Day trips from Saariselkä: Inari, the Siida Museum, Ivalo and the road north

One of the underrated advantages of basing yourself in Saariselkä is how much you can access from here without needing to do a full destination change. The road north through Ivalo, Inari and beyond is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Finnish Lapland – and in winter, it’s extraordinary.

I spent a week in Saariselkä in January 2026 with a hire car and the day trip to Inari and the Siida Museum was one of the most meaningful experiences of my entire trip. Here’s what’s worth your time when you decide to venture beyond the village.

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Getting around – do you need a car?

For the day trips in this guide, a hire car gives you significantly more flexibility. That said, getting to Inari is possible by bus or as part of an organised tour and many operators in Saariselkä run day trips to Inari that include transport and entry to the Siida Museum.

If you’re booking an organised day trip, look for packages that include transport, museum entry and lunch – the café at Siida has an excellent buffet and it rounds out the experience perfectly.

Inari and the Siida Museum – highly recommended

Inari is about an hour’s drive north from Saariselkä – you pass through Ivalo on the way. The town itself is small and beautiful, sitting on the shore of Lake Inarijärvi, one of the largest lakes in Finland. In winter, the lake is frozen and the landscape around it is extraordinary.

The Siida Museum – also known as the Sámi Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Centre – is the reason to come here. I want to be clear about something – I am not a museum person. I do not typically seek out museums when I travel. But Siida was different and I would absolutely go back.

What is the Siida Museum?

Siida tells the story of the Sámi people – the Indigenous people of Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Russian Lapland – and their connection to this landscape. It’s interactive, visually powerful (huge photographs, immersive displays), community-led and genuinely respectful in how it presents the culture.

I was fortunate enough to be taken around by a guide who was Sámi herself. Her perspective and the stories she shared were something I couldn’t have got from reading the displays alone. If you can arrange a guided tour, do it.

There are also Lapland Lowdown members who have watched my interview with her – she gave me a significant amount of her time and shared a remarkable amount about her culture and how the Sámi community exists within modern Finnish society. It’s available inside the Lapland Lowdown portal.

The outdoor museum

Siida has both an indoor and an outdoor, open-air section of the museum. The outdoor section in winter – walking through historical Sámi structures in the snow and silence – is something that stays with you. Allow at least two hours for the museum, more if you want to move slowly and absorb everything.

Lunch at Siida

The café at Siida does a buffet lunch that is, genuinely, excellent value for Finnish Lapland. When I was there (January 2026), it was around 14 euros per person for a buffet that included soup, hot dishes, dessert and tea or coffee. They had a range of options including good quality protein and vegetables – exactly what you need after a morning exploring in the cold.

If you’re someone who wants to eat one main meal a day and keep costs down, the Siida buffet lunch is a smart choice.

Practical details

• Distance from Saariselkä: approximately 60km north, around 1 hour drive
• Entry: payable at the door; check the Siida website for current pricing
• Café: buffet lunch available – book ahead if possible in peak season
• Transport: car, bus or organised day tour from Saariselkä
• Time to allow: minimum 2 hours; longer if you want the outdoor section

Inari town

Inari the town (separate from the Siida Museum, though they’re both here) is small and quiet in a way I found really appealing. It has a supermarket or two, petrol, a few places to eat and that classic Finnish wilderness-on-the-doorstep feeling. The lake is stunning. On a clear day in winter, the frozen expanse of Lake Inarijärvi with light snow and flat light is one of those views that justifies the journey entirely.

I would love to spend more time in Inari. It felt like a place where things slow right down and the landscape does the talking. If you’re someone who loves that kind of environment, consider whether Inari itself might deserve a night or two rather than just a day trip.

Ivalo is worth a stop

Ivalo is about 30 minutes north of Saariselkä and is the home of Ivalo Airport (IVL) – the main entry point for travellers flying directly into the northern Lapland region. You’ll pass through it on the way to Inari.

I liked Ivalo. It’s a flat town – no dramatic hilltop like Saariselkä – but it has a proper town feel with more services than the resort villages around it. There’s a hospital, multiple supermarkets, a chemist (which Saariselkä doesn’t have – if you need prescription items, Ivalo or the Kuukkeli pharmacy section is your answer), shops and restaurants.

From a budget perspective, Ivalo tends to be less expensive than Saariselkä for accommodation and eating out. Several travellers I’ve spoken to have based themselves in Ivalo and done day trips to Saariselkä – it’s a completely viable approach that can reduce costs while still giving you access to everything the region offers.

I’m looking forward to exploring Ivalo further in September 2026 when I visit prior to the Lapland Group trip I’m hosting.

Further North – Utsjoki

Utsjoki is the northernmost municipality in Finland – about an hour and a half beyond Inari and the northernmost point of Finnish Lapland you can reasonably reach by road from Saariselkä. I haven’t driven the full stretch to Utsjoki on this particular trip, but I’ve spoken about it extensively with travellers who have.

The Northern Lights conditions get even better as you travel further north. Less light pollution, more darkness, more sky. Utsjoki sits right on the Norwegian border and in September I’m running a women’s group trip up to this area specifically for Northern Lights viewing – the conditions are extraordinary.

If you’re serious about Northern Lights and have the time for a drive north, Utsjoki is worth researching as either a day trip from Saariselkä or an overnight stop. Keep in mind that the roads can be challenging during winter and driving on your own may involve unnecessary risk.

You can learn more about opportunities in Utsjoki here with Aurora Holidays. I am hosting a Lapland Group Trip in September in Utsjoki and can’t wait to share more about it afterwards.

The road itself – drive slowly, stop often

One thing I want to emphasise about driving in this part of Finnish Lapland in winter – the roads are beautiful and they’re also condition-dependent. In extreme cold (we hit minus 35°C / -31°F during my stay), road conditions can change. Always check before you head out on a longer drive and allow extra time.

Learn more here about driving in winter in Lapland.

The other thing – stop for photos. The light in this part of the world in winter – that low, golden, often pink-tinged daylight – is unlike anything you’ll see in Australia. You will want to stop. Give yourself permission to.

Sodankylä – the last major town south

For context, travelling south from Saariselkä, Sodankylä is the last major town before Rovaniemi – around 140 kilometres away. It’s a useful waypoint if you’re driving in and out of the region and has services that are useful to know about (supermarkets, petrol, accommodation options). It was a great stopping point for us on our drive from Rovaniemi to Saariselka – we refuelled, ate lunch and stopped for the toilet.

Day trip summary: Northern Lapland from Saariselkä

• Inari + Siida Museum: ~60km north, ~1hr drive – highest recommendation, do not miss
• Ivalo: ~30km north, ~30min drive – good for services, budget accommodation, supermarket stocking
• Utsjoki: ~2.5-3hrs north – for serious Northern Lights seekers and wilderness lovers
• Sodankylä: ~140km south – useful waypoint when driving in/out

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