Norway and Finland are two of the most beautiful countries in the world, and they are especially magical in the winter. Imagine yourself skiing down snow-covered slopes, ice skating or ice fishing on frozen lakes, or simply admiring the stunning scenery. Most importantly, you can experience the Northern Lights, one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena. This 10-day winter itinerary will give you a taste of all that Norway and Finland have to offer.
You’ll explore their capital cities, visit their national parks, eat some of the best meals in Scandinavia, and go on an unforgettable adventure. This is a very active trip with a lot of moving around. We love to see and experience as much as we can when we travel, but make sure to squeeze relaxation in where we can. I hope you love our itinerary as much as we did!
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Day 1: Arrival in Oslo
Fly from your home city to Oslo, Norway. You may have (or choose to have, like we did!) a stopover in another European city like Paris or Amsterdam, depending on where you’re coming from. We stayed a couple of nights in Paris before continuing on to Norway. Upon arrival to Olso, check into your hotel, find something to eat, and wander around the beautiful city. Oslo is pretty small and walkable, so there is a lot you can see in just a day or two.
Best boutique and luxury hotels in Oslo
Day 2: Explore Oslo for the day
With just one day to explore Oslo (depending on when you arrive the day before), get ready for a day filled with architecture, art, nature, history, and delicious food. You don’t want to skip Oslo, as it is a highlight of any 10-Day Norway & Finland Winter Itinerary.
What to do in Olso for one day
- Stop by Frogner Park to admire the Vigeland Sculptures.
- Walk around Karl Johans Street and check out the many cafes, restaurants and shops.
- Admire the beautiful architecture of the Oslo Opera House and don’t miss the view from the rooftop.
- Tour the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, an open-air museum that showcases how Norwegian people have lived for hundreds of years.
- Take a scenic Oslo Fjord cruise to discover the picturesque islands and stunning scenery. I recommend this Guided Oslofjord Cruise by Electric Boat.
- Alternatively, take a floating sauna raft through the fjords with KOK. They offer a warm, wood fired sauna and refreshing baths.
- Discover SALT, a cultural arena with a sauna, shows and events, and food and drink.
- Visit Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle, now a museum.
- Visit the Viking Ship Museum – This museum showcases three preserved Viking ships. The ships are stunning to see! (Note, sadly the museum is currently closed for restoration until 2026, but make sure to check the website for updates)
- Have a coffee, meal or drink at one of the incredible restaurants mentioned below!
Recommended restaurants, bars & cafes
- Vippa: Trendy food hall
- Mathallen: Food hall with local dishes
- Vaaghals: Experience Norwegian dishes and communal dining
- Maaemo: Chic, fine dining restaurant (Three-star Michelin restaurant)
- Tim Wendelboe: Coffee shop
- Himhok: Speakeasy with craft cocktails
- Tilt: Arcade bar with plenty of beer
Day 3: Tromsø, Norway
From Oslo, fly to Tromsø airport, which is only 10 minutes away from the city center. Once you arrive, you can take a bus, taxi, or rental car to downtown. I recommend flying in the morning so you have the afternoon to explore! Discover the magical city of Tromsø, one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights and one of the highlights of any 10-day Norway and Finland Winter Itinerary. The town is quite small and very walkable. After checking in to your hotel or Airbnb, take some time to explore the shops and cafes around town.
Relax on a spa boat
In the afternoon, make a reservation on the Vulkana Spa Boat. After a busy few days traveling, this is a great place to unwind and relax. I recommend at least two hours to get the ultimate spa experience. The Vulkana Spa Boat is docked in the Tromsø harbor, and boasts a Japanese-inspired Zen Lounge and Turkish hammam. The main deck features a wood-fired sauna. There is also a viewing deck and hot tub with a beautiful view of the Arctic Cathedral. You can take a quick dip in the Arctic and jump off the boat before RUNNING back into the hot tub to warm up! This is a must-do on your 10-day Winter Itinerary for Norway and Finland.
Don’t forget to wear your bathing suit and bring warm clothes to change into after. A beanie is also nice to wear while you’re in the open-air hot tub.
Tip: Book ahead of time! When we went, there were many dates unavailable.
For dinner, make a reservation at Mathallen, an incredible Norwegian restaurant in the heart of Tromsø. I recommend the 4-course meal. It’s not cheap, but totally worth it! You get to try a variety of dishes made from unique Norwegian ingredients. The presentation of the food is beautiful, while also being tasty and hearty.
Where to stay in Tromsø (higher-end options)
There are also a lot of great options on Airbnb.
As a certified Travel Advisor, I can also help book your hotels! You always pay the same as you would if you booked on your own, but you get perks such as complimentary breakfast, free upgrades, early check-in or late check-out when available, F&B or spa credits. Email me to get started on booking your trip.
Where to eat in Tromsø
Outside of some of the restaurants I suggest throughout the itinerary here are some others we researched and recommend.
- Koseverden&KoseligCafe: Breakfast/brunch
- Risø mat & kaffebar: Coffee, breakfast
- Casa Inferno: Pizza
- Mathallen: Incredible high-end Norwegian cuisine for lunch or dinner
- Art Cafe: Lunch
- Hildr Gastro Bar: Gastropub for dinner
- Bardus Bistro: Delicious Norwegian food for lunch and dinner
- Smørtorget: Café
How to get around Tromsø
Tromsø is a small, walkable city. If you plan to follow this itinerary I don’t think you need to rent a car. If you do want to leave the city and prefer to rent a car, I recommend using Sixt.
Day 4: Bundle up for an adventurous day of winter activities
Tromsø is surrounded by incredible landscapes and there are so many fun activities you can do to experience winter in Norway. On your second day in Tromsø, I recommend booking a tour during the day, and then taking your chances on seeing the Northern Lights in the evening.
We chose to go on an Arctic dog sledding excursion, which was so much fun. Your driver takes you about 25 minutes outside of Tromsø to meet the huskies. After a brief intro and meet and greet with the huskies, you get to drive your own sled through the beautiful snowy landscape. The dogs are ecstatic and excited to go sledding and they are well taken care of by the staff. It’s actually quite a bit of work as you help move the sled by running, especially when you’re going uphill.
At the end of the tour, you enjoy chocolate cake and coffee inside a Lavuu (Sami tent), and hang out and cuddle with the dogs before heading back. It was one of the most special, memorable activities we did on our 10-day Norway & Finland winter itinerary.
Don’t miss the star of the show – The Northern Lights
In the evening, we booked a small group Northern Lights tour and it was an incredible experience. You meet in the city center to board a minibus with about 10-15 people. With your guide, set out into the polar night to find the Northern Lights. Be ready for a long evening, as they drive sometimes hours to find the best spots (occasionally, even into Finland so make sure to bring your passport!). Their team analyzes the weather conditions and keeps in touch with all the local guides to find the best viewing spots. We stopped several times to view the northern lights and take photos.
The most magical experience was getting out of the bus in the middle of nowhere (no people, no lights, no sign of civilization), and the guides building a bonfire with seats made from the deep snow. You get to enjoy a warm meal and hot drinks by the fire. It was one of the most magical experiences and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for your 10-day Norway & Finland winter itinerary.
Tip: Even with multiple layers and the thermal suit and boots they provide, I was freezing! Make sure you wear/bring as many layers as possible and socks and gloves to keep your toes and hands warm.
I also suggest doing some research ahead of time on how to capture the best photos of the Northern Lights. You need a lens with long exposure to capture everything clearly.
Additionally, as beautiful as the Northern Lights photos are, most people don’t know that in real life they usually look more like wispy, milky, fast-moving clouds with hints of green. The long exposure on the camera helps capture those beautiful vivid colors. Some people say you can see the different color lights better depending on where you are, but that wasn’t our experience. It was still beautiful nonetheless.
Here are some additional tours we considered:
Day 5: Snowmobile through the Lyngen Alps & discover downtown Tromsø
On your last full day in Tromsø there is still plenty to see and do. If you haven’t had enough adventure, I highly suggest going snowmobiling in the beautiful Lyngen Alps. I recommend this snowmobiling tour, which we did while there. Your guides pick you up in Tromsø and transfer you to the Lyngen Alps where you get to see a fishing village, explore the Arctic Fjord, and take in the epic mountainous landscape. You have to take a bus to a short ferry ride to access the Alps.
Discover Downtown Tromsø
If you decide to stay the day in Tromsø, or even just have a few hours after getting back from snowmobiling, you can take the Fjellheisen cable car. The walk from town takes about 45 minutes from town. The best time to go is at sunset or in the evening when you can see a view of the beautiful city lights. You can also wander around downtown Tromsø and pop into the many cute shops and cafes, or visit a brewery or cafe. Tromsø has no shortage of cozy bars and cafes. A few we liked were:
- Olhallen: Brewpub
- Smørtorget: Cafe
- Helmersen: Wine bar
Day 6: Fly from Tromsø, Norway to Rovaniemi, Finland
To get to Rovaniemi, you will have to fly through Helsinki, but they are relatively quick flights. Arrive in Rovaniemi and pick up your rental car. Since everything is far apart and there isn’t public transportation, it’s best to rent a car for your time here. I recommend renting through Sixt, which is our preferred car rental company in Europe. Make sure you get 4WD/AWD for the snowy roads.
Another option to get to Rovaniemi is to take the Santa Claus Express Night Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. It looks so cute and worth the experience, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time! The duration is around 14hrs (leaves around 9p, arrives 11a) and there are a few ticket options based on the route you take:
- Seat: €5 – €32,70
- Double sleeper cabin: €39 – €150
- Deluxe double sleeper cabin with private bathroom: €39 – €160
The train also stops in Kemi, where you can experience a swim in the ice-cold waters on an icebreaker boat. We desperately wanted to do this, but couldn’t make it work without a schedule. It looks SO COOL and if you can make it work with your travel plans, it’s a must-do activity on your 10-day Norway & Finland winter itinerary! Here is the icebreaker tour we were going to do.
Where to stay in Rovaniemi
One of our favorite parts of Finland was the unique accommodations. After extensive research, we chose the Glass Resort, which is close to Rovaniemi city center and only a 10-minute or so drive from the airport. The hotel was right next to Santa Claus Village, but set back from the main area and it felt quiet and remote.
We had our own hut with large glass floor-to-ceiling windows, a sauna, and an outdoor hot tub. After a morning of traveling, I recommend spending a few hours unwinding at the hotel. Hang out in the cabin by the fireplace watching the reindeer trot by across the way. If you drive ten or so minutes into the main downtown area, have dinner at Nili, a delicious, authentic Finnish restaurant. The space is small and cozy. All the food was incredibly fresh and delicious.
Day 7: Go snowshoeing & ice fishing
After a delicious breakfast at Glass Resort to start your day, it’s time for some adventure. Book a tour for a snowshoeing and ice fishing excursion. Your driver will take you on a short drive to the Taiga Forest, where you will be given a snowsuit and boots, as well as snowshoes. Then, snowshoe through the forest in untouched snow (sometimes 5+ feet high). Your snowshoes make it so you don’t sink! A few times, he stopped and let us lay in the snow to just enjoy the absolute silence. It was so peaceful.
Once you’ve worked up a sweat, it’s time to head to the lake for ice fishing. Sitting on the lake that spanned miles, with no one in sight, was truly a peaceful and memorable experience on our 10-day winter itinerary in Norway & Finland. The guide separated us so we had even more privacy and space to ourselves. Our guide helped us create little holes in the ice where we sat for a while and got a few bites, but didn’t catch anything. After fishing, warm up in a hut with some hot chocolate and small snacks.
After returning to your hotel, take a short drive to visit Santa Claus Village. It’s an entire down dedicated to Santa Claus and the North Pole. A little kitschy, but worth stopping by.
For dinner, head back downtown to one of our favorite restaurants of whole trip: Gustav Kitchen & Bar. If you book early enough they have outdoor igloos you can reserve. I also suggest walking around town to check out some of the local shops. They have great (not touristy) souvenirs and lots of cute warm Scandinavian sweaters and other outdoor gear.
Day 8: Head to northern Finland for more winter fun
It’s a several-hour drive, but I promise it’s worth the trip. We really wanted to get out of the touristy Rovaniemi area, so we decided to drive a few hours north to Äkäslompolo, a small village and ski town. We checked into our next hotel, Arctic Skylight Lodge. This is one of the newer accommodations in the area and it is very remote! Push your bag down a small hill on a sled to your private glass cabin. The cabin was cozy and well-decorated. As you lay in bed, look out at your 360-degree view of the snowy woods. Curl up with a good book, relax, and take in the incredible views from your cabin.
Enjoy dinner at the Arctic Skylight Lodge’s restaurant, where they serve lunch and dinner. Dinner was a 3-course pre-fixe meal and quite elevated faire.
Return to your cabin for a cozy night of sleep, but make sure you set your alarm after midnight when the Northern Lights are at their strongest. If it’s a clear night, you can often see the Northern Lights. We could see them from the roof of our cabin and decided to go outside to experience the magical lights and take some photos.
Day 9: Go skiing or snowshoeing
After all, you are all in a ski town! Cross-country skiing is really popular here and if you drive into town you can rent gear and go on your own, or you can book a guided tour. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring warm enough ski gear so we decided to go on a snowshoe hike. We absolutely loved our experience snowshoeing in Rovenami so we decided to do it again on our own. We visited a local shop Lapland Safaris Ylläs where we rented gear. Nearby there is a wonderful hike up a small hill called Kuertunturi Fell, which is where we went snowshoeing. It takes about an hour to get to the top and the view of the surrounding mountains is beautiful. If you do go skiing, the closest mountain is Ylläs Ski Resort, Ylläsjärvi.
After snowshoeing we stopped by a cute little hut, Velhonkota Oy, a rest stop for cross-country skiers, to take a break and grab a bite to eat. This cozy spot had some of the best cider donuts and coffee!
Grab an early dinner in town at Well Kitchen & Northern Café and sit at the cute ski lift chairs at the bar! Finish the day relaxing back at your cabin.
Day 10: Fly from Rovaniemi to Helsinki & then home!
Wake up early to drive back to Rovaniemi and catch your flight back to Helsinki. You can either book a flight directly out from there, or stay for the night. We chose to fly as early as possible from Rovaniemi so that we had a bit of time to explore the city. Stop by the Helsinki Cathedral in Senate Square, the Suomenlinna Fortress, and the Temppeliaukio Church. Wander the streets and check out the shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Best boutique & luxury hotels in Helsinki
- Hotel F6: This is where we stayed and we absolutely loved the modern decor and proximity to everything.
- Hotel St. George
- Noli Studios Katajanokka
- Mestari Hotel
- Hotel Kämp
Where to eat & drink in Helsinki
- Yeastie Boi: One of the best lox sandwiches I’ve ever had. I am still dreaming about it.
- Olutravintola Pikkulintu: Craft beer and small-batch whiskey
- Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo: Coffee shop
- Story at Old Market Hall: breakfast and lunch
- Gaijin: Asian cuisine
- Ravintola Nolla: Sustainable, upscale dining
- Ravintola Ragu: Elevated dining
- Liberty or Death: Cocktail bar
What to pack for your winter itinerary
While many of the winter activities provided you gear like a snowsuit and boots, we were still quite chilly. Bring lots of layers and waterproof gear if you plan on doing a lot of outdoor activities in the ice and snow. Here are some items I recommended (outside your everyday clothing and basics!):
- Warm winter coat (preferably waterproof)
- Hats, gloves (waterproof), scarves
- Waterproof pants
- Sweaters
- Fleece/thermal pants or long underwear to layer with
- Waterproof winter boots
- Waterproof day backpack to wear during hikes and excursions
- Camera with special lens for long exposure for the best northern light pictures
Currency
Unfortunately, Norway doesn’t use the Euro. The Norwegian currency is the Norwegian Kroner (NOK). Finland on the other hand does use the Euro! Even though most places accept credit card, we always carry some cash for tips or emergencies. I recommend taking some currency out at the airport in each country,
Best time of year to go
It is best to visit November – March to see the Northern Lights and experience all the winter activities mentioned.
I hope you enjoyed this ultimate 10-day Norway & Finland Winter Itinerary! If you’re interested in more adventure, check out my blog on The Top 10 Things to do in Chefchaouen, Morocco, or explore all destinations. Comment below if you have any questions or comments!
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