Ah, Finland. The land of saunas, Santa Claus, and happy people. This may be a bit reductive, but they are actually the highlights of this northern country. Saunas are a deeply ingrained part of Finnish culture; Santa Claus’s “official” residence is located in the Lapland city of Rovaniemi; The country has been voted to Make the world happy Plenty of numbers. Perhaps not surprisingly, Finland is a year-round tourist destination, drawing visitors to its lakes in the summer and ski slopes in the winter. Fall and spring may not be quite as crowded, but there is a big advantage during these seasons: the northern lights. “The best time to see them is actually the shoulder months; September, October, February, and March,” Rose Hipwood, founder of Arctic luxury travel company Travel + Entertainment. It may be a cliche, but there’s really no bad time to visit Finland, with each season offering different attractions.
- Peak seasons: Summer and winter
- Shoulder season: He falls
- Low season: spring
Best times to visit Finland for small crowds
It’s easy to find peace and quiet in Finland throughout the seasons – there’s plenty of nature here – but if you’re looking for smaller crowds at the country’s main attractions and more popular destinations, visit in the spring. “In the spring, the days slowly become longer, and the sunshine begins to emerge again after the dark winter months,” says Merry Sibilla, the company’s director of public relations and media. Visit Finland.
The best times to visit Finland for good weather
“Good” is somewhat subjective here, as the best weather really depends on the types of activities you want to enjoy. For skiers, good weather means cool temperatures and snow.
But for the sunshine and warm weather, you’ll want to visit during the summer or early fall. “I really enjoy summer activities like hiking and canoeing – it’s a nature lover’s paradise.”
Sipilä also loves summer activities in Finland. In the city, I enjoy the long summer nights by dining at patio restaurants, watching movies at outdoor theaters, swimming, and visiting public saunas in Helsinki with my friends,” she says.
The best times to visit Finland at lower prices
Since spring is technically low season, you’ll generally find lower prices for airfare and hotels. But as we mentioned before, spring is still a great time to visit Finland – take advantage of the lower prices and enjoy the northern lights. One caveat: Since March is a snowy month, ski resorts may still charge higher prices. In late spring, you may find better discounts as the weather warms.
Fall is also shoulder season, which means you’ll usually find lower prices than in the high seasons of summer and winter. It is a scenic time to visit Finland. “Autumn is about the changing colors of nature, which is what the Finns call it Russia“And with more than 75 percent of Finland covered in forests, there is no shortage of colorful foliage,” says Sipila.
If you want to see the Northern Lights in Finland, here is the best time to do it
Pole lights They occur year-round, but that doesn’t mean you can see them every night. As with all northern destinations, the country experiences midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, meaning the sun never sets below the horizon. Even in the southern parts of the country, you’ll likely have at least some light in the sky almost around the clock. For this reason, winter is a more popular time to view the aurora borealis because the sky already gets dark and stays dark longer.
It requires clear skies and a bit of luck. Statistically, the lights are visible every night.”
The worst times to visit Finland
Since there is no real “bad” time to visit Finland, it all depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. For example, if you are traveling to Finland to see the northern lights, you will be disappointed in the summer. Although the northern lights technically occur year-round, Finland is so far north that the sky doesn’t stay dark for very long at night — or not at all, if you’re north of the Arctic Circle. This results in very poor conditions for observing the aurora borealis. In the same vein, don’t expect to go skiing in the summer! Although the ski season can run later than in the United States, conditions deteriorate in the summer.
If you want to avoid crowds, you may want to skip traveling to Finland during the peak seasons of summer and winter. These seasons also command higher prices, which may be another reason to skip a visit at those times of the year.