My first trip to Finnish Lapland: Huskies, reindeers and northern lights!

Snow, endless forests, reindeers, huskies and the possibility to see the Northern Lights were more than enough reasons to plan my first trip to Lapland in 2016

I wanted to ensure I would visit the “true north” already in my first winter as I didn´t know how many winters I would be in Finland (spoiler… still here 😉) I have come back several times since then in slightly different seasons, but this trip will always be a special one as it was my first magical experience in such a beautiful place.

Fun fact: This was officially my birthday trip, a perfect gift to myself 😉

Looking for the perfect gift to yourself? TRAVEL!
Me 😉

Snow is one thing, but these trees fully covered in snow is stunning!

Lapland? What is Lapland?

Lapland is the northernmost region of Finland. There are 21 different municipalities there and technically there are “Lapland” zones also in Sweden and Norway, so it´s rather a northern region that share the cultural background of the Sami culture. Once you are familiar with the region, you just refer to it as Lapland, for planning a trip though you need be more specific about where in Lapland you want to go 😉

Travelling to Lapland

I flew from Helsinki to Ivalo in Finland; it was easy to choose the destination as I simply checked what was the northernmost airport in Finland and I took it from there. For many people the gateway to this region is Rovaniemi, but you can fly still further north directly from Helsinki, and seasonally from UK.

Since you arrive at the tiny airport the magic begins, everything was covered in white and by the end of January it was really cold; the average temperature during the day was -15, in the middle of the night I felt -27. Nevertheless, as crazy as it sounds, it doesn´t feel as bad as it does in Helsinki. This means nothing to you if you don´t live in Helsinki, I know.. but the message is if you are properly dressed these temperatures are not as scary as they sound because you are not exposed to strong winds, and this comes from a Mexican 😉 so it has to count for something!

Ivalo is to certain extent the “capital” of the northernmost part of Finland. This is the biggest village you will find in Inari municipality (approximately 4000 people) until there is nothing else but just tiny towns further north. It is still small enough to find darkness easily and enjoy the scenery. More on my location below on this blog, now let´s go to the highlights!

2 of the most touristy and yet unforgettable experiences for me were the husky and reindeer rides.

Huskies!!

One of the most energetic and cute animal there is!! I knew huskies were naturally active, energetic and certainly loud funny creatures, but I didn´t really imagine how much until I interacted with them 😉

We were driven to a beautiful place in the middle of the wilderness (although that´s basically everywhere in Lapland 😉) but I mean clearly and visibly out of the town where there was nothing but snowed trees and frozen rivers. In my case we didn´t go to a husky farm as such but the huskies were driven to our starting location in the transportation car you see below. You could hear them from a long distance! It´s in their nature to run and use all that energy, it´s really something special.

The right choice of tour operator can make all the difference, do spend time on that!
Nattita tips!

The sled works for 2 people, one sitting and the other driving it. Yes, maybe I was too ignorant but it was a surprise that I would actually be driving and controlling the sled and not just enjoying it. I was travelling solo but obviously I shared the experience with another traveller, and we split the driving time. It is very easy but you do have to understand the basic instructions to stop and turn the sled.

The actual time on the sled must have been around one hour or even more, it was quality time and considering the speed of the huskies you do cover a good distance. I learned later in other trips you can end up in super touristy quick rides in a very short route, hence my first experience was the best and I will always recommend avoiding the masses and go further North 😉

My advice?

The tour operator options can be less the further north you go, but I´m sure the experience is more authentic and it´s more secluded. I honestly believe the right choice of tour operator can make all the difference in your experience, do spend time on that! Make sure it goes out the city / village you are in, and ask how long it takes. It should be long and in true wilderness in my opinion. If there is an extra price tag.. you are already there, do it!

Reindeers!!

Without a doubt, the reindeer experience surrounded by snowed trees in a beautiful forest was one of the most magical moments I can remember in Finland. Just a few things make me think of Christmas as much as this, except here you can enjoy it in the entire winter!

This pace is considerably slower compared to the huskies and in this case you don’t have the drive the sled yourself 😉 You can concentrate more on admiring the nature around you in “slow motion”, as well as simply watching the reindeers. It´s funny most of the time I was watching my reindeer´s butt in front of me, but I would also just turn around to admire the reindeer just behind me. Watching them in action is a nice way to really get their expressions!

The reindeer sleigh ride also takes about an hour, and the location they took us too near Ivalo was STUNNING! Sometimes when I look at the pictures I still cannot believe that was actually me on those sleds. It´s almost like it´s taken from a Christmas or fantasy movie.

As an adult I was so emotionally moved and excited, I cannot even begin to imagine how children would react to this so I absolutely recommend families to do this with your children. I bet it will be an unforgettable and lifetime experience for everybody! But also if you are a solo traveller as I was, you will love every minute of it.. even in cold conditions, trust me!

Accomodation – Hotelli Ivalo

I stayed in Hotelli Ivalo, a nice hotel located just by the Ivalo river (Ivalojoki) which is a perfect location for a first Finnish Lapland experience, especially if you are not planning to drive. Ivalo Hotel works with the company Club Nord for the activities.. which is very handy as it is connected to the hotel. It´s always convenient to arrange everything in advance, but if there is any last minute booking or changes accordingly it´s very convenient to have a direct access to the company office

My favourite part was the free access to snowshoes and cross country equipment! Sometimes it can get really expensive to rent equipment, here it was totally free as part of your hotel rate and I found this fantastic. Literally behind the hotel is the Ivalo river, so you have direct access within 2 minutes to the storage room and the river, it´s extremely convenient!!