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Where to Stay

By Experience
Glass Igloos & Aurora Skiing & Winter Sports Santa & Families
Destinations
Rovaniemi Levi Saariselkä Ruka Ylläs
Destinations (cont.)
Pyhä-Luosto Kilpisjärvi Pallas Oulu
Help Me Choose
Destination Finder

Before You Go

Getting There
Distance Reality Calculator Flights & Airports Santa Claus Express Driving to Lapland
Packing & Gear
The Layering System Clothing Calculator Tech & Batteries
Know Before You Go
What Things Cost Weather & Daylight Summer vs Winter Midnight Sun Guide Northern Lights Ethical Travel Booking Activities

Food & Getting Around

Eating
Supermarket Guide Dining & Dietary
Getting Around
Airport Transfers Taxis and Costs Local Buses Walking on Ice Renting a Car
Practical
Cultural Essentials Paying & Tipping Finnish Phrases Mosquito Survival
priority_high Seasonal Reality: Daylight is currently 4h 12m. Headlamps mandatory after 2PM.
Logistics Updated: Feb 2025

Flights & Connectivity

Reaching the Arctic Circle is simpler than you think, but flight patterns change drastically with the seasons. Whether you fly direct or via Helsinki determines your pace of arrival.

The Three Arctic Gateways

RVN location_city

Rovaniemi

Urban Arctic Hub

The heavy-hitter. Handles 80% of international direct routes. Best if your base is Santa Claus Village.

KTT downhill_skiing

Kittilä

Resort Access

Just 15 minutes from Levi. Preferred by those skipping the city for the slopes. High seasonal volume.

IVL ac_unit

Ivalo

Wild North

Europe's northernmost airport. Gateway to Saariselkä. Best for deep wilderness and Aurora isolation.

hub

European Direct Routes

Germany

Germany has the most robust direct connections, including a rare year-round direct link.

Kittilä (Levi/Ylläs)

  • Frankfurt (FRA) Discover Airlines now flies year-round. Twice weekly in winter, and notably, twice weekly in summer. Check Flights
  • Munich (MUC) Lufthansa (Saturdays in winter). Check Flights
  • Düsseldorf (DUS) Eurowings (2x weekly, Nov–Mar). Check Flights
  • Hamburg & Berlin Eurowings (Seasonal winter).

Rovaniemi

  • Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart Seasonal winter flights via Eurowings, Lufthansa, and Norwegian.

Ivalo (Saariselkä)

  • Frankfurt Lufthansa (Seasonal winter).
  • Düsseldorf Eurowings (Weekly from Dec 21).

Kuusamo (Ruka)

  • Frankfurt Lufthansa (Saturdays).
  • Düsseldorf Eurowings (Sundays).

United Kingdom

Strong seasonal connectivity from London and regional airports.

Ivalo (Saariselkä)

  • London Gatwick British Airways has launched a new route (2x weekly, Dec–Feb). This is a significant addition for access to the furthest north resorts.

Rovaniemi

  • London (All Airports) EasyJet, Ryanair, Norwegian. Check Flights
  • Regional UK Direct seasonal flights from Manchester, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Liverpool (EasyJet/Ryanair).

Kittilä (Levi)

France

Seasonal connections for winter travel.

Kittilä (Levi)

Switzerland

Direct seasonal options from Zürich.

Kittilä (Levi)

Austria

Direct connectivity from Vienna.

Kittilä (Levi)

Italy

Year-round options available from Milan.

Rovaniemi

  • Milan (Bergamo) Year-round direct flights with Ryanair.
  • Milan (Malpensa), Naples, Rome, Verona Seasonal winter flights (EasyJet, Neos Air).

Kittilä (Levi)

  • Milan (Malpensa) EasyJet (Wed/Sun, Nov–Mar).

Spain

Spain is served primarily by seasonal winter routes to the capital of Lapland.

Rovaniemi

  • Barcelona & Madrid Seasonal winter flights via Norwegian, Vueling, and Iberia (Nov–Feb).

Finland (Domestic)

Frequent daily connections from the capital.

Kittilä (Levi)

Seasonal Notice: Direct flights usually operate from November through March. Summer travelers MUST transfer via Helsinki. If you face delays or cancellations, see our flight disruption guidance for next steps.

See Summer vs Winter for seasonal transfer advice and consider the Resort Finder for alternate summer routing.

flight_takeoff
public

Asian Connections

Japan

Route

The "Northern Route"

Connection

Tokyo (Haneda/Narita) to Helsinki (HEL). Osaka/Nagoya suspended.

📱
Tech Warning In-flight WiFi does not work on the Northern/Polar route used for Japan flights. Download entertainment/work prior to boarding.
Tokyo (TYO) → Rovaniemi Tokyo (TYO) → Levi

South Korea

Route

Seoul (ICN) to Helsinki (HEL)

Connection

Daily/Weekly connections from Incheon (ICN). Transfer at HEL.

⚠️
Customer service for Korea bookings is currently congested; use chat services if changes are needed.
Seoul (ICN) → Rovaniemi Seoul (ICN) → Levi

Singapore

Route

Singapore (SIN) to Helsinki (HEL)

Connection

Smooth transfer at Helsinki to Lapland destinations.

ℹ️
Daily flights continue but take a longer Southern route to avoid Russian airspace.
Singapore (SIN) → Rovaniemi Singapore (SIN) → Ivalo

China

Route

Shanghai (PVG) / Hong Kong (HKG)

Connection

Finnair flies from PVG and HKG via the Southern Route to Helsinki.

ℹ️
Routes avoid Russian airspace, adding flight time.
Shanghai (PVG) → Rovaniemi Hong Kong (HKG) → Rovaniemi

Indonesia

Route

Via Singapore/Bangkok

Connection

Indonesian travelers must fly to Singapore (SIN) or Bangkok (BKK) first.

🚫
No Direct Connection: Google Flights will calculate best transfer (usually via Singapore or Doha).
Jakarta (CGK) → Rovaniemi
public

The Modern Hub:
Helsinki (HEL)

Voted many times as the easiest transfer airport in the world. For Lapland travelers, Helsinki is more than a transit point—it's the official start of your Arctic experience.

1

Efficient Security

State-of-the-art scanning: No need to remove liquids or electronics from your bags (at Terminal 2).

2

Arctic Water

Finnish tap water is among the cleanest in the world. Fill your bottles for free at many taps throughout the terminal.

3

Design & Culture

Iconic Finnish brands like Marimekko, Iittala, and the Moomin Shop are available right in the gates.

Transfer Efficiency

90 MIN

Recommended layover during winter peak to account for de-icing operations.

router Free Unlimited 100Mbps Wi-Fi
hotel Sleep Pods (Gates 27 & 50)
payments Fully Cashless Terminal

Domestic Transfer Logic

Finnair dominates domestic routes. Flights from Helsinki to Lapland (RVN, KTT, IVL) take roughly 1h 20m.

CRITICAL: If you book on separate tickets, allow at least 3 hours. If you are on a joint ticket, Finnair will automatically rebook you in case of delays.



Winter Reality Check

  • ▶

    Winter weather in Helsinki rarely cancels flights, but de-icing adds 20-30 mins to departure times.

  • ▶

    Don't pack your biggest winter coat in your checked bag. You'll need it as soon as you step onto the tarmac in Lapland.

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