January-February: Dark and extremely cold winter time, Polar Night
March-May: The best time for ski hiking and other adventures
June-July: Summer time with lots of mosquitos, Midnight sun
August-September: The best “Ruska” hiking season, Beautiful autumn colours.
October-December: October and November are uncertain time when it comes to the weather, In December usually the snow is already on the ground.
Traveling to Lapland: Seasons in a nuthsell
Lapland is a fascinating travel destination throughout the year. Each season has its own charm but autumn and spring offer the most stunning weather and surroundings for hiking in Lapland. In this short article I’ll compare different months from a travel perspective in Lapland.
Summer Months – Nature Thrives to the Fullest
The summer months in Lapland are filled with the sunlight and activities. From June to the end of July nature is at its lushest and the sun shines almost around the clock. In August usually mosquitos are already gone and the best mushroom season starts. The nature starts to offer the best time for harvesting. This whole period provides ideal conditions for hiking, fishing, and various outdoor activities. Lapland’s numerous national parks and hiking trails are full of people because of the holiday season. For that reason we aim to the remote wilderness areas to wild camping.
Winter – Enchanting Snow Wonderland
Lapland’s winter might be like a fairytale snowscape but on the other hand it can be harsh. From December to February Lapland is blanketed in snow with snowy trees and extremely cold temperatures. This season is attracting travelers from all over the world to witness the magical northern lights and different winter activities. All the big ski resorts are full of travelers and they usually travel with huge travel companies, walk around in their winter overalls and consume all the touristic activities such as snowmobile safaris, reindeer sleigh rides, snowshoeing etc. But guess what, the best winter adventure season starts after that! From the end of February to the beginning of May is the most stunning time for ski hiking and snowshoe hiking in the backcountry. Days are full of sunlight the gentle warmth of the sun caresses your skin. Winter hiking is absolutely amazing in March-April with long days, pure white snow and long days with your sunglasses on!
Autumn – The Magical autumn “Ruska”
Autumn arrives in Lapland from the end of August to October, bringing a burst of colors known as “Ruska”. Lapland’s forests shows beautiful colours of yellow, orange and red providing an unforgettable landscape. Autumn is also the best time for berry and mushroom picking and some local restaurants serve delicious Lappish dishes made from seasonal produce. And did you know that all this is completely safe and allowed in Finland. Everyone can go into the forest and fill up the bucket with the harvest. Also the best hiking season in Lapland is this autumn. All the bugs are away and days are still pretty warm. You can do wild camping in the remote wilderness areas and be as one with the nature, drink water straight from the chrystal clear streams, see the northern lights in the dark nights and sleep well in the warm sleeping bag in the arms of our small mountains “fells”. That is what we call “full life”.
Spring – Nature Awakening
Springtime is short and passes quickly in Lapland. Snow begins to melt at the end of April and is usually gone by June. In May and June the forests are very wet so you have to be careful when planning forest hikes. At the beginning of June, all the flowers and plants start to flourish at their fullest and nature is teeming with life. The period from May to June is typically the time for locals to enjoy their well-deserved holidays.