Finland may not be on the travel radar of most Americans or Australians. But it’s definitely on the travel radar of the Brits. According to the Finnish Tourist Board there’s been a 10% jump in international arrivals to Finland, with much of that growth coming from London and the UK. The most popular destinations in Finland? Helsinki, followed by Oulu, Tampere-Pirkkala and Rovaniemi.

Now your travel friends at Viator aren’t going to take all the credit for this jump in international arrivals. But it may not be a total coincidence that Viator recently launched a new destination: Arctic Finland & Lapland. This is in addition to our collection of tours and things to do in Helsinki. So yeah, we’ve seen this whole ‘Finland is getting popular’ bandwagon rolling along for a while now. That’s our job, and we’re happy to be doing it.

So what’s popular in Finland this season? Here’s our Top 5 things to do in Finland this winter.

1. Ice fishing in Levi. It’s not too late to cut a hole in the ice and spend a few hours contemplating the natural beauty of Levi, Finland. If you get a catch, you can cook it over the campfire. This winter tour ends April 15, so grab your fuzzy warm coat and see you on the ice in Levi.
2. Husky dog sledding in Levi. Practice your mush skills on this 10-kilometer (6-mile) dog sledding trek through the wilderness. And yes, you can cuddle with a husky dog if you like. If that sounds a bit too adventurous for you, try a reindeer sleigh ride instead.
3. Cross-country skiing in Rovaniemi. You don’t have to be an expert at cross-country skiing to enjoy a day out in Rovaniemi. This three-hour tour includes all the gear, instruction from an expert, plus a guided cross-country ski journey… not to mention coffee and a warm fire in a Lappish tent when you need a break.
4. Overnight Igloo experience. This two day, one night tour from Helsinki includes all flights. You’ll fly from Helsinki airport to Ivalo, then it’s off to your cosy home base in Saariselkä: the Kakslauttanen Igloo Village with 20 igloos plus a honeymoon igloo suite! There’s even a sauna. The location of the Igloo Village is excellent for seeing the Northern Lights (until the end of April).
5. Audio tour of Helsinki. On your way to / from Lapland you’ll want to spend quality time in Finland’s capital, Helsinki. This audio city tour is a good way to see the city and get your bearings.

–Scott McNeely

Postscript: If you’re heading to Finland you can now book airport transfers to / from the Helsinki airport. We also recommend the Helsinki Card, which gets you discounts and free admissions to sights in Helsinki, plus free local transport.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 9th, 2007 at 5:11 am and is filed under Destinations, Europe, Suggested Itineraries, Travel Inspiration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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