12 days in Finland Itinerary

An urban center set amongst the great Arctic wilderness, Rovaniemi serves as the capital of Lapland province.

Change things up with a short trip to Luosto Adventures in Luosto (about 1h 25 min away). There's much more to do: make a trip to Santa Claus Village, see Santa Claus Office, get engrossed in the history at Arktikum, and get some fabulous bargains at Marttiini Store Old Factory.

To see where to stay, photos, maps, and more tourist information, refer to the Rovaniemi day trip planning site.

London, UK to Rovaniemi is an approximately 6.5-hour flight. You can also do a combination of car and train; or do a combination of car and ferry. The time zone changes from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Eastern European Standard Time (EET), which is usually a 2 hour difference. Traveling from London in September, things will get little chillier in Rovaniemi: highs are around 13°C and lows about 6°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 3rd (Thu) so you can travel to Lieksa.

Lieksa is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Lieksa: Paalasmaan Surukivi (in Juuka), Koli Shop Retkitupa (in Koli) and Koli National Park (Kolinuuron kierros Nature Trail, Pielinen, &more). There's still lots to do: make a trip to Paateri, head outdoors with Neitikoski Rapids, and examine the collection at Pielisen Museum.

To see maps, where to stay, other places to visit, and more tourist information, read our Lieksa trip itinerary builder site.

You can drive from Rovaniemi to Lieksa in 7 hours. Another option is to do a combination of flight and car. In October in Lieksa, expect temperatures between 6°C during the day and 0°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 7th (Mon) to allow enough time to travel to Helsinki.

Finland's largest and most populated metropolis, the maritime town of Helsinki boasts varied architecture, a lively cafe culture, and plethora of picturesque natural delights.

Step out of Helsinki to go to Espoo and see Nuuksio National Park, which is approximately 48 minutes away. There's lots more to do: deepen your knowledge of military history at Sea Fortress Suomenlinna, get to know the fascinating history of The Esplanadi Park, contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Uspenskin Cathedral (Uspenskin Katedraali), and don't miss a visit to Senate Square.

To find maps, traveler tips, where to stay, and more tourist information, read our Helsinki vacation app.

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from Lieksa to Helsinki. When traveling from Lieksa in October, plan for somewhat warmer days in Helsinki, with highs around 10°C, while nights are about the same with lows around 1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 11th (Fri) to allow time to travel back home.