What to do and where to stay in Ivalo, Finland
Seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland has been at the top of my travel bucket list ever since childhood. When it comes to experiencing a slice of real-life, worldly magic, not a lot comes close to being surrounded by blankets of fluffy, white snow while the aurora borealis streaks across a star-filled night sky. But while the Northern Lights are of course a highlight of any trip to Finland, there’s also so much more to enjoy on your visit. From the best activities to the top hotels for hopping from sightseeing straight to the sauna, here’s your Cosmopolitan guide to Ivalo.
Where we stayed
Wilderness Hotel Juutua
The cosy hotel is the perfect place to bed down after a busy day of hunting for the Northern Lights. Surrounded by a spectacular backdrop of towering trees and a gentle, calming stretch of the River Juutua, it recently underwent a refurb with brand new rooms being added. Accommodation starts with the Wilderness Rooms located in the main building, then there’s the Juutua Suites which come with a personal sauna, and the newer Arctic Rooms which are located in a separate building and are really spacious, plus they have huge windows so you can fully soak up the stunning views. I stayed in the Arctic Room, so I didn’t have access to my own sauna but it was just a short stroll to the hotel's hot tub and sauna outhouse to unwind and relax.
Another real highlight of the Wilderness Hotel is the fine dining Aanaar restaurant. With a menu filled with the freshest local food, we enjoyed grilled white fish farmed from Lake Inari and a birch leaf sorbet with tar bavaroise and liquorice stones for dessert. The restaurant is a must try even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
Room rates start at around £100 per night. For more information and to book, head here.
Northern Lights Village Saariselka
With glass roof cabins all facing the direction of the Northern Lights, you won’t even need to leave your bed to get a glimpse of them - so it helps that the beds are incredibly comfortable and the cabins are super snug. Need to get the snow off your roof? No problem. Each cabin has a button you can press which will heat the roof and melt the snow.
While all the cabins are spread out and very private, there’s a warm, buzzy vibe to the main resort base which houses the reception, the buffet style restaurant, a small bar and a cosy fire place. When it comes to the food, there are plenty of hearty options to choose from to ensure you’re full up after a busy day outdoors.
You can book a huge range of activities via reception, including fat biking, husky sledding, visits to a variety of remote Aurora camps, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, and so much more. The resort also boasts a sauna, ice pool and a hot tub which are all bookable at reception.
Room rates start at around £115 per night. For more information and to book, head here.
What we did
The Janiskoski Rapids
There were so many magical moments on the trip and my visit to the Janiskoski Rapids was one of them. The rapids and the surrounding, dramatic scenery are a breathtaking Instagram grid-friendly beauty spot where we stopped for lunch (and lots of photos). To get to the campsite you have to cross the bubbling rapids of the Juutua river via a suspension bridge. Once across, our friendly guides chucked lots of extra logs on the fire and warmed up some salmon and potato soup, followed by cookies and hot chocolate.
Aurora Camps
No trip to Finland is complete without a camp visit. I visited two Aurora Camps and both were extraordinary experiences. The first was just after I’d seen the Northern Lights for the first time while at the Wilderness Hotel Juutua. Green light was lingering in the clear night sky, but while I didn’t get to see the lights again despite the clear conditions, the star gazing was truly unbelievable.
While everyone headed inside the cabin to warm themselves by the campfire and toast marshmallows and Finnish cinnamon buns, I stayed outside to try and identify as many constellations as I could because I'm honestly not sure I'll ever get a clearer view anywhere else in the world. The second camp I visited was located just by the Russian border, nestled alongside the stunning Paatsjoki River. There, we toasted more marshmallows and drank warm blueberry juice. I’d highly recommend both!
Sami Siida Museum
Yes, a little different to wading through the snow on the hunt for the Northern Lights, but nevertheless a must-do if you’re in Inari. The museum offers a really interesting insight into the culture of the Sámi people, as well as showcasing the beauty of the Finnish wilderness. On top of the indoor exhibitions, the museum also takes you outside to experience how the Sámi people lived in self-made huts and cabins.
Aurora hunting by Fat Bike
Another exciting way to see the lights is by fat bike with a trail you can follow from the Northern Lights Village. With just headlamps to guide the way in the dark, ours was a three-hour trip with a stop for refreshments before heading back to the resort.
How to get there
Launching 3rd December 2024, British Airways will operate the only direct London to Ivalo service, which means no inconvenient layovers - or mad dashes for connecting flights - at Finland airport. For more details, and to book, visit www.britishairways.com.
Our tour guide for the trip
We travelled with The Aurora Zone. For a similar, longer package the eight-day Inari and Saariselkä – An Exclusive Bucket List Northern Lights Holiday package is priced from £3,635 per person and includes return flights from London to Ivalo with British Airways, airport and activity transfers, all activities, accommodation as listed, plus meals. For more information visit www.theaurorazone.com.
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