I have visited the further North of Finland 3 times. 2 of those visits were in November and the landscape was already white, the the other one was during the autumn. Both seasons are mind blowing that I fell in love with this tiny corner of Finland, hence I keep coming back.

This blog is to share my photos and experiende from the winter version of Utsjoki, combining 2020 and 2022 visits.

Utsjoki??? Where is that?

This was also me some time ago, in all fairness it´s quite specific and not the first thing that comes to mind when you learn about the country when you move in or simply if you are a tourist. With the exception of Nuorgam village just 40 kilometers northeast from Utsjoki, it is as north as you can go in Finland! A municipality with only 1200 residents aproximately very much spread across the 5,372 square km territory, so imagine. A lot of space for everyone! 😉

Why Utsjoki from ALL Lapland?

I found the place almost by accident.. ok not really. I just wanted to see the northern lights (hahaha really?? if you have been following, this is no surprise) and due to the pandemia I was trying to find new places or tour operators that would meet my standards of caring about aurora hunting and not just commercially drive you no matter what. To make that easy I was looking for an accomodation that itself would be ideal.

Inevitably I take this to the Aurora terrain (sorry!) for now just know I ended up in Utsjoki when searching for a good place to stay if my objective was to see the Northern Lights as north as possible AND also experience a new place in Finland, since travelling abroad was very restricted at that point (2020).

I call it destiny, perhaps without the pandemia I would not have ended up in this place, and now I LOVE IT!

How to get there?

Because the resort is still far from the closest airport (170 km) the deal in my first visit included picking me up at Ivalo airport to their little piece of heaven. It´s so in the middle of nowhere that we had to do shopping in Ivalo because the supermarket options and timings are more limited in the small village of Utsjoki, there are no ATMs either although cash is not a thing in Finland.. still it gives you the picture of how far it is

If you are travelling independently, there is no othr way than renting a car and drive from Ivalo, and I believe another airport in Norway but let´s keep it Finland-focused 😉 or take a bus but the option is very very limited!

Kaamos: The Polar Night

When we think about full darkness above the artic circle, it sounds a little scary. However, there is something less known by foreigners and it´s the fact that it does not mean full darkness during the 24 hours, but those couple of hours of “daylight” especially when there are clear days… the sky shows breahtaking pastel pink and blue colors before it gets fully dark.

The sun does not rise for almost 2 months, but in exchange you see the colors from these pictures. I had never seen anything like that, it´s really beautiful and words are not enough.. especially when contrasted with white landscapes and just beautiful nature all over the place.

More photos below to show the beautiful sky in clear days. After a fresh now during the nightime, waking up to this is absolutely magical! I cannot think of a better word! It is overwhelmingly beautiful to see.

*You can always click on each image to see the full size 😉

Oh these colors are simply a gift from nature! And just one minute walk from my room! The accomodation location itself is stunning and I could not recommend it enough!

The best and more beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart

Road trip to Nuorgam

On my second trip in 2022 I was lucky to meet a lovely couple from India, they had rented a car and kindly invited me to join them on their drive to Nuorgam. The village is tiny but the road to get there is awesome, it´s also the northernmost village in Finland and the European Union! There is even a rock and a sign to make this visit official right at the border with Norway 😉 So legally the northernmost point I have been so far at 70 degrees north!

Close to Nuorgam, we took another road to the open tundra, totally different vegetation compared to only 30 km away! Apart from the unique landscape we got to enjoy the gorgeous pink sky and even saw the sun for a couple of minutes in the last day it would rise and only for a few minutes! very peaceful! (and cold.. very cold but absolutely worth it)

Pink, white and orange were the colors when looking 360 degrees, almost surreal!

More unbelievable landscape.. shall I say more?

Dreamy location to stay in!

Back to Aurora Holidays resort the photo possibilities are endless! It´s incredible how the same place can go from grey to pink, only snow on the ground to snowed trees, semi frozen river to fully frozen and “white river”.

Couple of days or even hours can make a difference in the landscape before it´s fully frozen for months.. and few things remind you how nature is SO ALIVE!! that visiting more than once IS a different experience every single time. If I cannot explain it I hope pictures do ;D

White landscape is also pretty!

There is the other side of the coin, naturally, there are also plenty of whilte & grey days when the daylight is a constant grey color. Those are certainly more difficult to handle mentally but as soon as you have such beautiful pink colors again it makes you say oh wow over and over again. And yet… there is something cool too in fully white landscape, the type that makes you feel in a black and white movie, where you need something with color to show the view is real!

Walking on the road

Walking towards Nuorgam maybe some 7 kilometeres one-way.. nobody does this, but me ;D I did this during my first visit as I had no car, it is absolutely safe as there is no real traffic but you don´t have that much time when it gets dark so early.

An example of a cloudy day that seems it´s a camera effect but nope.. It does not take the beauty away by any means, but obviously when blue/ pink lightens the sky it is another story. It´s white already but it was “less white” compared to 2022, looking at the pictures it does make a difference as it felt darker, the river was also not fully frozen, having a lot of pancake ice and very cool ice shapes!

No car? No problem! Just followed the road by the river and it was a perfect walk for exercise and sightseeing!

Mini hikes

Just crossing the road from my accomodation at Aurora Holidays, you can hike to the top of the fell. This gives incredible views to the valley, the Teno River and Norway. The hike takes about half an hour only, a bit uphill but totally doable. On the top there is another cute gazebo if you want to warm up or even see the aurora borealis from there. I have not tried that yet but maybe one day. It´s an incredible picturesque spot.

Fun fact: Owners actually name this gazebo “Steve” and it´s part of the family!

One of my many short videos from that day to express how impressed I was by the view and the experience!

And of course the still photos from the top of the fell! I wished the videos and photos could do the justice it deserves but I still fell it does not! PEACE and GRATEFULNESS is the closest to it!

My second hike was approx. 6 km away from the accomodation when I walked on the road on the direction to Nuorgam. More spectacular views to Teno river and the fells, in combination with those cute nordic wooden houses that again provide perspective!

Norwegian Border

It is so close to Norway that you can easily walk to the bridge and be in 2 countries at the same time! (fun fact..) My only criticism here… does it really need to be so dark? Come on Finns and Norwegians, you should have something blue and red there 😉 But anyway, still the border! Still cool!

The stunning road from Utsjoki to Ivalo

Without a doubt, one of my favorite parts of the trip is that you MUST get there by road, I have not personally driven but I get there either by Aurora Holidays team or by myself with a mini bus. Typically I go back in the morning and I can enjoy the scenery in daylight. That can include finding a couple of reindeers on the way 😉

I still cannot get over the “white and black” effect on the road. I am sure it´s not only because it´s SO not something I get to see in my homeland, but this should amaze everyone. Based on my converstaions with locals they also enjoy it every time! I mean, why not?

More panoramic views: Fresh snow + the blue color you get during Kaamos. Again the frosted trees are one of the most beautiful snow effects!!

A very exciting moment for me was to see reindeers crossing the road!!! I know it´s common but still I can tell you this can TOTALLY happen to you when driving in this place. I particulary LOVE the last reindeer, everyone should have that attitude hehe. I´m the last one and who cares? 🙂

A quick stop to admire a river that is still not fully frozen! I hope you are not already bored by now, I simply find every place as a blessing and I have a strong need to share such beauty with you!

Finland is much more than you can imagine!!

Bonus: More reindeers!

When staying at Aurora Holidays in winter you also get to visit and feed their reindeers! The owners are reindeer herders and you get to see them just across the road! They are all males, hence no antlers this time of the year. Such cute and funny animals! It does not get old to interact with them by feeding them!

Now you see why I absolutely love this region… Recommended visit in Finland!! ;D

Cheers, Nat