Travel guide / Eastern Lapland
Eastern Lapland
East and south-east of Rovaniemi: hills close to the Russian border, canyons and frozen waterfalls. The Ruka Coaster you have seen on social media is here, and so is the Korouoma canyon, which turns into walls of ice in winter. The fullest day of our 5-day programme is spent in this region.
Distances
| From Rovaniemi | Distance | By car | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korouoma (Posio) | ~100–110 km | ~1.5 hours | Rovaniemi |
| Luosto | ~115 km | ~1.5 hours | Rovaniemi |
| Pyhä | ~130 km | ~1 hour 45 min | Rovaniemi |
| Salla | ~155 km | ~2 hours | Kuusamo, Rovaniemi |
| Kuusamo | ~190 km | ~2.5 hours | Kuusamo |
| Ruka | ~210 km | ~2.5 hours | Kuusamo |
On icy winter roads the times can be longer. Public transport to the region is infrequent; for Korouoma and Oulanka in particular you need a car or a guided tour.
Ruka and Kuusamo
Ruka is a ski village about 20–25 km north of the town of Kuusamo. Flights from Helsinki to Kuusamo Airport take a little over an hour; from the airport to Ruka there is a bus timed to the flights.
Free
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Sledding areas and ice slide
In Ruka there are free sledding areas by Lake Kaltiolampi and near the children's club. The sledding hills in the centre of Kuusamo are also free.
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Family activities on the slope
Games and activities for children and families are organised on the slope.
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Winter walking trails
Winter trails up the hills around Ruka. The Juhannuskallio trail starts from the top side of Ruka; in the evenings it is also a good spot for the aurora.
Paid
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Ruka Coaster
A rail-mounted mountain coaster that glides down a snowy slope with a view over the forest; a 767-metre descent, at most 40 km/h. You control the speed yourself with the brake. There are tickets for 1, 2 and 5 rides; the ticket is not tied to a date and is valid for the whole season. Children under 8 and shorter than 135 cm ride with an adult, with a maximum of 150 kg per sledge.
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Skiing
One of Finland's biggest ski resorts. In 2026 it opened on 2 October with stored snow. Very crowded during the Christmas (18–27 December) and New Year (27 December – 7 January) school holidays.
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Safaris
There are hundreds of kilometres of snowmobile routes around Ruka. Snowshoes can also be hired by the hour in the village.
Taste of the region: Leipäjuusto ("bread cheese", served warm, with cloudberry jam), sautéed reindeer, and vendace, the small fish of Lake Kitka.
Oulanka National Park
A national park north of Ruka where rivers have carved canyons. Entry to the park and walking in it are free. In winter the highlights are frozen waterfalls, suspension bridges and the silence.
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Pieni Karhunkierros (Little Bear's Ring)
The famous route that passes the Jyrävä waterfall and Myllykoski. Jyrävä is 3.5 km from the Juuma car park.
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Myllykoski
A suspension bridge above the rapids and a restored mill from the 1920s. Today the mill is a rest stop with a fire. Myllykoski is not on the Rovaniemi–Ruka road; it is a detour of about 45 minutes from Ruka.
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Guided snowshoe tours
Prices are roughly €60–160, depending on the tour.
Do not walk alone in Oulanka in winter
The routes are long and cold in winter, and the phone may not get a signal everywhere. At least one person in the group should have experience of walking in cold weather. For families, a guided snowshoe tour is the right choice. Outside summer there is no bus into the park; arrange your return taxi in advance.
Korouoma
A deep canyon in Posio, about 100–110 km from Rovaniemi. The water seeping from the canyon walls freezes every winter into giant ice waterfalls; there are 14 frozen waterfalls in total. The walls, green in summer, are covered in blue and white columns of ice in winter.
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Koronjää loop
The route that sees three big frozen waterfalls: Charlie Brown, Mammoth and Brown River. The distance is short but the descents and climbs are steep; official sources rate this trail as "difficult". On the way there is a rest area, a fire place and a dry toilet.
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20 km Korouoma trail
For experienced winter hikers.
Safety in Korouoma
In winter the trail is very slippery. Snowshoes or ice cleats that fit over your shoes are essential; they can be hired in Posio for about €10 a day. In some parts of the canyon there is no phone signal. Going by public transport is not practical; you need a car or a guide. In my programme we walk this route slowly and take a break by the fire in front of the waterfalls.
Pyhä–Luosto
The fell area closest to Rovaniemi: two small, quiet ski villages with a national park between them. It is not as crowded as Levi and Ruka.
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Pyhä–Luosto National Park
Fells and old forests; cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, open huts and fire places. At the Naava nature centre in Pyhä there is a small exhibition and a lunch restaurant.
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Lampivaara amethyst mine
A mine where you can dig out your own amethyst; families with children love it. In winter you go up to the mine by snow vehicle; departures are at 11:10 from the centre of Luosto, and at 11:30 and 14:30 from the Ukkoluosto car park. Check the winter ticket price on the mine's website.
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Skiing
Calm, family-sized slopes.
Getting there: In winter there are four buses a day from Rovaniemi Airport to Pyhä, taking about 1 hour 45 minutes. There are also four services a day between Pyhä and Luosto. You can go as a day trip from Rovaniemi.
Salla
A village close to the Russian border, away from the crowds. The oldest known ski in the world (about 5,000 years old) was found here. The Russian border crossing is closed, and entering the border zone requires a permit.
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Salla National Park
One of Finland's newest national parks. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter cycling; some ski trails are lit in the evenings.
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Sallatunturi ski resort
Finland's first private ski resort. Small and quiet.
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Reindeer park and safaris
Snowmobile safaris towards the border are also run around the village.
Who it suits: Families and couples who do not want crowds. 2 nights is enough.
Aurora and daylight
- Aurora: According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the aurora is seen on about a quarter of clear nights in the Kuusamo area. In central Lapland, such as Levi and Saariselkä, the share is about half. So because the east lies further south, there is slightly less aurora. Around Ruka, Juhannuskallio and Valtavaara are good viewing spots.
- Daylight: There is no polar night in Eastern Lapland; the sun rises every day. In Kuusamo there are about 3 hours of daylight in December and about 5 in November and January.
- Cold: In Kuusamo the January average is −11.5 °C and the lowest recorded temperature is −45.2 °C.
Seeing Eastern Lapland in one day
In both of our programmes, one day is exactly this: in the morning the frozen waterfalls of Korouoma, in the afternoon the Ruka Coaster, and on the way back the Auttiköngas waterfall. See the 5-day and 7-day programmes. If you would like to spread the region over two days, including Myllykoski and Ruka: the 2-day “Waterfalls of the East”.
Sources
Information checked in October 2026. Times, seasons and prices may change; confirm on the official websites before you go.
- Ruka Coaster; Ruka season opening; Ruka: getting there; Ruka: free activities
- Posio: Korouoma; Posio: ice climbing
- Oulanka National Park; Wikivoyage: Oulanka
- Lampivaara amethyst mine; Pyhä: getting there; Luosto: bus
- Wikivoyage: Kuusamo, Pyhä–Luosto, Salla; finland.fi: Salla National Park
- Finnish Meteorological Institute: northern lights in Finland; finland.fi: the polar night