19 days in Lapland Itinerary

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

Get outdoors at Ranua Zoo and Napapiirin Porofarmi. When in Rovaniemi, make a side trip to see Korouoma Canyon in Posio, approximately Posio away. There's lots more to do: find something for the whole family at SantaPark - the Home Cavern of Santa Claus, see Santa Claus Office, take an in-depth tour of Arktikum, and get curious at Pilke Science Centre.

To see ratings, maps, reviews, and other tourist information, read Rovaniemi travel route planner.

Tehran, Iran to Rovaniemi is an approximately 15-hour flight. You can also drive. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 1.5 hours traveling from Tehran to Rovaniemi. Prepare for colder weather when traveling from Tehran in December: high temperatures in Rovaniemi hover around -6°C and lows are around -13°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 26th (Thu) to allow enough time to travel to Salla.

Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. Get outdoors at Salla Ski Resort and Ski Resort Suomutunturi. Venture out of the city with trips to Pyha-Luosto National Park (in Pyhatunturi) and Amethyst Mine Lapland (in Luosto). There's still lots to do: take an in-depth tour of Salla Museum of War & Reconstruction and contemplate the long history of Paikanselan Taistelualue.

For traveler tips, other places to visit, reviews, and other tourist information, you can read our Salla road trip website.

Getting from Rovaniemi to Salla by car takes about 2 hours. December in Salla sees daily highs of -7°C and lows of -16°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 29th (Sun) so you can travel to Saariselka.

Outdoor pursuits--ranging from cross-country skiing and snowmobiling to reindeer safaris and chasing Northern Lights--draw the largest number of tourists to Saariselka.

Visiting Saariselka Ski & Sport Resort and Nature & Wildlife Tours will get you outdoors. Explore Saariselka's surroundings by going to Inari (Pielpajarvi Wilderness Church, Siida - Sami Museum and Nature Center, &more). Next up on the itinerary: get in on the family fun at Angry Birds Activity Park, pause for some serene contemplation at Saariselka S:t Paulus Chapel, look for gifts at Hippupuoti Gift Shop, and examine the collection at Gold Prospector Museum.

To find where to stay, more things to do, maps, and more tourist information, read our Saariselka travel planner.

Getting from Salla to Saariselka by car takes about 4 hours. December in Saariselka sees daily highs of -7°C and lows of -17°C at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 2nd (Thu) so you can go by car to Akaslompolo.

Visiting Levi Ski Resort and Jemes Sport will get you outdoors. Explore Akaslompolo's surroundings by going to Levi (Icekarting Levi, Kids' Land, &more), Santa"s Cottage & Pet Farm (in Sirkka) and Lapland Hotels SnowVillage (in Kittila).

To see ratings, other places to visit, where to stay, and more tourist information, refer to the Akaslompolo trip maker site.

Traveling by car from Saariselka to Akaslompolo takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or take a bus. In January, plan for daily highs up to -11°C, and evening lows to -22°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 6th (Mon) to allow time to travel back home.