Inari
Inari is the cultural capital of Finland's Sami people and the seat of the Sami Parliament, sitting on the shore of Lake Inari, Finland's third-largest lake, dotted with thousands of islands. The Siida museum here is the country's best introduction to Sami history and culture and to the natural history of the region, and is worth building a visit around rather than treating as an add-on.
Inari is a genuine departure point for wilderness rather than a resort built for tourists: Lemmenjoki National Park, Finland's largest, starts nearby, and Lake Inari itself is large enough for multi-day boat trips to island churches and old Sami sacred sites. It's also one of the better bases in Finland for aurora viewing given its northern latitude and relatively low light pollution, though Nellim and other spots further from any settlement can be marginally darker.
Inarijärvi: Inarijarvi is Finland's third-largest lake, island-studded (over 3,000 islands), dominating the geography and identity of Inari, the cultural center of Finland's Sami population. The sacred island of Ukonkivi, a pre-Christian Sami worship site, sits within it, reachable by summer boat tour. In summer it is for boating and island-hopping; frozen in winter it becomes a snowmobile and ice-fishing route, and its flat expanse is a strong spot for aurora viewing.
Lemmenjoki National Park: Lemmenjoki is Finland's largest national park, genuinely remote old-growth forest and fell terrain that has hosted small-scale gold panning since the 1940s — a few prospectors still work claims, and visitors can pan too at designated spots. Beyond the Njurgalahti area, few marked trails exist, and serious exploration needs wilderness experience or a guide. A river boat trip from Njurgalahti is the easiest way to see the park's scale without a multi-day trek.
Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church: Pielpajarvi is a wooden church built in the 1760s beside a lake, originally serving Sami and Finnish communities gathering for reindeer herding and trade — no surrounding town, just the church and a small graveyard reached entirely on foot. It makes a satisfying half-day round trip from Inari combining a forest walk with a specific historical destination.
Saariselkä: Saariselka is a purpose-built ski and wilderness resort on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park — hotels, a small ski area, and the base for husky sledding, reindeer safaris and aurora tours. It is more developed than Inari village, aimed at organized activities. It works well as a base for a multi-day Lapland stay, but has little intrinsic sightseeing beyond what's booked.
Siida is the national museum of the Finnish Sami people alongside a natural history exhibition on Lapland, a serious, largely Sami-curated account of indigenous history and reindeer herding culture — substantially deeper than the commercial tours sold elsewhere. An open-air section with historic buildings extends behind the main hall. For understanding Sami culture beyond souvenir shops, Siida is the most substantive stop in the region.
Urho Kekkonen National Park: Urho Kekkonen is Finland's second-largest national park, vast fell and forest terrain offering short day loops near Saariselka to multi-day treks connecting free and paid wilderness huts. It is less commercially developed than Lapland's resorts, appealing to genuine backcountry hikers. The roughly 240km UKK trail runs through the park, one of Finland's classic long-distance hikes, though shorter day hikes need no overnight gear.
Inari FAQs
It's the cultural capital of the Sami people and home to the Siida museum, the best introduction to Sami history and culture in Finland.
Fly into Ivalo airport, about 40km south, then take a bus or drive the rest of the way; there's no train this far north.
Late August through early April on clear, dark nights; midnight sun from late May to late July means no darkness at all for aurora viewing.
Yes, it sits near Lemmenjoki National Park, Finland's largest, and Lake Inari offers boat trips to island sites in summer.
A rental car is very useful for reaching outlying sights and trailheads, though many visitors instead book guided tours that include transport.
Things to do in Inari
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