Inari village and the Siida museum

7 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Inari is a village on the shore of Lake Inari, where the Juutua river flows into the lake. It shares its name with the municipality around it, the largest in Finland by area, where almost a third of the residents are Sámi. Finavia calls the village the capital of Sámi culture in Finland, and the tourist office the heart of it. Two buildings explain why: Sajos, where the Sámi Parliament meets, and the Siida museum.

From Saariselkä the drive is 75 km, and Ivalo is 40 km away. Guided day trips combine the museum with a walk to the Jäniskoski rapids; our page on day trips from Saariselkä compares them in detail.

Siida

Siida is the national museum for Sámi culture and also the regional museum for cultural environments in the Sámi area. Its exhibitions connect Sámi culture with the nature of the far north, and an open-air museum next to the building is open all year whenever the weather allows a safe visit. The same building houses the Metsähallitus customer service for northern Lapland, which gives advice on hiking and outdoor activities across the northernmost part of Lapland.

From 5 October 2026 to 31 May 2027 Siida opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and stays closed on Sundays. On 24 December it opens from 10:00 to 14:00 and on 25 December from 12:00 to 17:00; on other public holidays it opens unless they fall on a Sunday. Ticket sales end 45 minutes before closing. The museum closes for maintenance from 10 to 16 May 2027, and from June it opens daily from 9:00 to 18:00. Children up to 6 enter free, and a family ticket covers two adults and all their children under 18.

Sajos and the Sámi Parliament

Sajos is the centre of Sámi self-governance in Finland. The name is an Inari Sámi word for a place where you love to arrive and stay a while. The building stands on the bank of the Juutua where the river meets the lake, and besides the Sámi Parliament it hosts congresses and meetings for up to 430 people, the largest such venue in northern Lapland. Visitors are welcome during opening hours, and a guided tour introduces Sámi culture as it is lived today. The café-restaurant Čaiju serves from 9:00 to 15:00, with lunch from 11:00 to 14:00.

The Sámi Parliament is the body that expresses the official position of the Sámi in Finland. Three of the nine Sámi languages still spoken are used in Finland, and all three, North Sámi, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi, have official status in the municipality beside Finnish.

The Juutua river and Jäniskoski

The Juutua trail is a marked loop of about 6.3 km that starts at Siida and follows both banks of the river. Metsähallitus says it is lit and maintained in winter, and shorter sections can be reached from Kittiläntie. On the guided day trips the walk leads to the suspension bridge over the Jäniskoski rapids.

Otsamo, a 418-metre fell, rises above the village. From the top the view takes in Lake Inari, Lake Muddusjärvi, the Juutua river and the surrounding fells, and in late winter there is a maintained ski track.

Pielpajärvi wilderness church

The wooden church at Pielpajärvi was built in 1760 at what was once a winter village, and it is one of the oldest buildings in northern Lapland. In summer a trail of 4.5 km each way leads there from a car park about 2.5 km along Sarviniementie, which turns off the main road just north of Siida. In winter the tourist office describes the church as reachable by ski or by snowmobile; ask at the Metsähallitus desk in Siida about current conditions.

Lake Inari

Lake Inari is the third largest lake in Finland, about 100 km long, with an average depth of 14 m and its deepest points close to 100 m. The count of islands differs between sources, from more than 3,000 to some 3,318. One of them, Ukonsaari, has been a place of worship for the Sámi and is considered sacred; treat it as you would any holy site.

In winter the lake freezes, and several tours head out onto the ice. Galddoaivi Safaris starts a two-hour ice fishing session a few kilometres from the village, taking up to six guests by snowmobile-drawn sled up to 4 km onto the lake, with a tent on cold days. Under Finland’s general fishing rights, ice fishing on Lake Inari with one rod is free; more rods need a permit and the state fisheries fee. See ice fishing and Lake Inari for the full choice.

Reindeer and Sámi hosts

A member of a Sámi reindeer-herding family hosts a four-hour workshop in Inari, working with reindeer leather, bone and antler, with a visit to the reindeer and a home-made lunch. It runs all year for up to eight people, and it had no reviews yet in October 2026. The same operator that runs the ice fishing also offers a one-and-a-half-hour reindeer feeding visit, reached by snowmobile sleigh when possible and by car when there is no snow or it is extremely cold.

The Sámi Parliament asks visitors to respect privacy and the home, and not to photograph anyone in Sámi dress who is not working in tourism without consent. Church ceremonies such as weddings and funerals may not be photographed without permission. Our page on reindeer and Sámi culture sets out more of these guidelines.

January and March

Every January Inari hosts Skábmagovat, a film festival of indigenous peoples. In 2026 it took place from 22 to 25 January, and the 2027 dates had not been announced by mid-October. Part of the programme is shown in an open-air theatre built entirely of snow.

In spring the Poro Cup, a series of reindeer races, ends with the reindeer racing championship held on the ice of Lake Inari, traditionally in late March or early April. No date for 2027 was published in October, so check with the organisers before planning a trip around it.

Getting there

Without a car, a direct trip from Saariselkä is awkward. A weekday bus links Ivalo and Inari, leaving Ivalo at 7:50 and Inari at 16:00, but it is timed for commuters. Daily coaches run between Rovaniemi and Inari. From Ivalo airport the drive takes about 50 minutes. For most visitors staying in Saariselkä, a hire car or a guided day trip is the practical choice.