Traveling Around Finland: From Helsinki to the Arctic

I really enjoyed Helsinki. It felt modern, easy to explore, and I was especially impressed by the restaurant and bar scene. There were so many great places to eat and grab a drink, including plenty of vegetarian-friendly options. See my Helsinki vegetarian café guide (opens in a new tab)

One of my favorite stops was Helsinki Central Library Oodi, which is probably the nicest library I've ever been in. It feels like so much more than a traditional library and is absolutely worth walking through even if you're only visiting Helsinki for a few days.

I also visited Temppeliaukio Church, better known as the Rock Church. The church is built directly into solid rock, making it one of the more unique buildings I visited in Helsinki.

Another must is Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Located across several islands just a short ferry ride from Helsinki, it's the kind of place where you can spend hours wandering around, taking in the views, and exploring the historic fortress. Going out here and exploring is a must if you're visiting Helsinki.

And, of course, you can't visit Finland without experiencing sauna culture. Löyly Sauna was a great way to experience that side of Finnish life while still being right in Helsinki.

From Helsinki, I flew north to Ivalo, home to the northernmost commercial airport in Finland and the European Union.

And when I say north, I mean north.

Ivalo feels incredibly remote compared with Helsinki. The pace is slower, there isn't an endless list of attractions to check off, and that was actually part of what I enjoyed about being there.

I spent time at Urho Kekkonen National Park, surrounded by the landscapes of Finnish Lapland, and visited the Sámi Museum Siida to learn more about Sámi culture, history, and life in the Arctic.

I also visited Wild Spirit Park, which I absolutely loved. It ended up being one of my favorite experiences in the area.

I was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian and vegan options in Finland's grocery stores. Even this far north, I was able to find plenty of plant-based foods, which made traveling as a vegetarian much easier.

That being said, Ivalo is remote. There simply aren't the same number of restaurants, shops, and options that you'll find in Helsinki, so grocery stores became especially useful while I was there.

I was also working remotely during part of this trip and trying to maintain U.S. East Coast working hours.

That meant some very late nights.

But there was actually a huge upside: my mornings and early afternoons were open.

Instead of spending the best daylight hours sitting behind my laptop, I could explore, hike, sightsee, or simply take it easy before starting work later in the day.

I didn't try to pack every day with activities. Some days were intentionally slow, and I think that suited Finnish Lapland perfectly.

One of the most unforgettable parts of Finland was the Northern Lights.

I saw the aurora more times in Finland than I ever had before, and I felt incredibly fortunate.

There's something surreal about being this far north, stepping outside into the darkness, and seeing the sky suddenly come alive above you. No matter how many times I saw them, it never stopped feeling special.

Finland gave me two very different experiences in one trip: Helsinki's restaurants, bars, architecture and city life, followed by the quiet landscapes and slower pace of Finnish Lapland.

If I went back, I'd happily do both again.

Helsinki for the city, food and culture. Ivalo for the Arctic landscapes, slower pace and the chance to look up at the sky and see something incredible.