Northern lights over snow-laden pine forest in Levi, Finnish Lapland — people watching the aurora
We live here — Levi, Finnish Lapland

A voice of Lapland.
Helping travellers
make it work.

We live in Levi and we built this guide for one reason: to help you make the right calls before you spend the money. Real routes, real trade-offs, and honest advice that works on the ground.

Find where to go → Our story
3Years living in Levi
500+Travellers we've spoken to
0Paid partnerships
5Of us who call this home
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"Finally — honest advice about Lapland that isn't trying to sell me something" "We wish we'd found this before booking" "The only guide that told us what to avoid" "Felt like advice from a friend who actually lives there" "Saved us from two expensive mistakes" "Finally — honest advice about Lapland that isn't trying to sell me something" "We wish we'd found this before booking" "The only guide that told us what to avoid" "Felt like advice from a friend who actually lives there" "Saved us from two expensive mistakes"
Living in Levi since 2023
Colin, Livi and the boys with reindeer in Levi, Finnish Lapland
Who we are

We're not travel writers.
We just moved here.

Colin flew to Levi in May 2023 to remote work for a few weeks. His first time in Lapland. On day three he found a house being built and put an offer in — no mortgage, no residency plan, no idea if it would work.

Livi was at home in Cheltenham nursing one-year-old Finley when he called. She said "let's see." Keys in November 2023. Trial Christmas. Drove back for good in January 2024 with Hugo (7), Rowan (3) and Finley (1).

"Most Lapland content is written by people who visited once. We live here. That's the difference."
Three winters, three springs — every season, properly
No affiliate deals, no tour operator partnerships, no agenda
Hugo, Rowan and Finley now speak fluent Finnish. We're getting there.
Why this is different

Most Lapland advice is
trying to sell you something.
Ours isn't.

01

Commercially unbiased

No commission. No affiliate links. No tour operator deals. When we recommend something, it's because we think it's worth it.

02

We'll tell you what to skip

Most travel content only tells you what's good. We'll tell you what's overpriced, what's underwhelming, and what to avoid entirely.

03

We know the travellers who got it right

Hundreds of families and couples. We know what made their trip and what let it down. That shapes everything we say.

04

We support local

The best Lapland experiences come from small local operators — not packaged tours. We'll point you toward the real thing.

Where to go

The main destinations —
the honest truth about each one

We've spent time in all of them. Here's what actually makes each one right — or wrong — for different travellers.

Levi ski resort at night, Finnish Lapland — floodlit slopes
We live here

Levi

The most connected resort in Finnish Lapland. Direct flights from across Europe, 15 minutes from the airport. Everything within reach — no hire car needed. Finland's best ski resort, four years running.

Read our honest guide
 Northern lights over Lapland landscape at night
Arctic Circle

Rovaniemi

The gateway — most flights, widest choice. But there are traps.

Read our honest guide
 Aurora borealis green northern lights in Finnish Lapland
Best aurora odds

Saariselkä

Wilder. Further north. For people who mean it.

Read our honest guide
Cross-country ski trail through pine forest — Ylläs Finnish Lapland
The quiet one

Ylläs

Same Kittilä Airport as Levi. Finland's highest fell. Half the crowds.

Read our honest guide
Planning guides

Everything you need to
plan properly

When to go to Lapland

Month by month — aurora statistics, snow conditions, temperatures and our honest verdict on each season.

Read the guide

Lapland with kids

We moved here with a 1, 3 and 7 year old. What different ages can do, how to handle the cold, what to book first.

Read the guide

What to pack

The honest list from people who live at −20°C. What you actually need, what operators provide, and what most lists get wrong.

Read the guide
Experiences

What's worth doing —
and what to skip

Children with reindeer in Lapland — family reindeer farm experience
Worth it

Reindeer farm

Find a small, local farm. Not a tourist operation.
 Family skiing together in Levi, Finnish Lapland — Colin and the boys
Our daily life

Skiing the fells

Colin's out most mornings November through April.
 Outdoor hot tub sauna experience in snowy Lapland winter
Don't skip this

Sauna + ice swim

Not optional. This is the whole point of winter in Finland.
Where to go

The destination tool now lives on
its own page.
That makes the answer clearer.

We moved the tool off the homepage and onto a dedicated page built around the real question people ask: where is the best place to go in Lapland? Levi vs Rovaniemi. Resort vs wilderness. Direct flight vs quieter trip.

✓
Compare Levi, Rovaniemi, Saariselka and Yllas properly
✓
Get your top 3 destinations based on flights, group and budget
✓
See the trade-offs between Santa, skiing, aurora and convenience
✓
Read honest answers to the common search questions first
Open the where-to-go tool →

"We see people make the same expensive mistakes every year. A few honest answers up front changes everything."

— From three years of watching Lapland trips go right and wrong

Our tone

We say what we actually think.
Even when it's not what you want to hear.

Every piece of content we create is written the way we'd talk to a friend. No hype. No "must-do" lists. If something wasn't worth it, we'll say so.

What we actually say
"The Santa Village at Rovaniemi airport is a theme park. If you want something that will actually move your kids, drive 40 minutes out. We'll tell you where."
"This is a must-do magical experience for the whole family!"
What we actually say
"The glass igloo photos are real, but December isn't aurora season. If that's why you're going, you need January or February. We see people get this wrong every year."
"Book a glass igloo for the perfect Christmas aurora experience!"
What we actually say
"The husky safari is worth it. Once. Do it once, do it properly, and use the money elsewhere. The second one is the same thing with more frostbite."
"Experience the magic of Lapland's huskies on multiple thrilling safaris!"

What travellers say
after using our guide

★★★★★

"We'd already half-planned Rovaniemi before we found this. The tool pointed us to Levi — direct flight from Manchester, 15 minutes to the resort. Saved hours of transfer stress with two young kids."

SR
Sarah R.
Family of 4 · Manchester, UK
★★★★★

"I've been to Lapland twice and got it wrong both times. Wrong season for aurora. Wrong resort. The third time I used Lapland Like This. Different experience entirely."

MK
Marcus K.
Couple · Amsterdam, NL
★★★★★

"The honest section about what NOT to do saved us at least £400. Skipped two tourist traps and put that money into a private reindeer farm instead. Night and day difference."

JP
James & Priya
Couple · London, UK
Ready to plan properly?

Your Lapland trip.
Done like this.

Two minutes. Six questions. Your personalised top 3 — with real flights, honest rationale, and a guide to what's actually worth your money.

Use the where-to-go tool → Browse destinations
No sign-up to start · No affiliate links · Honest guidance from people who live here