Ivalo, Lapland

Ivalo is a village on the Ivalo River in the far north of Finnish Lapland, about 20 km south of Lake Inari and well inside the Arctic Circle. Home to around 4,000 people, it is the largest village and main arrival point in the Inari municipality, with the region's fullest range of services and Finland's northernmost airport. It suits travellers looking for a far-north base for the Northern Lights, glass-cabin stays and the wilderness of Finland's Arctic edge.

Further down the page, our destination guide answers the most common questions about visiting Ivalo.

What is Ivalo known for?

Ivalo is best known as the gateway to Finland's far north. As the main arrival point for the region, it has the airport and the most extensive services in this part of Lapland, with shops open late seven days a week. For visitors it is a base rather than a sight in itself: a place to arrive, stock up and set out for wilderness lodges, aurora cabins and the Sámi cultural centre around Inari to the north.

How do you get to Ivalo?

Ivalo has Finland's northernmost airport, about 11 km from the village, with direct flights from Helsinki year round and some seasonal international connections in winter. The village sits on the E75, the main road north through Lapland toward Norway, and regular buses connect the airport with Ivalo, Saariselkä and Inari village. There is no railway this far north, so most travellers arrive by air and continue by road or transfer.

When is the best time to visit Ivalo?

Winter, from around December to March, is the main season, with snow, husky and reindeer activity, snowmobiling and the aurora overhead on clear nights. This far north the Northern Lights season is long and the winter skies dark. Autumn brings the ruska colour and the first auroras in milder conditions, and summer has near-continuous daylight for exploring the surrounding forests, rivers and fells. For the aurora specifically, see our guide to the best time for Northern Lights in Finland.

What is there to do around Ivalo?

The interest is in the wilderness around the village. Glass-roofed Aurora cabins nearby offer Northern Lights viewing from bed, and the surrounding country is a base for husky sledding, snowmobiling and reindeer visits in winter, and hiking and fishing in summer. To the north lies Lake Inari and the village of Inari, the centre of Sámi culture in Finland, about 40 km away and easily combined with a stay in Ivalo. Our Northern Lights in Aurora Village tour is based in this area.

Where to stay in Ivalo?

Our key partner in Ivalo is Aurora Village, a family-owned Northern Lights resort set in the forest a few kilometres outside the village. Its glass-roof Aurora cabins are built for watching the sky from bed, with heated panoramic ceilings that stay clear through snow and frost, and enough space between cabins to keep the surroundings dark. The resort has its own Lappish restaurant and reindeer, huskies and Finnish horses on site, with snowmobiling, husky trips and guided aurora outings running from the door. It operates as a Northern Lights base in autumn and winter and a midnight-sun retreat in summer. Several of our Finland tours are built around a stay here, including our Northern Lights in Aurora Village and festive departures over Christmas and New Year.

How far is Ivalo from Inari?

Inari village lies about 40 km north of Ivalo, roughly half an hour by road along the E75. The two are often visited together: Ivalo as the arrival and service hub, Inari as the Sámi cultural centre on the shore of Lake Inari. You can read more on our Inari travel guide.

For more on the country, browse our Finland travel articles.