City breakHelsinki City Break
- 5★ hotel in central Helsinki
- Flights from London, direct or one stop
- Return airport transfers
From£429per person · 2 sharing
View details
Finland · Holidays from the UK
Finland holidays from the UK
Helsinki’s harbour and sea fortress, snowy forests in Lapland and a ferry across to Tallinn. A UK consultant arranges your flights, hotels and transfers as one ATOL protected holiday.
Packages from £429 per person, with return flights, hotel and transfers
About 3 hours away
Direct flights from London to Helsinki, and seasonal direct flights to Rovaniemi on selected days.
A real winter
Snow, frozen lakes and long nights in Lapland, with northern lights possible on clear nights.
Two capitals
Pair Helsinki with Tallinn on a ferry crossing of approx. 2 hours.
ATOL protected
Holidays that include a flight are protected under ATOL 10416.
Finland holiday packages
Finland holiday packages
Flights, hotel and transfers in one price. Every package can be changed: more nights, a different hotel or another UK airport.
3 packages · guide prices per person
City break
WinterRovaniemi Lapland Winter Break
- 5★ hotel in Rovaniemi
- Direct on selected days, or via Helsinki
- Return airport transfers
From£1,099per person · 2 sharing
View details
Twin-centreHelsinki & Tallinn
- 5★ hotels in both cities
- Into Helsinki, home from Tallinn
- Ferry between the cities included
From£629per person · 2 sharing
View details
Overview
Finland holiday guide for UK travellers
Finland holidays from the UK pair a flight of around three hours with two quite different trips. In summer, Helsinki is a compact harbour city of parks, islands and design shops. In winter, Lapland has snow, frozen lakes and long dark nights when the northern lights can appear.
Helsinki sits on the Gulf of Finland, and much of the city is within walking distance of its Market Square, its neoclassical cathedral and the ferry to the Suomenlinna sea fortress. Trams cover the rest. Helsinki is also the easy way into Tallinn, the medieval capital of Estonia, approx. 2 hours away by ferry.
Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle, is the main gateway to Finnish Lapland. It has direct seasonal flights from London on selected days in winter, or you can fly via Helsinki. From there, excursions such as husky safaris, reindeer visits and northern lights trips can be added as optional extras. The lights depend on clear skies and cannot be promised.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Finland
Three bases, from the capital to the Arctic Circle. Transfer times are approximate and depend on your hotel.
Helsinki
City breaks · Design · Sea views
Neoclassical streets around Senate Square, the harbour and Market Square, trams, and ferries to the island fortress of Suomenlinna.
Nearest airport: Helsinki Airport, approx. 30 mins
Packages from £429 pp
Rovaniemi
Winter break · Families · Northern lights
A small city on the Arctic Circle, with snow from late autumn and the starting point for husky, reindeer and northern lights excursions in Lapland.
Nearest airport: Rovaniemi Airport, approx. 15 mins
Packages from £1,099 pp
Tallinn
Old town · Medieval · Short ferry trip
The walled Old Town, with red roofs, church spires and cobbled streets, reached from Helsinki by ferry in approx. 2 hours.
Nearest airport: Helsinki Airport, approx. 30 mins, then ferry approx. 2 hrs
Packages from £629 pp
Things to see
Places to see in Finland
A few of the sights to plan your trip around. We can suggest hotels close to the ones you most want to see.
Weather
Finland weather by month
Average daytime highs in Helsinki and in Lapland. Lapland stays below freezing from about November to March. Hover over or tap a month for the figures.
View as a table
| Month | Helsinki | Lapland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4°C | -10°C |
| Feb | -3°C | -9°C |
| Mar | 1°C | -3°C |
| Apr | 7°C | 3°C |
| May | 15°C | 10°C |
| Jun | 19°C | 17°C |
| Jul | 21°C | 19°C |
| Aug | 20°C | 17°C |
| Sep | 14°C | 10°C |
| Oct | 9°C | 3°C |
| Nov | 3°C | -3°C |
| Dec | -1°C | -7°C |
Long-term averages from weather2travel.com. Actual weather varies year to year.
Summer
June to August in Helsinki averages around 19–21°C, with long light evenings. Lapland is cooler, at around 17–19°C.
Winter in Lapland
December to February averages around -10°C to -7°C in the daytime, and it can be colder at night. Daylight is short around midwinter. Pack thermal layers.
Spring and autumn
April and October are cool and changeable in Helsinki, at around 7–9°C. Snow can lie in Lapland into April.
A street in Helsinki
Muslim-friendly travel
Muslim-friendly travel in Finland
Finland is not a Muslim-majority country, so facilities are limited. Helsinki has halal restaurants and shops, and mosques. In Lapland, halal options are very limited. Tell your consultant what you need and we’ll confirm what is available before you book.
- Halal restaurants in HelsinkiA choice of halal restaurants and takeaways, mainly Middle Eastern, Turkish and South Asian
- Fish and vegetarian foodFish, seafood and vegetarian dishes are on most menus across Finland
- Halal meals on flightsAvailable on request with many airlines; order before you travel
- Alcohol-free hotelsNot common; some hotels can offer a room away from the bar, on request
- Prayer facilitiesPrayer mats and qibla direction on request; facilities vary by hotel
- Rovaniemi and LaplandHalal food is very limited; reindeer is a local meat. Bring snacks and ask about hotel menus
Finland holiday FAQs
Questions about Finland holidays
Quick answers for UK travellers. For anything else, our UK team is happy to help.
020 7871 4545How long is the flight to Finland from the UK?
Direct flights from London to Helsinki take approx. 3 hours. Rovaniemi has seasonal direct flights from London Gatwick on selected days in winter; at other times, or from other UK airports, you fly via Helsinki, approx. 6 hours in total with the connection. Finland is 2 hours ahead of the UK all year.
Can I see the northern lights in Finland?
Sometimes. They are most often seen in Lapland from about September to March, on clear, dark nights. They depend on weather and solar activity, so no one can promise a sighting. A longer stay gives you more nights to try.
Is Finland a good destination for Muslim travellers?
Finland is not a Muslim-majority country, so facilities are limited. Helsinki has halal restaurants and mosques, but in Rovaniemi and Lapland halal food is very limited. Facilities vary by hotel, so we confirm what is available before you book.
When is the best time to visit Finland?
For Helsinki, June to August is the warmest period, at around 19–21°C, with long evenings. For snow and the northern lights in Lapland, December to March is the usual choice, with daytime highs of around -10°C to -3°C.
What currency is used in Finland?
The euro. Cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere, including small shops and on public transport, so you will need little cash.
Are Finland holiday packages ATOL protected?
Yes. Holidays that include a flight are protected under ATOL 10416, and you’ll receive an ATOL Certificate when you pay.
More holiday destinations
You might also like
Other Northern Europe destinations with short flights and a mix of city and winter breaks.
Northern EuropeSweden
Stockholm old town & centre · Malmö centre · Abisko & Kiruna
Stockholm’s old town and archipelago, Malmö with a train to Copenhagen, or the northern lights in Lapland.
Northern EuropeDenmark
Old centre & Nyhavn · Tivoli & Central Station · Malmö
Copenhagen’s canals, palaces and Tivoli Gardens, with a short train ride over the Øresund bridge to Malmö in Sweden.
MediterraneanTurkey
Istanbul · Antalya · Fethiye · Bodrum
Halal-friendly beach resorts on the Turquoise Coast, with Istanbul’s mosques and bazaars for a twin-centre trip.
Planning a Finland holiday?
Tell us your plans, we’ll price it up
Share where you’d like to stay, who’s travelling and your budget, and a consultant will send Finland holiday options with a free, no-obligation quote.