What to wear in Saariselkä in winter

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Weather records from the village give a January average of about −12 °C in Saariselkä over 1991 to 2020, and February is hardly warmer. The regional tourist office warns that the temperature can fall below −30 °C. That sounds harder to pack for than it is. On many tours the heaviest pieces, a thermal overall and boots, are lent to you on the day. What has to fit in your suitcase are the layers underneath and the small things for hands, feet and head.

The catch is that "many tours" does not mean all of them. Several evening aurora tours and some active ones, such as the snowshoe walks and ski lessons from the Outdoor Expert office, expect you to arrive dressed for the cold. The section on tours below sorts them out.

Three layers

The tourist office's advice for dressing in Lapland follows three layers. Next to the skin comes a base layer that moves sweat away from the body, in merino wool or a synthetic fabric. Avoid cotton entirely. Visit Finland also suggests bamboo or silk for this layer.

The mid layer traps the heat: a fleece, a wool sweater or a light down jacket. The outer layer shields you from wind and snow. It should be windproof and preferably waterproof, and Visit Finland recommends one with a hood. On a tour that lends an overall, the overall takes over this job, so your own jacket matters most for walks in the village and waits at bus stops.

Boots, mittens and a hat

The tourist office lists the basics. Winter boots should be insulated and rated for −20 °C or lower. Bring wool socks, with spares. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves. Your hat should cover your ears, and a neck gaiter or scarf protects the face. On very cold days a balaclava helps.

Some activities have their own needs. The horse ride at Polaris Point asks riders not to wear moon boots or other very large shoes. For skating on Lake Inari the operator lends skates, a helmet and a balaclava, but gloves and a hat are a must and you bring them yourself. The fatbike tour warns that winter cycling can be cold on toes and fingers.

What the tours lend you

The list of inclusions on each tour page is the reliable guide. Going by those lists, the picture around Saariselkä looks like this.

• Overall, boots and gloves: the 10 km husky safari from Veskoniemi, where the gear is handed out at the farm, and the husky ride with an aurora hunt.
• Thermal clothing and shoes or boots: the snowmobile tour to Lake Inari with reindeer and the evening sleigh ride to Lake Inari with dinner, both by Ivalo Safaris, and the ice fishing day from Saariselkä.
• Thermal clothing or winter gear: the reindeer sled ride after dark and the ice fishing safari by snowmobile by Lapponia Tours, and the snowmobile and aurora tours by Lapland Welcome.
• Overalls and boots: the aurora workshop and the polar night snowshoe trek by Xwander in Ivalo.
• No clothing: the aurora photo tours by minibus from Saariselkä and Kakslauttanen, the aurora drive from Ivalo, the private aurora hunt, the night sleigh ride at Muotka and the two-hour ice fishing near Inari.

On the aurora photo tour by Arctic Timetravels, warm clothing is available on request, and the operator asks you to bring a warm winter jacket, a hat, gloves and winter boots. The snowshoe walks, the cross-country ski lesson and the backcountry tour from the Outdoor Expert office near the national park lend the equipment for the sport but not clothes.

Renting instead of buying

You do not need to buy a full Arctic outfit for one trip. The tourist office suggests renting once you arrive, and says that many tour providers and local shops offer rental gear, including thermal suits, boots and mittens. Its gear rental list includes winter overalls from Lapponia Tours in Saariselkä. Visit Finland adds that many guided winter safaris in Lapland include clothing rental in the package, and that some providers let you pre-order gear to collect at the airport.

Sitting still is the cold part

You feel the cold most when you do not move: in a sleigh behind a snowmobile, on a reindeer sled or while waiting for the aurora. A reviewer of the Lake Inari sleigh ride with dinner advises being prepared for extreme cold on the frozen lake and in the sledge. Guests on a daytime reindeer safari mention cold feet at around −30 °C, and one guest at an aurora workshop wished for a cabin to shelter from the cold.

For evenings outdoors, put on one more layer than feels necessary when you leave, and pack a second pair of socks. On the reindeer ride after dark, flashlights are not allowed, so keep spare gloves where you can find them by feel. Walking along roads in the dark, wear a reflector, as Visit Finland advises. Our page on the northern lights compares the evening tours.

Respect for Sámi dress

Saariselkä lies in the Sámi homeland, and the Sámi dress is part of a living culture. The Sámi Parliament in Finland states that wearing the Sámi dress in tourism that exploits Sámi culture is not acceptable. Do not dress up in imitations, and ask before you photograph anyone wearing a Sámi dress who is not working in tourism; if they say no, respect it.

Packing list

• Base layer, top and long trousers, in merino wool or synthetics
• Fleece, wool sweater or light down jacket
• Windproof, preferably waterproof jacket and trousers with a hood, unless every tour lends an overall
• Insulated winter boots rated for −20 °C or lower
• Several pairs of wool socks
• Mittens
• Hat that covers the ears, neck gaiter or scarf, and a balaclava
• Reflector for walks in the dark
• Swimwear for the sauna

Light and temperatures change a lot between November and April. The page on the best time to visit Saariselkä shows the values month by month.