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
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.
RESOURCES TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP
Could physical passports soon be replaced by an app? This pilot program aims to find out.
How the 76-year-old actor, who doesn’t like travel, became the host of Apple TV+'s newest travel show, which premiers February 24.
For decades, some people have held fast to the belief that the hometown of the holiday icon is in northern Finland—not the North Pole.
Meet husky guide dogs in the wilderness and join them on a thrilling ride. Drift off with a view of stars and Northern Lights beneath the dome of a glass igloo. Spend days cozied up in a sauna above the Arctic Circle. It’s hard to go wrong on a tour of this wintery, wonderful Nordic country.
Canada opened to vaccinated Americans in August, and numerous European countries changed their entry requirements in September. Here’s the complete list.
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.”
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.