Travel advice for Finland
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Finland
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Luke Waterson
updated 30.03.2020
To Finns, it is the most natural thing on the planet: disrobing, sweating it out naked in front of strangers in temperatures of 80°C, occasionally self-flagellating and, ideally, following up with a plunge into water only a fraction above freezing.
To the rest of the world, Finland’s tradition of sauna frequenting – the cornerstone of its culture – can take some getting used to. Yet embrace it every visitor should, in order to better understand this country.
Initial hurdles overcome, it soon becomes obvious why a trip to one of Finland's saunas makes for a fantastic afternoon’s activity, and how it can take you, possibly spiritually and without a doubt geographically, to some very strange places.
5 days / from1377 USD
City hopping in Finland and Estonia
Helsinki enchants with its blend of modernity and nature, entertainment and tranquility accessible everywhere and all the time. Turku, in turn, was the first capital of Finland, and has a lot to teach about the Finnish History. Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is not behind in terms of heritage.
customize ⤍7 days / from5934 USD
Aurora Feast in Finland, Norway and Sweden
This tour is perfect for people who want to explore the Arctic. Begin your journey from the southern part of Finland via Sweden up to the northern part of Norway. Most importantly, you will be hunting for the Northern Lights in the best locations! From Nov to March.
customize ⤍5 days / from1589 USD
Wild Lapland Experience
Explore the surroundings of the Arctic Circle, visit a magical place - Santa Claus Village - try the traditional Lappish food, snow-shoeing, and much more. You will be located in Pello, close to the famous Eeron Polku trail. From Nov to April.
customize ⤍5 days / from1058 USD
Midnight Sun in Lapland
In these five days, we will lead you as you learn more about the culture in Northern Europe, taste Lappish delicacies and explore the Arctic Circle. You will also have the opportunity to visit an Amethyst Mine and witness the midnight sun. From Jun to August.
customize ⤍11 days / from3815 USD
Magical Finland: Helsinki, Arctic Beauty and Midnight Sun
Unique Finnish experiences comprise this superb trip. Tour Helsinki and Porvoo, hike in forests and dig for amethysts, before savouring a midnight sun sauna boat cruise. Visit Santa in his Lapland home, cross the Arctic Circle and head out for an overnight bear safari to wrap up a memorable trip.
customize ⤍7 days / from2364 USD
Fascinating Northern Lights in Lapland
Witness the mesmerizing dance of the Aurora Borealis on six unforgettable evenings. Fulfill your dream of experiencing this natural wonder, an essential highlight of your Lapland adventure. Available from December to April, the optimal months for both Northern Lights and exhilarating activities.
customize ⤍14 days / from5380 USD
Dreamy Winter Holidays
A Finnish dream holiday that encapsulates the essence of a perfect winter getaway. Delve into Lapland's enchanting wonderland through thrilling Arctic escapades: seek Northern Lights, engage with Sami culture, relish Finnish Sauna, and mush with husky dogs. Your ultimate Arctic adventure!
customize ⤍16 days / from3922 USD
Ultimate Baltics
Uncover both renowned attractions and hidden gems across the Baltic States and Southern Finland. Explore UNESCO sites, serene villages, and sandy dunes. From the capital cities of Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn and Helsinki to the beaches in Klaipeda in Pärnu.
customize ⤍5 days / from1272 USD
Winter Adventure in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi, the recognized abode of Santa Claus, serves as the ultimate hub for delving into Arctic landscapes and immersing in Lappish (Sami) heritage. Engage in a diverse array of pursuits, from thrilling snowshoe escapades to chasing the enchanting Northern Lights, or embracing the roles of a husk
customize ⤍10 days / from1643 USD
Baltic Highlights
Witness unspoiled landscapes and vibrant capitals. From Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, move all the way up to Helsinki. Along the way, visit national parks like Laheema and castles like the Trakai castle. Private transfers and unique accommodation choices are included.
customize ⤍In a nation hemmed in by ice for much of the year, the sauna is a respite from the elements, but most crucially it’s a space to relax, contemplate and cleanse yourself.
Saunas have been integral to Finnish culture for hundreds of years; tradition dictates that it should be the first room completed in a new home, and they’re used for births, pre-marriage rituals and funeral preparations.
It’s even said that Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in the 1960s used his sauna for diplomatic negotiations with the USSR. To this day, Finns believe that when naked, all are equal in the steam.
Planning a trip to Finland? Don't miss our guide to the best things to do in Finland.
Finland has three categories of sauna. The bog-standard sort, available in many hotel rooms the further north you head, uses an electrically heated stove to warm things up. Then there is the wood-heated stove sauna and – the Holy Grail – the smoke sauna. Both use a fire started with dried birch twigs to create the heat. With the former, the fire is lit within a stove and the burn is longer; with the latter, the fire burns openly within and aromatic birch smoke fills the room: more atmospheric, but a tad more hazardous.
All three kinds heat up stones onto which water is thrown periodically. There is no rule about when water should be chucked on – simply as and when you want steam – but it’s typically after the first release of löyly that the gentle beating of oneself (and sometimes of others) with a birch whisk known as a vasta is begun. Most traditional saunas also employ an official pesijätär (washer) who will scrub down willing customers afterwards. It’s all part of the detoxification process.
Thanks to the ingrained sauna culture throughout the country, seeing naked flesh is nothing new for Finns, so even in public saunas they’ll bare all (with the exception of mixed-sex complexes).
Do always come armed with a towel and swimming trunks, though, because outside the single-sex saunas there are often common areas where men and women mingle.
The most authentic sauna adventure in Finland is likely to come when a local invites you to a sauna party: a sure sign they are warming towards you (pardon the pun). Most visitors make do with the public saunas, but trademark Scandinavian inventiveness ensures that this experience varies in some fascinating ways. Here are a few of the best places to turn up the heat in Finland:
1. Helsinki’s state-of-the-art saunas
Once Finland’s capital sported hundreds of public saunas: today, following decades of ailing attendance, sauna-going is again the in-thing. A couple of cool new saunas have opened up: Kulttuurisauna combines influences of Japanese and Roman bathing culture as well as Finnish, and Löyly Design Sauna is a colossal, contemporary take on Finnish wooden architecture that comes with a great bar-restaurant.
2. The ultra-traditional sauna, Tampere
Finland’s oldest in-use sauna is Rajaportti, a tradition-steeped spot west of central Tampere, on an isthmus between two lakes below a sylvan park. Built in 1906, the dinky place is frequented almost exclusively by Finns on a break from the daily grind, with the original traditional woodsmoke heating system still intact. There is no better insight into the nation’s sauna-going nuances than be gleaned than on the benches here.
3. The underground sauna, Herrankukkaro
The village of Herrankukkaro on the archipelago southwest of Turku is something of a sauna Mecca. Amongst its steamy boasts are the world’s smallest smoke sauna and the world’s largest underground smoke sauna. The latter is a cosy 124-person capacity hut with six levels of benches: part of a cute coast-flanking spa complex where you can take a dip in the sea afterwards.
4. Lapland’s strange saunas
The further you travel into Arctic climes, the more common these 80°C escapes become – and some Lapland’s offerings are pretty wacky. In the capital, Rovaniemi, a sauna raft called m/s Erkin Arkki emerges during their brief summertime to glide on the river nearby. Guests can dine under the midnight sun (or the northern lights, if their luck is in) on the deck, and take a dip in the chilly waters en route.
Also in Rovaniemi, the Arctic Snow Hotel sauna, open only between December and March, is – rather incredibly – constructed entirely from snow and ice. Further north at Ylläs ski resort you can be transported between-piste in the planet’s one-and-only sauna gondola.
But perhaps the most quintessential Finnish sauna experience lies in remote Kiilopää near Saariselkä. Recline in the woodsmoke sauna that sits at the end of a dead-end lane, then leap into an ice hole: that’s pretty much as Finnish as it gets.
Luke Waterson is author of the Finland chapter in the Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget. Compare flights, book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to buy travel insurance before you go.
Top image © Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock
written by Luke Waterson
updated 30.03.2020
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