for the day. We woke up and checked out our hotel, Levi Gold, and the receptionist was kind enough to let us leave our luggage there until they closed at 2000. We went and bought ourselves some ski goggles...because why not?! And then we sat in a café while we waited for the Pancake House to open at noon. This time we each got our own with a Café Latte...the best in town!
After we got our bellies full, we headed to Hill Rentals to rent our skiis and snowboard, and then we headed for the slopes. It should be noted that both of us have only been skiing/snowboarding about 4-5 times. These slopes were not beginner friendly and aside from a few mishaps and almost concussions, we had a blast, even though we chose the one snowy and very windy day to go.
After we returned our equipment, we got some grub. I had Koti Pizza again because it was just that good, and Lauren had a subway sandwich.
Around 2000 we grabbed our luggage and decided to take a taxi to the Kittilä Airport. The airport was the most efficient and clean airport I've ever experienced, and we had enough time to charge our phones and enjoy some hot tea before boarding the plane at 2300. The flight to Helsinki was a little over an hour and once we arrived, we had the pleasure of sleeping in the airport on the chairs until 0730 the next morning. We were so tired, it honestly didn't matter where we slept at this point.
Day 7:
After a very uncomfortable night's sleep on our lovely airport chairs, we took the train from the Helsinki Airport to the City Center..again. We locked up our luggage and headed out to find breakfast. We walked for about 15 minutes to a quaint and cozy restaurant called The Lazy Fox where we ate our hearts out. Literally. We both ordered two meals we were so hungry.
Then we were off in a Bolt (similar to Uber) to the craziest, best escape room ever! We arrived at Labyrinth Games Escape Room Helsinki where we had a reservation for 1130 to play their "Trapped" room. We started off with a black hood over our heads, led into the room blind, and then chained by our ankle to the floor. Then... BAM!! The first jump scare. Once the music began we could take our hoods off, where we were met with the scene of a "bloody murder rooom." From there we had to escape our chains by finding the keys and ultimately escape the room. We survived with 8 minutes to spare! This escape room was definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you're into this sort of thing then I highly recommend it!!
We Bolted back to the train station to grab our luggage and catch a train to the airport for our flight back home.
I must say, the Finnish airports and Finnair in general have mastered the airport game. It was, yet again, seamless, painless, and efficient.
All-in-all, we had an outstanding time in Finland and if you ever get the chance I highly recommend going! If you have any questions, feel free to post them below and I'll get back to you. Thank you for reading along and joining us on our Finnish recap.
