Finland
Saariselkä
Fell village under polar night; two or three nights for auroras and igloos. This guide pulls together 3 activities, 2 outdoor spots and 1 bar or café from our curated routes.
- Places
- 7
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Late Nov – Dec
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- July
3 Do · 2 Outdoors · 1 Drink · 1 Stay
Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki
from our route notes
17°C / 63°F avg high
-11°C / 13°F avg high
about 115 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Saariselkä
7 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Saariselkä across Kaunispää, Kiilopää and Saariselkä village.
- Do
Ski Saariselkä
Floodlit downhill slopes and a sledding run on the sides of Kaunispää, a few minutes from the village.
Tip Slopes are lit, so skiing works through the polar-night afternoons.
Photo: Beasai · CC BY-SA 4.0DoKiilopää
Fell centre run by the Finnish outdoor association Suomen Latu, with ski and snowshoe trails and a lakeside smoke sauna.
Tip Check the smoke sauna's public days before you go.
- Do
Holiday Club Saariselkä Spa
Spa hotel in the village centre with indoor pools, slides and saunas open to day visitors.
Tip A good fallback on cloudy nights or very cold days.
Outdoors
Trails, views and open space in and around Saariselkä. All 2 are free to visit.
- Outdoors
Kaunispää
438-metre fell above the village with a summit restaurant, ski slopes and an open northern horizon for auroras.
Tip The road to the top is open in winter; on clear nights, drive or walk up and get away from the lights.
Photo: Beasai · CC BY-SA 4.0OutdoorsUrho Kekkonen National Park
One of Finland's largest national parks, with groomed ski trails, wilderness huts and open fells east of Saariselkä.
Tip Trails start right from the village; carry a headlamp, as daylight is only twilight in December.
Drink
1 bar or café in Saariselkä village for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
- Drink
Teerenpesä
Restaurant and pub in the centre of Saariselkä village, a warm stop between aurora checks.
Stay
Places to stay in Saariselkä in Kakslauttanen.
- Stay
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
Resort of glass igloos and log cabins south of Saariselkä, known for watching auroras from bed.
Tip Glass igloos for December are booked out many months ahead.
How to fit Saariselkä into a trip
Saariselkä is stop 2 of 3 on our Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki route. Follow it as-is or lift Saariselkä into your own plan.
Stop 2 of 3
Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki
Arctic Circle, fell-top auroras, Senate Square
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Best season
- Late Nov – Dec
- Pace
- moderate
Getting here and onward
- Rovaniemi to SaariselkäRovaniemi is about 225 km / 140 mi away in a straight line
- Saariselkä to HelsinkiHelsinki is about 925 km / 575 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Saariselkä month by month
Average daily highs run from -11°C / 13°F in January to 17°C / 63°F in July. July is the wettest month, with about 115 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan-11° / 13°F average high
- Feb-10° / 14°F average high
- Mar-5° / 22°F average high
- Apr0° / 31°F average high
- May7° / 45°F average high
- Jun13° / 56°F average high
- Jul17° / 63°F average high
- Aug14° / 58°F average high
- Sep8° / 47°F average high
- Oct0° / 33°F average high
- Nov-6° / 22°F average high, in our recommended season
- Dec-8° / 17°F average high, in our recommended season
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Saariselkä weather and the best time to visit →
Near Saariselkä
2 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.
Saariselkä questions, answered
How many days do you need in Saariselkä?
Our route notes suggest 2–3 nights in Saariselkä. On our Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 7-day trip. The listed visit times for our 7 places add up to roughly 15 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Saariselkä best known for?
Fell village under polar night; two or three nights for auroras and igloos. Standouts on our list: Kaunispää (438-metre fell above the village with a summit restaurant, ski slopes and an open northern horizon for auroras); Urho Kekkonen National Park (One of Finland's largest national parks, with groomed ski trails, wilderness huts and open fells east of Saariselkä); Ski Saariselkä (Floodlit downhill slopes and a sledding run on the sides of Kaunispää, a few minutes from the village).
When is the best time to visit Saariselkä?
Our Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki route is best Late Nov – Dec. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (17°C / 63°F), the coolest in January (-11°C / 13°F) and the most rain in July (about 115 mm).
What are the best things to do in Saariselkä?
Start with Kaunispää, Ski Saariselkä, Urho Kekkonen National Park, Kiilopää and Holiday Club Saariselkä Spa. Our guide lists 7 places in all, from 3 activities, 2 outdoor spots, 1 bar or café and 1 place to stay.
What is near Saariselkä?
The closest destinations in our guides are Rovaniemi (about 225 km / 140 mi) and Tromsø (about 363 km / 226 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Saariselkä with your crew
Open the Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 7 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.
Plan around Saariselkä
More in Finland
- Helsinki 9 places