The best things to do in Aavasaksa, Finland: a winter travel guide

I feel like the term “trip of a lifetime” gets thrown around a bit, but I do also feel like a trip to Finnish Lapland is a trip of a lifetime.

I cried seeing the Northern Lights, I cried when I got to hug huskies, I was smiling ear-to-ear when I met Santa - and I’m a 32-year-old woman.

I think Finnish Lapland is magical at any age, whether you have children or not, whether you’re 20-years-old or 60-years-old.

And while you can have magical experiences all over Lapland, I do think that our trip to Aavasaksa made this an even more memorable experience: Aavasaksa is a small town on the border of Finland, close to Sweden and the experiences and accommodation here are all family owned and run, everything feels personal and thoughtful and I think that’s why this felt like such an emotionally memorable trip for me too.

So, while it’s easy to flock to Rovaniemi (and there’s plenty to do there too, of course!), I also found Rovaniemi to feel quite over-commercialised and it was VERY busy.

Aavasaksa offers the same experiences but without the crowds and over-commercialisation. It feels authentic and local and you actually get to speak to locals who love to share about the place they call home.

So I hope this guide shows you not only the best things to do in Aavasaksa, but also that a little more effort to travel here is absolutely worth the reward.

A quick note: I visited Aavasaksa as a guest of Aava Sky Village. While they gifted my stay, all views, experiences and opinions are my own. I totally fell in love with Finnish Lapland and this article wasn’t a requirement for me to write, I just wanted to write it because I loved my trip so much and wanted to encourage others to visit Aavasaksa!

Two huskies standing together on the snow with a wooden sled behind them and a large wooden fence in the background

Husky Sledding

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How to get to Aavasaksa, Finland

We flew direct from Manchester, UK into Rovaniemi in Finland.

From Rovaniemi Airport we hired a car and it’s a 1.5 hour drive west from Rovaniemi to Aavasaksa.

The drive was pretty straightforward, despite it being the winter, the roads were cleared and well-maintained.

Car rentals are equipped with snow tyres and of course, take the proper precautions by driving slowly and steadily on the roads.

Many black snowmobiles in the snow with many green trees behind them

Snowmobiles

 

Where to stay in Aavasaksa, Finland

We stayed at Aava Sky Village in Aavasaksa, a family-owned and run accommodation with individual chalets and cottages that come with their own kitchen and living space, as well as their own sauna!

Each chalet has either two or three bedrooms and includes parking so it’s really easy if you’re travelling as a group or family.

You can book in for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the main hotel lodge which is super tasty and freshly prepared.

Aava Sky Village also has equipment rental for skiing and snowshoeing and they work in partnership with Aavasaksa Adventures so you can easily book experiences and excursions like husky sledding and snowmobiling too.

Four dark coloured cabins in a row surrounded by snow and large trees in the background

Aava Sky Village cabins

A wide snow covered trail with green pine trees on each side of the trail

Snowmobile trail

 

When is the best time of year to visit Aavasaksa?

Winter season runs from December-March but there is only around 3-5 hours of daylight per day in December and January, so you may want to consider visiting in February or March if you want to do more activities during the day.

Equally, less daylight means more chance of seeing Northern Lights if that’s your main goal!

We went in March and it had warmed up quite a bit so while there was still metres of snow on the ground, we didn’t get to see any of the Finnish Riisitunturi or “snow monsters” - which are the snow covered trees.

If I went again, I would probably go in February for a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights and the snow monsters. However in February just before we visited, it had been as cold as -30C (-22F), so if you choose to travel in January or February - you will need gear for extreme cold weather.

Three dark coloured cabins in a row surrounded by snow and large green pine trees in the background

Aava Sky Village

 

The best things to do in Aavasaksa

Husky sledding experience with Aavasaksa Adventures

Everyone will have different bucket list activities for visiting Finnish Lapland, but this one was mine and sledding with the gorgeous dogs at Aavasaksa Adventures exceeded all my expectations!

The whole experience lasted 2.5 hours, so this is more than just a meet-and-greet or a quick 30 minute sled ride.

Instead we met one of the handlers who cares for the dogs day-in-day-out and learnt how many of them are rescued from unsuitable situations and given a home here.

Then we went to meet our dogs, it’s two people per sled and you could have 4-6 dogs pulling your sled depending on the snow quality and temperature.

Our dogs were called Turku, Elio, Ash, Tammi and Lissu.

You’ll be taught the movements needed to turn or slow down the sleds but essentially the dogs are just following their friends ahead and are excited to be out and running, so you don’t need to do too much apart from making sure you know how to stop!

We went on an incredible trail through the forests and across fields, stopping halfway to take photos and also to change who was driving the sled - my husband drove the first half and I drove the second.

After the sledding we got to pet our dogs and hang out with them for a bit taking some photos before they were rewarded with a big bowl of food!

This experience was a dream come true for me and it’s worth every penny, you can book directly here with Aavasaksa Adventures. Note that this experience is for ages 8+

Two huskies standing in the snow close up attached to a harness attached to a wooden sled whith two people on the sled. Two other huskies are standing next to the sled

Husky Sled dogs

The wooden tip of a husky sled being pulled along a snowy trail by a team of huskies

Husky sledding

Helena in red kneeling down and petting two huskies with sleds and a wooden fence in the background - husky sledding is one of the best things to do in Aavasaksa

Huskies after the trip

 

Spot the Northern Lights

Another bucket list experience for many people and although I’d seen the Northern Lights before, my husband never had.

This is one of the other huge perks of being in Aavasaksa: the light pollution is minimal.

If you’re in Rovaniemi you need to leave the city and go out into the countryside to escape the light pollution and see the Northern Lights properly but there’s no need to do that in Aavasaksa - the light pollution already is minimal!

Staying somewhere like Aava Sky Village means you can see them from the deck of you cabin as long as the sky is clear and conditions are right - that’s why I’d recommend staying for a few days as we had two cloudy days on our trip where the sky wasn’t visible.

Green northern lights during the night

Northern Lights

 

Reindeer experience

Reindeer are just the cutest?!

Biggest shock for me: how soft their little noses are!

With Aavasaksa Adventures you can book a 30 minute sleigh ride or a full 90 minute experience with a sleigh ride, feeding the reindeer and learning all about them.

Traversing through rural snowy landscapes in Aavasaksa again just felt like a more authentic and truly magical experience - not something manufactured.

The great thing about the reindeer sleigh rides is that they are suitable for all ages, so if you’ve got much younger kids below 8 years-old who can’t do the husky sledding yet, this is the best option.

Helena in red standing in the snow in front of a wooden entrance sign for reindeer and huskies with a wooden fence and many pine trees in the background

Aavasaksa Adventures

A close up of a reindeers white and brown furry head with his nose close to the camera and a wooden fence below

Reindeer closeup

 

Visit Santa’s River House

Something you’ll learn about Finnish Lapland - it’s Christmas all year!

While you might know about Santa Claus’ residence at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, did you know that Santa also has a River House in the countryside?!

This is a traditional river house on the bank of the Torne River in Ylitornio, just a 5 minute drive from Aavasaksa. It overlooks the river and Sweden on the opposite side but what makes it really special is that meeting Santa and Mrs Santa here is all about a peaceful, unhurried experience.

When you book your experience, you have an hour and a half to enjoy the atmosphere by the crackling fire with snacks and drinks while you make some festive crafts. You have unhurried time to meet with Santa, chat to him, hear his stories and take pictures.

You will have your own visiting slot for your family or group to have unhurried, unrushed time with Santa, Mrs Santa and their elf for a memorable experience of a lifetime.

Find more info, prices and book here.

A large wooden cabin room decorated with a Christmas tree, red curtains, a wooden chest, and many other Christmas decorations

Santa’s River House

Three decorated Christmas trees inside a room with three wooden log seats covered in fur in front of the trees

Christmas trees

Santa in red with a big red shirt and hat sitting on a chair next to a decorated Christmas tree

Santa at Santa’s River house

 

Stay at Aava Sky Village

Of course there’s plenty of hotel options all over Finnish Lapland but I really wanted to experience the true Lapland wilderness and I didn’t want a hotel room - I wanted a cabin.

Aava Sky Village ticked that box and more!

Perched on a hill in Aavasaksa, Aava Sky Village is a family owned and run accommodation with individual cabins and cottages surrounded by trees, each with two or three bedrooms, a full kitchen and living space AND your own sauna! (the dream!)

There is a central area of the village with the reception and dining area where you can book in for meals. They also have the option for equipment rental and can organise excursions and activities for you.

Aava Sky Village felt so welcoming and personalised but not overbearing, having your own cabin and your own space made the trip so relaxing and easy but the team’s support and recommendations were there if you needed it.

A dark coloured wooden cabin with a porch and steps leading up to it, surrounded by snow at Aava Sky Village accommodation in Aavasaksa

Aava Sky Village cabin

A cabin interior with a wood floor, wood table, kitchen, and a black log burner

Cabin interior

A large wooden snow covered building with a pointed roof and large deck surrounding in front of the building. Snow is falling

Aava Sky Village main building

 

Embrace the Finnish Sauna experience

When people tell you that every Finnish person has a sauna, they mean it!

Even driving from the airport to Aavasaksa I was amazed that so many houses had an outdoor sauna in the garden, then we arrived in Aavasaksa and found the sauna in our cabin.

THEN we had to get an Airbnb in Rovaniemi the day before our flight and even in an apartment building, the apartment had a sauna in the bathroom!!

So when I say you need to embrace the Finnish sauna experience - it’s actually pretty easy to do that.

And these aren’t small saunas either. Our sauna at Aava Sky Village had two benches and you could easily have fit 4 people in there, although there were only two of us.

Of course follow proper sauna etiquette for hygiene and how to operate the coals, temperature and steam (read the manual provided before using the sauna).

A large bathroom with wooden walls, toilet, and built in sauna

Aava Sky Village cabin sauna

 

Go snowshoeing in one of Finland’s National Landscapes

We were able to use snowshoes from Aava Sky Village to explore the forests around the property because Aavasaksa is actually one of Finland’s 27 National Landscapes.

From Aava Sky Village, you can follow the trail through the trees and up the hill to an observation deck with panoramic views of Lapland.

Snowshoeing itself is a fun experience and something I’d never done before - it’s wild how much more effective snowshoes are for walking in compared to walking without them!

Find out more about the Kruununkierros National Landscape and walking trail here.

A hill view of a snow landscape with many trees and hills in the far distance

Lapland Hill View

 

Go back in time by crossing the border into Sweden

I don’t think I realised until we arrived, just how close Aavasaksa is to Sweden - it’s literally just the other side of the river!

Many Finnish or Swedish people work or live on the other side of the border and crossing back and forth is totally normal - meaning it’s a fun way to quickly pop into another country on your trip!

Or perhaps you’re travelling through Sweden and using this guide to pay a quick visit to Aavasaksa?!

The thing to remember is that Sweden is one hour behind Finland, so even though you’re just driving over a border, there is a 1-hour time difference - make sure you bear this in mind if you have any experiences or bookings and don’t forget to check the time you’ve booked for!

A tall red and yellow wooden square tower surrounded by snow

Overtornea, Sweden.

A large red wooden church with a steep roof surrounded by snow

Overtornea, Sweden Church

Red wooden building with green door and windows, lit up at night in the snow in a town

Overtornea, Sweden town

 

Make your own Kuksa at Forest Jewel

A Kuksa is a traditional, hand carved, wooden cup that originates from the Sami people of Scandinavia.

They are intended to be lightweight and durable for use in the wilderness and they make a great, unique souvenir for your time in Lapland.

There is a shop and workshop called Forest Jewel which is actually on an island in the Torne River but is technically on the Swedish side of the border, where you can buy or even make your own kuksa.

The store has incredible handmade products including knives, cookware, homeware, jewellery and woodwork.

They also have a workshop on site and you can book to carve, create and engrave your own kuksa. Their website has their products here and you can go into the store to book their next workshop.

 

Explore the countryside by snowmobile

Now if you want a bit more speed and you’re a bit more of an adrenaline junkie then snowmobiling is for you!

Aavasaksa Adventures also offers 2.5 hour snowmobiling experiences, evening snowmobiling and snowmobile + ice fishing experiences.

We did the half day 2.5 hour snowmobiling experience, exploring through the snowy landscapes, forests and trails around Aavasaksa with amazing views too.

It was such a fun and exhilarating experience to drive a snowmobile and you can see why so many locals use them to get around - they’re fast and efficient!

You’ll be given a full safety briefing and you’ll stick together as a group following your guide.

Find more information, prices and book here.

Helena in red with a helmet on driving a snowmobile in in the snow in Aavasaksa

Snowmobile

Two snowmobiles lined up on a snowy trail with tree in the background

Snowmobiles parked on the trail

Many people on snowmobiles in line along a snowy trail surrounded by trees

Snowmobile group

 

Summary: the best things to do in Aavasaksa

I think it’s easy to feel like Lapland has been over-commercialised because the things we see more are all located in and around Rovaniemi and it’s all busy and expensive and honestly a bit overwhelming.

But Finnish Lapland is VAST and there is so much more to this region than just Rovaniemi.

You can have an authentic, uncommercialised, uncrowded, festive, relaxing and magical experience in places like Aavasaksa, away from crowds.

What really stuck with me about our trip to Avasaksa was the time and care we were shown and the nature and animals were shown. We spent 2.5 hours with our sled dogs, we got to hang out for ages with reindeers, we had almost 2 hours uninterrupted with Santa and Mrs Santa… you just don’t get that slower pace to relax and soak in the experience in Rovaniemi (trust me, we tried and there was no comparison!)

And not only are you getting a more authentic, personal experience, you’re also supporting a local community and local businesses - which is always a massive bonus in my eyes.

I hope this inspires you not only to visit Finnish Lapland, but to visit Aavasaksa and go beyond Rovaniemi.

Discover a more authentic side to Finnish Lapland with a trip to Aavasaksa. Here are the best things to do, places to visit and where to stay in Aavasaksa, Finland. | aavasaksa things to do | aavasaksa where to stay