Finland may not be your top destination but it’s been one of our favorites! It’s beautiful, unique, and well worth the visit. Helsinki is clean and fancy, and the country is stunning at all times of the year!
How we got there!
This has been one of the craziest deals we’ve ever come across! We booked SLC-HEL for $283 round trip! We would’ve been crazy for not booking it. The deal was for February but it only made for a better experience. There are always good deals out there so don’t miss out!
Because of Covid and travel fears, we were on a huge plane with no people. We had entire sections to ourselves so we each took our rows and had a great flight.
What we did!
As with most of our European trips, we stayed busy. It was a wild time to fly into Helsinki as a huge winter storm was taking over the city! We had a few hours to kill before we were catching a flight up to Rovaniemi so we explored the city. In a blizzard.
After exploring we spent a few hours stuck in the airport because of the storm, but we eventually left and flew north. Pictures don’t do justice, but it was a crazy storm and I’m impressed we were able to leave Helsinki at all.
In Rovaniemi, we did a lot of exploring. During the winter it’s frozen wonderland!
We walked out on the river, we looked at churches, and we devoured Finnish chocolate!
While we were in Rovaniemi we also went to Santa Claus Village. It is a bit of a tourist trap but it’s definitely worth it. It’s cold, it’s beautiful, and you get to see Santa Claus.
We weren’t as prepared as we should’ve been to fully experience the village, but it was still a really cool experience. One of the best parts about the village is its location. The Arctic Circle crosses right through the middle. The opening picture shows this.
It’s also fun because it’s on YouTube. That may sound dumb, but check it out. For years we’ve been watching live streams from around the world and this one has been a dream that we finally got to live. (If you view it during the summer, it’s less impressive.)
After a few days in Rovaniemi, we flew back to Helsinki where we hopped on a ferry to Estonia! It was basically a simplified cruise ship.
Back in Helsinki, we continued to explore the city. We went to markets, ate lots of chocolate, and went to a Finish Sauna.
If you’ve heard anything about European Saunas, just know what you heard is true. Saunas are huge in Finland so we had to give them a shot. It took a little searching to find one that wasn’t fully nude, but we did and it was a great experience. Fins eat and drink and roast and have a great time. It was well worth it.
Finland has thousands of islands. One of those islands is Suomenlinna. It’s an old 18th-century fortress. We took a quick boat ride over and spent a few hours wandering around. It was a fascinating place to visit and experience.
We did lots of walking and tramming and sightseeing and it was incredible. Helsinki is a beautiful city on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
Where we stayed!
Finding a place to stay for 4 people can be a little tough in European cities. Thankfully in both Helsinki and Rovaniemi, we were able to find good places. It was another good spot not too far from a bus stop and downtown.
Transportation
Helsinki has a great transit system! We used this to get around and never had any problems. Outside of the city, we used trains and buses. Every system is a little different, but they all run the same once you get the hang of them. There is a great app available that makes using their transit super easy!
What we ate!
We were on this trip for a little over a week so we ate a lot. A big portion of our food came from the grocery stores. We’ve always enjoyed wandering through foreign grocery stores and trying their foods. It’s also a great way to save money.
Some notable restaurants were:
Daddy Greens Pizzabar Iso-Roba. – Pizza GF options
Cafe Lov – German cafe
Ravintola Kannas – Authentic Finish food
Three Elves Restaurant and Lobby Bar – Only food option in Santa Land. Good Reindeer burger.
It’s important to be thrifty but don’t waste the chance to try authentic food! Finland has great seafood, sausages, and reindeer!
Gluten-Free in Finland
As in most places outside of the U.S., there is plenty of gluten-free. We had delicious food, all with gluten-free options, and there’s always the grocery store. Be smart and do a little research and you’ll be good to go!
What we learned!
Finland is pretty incredible. It’s a beautiful and clean country.
The winter is magical. It may seem like a bad idea to go in February but it ended up being really cool.
The day is really short in the winter. Finland is far north and Rovaniemi is really far north.
It can be soooo cold! Overnight in Rovaniemi, it was -19 Fahrenheit!
The Fins love their blueberries! Finnair serves blueberry juice, and it can be bought in their grocery stores. Try it out! Just make sure you’re not buying blueberry soup instead of juice.
Travel can fit anyone’s budget. Check out our Finland Expense Report!