12 days in Finland Itinerary • With Culture, Outdoors, Relaxing, Hidden gems, Historic Sites, Museums and Wildlife • Inspirock

12 days in Finland Itinerary

Created using Inspirock Finland vacation planner

Make it your trip

Start: Doha

Fly

Helsinki

— 1 night

Fly

Rovaniemi

— 2 nights

Drive

Saariselka

— 2 nights

Drive

Ivalo

— 1 night

Drive

Inari

— 4 nights

Fly

Helsinki

— 1 night

Fly

End: Doha

Wed, Oct 27 - Sun, Nov 7 Edit

S	M	T	W	T	F	S

24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13

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Helsinki — 1 night

Daughter of the Baltic

Finland's largest and most populated metropolis, the maritime town of Helsinki boasts varied architecture, a lively cafe culture, and plethora of picturesque natural delights.

Start off your visit on the 27th (Wed): take in nature's colorful creations at Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden.

For photos, maps, reviews, and more tourist information, you can read our Helsinki travel route builder.

Doha, Qatar to Helsinki is an approximately 9.5-hour flight. You can also drive. Traveling from Doha to Helsinki, you'll gain 1 hour due to the time zone difference. Plan for colder temperatures traveling from Doha in October, with highs in Helsinki at 10°C and lows at 1°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 28th (Thu) early enough to catch the flight to Rovaniemi.

Things to do in Helsinki

Parks · Historic Sites · Outdoors · Beaches

Find places to stay Oct 27 — 28:

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Highlights from your trip

Military Museum of Manes

4.2

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See Finland Travel Guide

Rovaniemi — 2 nights

Official Hometown of Santa Claus

An urban center set amongst the great Arctic wilderness, Rovaniemi serves as the capital of Lapland province.

Kick off your visit on the 29th (Fri): relax in the rural setting at Napapiirin Porofarmi, examine the collection at Santa's House of Snowmobiles, and then take in the architecture and atmosphere at Rovaniemi Church.

For reviews, more things to do, where to stay, and tourist information, use the Rovaniemi tour planner.

Getting from Helsinki to Rovaniemi by flight takes about 3 hours. Other options: take a train; or drive. Expect slightly colder temperatures when traveling from Helsinki in October; daily highs in Rovaniemi reach 3°C and lows reach -1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 30th (Sat) to allow time to drive to Saariselka.

Things to do in Rovaniemi

Museums · Historic Sites · Wildlife · Parks

Find places to stay Oct 28 — 30:

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Highlights from your trip

Specialty Museum

Santa's House of Snowmobiles

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Saariselka — 2 nights

Outdoor pursuits--ranging from cross-country skiing and snowmobiling to reindeer safaris and chasing Northern Lights--draw the largest number of tourists to Saariselka.

Start off your visit on the 30th (Sat): hike along Ruijanpolku Trail and then wander the wide-open spaces of Saariselka Reindeer Farm. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the 31st (Sun): identify plant and animal life at Lapland Safaris Saariselka and then tour the pleasant surroundings at Pyha-Nattanen Fell.

To see maps, photos, ratings, and other tourist information, read our Saariselka journey planner.

You can drive from Rovaniemi to Saariselka in 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus. In October, daily temperatures in Saariselka can reach 3°C, while at night they dip to -2°C. You'll set off for Ivalo on the 1st (Mon).

Things to do in Saariselka

Outdoors · Parks · Trails · Wildlife

Side Trip

Pyha-Nattanen Fell

Find places to stay Oct 30 — Nov 1:

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Ivalo — 1 night

Ivalo is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland, Finland, located on the Ivalo River 20km south of Lake Inari. On the 2nd (Tue), you'll have a packed day of sightseeing: get a dose of the wild on a nature and wildlife tour.

To see other places to visit, more things to do, ratings, and other tourist information, use the Ivalo online travel planner.

Ivalo is just a short distance from Saariselka. In November in Ivalo, expect temperatures between -3°C during the day and -10°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 2nd (Tue) to allow time for the car ride to Inari.

Things to do in Ivalo

Wildlife · Tours · Outdoors

Find places to stay Nov 1 — 2:

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Highlights from your trip

Nature / Wildlife Tour

Nature & Wildlife Tours

4.3

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Inari — 4 nights

Inari is Finland's largest, most sparsely populated municipality, with four official languages, more than any other in the country. Get in touch with nature at Juutua Nature Trail and Nature & Wildlife Tours. You'll discover tucked-away gems like Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center and Otsamo Fell. It doesn't end there: take in the architecture and atmosphere at Pielpajarvi Wilderness Church and contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Saint Tryphon Pechenga Orthodox Church.

To find photos, where to stay, maps, and other tourist information, go to the Inari trip planner.

Inari is just a short distance from Ivalo. In November, plan for daily highs up to -3°C, and evening lows to -10°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 6th (Sat) early enough to fly to Helsinki.

Things to do in Inari

Historic Sites · Outdoors · Museums · Parks

Find places to stay Nov 2 — 6:

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Highlights from your trip

Must see

Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center

4.5

Nature / Wildlife Tour

Nature & Wildlife Tours

5.0

Church

Pielpajarvi Wilderness Church

4.7

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Helsinki — 1 night

Daughter of the Baltic

Kick off your visit on the 6th (Sat): get engrossed in the history at Leikki – the Museum of Play, contemplate the long history of The Aalto House, and then get to know the fascinating history of Toolo Bay (Toolonlahti).

For where to stay, other places to visit, photos, and more tourist information, refer to the Helsinki trip itinerary maker tool.

You can fly from Inari to Helsinki in 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or do a combination of bus and train. Expect somewhat warmer temperatures when traveling from Inari in November; daily highs in Helsinki reach 5°C and lows reach 0°C. You will have some time to spend on the 7th (Sun) before leaving for home.

Things to do in Helsinki

Historic Sites · Museums · Childrens Museums

Side Trip

Leikki – the Museum of Play

Find places to stay Nov 6 — 7:

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Highlights from your trip

Seurasaari Island and Open-Air Museum

4.5

Historic Walking Area

Toolo Bay (Toolonlahti)

4.6

See timeline

See Finland Travel Guide

See more trips

Finland travel guide

4.2

Architectural Buildings · Landmarks · Specialty Museums

Land of a Thousand Lakes

Combining vast Nordic wilderness with bustling hip cities, Finland offers something to delight and surprise all its visitors. Generally speaking, the northern region is populated by unspoiled pine forests, glistening blue lakes, and a plethora of interesting wildlife, while the south is home to the nation's thoroughly modern urban centers. Although Finland holds the title of most sparsely populated county in the European Union, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in cities like Helsinki, Espoo, and Tampere are often packed with fun-loving Finns. Do bring your dancing shoes, but don't forget your hiking boots either--you'll want to make use of the country's 37 national parks, spread throughout this "Land of a Thousand Lakes."