Snow, silence, long blue twilight and a sky that sometimes turns green. Here is what winter in Lapland is really like at our door.
Winter at Muotkan Ruoktu runs from December to April, with the best snow from December to the end of March. Expect about −8 °C by day and −16 °C at night in the coldest months, often colder in a cold snap, a dry cold that feels milder than it sounds, and a quiet that is hard to describe until you stand in it.
Every month has its own character. Around Christmas the sun stays below the horizon and the world turns blue. In January and February it is coldest and the snow is deepest. From March the days are long and bright, and skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles are at their best.
We are a small fell village on the edge of the Muotkatunturi wilderness, not a resort, and we have welcomed guests every winter since 1967. You can go out every day with local guides, come back to a wood-heated sauna and a warm dinner, and look for the northern lights on the nights the sky allows it. Not sure about the month? See the month-by-month guide.
The same village feels very different from one month to the next. Temperatures are the averages for Ivalo airport, the nearest weather station.
| When | Light | Typical day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polar night: about 28 Nov to 13 Jan | The sun stays below the horizon, but there are 3 to 5 hours of soft blue twilight around noon | December: high −5.6 °C, low −13.3 °C | Northern lights, Christmas and New Year, calm and cosiness. Choose this if you love atmosphere over distance. |
| Deep winter: mid-Jan to end of Feb | About 1.4 hours of sun in mid-January, growing to about 7 hours by mid-February | January: high −7.9 °C, low −16.5 °C. February: high −7.4 °C, low −16.1 °C | The deepest snow, the coldest air and the best-looking frost. Huskies, reindeer and northern lights. A cold snap of −30 °C happens in most winters. |
| Spring winter: March to April | About 11 hours of daylight in mid-March, nearly 16 in mid-April | March: high −2.2 °C, low −12.3 °C. April: high 3.2 °C, low −5.8 °C | Skiing and snowshoeing in bright sunshine, long snowmobile days, families with children. The northern lights are still possible until the end of March. |
Source: Finnish Meteorological Institute, 1991–2020 normals for Ivalo airport. The light is computed for the village (69.25° N) and can differ by a few days.
Nothing here is rushed. A typical day has one adventure, a long lunch, the sauna and a look at the sky.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Morning | Breakfast, then the first adventure of the day with a local guide: skis, snowshoes, a husky sled or a snowmobile. Your overalls and boots are ready. |
| Around midday | Back in the village for lunch. In December and January this is the brightest hour of the day, with pink and blue light over the fell. |
| Afternoon | A second short adventure, or no plans at all: a walk along the river, coffee and something sweet, a book by the stove. |
| Late afternoon | The sauna. Heat up, step outside into the snow, come back in. The Big Lodge has its own sauna, and the traditional village sauna can be booked for the evening. |
| Evening | Dinner at the restaurant. Then, if the sky is clear, we go to look for the northern lights, or you simply step out of your door and look up. |
The sky does what it likes. Our job is to put you in the right place when it does.
The Muotkatunturi wilderness has almost no light pollution, so on a clear night with solar activity the aurora can be spectacular. It can also be a cloudy night or a quiet sky, and no one can promise otherwise.
Three things have to line up: darkness, clear skies and solar activity. The lights can appear from late August to early April, and the nights from September to March give the best odds. To be fair to the odds, plan at least three nights with us.
We watch the forecast every day. When the sky is clear we tell you, and you can come out on a Northern Lights sledge ride into the dark, or stay by the fire with smoked salmon on the embers.
Every adventure starts from the village. Groups are small and guides are local. Winter activities run from December to April, and the northern lights outings until the end of March.
Ride deeper into Lapland’s Arctic wilderness on a snowmobile safari, far from tourist crowds and busy trails. Cross frozen lakes and panoramic fells, follow the tracks of reindeer and their Sámi herders, and pause for a warm drink in the peaceful silence of untouched nature.
Experience the Aurora on a cosy wooden sledge safari in Lapland, far from light pollution, in a peaceful, intimate small group in one of the best spots to chase them, Muotkantunturi Wilderness.
Dress in layers, the way people do here. Start with a base layer of wool or synthetic, never cotton, add a warm mid layer such as fleece or wool, and keep your outer layer for the walk between buildings. Bring warm socks, a hat that covers your ears, gloves and sunglasses for the bright snow in March.
For adventures, warm winter clothing is available to rent in the village, overalls and boots included, so you do not need to buy anything for the trip. Skis, snowshoes, poles and sledges come with each activity. Tell us your sizes when you book and everything is waiting for you.
Loose is better than tight, because still air is the best insulation. Bring something light for the sauna and slippers for your cabin. Travelling with children? Tell us their ages and we will have the right sizes ready.
Free, with local tips from those who call Lapland home.
When to visit Finnish Lapland, what to wear, how to get here and what is myth or reality: the questions we hear most, answered from our own local experience to help you prepare, travel better and enjoy the real Lapland.
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If you would rather not piece it together yourself, these trips put the stay, the adventures and the dinners together. Send a request, we reply personally, and nothing is charged until you confirm.
Eight unforgettable days package in Finnish Lapland, combining Arctic wilderness adventures, Sámi culture, local gastronomy and authentic traditions.
An all-inclusive Lapland holiday package with cosy cottage accommodation, authentic Arctic activities, local food and Northern Lights experiences, far from the crowds.
Our cabins are warm and wood-heated. These are the ones to look at first for a winter trip.
On a normal winter day the temperature is between −15 and −25 °C. In January the average high is −7.9 °C and the average low −16.5 °C. A cold snap of −30 °C happens in most winters, and the record at Ivalo airport is −48.9 °C, set in January 1999.
Inari is one of the driest places in Finland, so the cold is dry and feels milder than it sounds. With the right layers, most guests are surprised by how comfortable they are.
No. In the village the sun does not rise from about 28 November to 13 January, but there are three to five hours of blue twilight around noon, and the snow reflects every bit of light. It feels like a long blue dusk, not like night.
There is no single best month. The sky is dark enough from late August to early April, and the nights from September to March are the best bet. Clouds matter as much as the month, so plan at least three nights.
Come in March. The snow is deep, the days are long and bright, and it is warmer than in January, with highs of about −2 °C. You can still look for the northern lights until the end of March.
No. Our guides teach you what you need on the spot. Each activity page shows the level it asks for, and the snowshoe walks and the sledge rides need no experience at all.
Children are welcome, and each activity page shows who it suits. Dogs are welcome in the village on a leash, so they do not disturb the reindeer.
A short letter when there is something worth telling, never more than once a month.
Sorry about that. Please try again in a little while, or write to us and we will add you ourselves.
Not sure about the month, or how to get here in winter? Start here, or simply ask us.
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