Arctic Circle, fell-top auroras, Senate Square
This is leg 2 of 2, the final leg.
Travel leg · Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki
Saariselkä to Helsinki
Saariselkä and Helsinki sit about 925 km (575 mi) apart in a straight line, with Helsinki to the south. It is leg 2 of 2 on our Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki itinerary, a 7-day trip. At this distance a flight may be the typical way to cover it.
- Straight-line distance
- 925 km · 575 mi
- Est. road distance
- 1,110–1,295 km
- Est. drive time
- 11 h 45 min – 20 h
- Direction
- Heading south
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 65–95 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
By air or long-distance transport
At 925 km in a straight line, a flight may be the most typical way to cover this leg, though our route guide also mentions trains. Driving would be an estimated 1,110–1,295 km and 11 h 45 min – 20 h at the wheel, usually split over more than one day.
Fly Helsinki – Rovaniemi (about 1 h 20 min), or take VR's overnight sleeper train (about 10–12 h). From Rovaniemi, coaches run up Highway 4 to Saariselkä in about 4 hours; Ivalo Airport is 25 minutes from Saariselkä and has direct flights to Helsinki (about 1 h 40 min) with an airport bus timed to arrivals. Driving in Lapland means studded winter tyres and long dark stretches with reindeer on the road; most visitors use buses and tour pickups instead.
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends.
When you arrive in Helsinki
Two nights at the end for the Senate Square market and a seaside sauna.
Helsinki Christmas Market
The city's main Christmas market fills Senate Square with wooden stalls, a carousel and a tall tree below the cathedral steps.
Helsinki Cathedral
Carl Ludvig Engel's white neoclassical Lutheran cathedral, set at the top of a wide flight of steps over Senate Square.
Old Market Hall
Brick market hall from 1889 on the South Harbour, with stalls for salmon soup, smoked fish and Finnish pastries.
Löyly
Public sauna and restaurant in a timber-clad building on the Hernesaari shore, with steps down into the Baltic.
Hotel Kämp
Grand hotel from 1887 on Pohjoisesplanadi, a short walk from Senate Square and the Christmas Street.
Aleksanterinkatu Christmas Street
Helsinki's main shopping street, hung with Christmas lights every year since 1949.
Before you leave Saariselkä
Fell village under polar night; two or three nights for auroras and igloos.
Urho Kekkonen National Park
One of Finland's largest national parks, with groomed ski trails, wilderness huts and open fells east of Saariselkä.
Kiilopää
Fell centre run by the Finnish outdoor association Suomen Latu, with ski and snowshoe trails and a lakeside smoke sauna.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
Resort of glass igloos and log cabins south of Saariselkä, known for watching auroras from bed.
On this curated route
Where Saariselkä → Helsinki sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Helsinki to Saariselkä is the same 925 km in a straight line, heading north. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
Weather at each end
The biggest gap comes in November, when Helsinki averages highs 10°C warmer than Saariselkä.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saariselkä high | -11° | -10° | -5° | 0° | 7° | 13° | 17° | 14° | 8° | 0° | -6° | -8° |
| Helsinki high | -1° | -2° | 0° | 5° | 11° | 16° | 19° | 19° | 15° | 9° | 4° | 1° |
| Saariselkä rain | 39 | 32 | 34 | 44 | 78 | 95 | 115 | 104 | 76 | 60 | 45 | 44 |
| Helsinki rain | 56 | 45 | 42 | 41 | 48 | 66 | 59 | 71 | 63 | 80 | 75 | 67 |
Temperatures in °C, rain in mm per month. Long-term monthly averages from NASA POWER satellite climatology — a guide to typical conditions, not a forecast. Month headings link to Helsinki month guides.
Saariselkä to Helsinki: questions travelers ask
How far is Saariselkä from Helsinki?
Saariselkä is about 925 km (575 mi) from Helsinki in a straight line, with Helsinki to the south. By road, we estimate 1,110–1,295 km (690–805 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from Saariselkä to Helsinki?
An estimated 11 h 45 min – 20 h, assuming 1,110–1,295 km of road at average speeds of 65–95 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day. At this distance, a flight may be more practical.
Which itineraries include the trip from Saariselkä to Helsinki?
Our Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki itinerary includes this leg. Rovaniemi, Saariselkä & Helsinki runs about 7 days across 3 stops, best in Late Nov – Dec.
Getting to Saariselkä
- Rovaniemi to Saariselkä 225 km
Guides for both ends
- Saariselkä travel guide
- Saariselkä weather best time to visit
- Helsinki travel guide
- Helsinki weather best time to visit
Helsinki by month
More to explore
Plan Saariselkä → Helsinki with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.