Lapland, Finland, Is More Than a Northern Lights Destination — Here’s How I Planned My Visit

It was 4 degrees Fahrenheit at 2:30 a.m. on a crisp winter night as our car pulled up to a working reindeer farm near Kilpisjärvi, a village in the extreme northwest corner of Lapland, Finland. (Lapland is the largest and northernmost region in the Nordic country, spanning nearly 40,000 square miles. It is perhaps best known for Rovaniemi, a city trademarked as the official hometown of Santa Claus.) After our driver dodged more than a few reindeer — there are thousands of these curious creatures on the farm — we arrived at our home for the next two days: Arctic Land Adventure.

I stayed in one of the property’s four glass igloo chalets, which have heated floors and all conceivable amenities. As I settled into bed, I was greeted with a pleasant (and memorable) surprise: unobstructed views of swirling green Northern Lights. (This region is particularly great for seeing the aurora borealis, thanks to the location and the lack of light pollution. In fact, the area has a 75 percent chance of Northern Lights from September to March.)

Beyond Arctic Land Adventure, Kilpisjärvi offers a range of accommodations from Cahkal Hotel to Tundrea, where stays range from chalets to glass-domed igloos. Both hotels offer adventures like cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and proximity to Arctic Land Adventure’s reindeer programming, which is open to the public pending availability.