Finland

Finland is consistently ranked as the world’s happiest country for several reasons, including an accessible outdoorsy lifestyle. Winter offers a chance to catch the magical northern lights, encounter reindeer and learn about Indigenous Sámi culture from their herders, and warm up in one of the nation’s many saunas. During summer’s long, sunny days, take a cold plunge in (or a boat ride on) one of 188,000 lakes or walk and forage for mushrooms and berries in beautifully untouched birch, spruce, and pine forests.

red cabins on a lake island in Finland

Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the sixth year in a row.

Shutterstock

Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to Finland.

Read Before You Go
Hotels
This winter, snuggle up in one of these insanely cozy bubbles, pods, cabins, and geodesic domes.
AFAR’s picks for the 31 best new hotels in the world.
Airbnb is giving away a stay at Santa’s home in Finnish Lapland to one lucky family. The only catch? The elves might put you to work in the post office.
It’s easy to see why these ski chalets and mountain cabins are among the highest rated on Airbnb.
Stay up past your bedtime for these one-of-a-kind experiences.
Resources to help plan your trip
Two hundred days of winter. Two whole months where the sun never rises above the horizon. Temperatures that can drop to 20 degrees below zero. Welcome to Finland, the “Happiest Country in the World.”
Unlike its mountainous Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Norway, Finland is a land of plains and rolling hills stretching north to the Arctic Circle. Ruled by Sweden for nearly six centuries, Finland is officially bilingual (Finnish/Swedish), but Finnish is used more exclusively inland. Winter can be harsh, but the Gulf Stream provides warmer temperatures in midsummer, with fantastic skiing from the early spring.
The Finnish carrier is hoping people miss flying enough to eat plane food again. But would you?
For many, the thought of Finnish Lapland conjures images of reindeer and ancient traditions, but Europe’s oldest living indigenous culture is far from frozen in time.
Several orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic, are playing benefit concerts in the upcoming weeks at cathedrals around the world to raise money for Notre-Dame.
The country’s “Rent a Finn” program is pairing a few lucky travelers with locals to show off what makes Finland the happiest country in the world.
Plenty of people resolve to read more every year. And what better reading challenge than to enjoy books by female writers from countries across the globe? Here are some selections to get you started.
Snowy backdrops and cozy firesides are the best for snuggling up to your special someone. Here’s where to plan your next romantic winter trip.
Suddenly working or reading in a coffee shop seems so old-fashioned, thanks to Oodi, Helsinki’s new forward-thinking central library.
A Baltic Sea voyage on Viking Cruises proves just the ticket to satisfy both our 30-something writer and her baby-boomer mom.
You don’t have to be an avid skier to enjoy the frosty climes of northern Finland—but you do need a spirit of adventure.
Above ground, it looks like a moonscape. Below ground, it feels like another world.
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