Best Things to Do in Finland (2026 Guide)

Finland offers two completely different travel experiences depending on when you visit. In winter (November-March), Finnish Lapland delivers the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), husky safaris, snowmobile tours, reindeer farm visits, and Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi. In summer, the midnight sun illuminates a landscape of island-dotted lakes where Finns retreat to their summer cottages (mökki) for swimming, berry-picking, and genuine sauna culture. Helsinki is excellent year-round: a compact, walkable capital with outstanding design culture (the Design Museum, Marimekko, Iittala), fortress island Suomenlinna (UNESCO), and one of Northern Europe’s best food scenes. The best things to do in Finland are defined by the season you choose — both are extraordinary.

Best time to visit

For Northern Lights: December-February in Lapland (Rovaniemi, Saariselka, Levi). Lights appear on cloud-free nights between August and March, but the winter period is most reliable. For midnight sun: June-July, when sun never fully sets above the Arctic Circle and Helsinki enjoys 19+ hours of daylight. For shoulder season: May (spring colours, less crowded, cheaper) and September (autumn colours, first Lapland snow, last berries). Helsinki is excellent year-round for city exploration.

Getting around

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the main hub with connections to Lapland airports (Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo) by Finnair domestic flights (1.5 hours). Finland’s rail network is comfortable and punctual; the overnight sleeper train to Rovaniemi (12 hours) is a classic journey. Car hire is necessary for exploring the lake districts (Saimaa, Tampere area) and rural Lapland. Helsinki’s public transport (metro, trams, ferries to Suomenlinna) is excellent.

What to eat and drink

Finnish cuisine has undergone a renaissance: Olo in Helsinki (Michelin-starred) and newcomers like Grön and Nolla serve foraging-led New Nordic cooking that rivals Copenhagen’s best. At street level, Finnish staples are excellent: salmon soup (lohikeitto), Karelian pasties (karjalanpiirakka) with egg butter, sautéed reindeer (poronkäristys) with mashed potato and lingonberry, and the extraordinary rye bread (ruisleipä) that appears at every Finnish table. Finnish coffee culture is globally second only to Scandinavian neighbours (Finland is the world’s highest per-capita coffee consumer). Salmiakki (salty liquorice) is an acquired taste that Finns insist is essential. Cloudberry jam on vanilla ice cream is a non-negotiable summer dessert.

Regions to explore

Helsinki — The capital: Senate Square and the neoclassical Cathedral, Market Square, Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (ferry, 15 minutes), the Design Museum, Temppeliaukio Church (carved into solid rock), and the sauna culture of Löyly and Allas Sea Pool.Finnish Lapland (Rovaniemi) — The Arctic Circle town famous for Santa Claus Village, reindeer farms, and being the best base for Northern Lights. The Arktikum Arctic science museum is exceptional.Saariselka & Inari — Deeper Lapland: the fell (tunturi) landscape north of Rovaniemi, with the Urho Kekkonen National Park and the Siida Sámi Museum in Inari village.Tampere — Finland’s second city between two lakes, with the Särkänniemi amusement park and Näsinneula observation tower, a thriving live music scene, and the city’s beloved mustamakkara (blood sausage) eaten at the Laukontori market.Lake Saimaa — Europe’s fourth-largest lake, in southeastern Finland. Kayaking, cottage rental, and the extraordinarily rare Saimaa ringed seal (endangered species found nowhere else on earth).