North-east Lapland

• Inari – largest municipality, with three Sámi languages
  • 🌍 Inari — village with the Sámi parliament and the Sámi museum Siida, by Lake Inari with its labyrinthine archipelagos
  • 🌍 Ivalo — the biggest population centre in Inari
  • 🌍 Sevettijärvi and Näätämö – Skolt Sámi villages, wilderness tourism and border crossing to Norway
• 🌍 Savukoski – most sparsely populated municipality of Finland, with Korvatunturi fell, the real home of Father Christmas; far from everything
• 🌍 Sodankylä – The largest town (5,000 inhabitants), with the Midnight Sun Film Festival
• Utsjoki – the only municipality in Finland with Sámi majority, and the northernmost; large wilderness areas
  • 🌍 Utsjoki – the salmon river Teno, border crossing to Norway
  • 🌍 Karigasniemi – border village in south-western Utsjoki, border crossing to Norway
  • 🌍 Nuorgam – The northernmost village... and quite everything in the European Union. Located by river Teno – Europe's richest salmon river. Border crossing to Norway

• 🌍 Kevo Strict Nature Reserve – an impressive canyon with a 64-km hiking trail
• 🌍 Lemmenjoki National Park – river valley with gold digging grounds, some fells and vast surrounding wilderness
• 🌍 Luosto – ski and safari resort, home to the only open amethyst mine in Europe; by Pyhä-Luosto National Park
• 🌍 Muotkatunturit Wilderness Area, 🌍 Paistunturi Wilderness Area, and 🌍 Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area – vast wilderness areas, partly above the treeline, with few marked trails and few services
• 🌍 Saariselkä — famous holiday resort in southern Inari. Popular mostly for the older set; a gateway to one of the largest national parks in Europe
• 🌍 Tankavaara – a gold village with a gold museum
• 🌍 Urho Kekkonen National Park – national park by Saariselkä and all its services, with vast backcountry, including the home of Joulupukki, Santa Claus himself
• 🌍 Vätsäri Wilderness Area – rugged forested mosaic of hills, bogs and lakes, with a trail to Norway

The northernmost part of Finland, and indeed of the European Union, features Sámi culture and landscapes typical to many people's perception of Lapland. Much of the region is covered by national parks and wilderness areas, and here you can find Lake Inari with holy sites of the traditional Sámi religion and a shoreline of over 3,000 km.

Midwinter is cold. Records in Inari and Sodankylä are below −49 °C (−56 °F).

The local language is mostly Finnish. Three Sámi languages – Northern Sami, Inari Sami, and Skolt Sami – are spoken sparsely to commonly in the northernmost areas. The Sámi languages ​​have an official status in the region designated as the Sámi homeland. Swedish (though official in Finland) is rarely spoken in this area, but the closely related Norwegian is often heard in the border region, thanks to the lively shopping Norwegians.

As everywhere in Finland, you will survive very well with English, and it is the main option for those who don't speak Finnish. German and other languages up to Chinese or Japanese might be known at hotels and tourist attractions. Thanks to extensive international tourism, tourist materials are usually available in a wide variety of languages!

There are several border crossings from Norway and one from Russia. As Norway is part of the Schengen area (but not EU) crossings are smooth, and if you don't have anything to declare (or have handled that beforehand) you can cross the border wherever – except by the Russia tripoint. However, if you have a pet or some special goods, check the rules.

If you have fishing gear (or a canoe, or have been wading), take care of disinfection against the salmon parasite (thorough drying is enough). As nearly all water from here eventually end up in the Barents Sea, disinfection is important if you have been to contaminated rivers, including all streams south of the watershed. If crossing the border (such as often if fishing from a boat on Teno): have a certificate.

The main roads can be expected to be good, but minor roads are sometimes truly minor. Some of them allow meeting only at designated places, and driving may be at own risk. For winter driving at minor roads, make sure you know how to handle the conditions.

There are quite good coach connections (a few daily) along E75 between Rovaniemi and Ivalo. To Inari they get sparse and to Karigasniemi or Utsjoki, expect a daily service. For Angeli, Näätämö and similar, look for special arrangements (perhaps weekly) or take a taxi.

This is a prime destination for hiking and cross-country skiing in the wilderness. At the ski resorts you have prepared skiing tracks and all the programmes you could expect, but there are individual businesses in many places also elsewhere.

Probability of northern lights is high, and as the climate is reasonably dry and there is little light pollution, also the chance to actually see them is – in the dark season. The region is above the Arctic Circle, so you have midnight sun most of the summer and polar night in midwinter.

Inari is the main town for acquainting oneself to Sami culture, with the Sami parliament and the Sami museum Siida. For the Skolt Sami, head for Sevettijärvi and Näätämö, and perhaps Nellim.

Most nightlife is at the ski resorts.

Good-looking water in the wild is usually potable, but as there is no guarantee, you might want to boil it for a few minutes – although Nordic hikers seldom bother to. For a week or a few after the reindeer round-up in June, water in the area and downstream from it may be unhealthy,

Away from highways and towns you are on your own. Don't count on mobile phone coverage or anybody finding you. In midwinter temperatures can reach −50 °C (−58 °F), and the spring floods can cut normal hiking routes. Heed the relevant advice

• Norway is close.
  • For Sami culture, Karasjok and Kautokeino are obvious destinations, reachable via Karigasniemi, and there is a relevant museum also in Neiden, near Näätämö.
  • For the Barents Sea, head to Lakselv (and Nordkapp?), Vardø or Båtsfjord.
  • If you want to go east, Kirkenes isn't too far away (via Utsjoki, Nuorgam or Sevettijärvi).