Book your trip in Finland

The usual window is late August to early April, with the darkest, most reliable months from November to March. Rovaniemi and the fells north of it are the usual bases; cloud cover matters more than the calendar, which is why multi-night hunts beat a single evening.

No — Rovaniemi is an overnight train or a short flight north. From Helsinki you want at least one night in Lapland; a day return spends almost all of it travelling.

Public and hotel saunas in Helsinki can be walked into, but the better-known waterfront saunas and any private booking fill up in the evening, especially in winter. Check the listing for mixed or gender-separate sessions and whether a swimsuit is expected.

Your booking is held by the tour operator who runs the tour — you book and pay them directly through us — so cancellations and changes go through them, under the cancellation terms you agree to at checkout. Many operators offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, but it varies by tour, so check the terms before you book.

Lapland husky, snowmobile and Northern Lights nights book out over Christmas, New Year and February school holidays. Helsinki city tours are more forgiving; book Lapland as soon as your dates are firm.