Northern Europe

Finland

The quiet of the lakes, a wooden sauna on the shore and a light that barely sets in summer.

Photo: Artturi Jalli / Unsplash

Finland is a close neighbour across the Baltic, so it's easy to reach from Lithuania. Yet the rhythm changes as soon as you arrive: the forests grow denser, the lakes number in the thousands, and silence is valued as a luxury rather than an absence.

In Finland the sauna isn't a novelty but part of everyday life and togetherness, recognised on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. A hot smoke sauna on a lakeshore, a plunge into cool water, then steam again — this is how people meet family, friends or simply themselves. Just as important is everyman's right: the freedom to walk in nature and to pick berries and mushrooms, provided you do so responsibly.

Helsinki offers clean lines, light-filled interiors and the legacy of Alvar Aalto, a sea fortress on its islands and a market by the harbour. From Turku, thousands of islands scatter out to sea, while far to the north Lapland becomes a different place every few months: the midnight sun in summer, ruska's fiery autumn colours, and in winter a blue half-light and forests under snow, when there is enough of it.

Why go

01
Helsinki
Senate Square and the white cathedral, studios in the Design District, a contemporary library and a church hewn into the rock. A short ferry ride away lies the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, and in the evening a public sauna by the sea is well worth the visit.
02
Turku and the Archipelago Sea
Finland's oldest city, with its cathedral and castle on the Aura river. From here the Archipelago Trail sets out: small ferries, wooden harbours, red cottages on granite skerries and cycling routes between islands. Nearby stands the Paimio Sanatorium, designed by Aalto.
03
The Lakeland: Saimaa and Koli
Saimaa is a labyrinth of islands, channels and pine forest, best explored by kayak or boat. In Savonlinna, Olavinlinna castle stands on its own island, and the hills of Koli in North Karelia open a view over Lake Pielinen that inspired Finnish painters. Evenings belong to the lakeside sauna.
04
Lapland in every season
In summer, the midnight sun and long hikes across the fells; in September, ruska, when birches and bilberry turn red and gold. In winter, husky sledding, reindeer farms, Sámi culture and cabins in the forest. The northern lights, if they appear, are a gift rather than a promise.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Exceptional stays & escapes
Log cabins with a sauna on the lakeshore, design-led hotels in Helsinki and glass-roofed or timber cabins in the Lapland forest.
Adventure & active travel
Kayaking through Saimaa's channels, hikes over Lapland's fells, cycling the archipelago ring and, in winter, husky sledding and cross-country skiing.
Family journeys
A short flight, a safe and well-ordered setting, berry-picking under everyman's right, boats between islands and summer evenings when darkness never quite arrives.
Culture & discovery
Aalto's architecture, Helsinki design, sauna tradition and Sámi culture in Lapland — a northern culture that feels familiar yet distinctly its own.
Wildlife & nature
In eastern Finland's taiga, observation hides sometimes offer sightings of brown bears on summer nights, and Saimaa is home to the rare Saimaa ringed seal. Sightings are never guaranteed.
Tailor-made journeys
Trains, domestic flights and transfers linked so that Helsinki, the lakes and Lapland fit together into one smooth route.

Finland

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

018–11 days
City, archipelago and lakes
Helsinki's design and Suomenlinna, slow days in the Turku archipelago, then the Saimaa lake district: a cabin with a sauna, a kayak and quiet evenings on the shore.
Culture & discovery · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this
026–9 days
A Lapland autumn
September hikes over the fells during ruska, nights in forest cabins, the sauna and, if the nights are clear, a dark northern sky. With a stopover in Helsinki on the way.
Adventure & active travel · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this
035–8 days
The winter north
A few days in Lapland in winter: husky sledding, a reindeer farm, Sámi culture, the sauna and a cabin in the forest. Snow cover and conditions vary from year to year.
Family journeys · Adventure & active travel
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

June to August brings the longest days: nights are light in the south, and north of the Arctic Circle the midnight sun generally shines from around June into July. Ruska in Lapland usually peaks in early to mid-September. In winter, generally from December to March, the north usually has snow, though its depth, temperatures and any appearance of the northern lights vary each year and are never guaranteed.

How long to allow

A week suits Helsinki plus one lake or archipelago region. To add Lapland, allow 10–14 days — the distances between south and north are long, so flying is often most comfortable.

Natural combinations

Lapland continues naturally into northern Norway and its fjords, and a northern journey can be extended with Iceland. Helsinki is also easily reached by ferry via Tallinn.

Areas to explore

Helsinki
Design, architecture, Suomenlinna and seaside saunas.
Turku and the archipelago
The country's oldest city and thousands of islands in the Archipelago Sea.
The Saimaa lake district
Savonlinna, Olavinlinna, kayaks and cabins with saunas.
North Karelia
The Koli hills, taiga forest and Karelian traditions.
Lapland
Fells, Sámi culture and strikingly different seasons.

General guidance only. Weather, seasons and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Sample journey