The best seasons for horse tours in Lapland vary based on what you want to experience in Finland’s magical wilderness. Each season offers a distinctive adventure: summer brings midnight sun and lush landscapes, autumn showcases spectacular fall colours, winter delivers snow-covered trails and northern lights possibilities, while spring offers awakening nature and fewer crowds. At Polar Lights Tours, we combine our wilderness horse tours with authentic accommodation options year-round, creating complete Lapland experiences tailored to each season’s unique character and your personal preferences.
Exploring Lapland’s wilderness on horseback: A seasonal guide
Horseback riding through Finnish Lapland offers one of the most authentic ways to experience the Arctic wilderness. Our gentle Finn horses provide a unique perspective of Lapland’s pristine landscapes, carrying you through ancient forests, alongside crystal-clear lakes, and across rolling fells. What makes Lapland horse tours truly special is how dramatically the experience transforms with each season.
At Polar Lights Tours, we’ve designed our horse trekking adventures to seamlessly integrate with our accommodation offerings, creating complete wilderness experiences. Whether you’re staying in our Aurora Wilderness Cabin, enjoying our Cozy Kammi Experience, or opting for our Wilderness Caravan Adventure, your horseback adventure becomes part of a holistic journey into Finnish nature and culture.
Our friendly, reliable Finnish horses are perfectly adapted to Lapland’s varying conditions, making them ideal companions for exploring the Arctic wilderness year-round. Regardless of when you choose to visit, our experienced guides ensure safety and comfort while sharing insights about the surrounding nature and local traditions.
When is the best time of year for horse tours in Finnish Lapland?
The ideal time for horse trekking in Lapland depends entirely on what kind of experience you’re seeking. Each of the four distinct seasons offers dramatically different landscapes, weather conditions, and natural phenomena that transform the horse riding experience in fascinating ways.
Summer (June-August) brings the midnight sun with 24-hour daylight, lush green forests, and comfortable temperatures between 15-25°C. The trails are easily accessible, allowing for longer rides and diverse routes. During this season, our Aurora Wilderness Cabins offer a perfect retreat where you can enjoy the Midnight Sun from late May to late July.
Autumn (September-October) transforms Lapland with the spectacular ‘ruska’ – when the forests burst into vibrant reds, oranges and golds. Temperatures typically range from 0-15°C, and fewer tourists mean more tranquil wilderness experiences. Our Cozy Kammi Experience is particularly magical during autumn, when you can relax in hammocks outside gazing at the night sky after your riding adventure.
Winter (December-March) offers snowy landscapes, potential northern lights sightings, and temperatures between -5°C and -25°C. Winter horse riding requires special equipment and follows carefully selected trails. From our Aurora Wilderness Cabins with their large windows and roof window, you might witness the Northern Lights dancing across the sky from late August to early April.
Spring (April-May) brings awakening nature, returning wildlife, longer days, and temperatures gradually warming from -5°C to +10°C. This less-visited season offers excellent value, with our Wilderness Caravan Adventure providing a flexible option to enjoy nature as it awakens from winter.
| Season | Highlights | Temperature Range | Accommodation Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer (Jun-Aug) | Midnight sun, lush landscapes, extensive trails | 15°C to 25°C | Aurora Wilderness Cabin, Cozy Kammi Experience, Wilderness Caravan Adventure |
| Autumn (Sep-Oct) | ‘Ruska’ fall colours, fewer tourists | 0°C to 15°C | Aurora Wilderness Cabin, Cozy Kammi Experience, Wilderness Caravan Adventure |
| Winter (Dec-Mar) | Snow-covered trails, northern lights | -25°C to -5°C | Aurora Wilderness Cabin |
| Spring (Apr-May) | Awakening nature, longer days, fewer crowds | -5°C to 10°C | Aurora Wilderness Cabin, Cozy Kammi Experience |
What makes summer horse tours in Lapland so magical?
Summer horse tours in Lapland offer an enchanting experience under the midnight sun, where daylight stretches for 24 hours and creates a magical atmosphere for wilderness horse riding. From June through August, you’ll experience Lapland’s lush, vibrant landscape at its most alive—with wildflowers carpeting the ground and forests teeming with birds and wildlife.
Our summer horse treks take advantage of the excellent trail conditions and comfortable temperatures (typically 15-25°C), allowing for longer journeys that showcase the diverse terrain of Finnish Lapland. You’ll ride alongside sparkling lakes, through ancient forests with moss-covered floors, and across open fells offering panoramic views of the endless horizon.
What truly elevates the summer horse riding experience with Polar Lights Tours is our thoughtfully designed accommodation options. After a day in the saddle, return to our Aurora Wilderness Cabins nestled in the serene wilderness of Levi, where you can enjoy the Midnight Sun through large windows. Alternatively, experience our Cozy Kammi, a round building on our horse and husky farm where you can enjoy dinner made with Finnish ingredients and relax in hammocks under the never-setting sun. For those seeking more flexibility, our Wilderness Caravan Adventure allows you to stay in a motorhome, caravan, private tent, or hammock, with opportunities to take a refreshing dip in the river.
Summer is ideal for beginners as the weather conditions are most forgiving, but we also offer more challenging treks for experienced riders wanting to cover more ground. Our “On the Paths of Nightless Night” riding adventure takes full advantage of the midnight sun phenomenon, creating an unforgettable evening ride through landscapes bathed in golden light.
How do autumn horse treks showcase Lapland’s colorful transformation?
Autumn horse treks in Lapland (September-October) offer riders front-row seats to one of nature’s most spectacular shows: the ‘ruska’ season. During this brief but breathtaking transformation, Lapland’s forests and fells burst into a symphony of reds, oranges, yellows and golds. This vibrant natural phenomenon provides a stunning backdrop for horseback adventures that photographers and nature lovers dream about.
The moderate autumn temperatures (typically 0-15°C) create comfortable riding conditions, requiring just a bit more layering than summer but without winter’s extreme cold. The crisp air enhances the sensory experience as you hear the satisfying crunch of leaves beneath your horse’s hooves and smell the earthy autumn scents of the forest.
Our autumn accommodation options perfectly complement these riding experiences. Our Aurora Wilderness Cabins offer large windows, including a roof window, perfect for witnessing a sky full of stars or even the Northern Lights after your day of exploring. The Cozy Kammi Experience becomes particularly special in autumn, as you can learn about our horses and huskies in the evening before enjoying a dinner made with Finnish ingredients inside the warm kammi. For those preferring more independence, our Wilderness Caravan Adventure provides various accommodation options along Muonio Road, just a 10-minute drive from Levi.
What unique experiences do winter horse tours in Lapland offer?
Winter horse tours in Lapland (December-March) provide an extraordinary adventure through a snow-covered winter wonderland unlike anything experienced in other seasons. Riding on specially prepared winter trails, you’ll witness Lapland transformed into a pristine Arctic landscape with snow-laden trees, frozen lakes, and the deep silence that comes with winter’s embrace.
The most magical aspect of winter riding is the potential to witness the northern lights dancing overhead. Our evening “Northern Lights Riding Adventure” is specifically timed to maximize aurora viewing opportunities. There’s nothing quite like the experience of sitting atop a gentle Finnish horse under a star-filled sky, watching green and purple lights shimmer across the darkness while surrounded by snow-covered wilderness.
Winter riding requires special equipment and considerations, all of which we provide as part of our packages. Our horses wear special winter shoes for better grip, and riders are furnished with insulated riding gear, thermal boots, and warming breaks during longer treks. The Finnish horses themselves are naturally adapted to cold conditions, with thick winter coats that help them thrive in the Arctic environment.
Our winter accommodations create the perfect complement to these snowy adventures. Our Aurora Wilderness Cabins feature large windows, including a roof window, ideal for northern lights viewing from late August to early April.
Winter temperatures typically range from -5°C to -25°C, which sounds extreme but feels surprisingly comfortable when properly dressed. The dry cold of Lapland feels different from damp cold experienced in many other countries, and the physical activity of riding helps maintain warmth. Our guides are experts at ensuring your comfort and safety in winter conditions, making this extraordinary experience accessible even to relative beginners.
At Polar Lights Tours, we’ve designed our accommodation and horse trekking packages to maximize each season’s unique attributes. We offer three distinct accommodation options to complement your riding adventure:
- Aurora Wilderness Cabin: Nestled in the serene wilderness of Levi, these cabins feature large windows, including a roof window, perfect for viewing the Midnight Sun in summer or Northern Lights in winter. Each stay includes a light evening meal and breakfast featuring Finnish specialties.
- Cozy Kammi Experience: Spend a night in our round and cozy kammi building on our horse and husky farm, sleeping warmly in sleeping bags while enjoying Finnish ingredients for dinner and relaxing in hammocks outside under the night sky.
- Wilderness Caravan Adventure: Stay in a motorhome, caravan, private tent, or hammock at our farm along Muonio Road. Enjoy nature, take a dip in the river, or rent a barrel sauna, with all necessary services provided.
For the most comprehensive experience, we recommend staying at least 3-4 days to allow for multiple horse treks and to fully enjoy your accommodation’s seasonal amenities. This duration also provides flexibility should weather conditions affect riding schedules on any particular day.
Remember that regardless of which season you choose, a Lapland horse riding adventure offers an authentic connection with Finnish nature that few other activities can match. The unique perspective from horseback, combined with our thoughtfully designed accommodation experiences, creates memories that last far beyond your journey home from the Arctic.
