Frequently asked questions

Apukka Resort is located in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. Our location is only 18 km (a 20-minute drive) from the city of Rovaniemi, 12 km (a 15-minute drive) from Rovaniemi airport and 8 km (a 10-minute drive) from Santa’s Village. Apukka Resort stands in the embrace of two wilderness lakes in the midst of the most stunning Arctic nature.

We’d encourage you to first book the accommodation and flights. After this it’s a good idea to to book the activities you wish to take part in good time in advance, as especially during the high season in December some of the most popular activities can be fully booked. Activities can be booked on spot as well, but by booking them in advance you can can make sure that you won’t miss out on anything.

Here in Lapland all the different seasons carry a unique magic. The best time to visit depends on what you aim to see and experience: If your goal is to see snow and experience the arctic adventures in our winter wonderland, we’d recommend for you to travel to Lapland in between December and April. If it’s the blue waters and the blossoming nature bathing in the midnight sun you’re looking for, June, July and August are the best months for you to visit Rovaniemi.

If you’re dreaming of light days, autumn foliage and a bonfire outdoors under the dark, starry night skies, September and October offer some stunning possibilities to experience the far up North. November shows the beauty of the approaching winter and already offer great possibilities to spot the magical Auroras. Read more about the different seasons of Lapland from here

You can book a transfer from us to ensure a smooth transfer to Apukka (extra costs apply). There are some public busses operating as well, but the connections are not very frequent. Here’s the link for the public bus lines. Optionally you can take a taxi or rent a car.

You can also check if our Apukka Shuttle Bus schedule is suitable for your arrival. It’s operating between Apukka Resort, Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi city center from late November to April.

Especially from June to November a rental car allows you to experience the local nature, culture and attractions at the fullest. From late November to early April, Apukka Shuttle Bus is operating several times a day between Apukka Resort, Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi city center.

You can also book a transfer from us to ensure a smooth transfer to Apukka (extra costs apply). Optionally you can take a taxi that our rception team will be happy to book for you.

Our Apukka Resort reception  is open:

• On 1.9.-30.11.2022 at 8:00-22:30.
• On 1.12.2022-10.4.2023 at 8:00-4:00.

During the winter season (December – April) Apukka Resort is truly a winter wonderland where one never runs out of things to do. From dining in our beautiful restaurant Aitta to experiencing an authentic “löyly” in our traditional saunas and to experiencing the thrill of different adventures, we guarantee that you won’t meet a boring moment during your stay with us.

We have everything you might want from your winter holiday on site: eager huskies to take you dogsledding, snowmobiles, horses, reindeer and tons of other exciting activities. We also have a big tube slide on the premises (free of charge) and a frozen lake just next to the Resort inviting you to an afternoon walk on it’s thick ice cover.

We’ve got a big bonfire on the yard that we light up every night for you to relax by. Building a snowman, kicksledding on the ice or searching for the mythical Northern Lights – the list of things to do in Apukka is endless.

During the summer and autumn time the wilderness surrounding us is easily accessible and we can almost hear it calling us out for an adventure. You can join our organised activities to try out a nightly boat ride or outdoor cooking, rent gear from us to explore the nature on your own or simply to relax in the fresh air of Lapland.

During the summer time (June – August) the nights are light, enabling you to enjoy the wilderness without caring about the time – maybe you’d want to try your luck fishing, rent outdoor equipment to explore the surrounding nature with or feast snacking the blueberries covering the forests?

When the autumn arrives in September, the dark nights make it possible to spot the Northern Lights on the sky – a perfect time to learn how to light a bonfire with just a flint and wait for the Northern skies to present their very best by the warmth of the fire. Our restaurant and bar will be open throughout the summer and autumn to make sure you’ll always have delicious meals available in between the adventures.

Rovaniemi and Lapland altogether are some of the very best spots in the whole world to spot the Northern Lights. The location of Apukka Resort is pitch perfect for this – far from the light pollution of the city yet easy to reach from Rovaniemi city or Rovaniemi airport.

You can spot the Northern Lights on the night skies from September to April – did you know that the Northern Lights are actually on the sky during the summer months as well, but the summer nights are too light for us to spot them? As the lake next to us freezes, it offers our guests a prime location for witnessing the dance of the Auroras.

As the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, we can never fully guarantee that they’ll be out on the skies, but the location of Apukka Resort surely offers you great chances of spotting them when they do appear.

The Lake Olkkajärvi right next to Apukka normally starts to freeze in October, making it safe to walk on it in December. The ice cover normally starts to melt in April, having the blue water completely open again in late May.

Every winter we measure the ice and when it’s thick enough, we mark walking paths on the ice. It is completely safe to walk on these tracks. Standing in the middle of a gigantic, frozen lake in the pastel colours coloured by the break of dawn in -30 C is a beautiful experience you’re not very likely to forget anytime soon.

The arrival of the first snow of the winter depends of the year. Normally the first snow falls in October, but often melts away before the permanent snow cover, lasting throughout the winter, lands in November. The snow cover thickens as the winter goes on, creating the most beautiful winter wonderland till mid-April. As May approaches, to snow starts to rapidly melt, making room for the stunning summer of Lapland.

Apukka Resort is surrounded by the great wilderness, so yes, there are arctic animals around us. The wild animals of Lapland are not tamed and avoid contact with people so you might not see them, but on wintertime you know they’ve been there from the stories their paws have written on the surface of the snow.

You can spot arctic hares, red foxes, otters, willow grouse and many other animals if you keep your eyes open. If lucky, maybe you’ll even see a moose on the edge of the forest as the day changes into night. There are predators such as brown bears, wolves and wolverines in the forests of Lapland as well, but as they are extremely cautious around people and very rare to spot, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Winter (December – March)

The winters in Lapland are normally cold, but stunningly beautiful. On the very coldest days the thermometer can drop down to -40 C but more commonly the temperatures vary in between -5 C and – 20 C.

Spring (April – May)

In April the days start to be a lot warmer (from +10 C to -5 C) with the nights still remaining colder (from -5 C to -20 C), followed by the quick change May brings (from +15 C to +0 C).

Summer (June – August)

As the summer begins in June, continuing till August, the nature of Lapland treats us with temperatures that can be anything in between +15 C and +30 C.

Autumn (September – November)

In September and October the temperatures vary in between +15 C and -5 C, as November already comes with a promise of the approaching winter, bringing the temperatures down below freezing.

During your stay with us you’ll soon learn that the weather in Lapland has a mind of its own. A snow storm can change into a beautiful stillness in a blink of an eye, a cloudy sky can make room for a stunning show from the Northern Lights faster than you could ever believe and the Midnight Sun (summer) or the Polar Night (winter) can paint the colours competing with the most beautiful oil paintings to the skies above us.

Definitely, we love special events of all kinds in Apukka Resort and would be happy to help you to create an unforgettable surprise for your loved one! Just email us to sales@apukkaresort.fi and we’ll start planning this together with you.

The choice of the accommodation unit bests suited for you can be found through a couple of simple questions. Are you searching for a romantic accommodation with the possibility of seeing the Auroras from the comfort of your own bed? If yes, we’d recommend staying in Kammi Suite, Komsio Suite or Aurora Cabin.

Are you searching for accommodation for a party of more than 2 adults and 2 children with kitchen facilities? Then perhaps you’d enjoy one of our luxury Kammi Family Suites by the lake Olkkajärvi.

Or, maybe you’re searching for a space for bigger group of people, an accommodation unit with a full kitchen and own sauna? In this case Villa Apukka might suit great for your needs.

And to those of you searching for something unique and adventurous, we always have the Aurora Wagons and Ice Cabins!

Our unique Ice Cabins offer special accommodation for the adventurous lodgers. The Ice Cabins are located in the close proximity of the Resort. The temperature in the Ice Cabin is always just below freezing. Ice Cabin accommodation booking includes double bed with reindeer hides, warm thermal sleeping bags and liners, complimentary hot drinks, drinking water, woolen socks, and breakfast in Restaurant Aitta.

We highly recommend booking just one night of accommodation in an Ice Cabin as it’s one of a kind arctic adventure – one that you’ll surely remember for a long time. You can book the Ice Cabin experience as an extra only when you have another accommodation booked in Apukka Resort. Other accommodation alternatives are Aurora Cabin, Kammi Suite, Komsio Suite, or Kammi Family Suite, There is no bathroom in the Ice Cabin.

Our unique Aurora Wagons offer special accommodation for the adventurous lodgers. The Aurora Wagons are located a bit further from the Resort, in a prime location to, if lucky, witness the magical Northern Lights.

Aurora Wagon accommodation booking includes double bed, warm thermal sleeping bags and liners, complimentary hot drinks, complimentary delicacy basket, breakfast in Restaurant Aitta, bonfire prepped outside the Wagon, chemical toilet in the Wagon, and snowmobile sled transfer to Aurora Wagon in the evening and back in the morning. There is no running water in the wagon (drinking water is provided).

Safety instructions will be given by a guide upon arrival to the Wagon. There is an phone in the Wagon in case of emergency and a phone number from which you can always reach a member of the staff. Kindly note that the check-in time to the Aurora Wagon is at 8 pm.

We highly recommend booking just one night of accommodation in an Aurora Wagon as it is an arctic adventure of a kind – one that you’ll surely remember for a long time. You can book the Aurora Wagon experience as an extra when you have another accommodation booked in Apukka Resort. The options are Aurora Cabin, Kammi Suite, Komsio Suite, or Kammi Family Suite.

You can book accommodation through our webpage, by email sales@apukkaresort.fi or by calling us +358 29 3700 269.

For group enquiries, we kindly ask you to contact our sales team to sales@apukkaresort.fi.

Yes. We have a one Aurora Cabin where pets are allowed to stay. Please contact our sales team (sales@apukkaresort.fi) in advance to check availability. There will be extra animal fee of 50 € per stay.

Yes, everything is operated on our own premises with only the exception of Ranua Wildlife Park Visit and In the Heart of Lappish Culture tour.

For each guest participating on our winter activities, we have high quality winter clothing available for use. This includes warm winter boots, a thick thermal overall, mittens, and woollen socks. The use of thermal clothing is included to the price of the activity.

As the winter temperatures can reach very low numbers in Lapland, you want to bring good quality thermal clothing. Wool is a great material in the far up North as it warms you even when wet, fleece is also not a bad option. Layer clothing helps you to adapt to the ever changing temperatures and weather conditions of Lapland.

Warm clothing, preferably wool, in layers that you can fit on top of each other is the way to go here. A beanie, a warm scarf and warm socks will keep you warm as you are spending time in our winter wonderland.

You can book activities through our webpage, by email sales@apukkaresort.fi or by calling us +358 29 3700 269. For group enquiries, we kindly ask you to contact our sales team to sales@apukkaresort.fi

Most likely the start time of the activity is so close (same day or early next day) that it’s not bookable online anymore. In this case the best option is to call us +358 29 370 0269 to check availability.

Sometimes activities on our webpage are on a “call to book”-status for different reasons that vary – in these cases also the best way to learn if making a booking is possible is to contact us by phone +358 29 370 0269 or email adventures@apukkaresort.fi, they’ll always be happy to help you with this.

We have roughly 70 great huskies at our dog yard. Some of them are still puppies, some retired, some full time athletes. Regardless of their age, they are all loved and taken care of equally as much. We also have about 20 reindeer and 6 horses keeping us company in Apukka Resort.

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and because of this we can never fully predict if they’ll make an appearance on the sky. The key word with the Northern Lights is patience – if you’re willing to stay up late to keep an eye on the sky you can definitely increase your chances of witnessing their marvelous, magical dance. Joining our Aurora excursions will lead you to the depths of the forests, to frozen lakes and marshlands, away from all the artificial lights – the very best possible spots to watch the Lights if they’d appear. If you main goal is to witness the Northern Lights, make sure you travel to Lapland in between September and April when the nights are dark enough for them to be visible.

It’s good to read professional Aurora hunters’ tips for photographing the Northern Lights before you arrive at Apukka Resort and learn to change your camera settings. Our guides can also give you basic tips for photographing the Northern Lights during our Aurora hunting tours. In addition, we have some tripods for rent in case you don’t have your own – a massive help for great Aurora photos!

Unless otherwise mentioned, the transfer from and to Rovaniemi city is included to the activity price.

Normally this works out perfectly fine – upon booking just make sure to provide us the info of what time you’d like to catch the transfer here / back and we’ll confirm the possibilities regarding altered transfer times to you as soon as possible.

Infants travelling with an adult can take part on the following activities: Apukka Reindeer Journey, Apukka Snow and Fun, Aurora Hunt on the Snowtrain, Aurora Hunt by Car, Ice Fishing Like a Finn, Ranua Wildlife Park Visit and Horse Sleigh Ride. Due to safety reasons, infants can’t participate on any snowmobile excursions or dogsledding excursions (with the exception of the short dogsledding ride in Apukka Snow and Fun, driven by a professional guide).

Young children can take part in most activities, however there are some activities that are for adults (15+ years) only: Snowmobile Ride into the Wild, Northern Light Snowmobiling, Horseback Riding ja Full Day Husky Adventure. All the other activities are suitable for children. Kindly note that children will be passengers in sleds on both dogsledding and snowmobile excursions, with only adults allowed to drive.

For most of the activities, anyone with a moderate fitness level can participate. There are, however, some exceptions – kindly note that Apukka Husky Adventure, Full Day Husky Adventure, Horseback Riding and Snowshoe Walk to the Arctic Nature are slightly more strenuous activities and require an average fitness level. As safety is our main priority, due to bumps on the tracks and carbon monoxide from the snowmobiles pregnancy is a limitation in taking part on dogsledding or snowmobiling excursions in Apukka.  In case you have physical conditions (such as a recent hip surgery, heart condition, pregnancy, etc.) that might limit your participation on the activities, it is very important that you inform us of these in advance so that we can ensure your safety outdoors.

A professional reindeer herder will always guide the team of reindeer, allowing you to simply sit back and enjoy the ride. Also, on the Horse Sleigh Ride it is the guide responsible for controlling and guiding these majestic animals. On some of the husky excursions your sled will be driven by a guide, on some excursions you’ll get to mush your own team – a responsibility not to be taken lightly but on the same time the adventure of a lifetime. We kindly ask you to always read the activity descriptions carefully to know what you are booking.

The driver of a snowmobile must be at least 18 years old and in possession of a driving license valid in Finland. Children under 15 year of age will travel in a sledge pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. Driving a snowmobile under the influence of alcohol or any other narcotics is prohibited by Finnish law.

You can check if your driving licence is valid in Finland from here

We kindly ask everyone to be ready 10 minutes before the the given start time to ensure that there are no delays with heading out.

Yes, when you book accommodation in Apukka Resort breakfast is always included unless otherwise clearly mentioned.

Restaurant Aitta serves traditional Finnish food with a modern twist. Our menu is built around the use of local ingredients such as fish, berries, and meat. Check Restaurant Aitta’s menu

Yes, there is a bar with all the traditional spirits, carefully selected wines, local specialities and soft drinks available.  From the bar you can also purchase special coffees and snacks.

Yes, we have a small but cozy lounge area, also including rocking chairs by the fireplace. What could be a better place to enjoy a good book!

Kindly check the opening hours for Restaurant Aitta from here.

We can prepare half portions of most the main dishes from our a la carte menu for children.

Yes, without any problems. If possible, provide us the information of your special diet in advance so that our professional kitchen staff can make sure that they can cater your allergies and special diet the best way possible.