Winter in Ylläs

Winter in Ylläs is a combination of wilderness and village life. The two villages of Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi are surrounded by forests, lakes and the seven fells of the Ylläs area. Just beyond the last houses, the landscape quickly becomes much wilder.

This is what makes Ylläs special. You can spend the morning skiing through the forest, stop for coffee in the village, and be standing alone on a fell a few hours later. There is plenty to do in winter, but you don't need to spend your entire trip moving from one activity to another. Sometimes the best part of being here is simply walking through the snow, watching the sky change and enjoying how quiet everything becomes.

And unlike the larger Lapland destinations, Ylläs still feels relatively small and authentic. You are visiting a place where people actually live, rather than a resort built entirely around tourism.

There isn't one single "best" month to visit Ylläs. Each part of the winter has a different character.

December — polar night and Christmas atmosphere

December is the darkest part of the winter, and the period around Christmas has a particularly magical atmosphere. The sun stays below the horizon, but polar night doesn't mean 24 hours of complete darkness. Around midday, there are still several hours of blue and pastel twilight. Because darkness arrives so early, the Northern Lights can potentially be visible from around 4–5 PM onwards.

Christmas also gives the villages a particularly cosy atmosphere, with lights, snow and plenty of winter activity.

January — quiet, dark and magical

January is one of my favourite times to be in Ylläs. There are generally fewer visitors than around Christmas or the winter holidays of February, while the landscape is properly wintery and the short days create some incredible colours in the sky. There is still plenty of daylight around midday, but darkness dominates the rest of the day. Combined with deep snow and snow-covered trees, January can feel particularly wild.

February — a great compromise

By February, the days are noticeably longer. There is still plenty of snow, the forests can remain heavily covered, and there is much more daylight for spending long days outside. February is often a great compromise between winter scenery, daylight and weather conditions.

March — long days and spring skiing

March feels very different from December. The days become long, the sun gets higher and there is much more time to explore. It is an especially good month for cross-country and backcountry skiing, when you can spend hours outside without running out of daylight. The landscape is still very much winter, although the snow and trees gradually start to change as temperatures rise.

You could spend weeks in Ylläs and still not run out of ways to explore the winter landscape.

Snowshoeing

One of the simplest ways to get off the beaten track. Snowshoes let you walk through deep snow, quiet forests and onto the fells, without needing any previous experience.

Read our guide to snowshoeing in Ylläs →

Backcountry skiing

With wide forests, gentle terrain and open fells, Ylläs is an excellent place to try backcountry skiing. You can stay on flatter terrain and explore the forests, or head towards the fells as your confidence grows.

Read our guide to backcountry skiing in Ylläs →

Cross-country skiing

Ylläs has an extensive network of maintained cross-country ski tracks connecting the villages, forests and surrounding landscape. It's one of the best ways to cover some distance while experiencing the area at a slower pace.

Downhill skiing

Ylläs also has one of the largest ski resorts in Finland, with long runs on both sides of Yllästunturi and views across the surrounding landscape.

Walking & winter trails

You don't need skis or snowshoes to enjoy the winter landscape. There are plenty of marked winter trails and paths around the villages, forests and fells. A simple walk through the snow can be enough to experience the quietness of Ylläs.

Fat biking

Fat bikes are made for winter conditions, with wide tyres that allow you to ride on snowy trails and packed surfaces. Ylläs has a network of winter cycling routes, making it possible to explore the forests and surrounding landscape on two wheels.

Wilderness cafés & kota

One of the nicest things about winter in Ylläs is that you can combine outdoor activities with very Finnish ways of taking a break. There are wilderness cafés, kota and campfire spots scattered around the area, where you can stop for a hot drink, cook sausages over a fire or simply warm up before continuing. Sometimes the destination is the café itself.

SnowVillage

About a 30 minutes drive from Ylläs, the SnowVillage is rebuilt every winter from snow and ice, with changing sculptures, rooms and ice architecture. It's an easy way to see another side of Lapland and can make a good half-day trip from Ylläs.

Northern Lights

During the dark season, the Northern Lights can appear on any clear night. You don't necessarily need to join a dedicated aurora tour. Depending on the conditions, you may be able to see them from your accommodation, a nearby lake or while you're already outside enjoying another winter activity.

Read our guide to Northern Lights in Ylläs →

And much more

There are plenty of other ways to experience winter in Ylläs, including husky rides, reindeer experiences, ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice floating and winter sauna experiences.

You don't have to do everything. Pick a few activities, leave some time unplanned, and let the weather decide the rest.

You can get a taste of Ylläs in a few days, but five to seven days is a good amount of time for a first visit. A shorter trip is enough to experience some of the highlights, perhaps a day of skiing or snowshoeing, another winter activity, and an evening looking for the Northern Lights. With a week, you have something much more valuable: flexibility.

Winter weather can change quickly. A cloudy day might be better spent exploring the villages, visiting a café or simply relaxing, while a clear day is an opportunity to head into the fells or spend several hours outside. And if the Northern Lights don't appear one evening, you still have several more nights to try again. A longer stay also gives you time to experience different sides of Ylläs rather than simply ticking activities off a list.

You don't need to make every day count. You just need enough days to let Ylläs show you what the weather has in store.

There are several ways to get to Ylläs in winter. The easiest option for most international visitors is to fly to Kittilä Airport, around a 45-minute drive from the villages. During the winter season, there are regular connections from several Finnish and European cities, and airport buses connect Kittilä with both Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi.

Another option is to take the overnight train to Kolari, the nearest railway station to Ylläs. From Kolari, you can continue by bus or taxi to the villages. You can also travel via Rovaniemi, which has more flight connections and good rail and bus links. From there, you can continue to Ylläs by bus or rent a car.

Getting around without a car

You can visit Ylläs without a car, but it takes a little more planning. Both Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi have local bus connections, including ski buses during the winter season. Depending on where you're staying, some cafés, restaurants, shops and activities may also be within walking distance. The important thing is to check the location of your accommodation before booking. Some places are close to the village centre, while others are more spread out and much less convenient without your own transport.

Having a car

A car isn't essential, but it gives you considerably more freedom. You can easily move between Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi, reach quieter trailheads and starting points, explore parts of the area further from the villages, and change your plans when the weather does. It is particularly useful if you want to explore Ylläs beyond the main tourist areas rather than simply stay around your accommodation and a few nearby activities. For a short stay based in one village, public transport and organised activities can be enough. But if you want to explore the wider area independently and make the most of the surrounding wilderness, having a car makes things considerably easier.

Snow is a huge part of what makes Ylläs feel like Lapland. When conditions are right, the snow can be light, dry and powdery, and the forests can become covered in tykky — heavy layers of snow and ice that build up on the trees. When this happens, the landscape can look almost unreal, with branches bending under the weight of the snow and familiar forests taking on a completely different character.

But winter conditions can change quickly. After a long period of cold weather, the snow can stay beautifully dry and powdery. A thaw can make it wet, heavy and sticky, while wind can strip snow from the trees even when there is still plenty of snow on the ground. Don't judge winter conditions by temperature alone. Recent snowfall, wind, cloud cover and how long temperatures have stayed below freezing can all make a noticeable difference.

The same applies to what you wear. You don't need an expedition wardrobe to enjoy Ylläs, but good winter footwear and proper layers are essential.

For most winter activities, think:

• Warm base layer

• Insulating mid-layer

• Windproof outer layer

• Warm gloves or mittens

• Hat

• Warm socks

• Proper winter boots

What you need also depends on what you're doing. When skiing or snowshoeing, you'll usually warm up quickly once you start moving. For quieter activities, or especially when watching the Northern Lights, you'll need considerably more insulation. If you're going to spend several hours outside, always carry an extra warm layer. You can get surprisingly cold once you stop moving.

You can also rent winter clothing and equipment locally, including thermal overalls and winter boots, so you don't necessarily need to bring everything from home.

There are plenty of places in Finnish Lapland where you can find snow, Northern Lights and winter activities. What makes Ylläs special is the combination of accessibility and wilderness. You have two small villages with cafés, restaurants, accommodation and everything you need. But just beyond them are forests, frozen lakes, seven fells and Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.

You can ski for hours without seeing anyone, then be back in the village for a coffee. You can spend one day exploring a fell on snowshoes, another skiing through the forest, and another simply watching the Northern Lights from outside your cabin.

And perhaps most importantly, Ylläs doesn't feel like a resort built entirely around tourism. People live here. The villages are small. The wilderness starts just beyond them. You're not visiting a place designed to look like Lapland. You're actually in Lapland.