FAQ

Apukka Resort is situated in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. Our location is conveniently close to key points of interest: just 18 km (11 miles, a 20-minute drive) from the city of Rovaniemi, 12 km (7.5 miles, a 15-minute drive) from Rovaniemi Airport, and 8 km (5 miles, a 10-minute drive) from Santa Claus Village. Nestled between two pristine wilderness lakes, Apukka Resort offers a stunning Arctic setting, providing guests with an immersive natural experience.

We recommend starting with your holiday package or accommodation and flights.

Holiday packages already include selected activities. If you wish to add more experiences, or if you are not booking a package, we recommend booking activities in advance.

During the high season in December, many popular activities sell out early. While on-site booking is possible, advance reservation ensures availability of your preferred experiences.

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 you wish to enjoy summer vibes without the intense heat, August is an excellent month to visit Rovaniemi.

For fans of autumn foliage and the Northern Lights, September and October are your choice. In fact, the Auroras are often most active from late September to early October, around the autumn equinox.

November shows the beauty of the approaching winter, and we already offer early winter activities on snow as a taste of winter.

Read more about the different seasons of Lapland from here!

You can book a transfer from us to ensure a smooth transfer to Apukka Resort (extra costs apply). There are some public buses 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 August to April.

This can be easily solved with our own bus! From August to April, the Apukka Shuttle Bus operates several times a day between Apukka Resort, Santa Claus Village, and Rovaniemi city center. You can buy tickets in advance online or on the bus.

Optionally, you can book a taxi from our cooperator Menevä.

Our Apukka Resort reception is open:

• 1.8.-30.9.2026 open daily at 06:00-00:00
• 1.10.2026-4.4.2027 open daily 24/7

Our Apukka Resort is a winter wonderland where one always has things to do. From dining in our beautiful Restaurant Aitta to experiencing an authentic “löyly” in our traditional saunas and experiencing the thrill of different winter adventures, we guarantee you won’t meet a boring moment during your stay with us.

We have everything you might want from your holiday on site: eager huskies to take you dogsledding, horses, reindeer, eFatbikes, snowmobiles, snowshoes 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 have bonfires in the yard that we light up every night for you to relax by. And remember the amazing chance to spot the Northern Lights far away from the city lights. To help you with that, we offer a free of charge Aurora Alert app for your use.

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 husky carriage ride or walking with reindeer, 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 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 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.

Lake Olkkajärvi, right next to Apukka Resort, typically starts to freeze in October, making it safe to walk on it in November-December.

Especially in October-November, we recommend talking with our team before walking on the lake. The ice might seem thick, but it is unsafe for walking. Our team measures the ice, and when it’s thick enough, we mark walking paths on the ice. It is entirely safe to walk on these tracks after that.

Standing in the middle of a gigantic, frozen lake in pastel colours of the break of dawn at -30 C is a beautiful experience you’re not very likely to forget anytime soon.

The ice cover typically starts melting in April, with the blue water completely open again in late May.

The arrival of the first snow of the winter depends on the year.

Usually the first snow falls in October, but it 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, snow starts to melt rapidly, making room for the stunning spring and summer of Lapland.

The great wilderness surrounds Apukka Resort, so there are Arctic animals around us. The wild animals of Lapland are not tame and avoid contact with people, so you might not see them. However, in 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, you’ll see a moose on the forest’s edge as the day changes into night. Predators such as brown bears, wolves, and wolverines are in the woods of Lapland. Still, as they are extremely cautious around people and very rare to spot, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

WINTER (DECEMBER – EARLY APRIL)

The winters in Lapland are generally cold but stunningly beautiful. On the coldest days, the thermometer can drop to -40 degrees Celsius. Still, the temperatures vary more commonly between -5°C and -20°C.

SPRING (LATE APRIL – MAY)

In April, the days start to be a lot warmer (from +10°C to -5°C), with the nights 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 between +15°C and +30°C.

AUTUMN (SEPTEMBER – NOVEMBER)

In September and October, the temperatures vary between +15°C and -5°C. Still, November already promises the approaching winter, bringing the temperatures well below freezing.

During your stay with us, you’ll soon learn that the weather in Lapland has a mind of its own. A snowstorm 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.

All transfer services are provided by Kutilan Liikenne Ltd (FI01921872) or Menevä Ltd FI07119792).

Apukka Resort is not fully accessible. If you have any physical limitations, we encourage you to contact us prior to booking. Your safety and comfort remain our top priorities!

Yes, families with children are always welcome at Apukka Resort. Many of our activities are a hit with kids, and we also have fun things like board games that you can enjoy together at the reception.

Yes, everything is operated on our own premises, with only some exceptions, such as Trekking in the Heart of Nature in summer and autumn, and a Snowmobile Safari to Santa Claus Village in winter.

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

We recommend having your own thick winter hat, warm scarf, proper thermal underwear, and comfortable mid-layer to keep you warm and toasty.

As the winter temperatures can reach very low numbers in Lapland, you want to bring good quality thermal clothing. Wool is an excellent material in the far up North as it warms you even when wet; fleece is also a good option. Layer clothing helps you adapt to Lapland’s ever-changing temperatures and weather conditions.

Warm clothing, preferably wool, in layers that 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 spend time in our winter wonderland.

You can book activities here at our website or by email sales@apukkaresort.fi.

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

Sometimes activities on our webpage are listed as “call to book” for various reasons. In these cases, the best way to find out if a booking is possible is to contact us by phone at +358 29 370 0269 or by email at sales@apukkaresort.fi.

We have roughly 90 great huskies in our dog yard. Some are still puppies; some are retired, and 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 ten horses keeping us company in Apukka Resort.

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and we can never fully predict if they’ll appear in the sky. The keyword with the Northern Lights is patience. Suppose you’re willing to stay up late to keep an eye on the sky. In that case, you can definitely increase your chances of witnessing their marvelous, magical dance.

Joining our Aurora hunting tours will lead you to the depths of the forests, frozen lakes, and marshlands, away from all the artificial lights – the best spots to watch the Lights if they’d appear. If your main goal is to witness the Northern Lights, make sure you travel to Lapland between September and April when the nights are dark enough for them to be visible.

We offer all staying guests a free-of-charge Aurora Alert Realtime app to maximize one’s chances of seeing the magical lights.

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.

Unless otherwise mentioned, the transfer from and to Rovaniemi city or Santa Claus Village 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.

We have marked all tours recommended for families with an orange For Families badge. These are suitable for infants too. Our team is here to help you with choosing the right tours. Just send us email at sales@apukkaresort.fi.

Most of our activities are suitable for children. However, some activities are for adults (15+ years) only, like some of the snowmobiling and efatbiking tours. This is clearly informed in the description of each activity. Kindly note that children will be sled passengers 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 husky tours, efatbiking and snowshoeing 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 at Apukka Resort.

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.

A professional reindeer herder will always guide the team of reindeer, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Also, on the horse sleigh ride tours, it is the guide responsible for controlling and guiding these majestic animals.

On some of the husky excursions, your sled/carriage will be driven by a guide; on most tours you’ll get to mush your own team – a responsibility not to be taken lightly but at the same time the adventure of a lifetime.

We kindly ask you to read the activity descriptions carefully to know what you are booking.

The snowmobile driver must be at least 18 years old and possess a driving license valid in Finland. Children under 15 will travel in a sled 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.

Unfortunately, we at Apukka Resort are unable to accept or store personal parcels sent by guests.

This policy is based on past experience and helps us protect your belongings while keeping our reception focused on guest service.

Why we cannot accept parcels:

Timing issues
Parcels often arrive before check-in or after departure. Due to limited storage space, we cannot guarantee safe storage of early or late deliveries.

Forwarding difficulties
If a parcel arrives after you have left, we cannot ensure it can be forwarded in time to your next destination.

Forwarding costs
If forwarding is possible, a minimum handling fee of 80 € applies, plus shipping costs based on size, weight, and destination.

Safety reasons
We cannot accept responsibility for packages with unknown contents.

Service focus
Handling deliveries takes time away from our main priority—assisting you during your stay.

Our recommendation
Please bring all necessary items with you or purchase them locally to avoid delays, loss risk, or extra costs.