Traveling to Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland by land offers more than just a change of scenery. Train and bus travel, slow as it is, forces you to change your pace, how you engage with the landscape and the people along the way, and even your environmental impact. Here’s a quick guide to reaching Rovaniemi via train or road, what to expect, and why slow travel can have an unexpected advantage over flying.

If you are reading this blog, it means you are probably planning trip to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. In Rovaniemi, often called the gateway to Finnish Lapland, you’ll find a wide range of tours and activities to choose from: husky sled rides, snowshoe trekking in the wilderness, full-day and half-day photography expeditions, and Northern Lights adventures. Behind this vast selection of experiences is an important question every traveller should ask themselves: who are you travelling with, and how do they operate?

If you’re planning a winter trip to Rovaniemi between December and March, it’s wise to get familiar with the weather patterns of the Arctic and how they influence not just your daytime activities but also your chances of seeing the Northern Lights in the night time.  

Below is a month-by-month guide to what to expect from Rovaniemi weather conditions, and practical tips for travellers.

Planning a holiday in Rovaniemi is exciting, but we also know it can feel overwhelming at first glance. With so many activities to choose from—Northern Lights hunting, reindeer farm visits, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, ice fishing, and countless others—the challenge isn’t finding things to do but deciding how to fit them into your time here.

Just a short drive from Rovaniemi, you can find landscapes that feel untouched by time: the deep Korouoma canyon, frozen lakes and rivers, old-growth forests, and waterfalls that defy the cold by continuing to flow even in the middle of winter.