Finland is the northernmost Scandinavian country with most of its northern zones venturing into the Arctic Circle. It is called the ‘true home of Santa Claus,’ ‘the country of a thousand Lakes and Islands,’ ‘the best Northern Lights destination’ and so on and so forth for one reason - Finland’s amazing weather through its summer as well as winter. While summers are mild but great for outdoor activities, winters bring plenty of snow, chill and dark nights to see the Northern Lights. So the best time to visit Finland really depends on your choice of activities. To decide for yourself, read on.

The spring season in Finland sees melting of winter snow and a hot sun. While the shores of the south and central Finland observe this by April, Lapland of north see melting of snow by May. Spring is characterised by clear sunny days and mildly cool winds with freezing nights. Hence the roads are quite frozen and hard to traverse come morning. The average temperature at this time is around 7-15°C, and it shoots up by May end when the sun also reaches the horizon and doesn’t set for a long time. This is a good time for a visit to enjoy the nature, treks, outdoor activities and cities of Finland; and it is cheaper than summer.

Summer comes with the promise of midnight sun, warm times, tropical winds on shores and a cheery cacophony of locals and tourists alike. The hottest month is July, with around 30°C highs, while daylight extends to an average of 20 hours for 70+ days. August and September see heavy rains with thunderstorms too. So the best time in summer is June-July, when Finns come out to enjoy picnics by lakes, go fishing, swimming, sunbathing, grilling barbecues and escaping away to holiday cottages.

Finland sees a golden gilded autumn, with bright reds and yellows mingling to paint the foliage. Berries and mushrooms are ripe in gardens and forests and this becomes the official season to collect the bounty. Some of the best Finland tours take place in autumn as everything is just so stunning. By mid-November the temperature starts to fall and blizzards are quite common with heavy rains. The average temperature is 5°C.

Winters in Finland are famed for many things, but not as highly as the Northern Lights. The subzero temperatures that December hits make for the coldest, darkest night skies and the awe-inspiring phenomenon that is the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi is a great place for Christmas celebrations, while down south in Finland you get to observe the echoes of Northern Lights through the winter months. There are also many ski resorts in Finland that cater to the adventurous lot and people from Europe as well as Russia come down for a winter break. You can also enjoy sledding, snow-mobile safaris, saunas, ice fishing and campfires.