Lapland stretches across northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland (and even into northwest Russia). Majestic and vast, it transforms in winter into a snow-covered paradise.
From Paris, depending on where you want to land (Bodø, Tromsø, or Alta in Norway; Kiruna or Luleå in Sweden; Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Kittilä, or Ivalo in Finland), it takes about 4 to 5 hours to reach Lapland.
This region attracts travelers eager to explore its incredible scenery, experience daily life in the Arctic, and take part in once-in-a-lifetime activities that are only possible in extreme cold.
So, here’s our list of the absolute best things to do during your trip to Finnish, Swedish, or Norwegian Lapland! Let’s dive in!
How could we talk about Lapland without mentioning dog sledding? These sled excursions, also called sled safaris, can last half a day, a full day, or even multiple days for a full Arctic adventure.
Accompanied by a professional guide, you’ll get a deep dive into the world of mushing (dog sled driving).
During our trip to Finnish Lapland, we booked a dog sledding excursion with Norwide (a local branch of 66° North, a specialist in polar adventures).
Upon arrival at the base camp, we were welcomed by our guide, Titouan.
Step 1: We were given warm coats before heading to the kennel, where Titouan briefed us on the day's itinerary and explained the basics of sledding and safety rules.
Step 2: After learning how to handle the sled, the team prepared the sleds and harnessed the dogs.
Step 3: Once everything was ready, we set off!
Our excited huskies took off at full speed, and it took a few kilometers for them to settle into a steady pace.
The 2-hour excursion covered about 20 km, starting through the forest before reaching a frozen lake.
Halfway, we stopped to let the dogs rest, giving us time to switch drivers before heading back.
This was an incredible experience—we absolutely loved it! 🤩 We couldn’t imagine visiting Lapland without trying this, and we’re so happy we got the chance!
📍 Norwide Base Camp: Located in Hossa National Park, Finland, 1 hour south of Kuusamo.
💰 Dog Sledding Safari Prices (for a two-person sled):
➡️ To book a half-day or full-day sled safari, send an email to receptif@norwide.com or call +33 4 81 68 56 05.
🛷 For dog sledding in Norway or Sweden, visit 66° Nord’s official website: 66nord.com.
Another classic Lapland activity is ice fishing.
This involves drilling a hole in the ice to reach the unfrozen water below, then dropping a fishing line and waiting patiently for a bite.
💪 The first part requires some muscle to drill the hole, but after that, it’s a game of patience and luck.
🐟 If you’re lucky and catch a good-sized fish, you may even be able to cook it for dinner!
Unfortunately, Simon and I weren’t lucky enough to catch one, but the guests who stayed in our cabin before us did! They even smoked the fish in the cabin’s hot smoker—but we’ll tell you more about that in the next section! 😉
When we think of smoked salmon, we usually picture thin, raw, orange-pink slices served on toast with butter and lemon—this is cold-smoked salmon.
But in Finland (and most Nordic countries), hot-smoking is the most popular method!
Hot-smoking actually cooks the fish (or any other ingredient) while infusing it with rich, smoky flavors.
It’s very different from the smoked salmon we know in France—both in taste and texture.For us, this is an absolute must-try if you visit Lapland! It would be a shame to miss out on this unique culinary experience.
And if you have the opportunity, the best option is to try cooking it yourself!
Some guided tours include this activity (for free or a paid supplement), but what is certain, is that at Maxime & Marie’s cabin (available on Airbnb) in Finland, 1 hour south of Kuusamo, a hot smoker is included in the stay!
You can catch your own fish or buy some locally to experiment with this traditional cooking method.
But what exactly is cani-hiking?!
Breaking down the name, it means "dog trekking"—but this is no ordinary walk with a dog on a leash. Instead, you are harnessed to the dog, and the dog pulls you along.
How does it work ?
This is a unique and super fun way to hike! It feels like stepping into a musher’s shoes for a few hours.
Cani-hiking can be done year-round, not just in winter. But doing it in the snow made it even more magical for Simon and me! ❄️🐾
The famous and unmissable highlight of any Lapland trip and the dream of many travelers—we’re talking about the Northern Lights!
This rare and stunning natural phenomenon occurs in Lapland during winter.
To be more precise, Northern Lights can appear as soon as it gets dark, meaning they are visible not just in winter, but from September to March.
The further north you go, the higher your chances of seeing them. However, luck isn’t enough—weather conditions play a crucial role in their visibility.
Tips for Northern Lights Hunting on Your Own:
✅ With these tips, you’ll be well-prepared to become a true aurora hunter!
⚠️ Howevr, keep in mind: even if all conditions are perfect, the auroras might still not appear. Or, some conditions may be met, but one missing factor can prevent them from forming.
Unfortunately, there’s never a 100% guarantee of seeing Northern Lights in Lapland. So, don’t be too disappointed if you don’t get lucky!
👉 Our experience:
If hunting for the auroras alone isn’t your thing, or if you don’t have transportation, you can join a guided tour with an expert.
Here’s a selection of Northern Lights tours from GetYourGuide:
➡️ In Finland:
➡️ In Sweden:
➡️ In Norway:
Reindeer are iconic in Lapland and deeply tied to Sami culture.
Before diving into farm visits, let’s briefly talk about the Sami people.
The Sami are one of Europe’s last indigenous peoples and have traditionally relied on reindeer herding for their livelihood. However, climate change has severely impacted their way of life.
In winter, reindeer struggle to find food in nature. Reindeer primarily eat lichen, a plant that they instinctively dig up from the ground. However, due to global warming, winter temperatures fluctuate more often, creating cycles of thawing and refreezing. This causes thick layers of ice to form over the lichen, making it impossible for reindeer to reach their food.
As a result, herders are now forced to buy lichen to feed their reindeer, which makes their traditional activity less and less profitable.
To adapt, many Sami people have had to find alternative sources of income, such as craftsmanship and tourism. This is why many reindeer farms now welcome visitors, offering guided tours, cultural experiences, and local products to help sustain their livelihood.
In the Nordic countries, most reindeer live in semi-freedom. This means that from April to November, herders release their reindeer into the wild, allowing them to roam freely in nature. However, when winter arrives, the herders bring them back into enclosures to ensure they are properly fed.
As a result, it is quite rare to see reindeer freely roaming in the wild during winter, which is why visiting a reindeer farm is often the best way to see them—while also supporting Sami herders.
A visit to a reindeer farm allows you to:
✔️ See and approach reindeer up close.
✔️ Feed them yourself.
✔️ Take beautiful photos.
✔️ Learn more about reindeer and Sami traditions.
✔️ Taste traditional reindeer-based dishes (optional).
✔️ Buy local Sami handicrafts.
Some farms also offer reindeer sled rides, giving you a unique opportunity to experience this ancient Sami tradition firsthand. It’s up to you to decide if you’d like to try it!
➡️ Here are some reindeer farms you can visit in Finland, Sweden, and Norway:
If you want Pick up a bit of speed through the snowy landscapes of Lapland, you can opt for the snowmobile. This activity will allow you to travel great distances While enjoying the beautiful frosty landscapes, far from marked trails and tourists.
We did not have time to do this activity during our stay, but we tell ourselves that we will come back, so it will probably be for the next time! It's only part of the deal.
If you're looking for a bit of speed while exploring Lapland's snowy landscapes, then snowmobiling is the perfect activity for you!
This adventure allows you to cover long distances while enjoying breathtaking frozen scenery, far from marked trails and crowded tourist spots.
We didn’t have time to try this activity during our trip, but we’re definitely planning to come back—so next time, we won’t miss it!
➡️ Snowmobiling in Finland:
➡️ Snowmobiling in Sweden:
➡️ Snowmobiling in Norway:
With all the snow that falls in Lapland during winter, snowshoes are often a must-have if you want to walk through forests, cross frozen lakes, take short hikes, venture off the beaten path.
For us, snowshoes were provided at our accommodation, so we took full advantage and explored the surrounding nature.
If you don’t have the necessary gear, no worries! There are always options to rent or book a guided tour:
➡️ In Finland:
➡️ In Sweden:
➡️ In Norway:
Ahh, the sauna! One of the greatest inventions ever—and in the Nordic countries, it’s a real institution.
In Finland, almost every home has its own sauna. Whether electric or wood-fired, it’s a true moment of relaxation.
The sauna has many recognized benefits, including:
With all these benefits, it would be a shame not to try it!
For maximum benefits of the sauna, and fully enjoy the sauna’s effects, uyou have o alternate between heat and cold. That’s why Nordic people roll in the snow or jump into icy water when coming out of the sauna.
It sounds crazy, but trust us—it feels amazing! 🤩
At first, you might hesitate, but once you try it, you’ll want to do it again!
No, we’re not talking about real monsters—don’t worry!
These "ice monsters" are actually trees covered in thick snow and ice, bent under the weight of winter’s frost. The result? A magical, almost surreal landscape!
To see them, you need to go to higher-altitude areas, where the perfect mix of wind, snow, and freezing temperatures allows these unique formations to appear.
One of the best places to see them? Riisitunturi National Park in Finland, 1 hour north of Kuusamo.
That’s where we went, and what a breathtaking experience! 🤩
(However, we’re not sure if similar formations can be seen in Norway or Sweden. If you’ve spotted any, let us know in the comments 💬).
That being said, for these ice monsters to appear, it must have snowed and been cold enough in the previous days.
According to our friends Maxime and Marie, the winter of 2024-2025 has been unusually mild, with temperatures often nearing 0°C (or even above at times)… In such cases, the ice melts, and the ice monsters turn back into ordinary trees with just a light dusting of snow, similar to what you’d see in mountainous regions of France.
When we arrived in Kuusamo, it was around -5°C, so we weren’t really sure we’d get to see them. But then, the weather changed—some fresh snow fell, and most importantly, temperatures dropped to -26°C or even lower.
The magic happened, and the ice monsters formed—much to our delight! ❄
✨ It was, without a doubt, one of the most incredible outings of our trip! If you're in the Kuusamo area, we highly recommend it!
We’ve Reached the End of This Article! We’ve shared our top picks for winter activities in Lapland—these are absolute must-dos!
Feel free to use this list to organize your trip—it will only make it even more incredible and memorable!
If you haven’t booked your tickets to Lapland yet, you can do so here:
➡️ And since you've made it all the way to the end of the article, we're even offering you €10 with our referral code PL316TD9L for your first reservation with Ulysse (all you have to do is enter the code just before payment, by ticking the box “Do you have a referral code, promo code or gift card?”).
And don’t forget—share your experiences and travel tips in the comments! 😉
1️⃣ After the sauna, even if it may seem contradictory, it's actually better to go into cold water than to roll in the snow. This isn’t about what’s recommended or not—it’s simply a matter of heat perception. Water will always be warmer than snow because water is a liquid (so above 0°C), whereas snow is a solid (below 0°C). Now that you know this, it's up to you to choose your preferred option! 😉
3️⃣ The best time to visit Lapland is March. There’s still plenty of snow, but fewer clouds, longer daylight hours, and a great chance to see the Northern Lights. Before March (from December to February), nights are very long, and the sky is often overcast.
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