Home › Lapland Travel Guide › Preparing for the holiday › Best time to visit Lapland
Short answer
For snow, activities, and the Northern Lights, the period from December through March is the most reliable. If you want a Christmas atmosphere, go in December, but be prepared for crowds, short days, and higher prices. For the best combination of snow, daylight, and the Northern Lights, choose February or March. November and January are quieter; according to Google Flights, January is the cheapest month to fly to Kittilä.
Checked on September 27, 2026 by the editors of Winter Tours
| Month | Snow | Daylight Rovaniemi | Temperature Rovaniemi | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | First snow | Approximately 10 to 7.5 hours | 1 °C | Calm |
| November | Varying | 7.5 to 4 hours | −4 °C | Calm |
| December | Yes | 4 to 2.5 hours | −8 °C | Very busy around Christmas |
| January | Yes | 2.5 to 6 hours | −10 °C | Quiet after January 6 |
| February | Yes | 6.5 to 10 hours | −10 °C | Busy during the spring break |
| March | Most snow | 10 to well over 13 hours | −6 °C | Average |
| April | Still a lot of snow | Long days | 0 °C | Quiet, end of season |
Temperatures are daily averages (FMI, 1991 to 2020). More in the weather in Lapland by month and daylight and polar night.
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Winter begins in mid-October. Around Levi, the first permanent snow often falls as early as the beginning of October, and near Rovaniemi around October 21, but this is not certain. The ski season in Levi opens on October 2, 2026. In November, the days shorten rapidly and it is quiet. KLM flies directly to Rovaniemi starting November 21, 2026. This is good for those who want to see the Northern Lights without the Christmas crowds. Please note: not all activities are running yet, and a husky or reindeer tour depends on sufficient snow.
December revolves around Christmas. Santa Claus Village and Santa Claus are at their busiest then, and Rovaniemi Airport has its busiest weeks. Around Levi, the sun does not rise from about mid to late December, but there are still about 5.5 hours of twilight every day. The Dutch Christmas holidays run from December 19, 2026, to January 3, 2027. Book early. More in Christmas in Lapland.
After Epiphany, things quiet down. Late January is on average the coldest, but the days lengthen quickly: from about 2.5 hours of daylight on January 1 to over 6 hours in late January in Rovaniemi. According to Google Flights, January is the cheapest month for a flight from Amsterdam to Kittilä.
February and March are the best months for many travelers: plenty of snow, enough daylight for long hikes, and still plenty of darkness for the Northern Lights. There is the most snow in mid-March. In 2027, the spring break in the Netherlands falls from February 13 to 21 (southern region) and from February 20 to 28 (northern and central regions); it is busier then. See Lapland during the spring break. For the Northern Lights per month, read Northern Lights by month.
In April, there is still a lot of snow and the days are long. The ski season in Levi runs until early May, and SnowVillage is open until April 4, 2027. You can only see the Northern Lights in early April, in the middle of the night. A good month for skiing and outdoor activities in the sun.
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