HomeTravel & TransitFinnish Activities & Adventures

Ukraine: Travel Implications
Updated 2 March 2023
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges cancellation of all travel to Russia.
It is impossible to transfer money to/from Russia, or to use foreign cards for payment or to withdraw cash from ATMs in Russia.
The EU has banned Russian planes from EU airspace, which includes Finnish airspace.
Finnair flights in Russian airspace cancelled until further notice.
Finnair operations in Ukrainian airspace suspended until further notice.
Finnair flights on some routes are longer due to re-routing to avoid Russian airspace.
Finnair Updates

Adventures in Finland

Famous in Finland
Some of Finland's attractions are so popular they need a mention, even though thrillseekers may not call them 'adventures':

Finland & Regional Information

Every season offers experiences unique to Finland, and this page links to some specialist service providers.
For general information and region-specific information, see also:

Year-round Adventures

There are plenty of unique experiences to be had in Finland, any time of year!

Sauna and Spa

Regular saunas are great, but Finland also offers some amazing sauna experiences you won't find elsewhere. Floating saunas, sauna ships, and possibly the most unique sauna in the world - a ski lift sauna in Lapland.  Many saunas available for rent are attached to a restaurant, so food and drinks are available. If you rent a sauna, towels, soaps etc. are usually supplied. Take a swimming costume in case you want to hit an adjacent public beach!
VisitFinland articles about sauna life:

6 Steps to Do Sauna: Woodpecker Film explains Finnish sauna in this 2014 video!

Saunas Finland-wide: www.saunaonline.fi/saunat Over 150 saunas of all types available for rent, from city centres to the wilderness. Choose your location from the menu on the left. Site in Finnish only but simple and works well at Google Translate.

Special Saunas

Häme

Helsinki

Lapland

Turku

Winter Activities

Winter: Officially December-February, but in practical terms include March
Temperatures: -30°C - 0°C
Snow: There may or may not be persistent snow on the ground in southern cities. In the North coverage is usually about 1 metre.
Everyday activities: You don't need a big budget to enjoy Finnish winter. Strolling on frozen lakes and harbours, tobogganing, cycling (with winter tyres) and ice fishing are daily pursuits all over Finland, and you don't need much gear. Cross-country skiing is very popular - but for downhill skiing, head North. It's also traditional to roll naked in the snow (usually during sauna) - Finns are experts at snow angels!
Helsinki Top Tip: Take the ferry across frozen waters to the historical island fortress Suomenlinna for a great value mini-adventure!

Skiing and Skating Conditions, Finland-wide:

Handy website shows the condition of ski trails, skating and swimming venues across Finland. In English, Finnish, Swedish
ulkoliikunta.fi/en/

Winter Adventures!
OK thrillseekers... the bit you were looking for! Most 'extreme' winter activities and adventures take place in Lapland. These companies are established and experienced, and offer tours, adventure packages, and activities:

Skiing
There are over 70 ski resorts in Finland, with 250+ lifts transporting guests on more than 300 km of slopes. The highest altitude ski resort is Pallas, at 780 m. Popular northern resorts with long seasons are Levi, Pyhä (and nearby Luosto), Ylläs, and Ruka. Himos is popular in central Finland, and Ukko-Koli in southern Finland. Vihti Ski Center is the largest ski resort in the capital region. Find out more at:

Rally Driving
There are a few companies who will put you in the driving seat!

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