Planning a DIY trip to Lapland and wondering where you can fly from in the UK or Ireland?
The good news is that there are more options than many people realise. Depending on where you live and which part of Lapland you want to visit, you can fly directly to Rovaniemi or Kittilä during the winter season, or travel via Helsinki for places such as Saariselkä, Inari and Ruka.
We’ve now planned three DIY trips to Finnish Lapland, including one to Levi and two to Rovaniemi. We’ve flown directly from the UK, compared routes from several airports and built our trips around the best-value flights available at the time.
In this guide, I’ll explain which UK and Ireland airports fly to Lapland, which airlines operate the routes, which Lapland airport is best for each resort and the cheapest ways to get there without booking an expensive package holiday.
I’ll also share what we’ve learnt from booking our own trips, including when prices tend to fall, when direct flights operate and why the cheapest flight is not always the cheapest overall holiday.
From DIY itineraries and Northern Lights tips to budgeting advice, destination guides and honest reviews of the places we've visited, you'll find everything together in our Lapland Travel Guide Hub.
Just a quick note before we begin. Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products, services and experiences we've used ourselves or genuinely believe will help you plan your trip. Thanks for supporting Build a Break.
Yes. During the winter season, you can fly directly from the UK to two airports in Finnish Lapland: Rovaniemi Airport and Kittilä Airport, which serves the popular ski resort of Levi.
From Ireland you can fly direct to Rovaniemi from two Irish airports.
These seasonal flights usually begin in late October or early November and continue until the end of the winter season, with the greatest choice of routes available in December.
If you're travelling to other parts of Lapland, such as Ruka, Saariselkä, Ylläs or Inari, you'll normally need to continue your journey after landing, either by bus, hire car, train or a short internal flight from Helsinki.
For most first-time visitors planning a DIY Lapland trip, Rovaniemi and Levi are the easiest destinations to reach.
. Rovaniemi has the widest choice of direct routes, while Kittilä offers a convenient arrival point for Levi from selected UK airports.
If you're still deciding which destination is right for you, don't miss our Rovaniemi vs Levi guide, where we've compared the two resorts to help you choose.
If you're planning a DIY Lapland trip, your choice of departure airport can make a huge difference to the overall cost. Prices can vary significantly depending on where you fly from, even on the same dates.
Direct flights from Ireland currently operate to Rovaniemi, while travellers heading to Levi will normally need to depart from the UK or connect through Helsinki.
The majority of direct flights from the UK and Ireland operate to either Rovaniemi or Kittilä (Levi) during the winter season, with services running from a growing number of regional airports.
Below are the direct routes currently available.
You can currently fly direct from:
Airlines include:
If you're planning a trip to Levi, Kittilä Airport is the closest airport and the easiest way to get there. It's located just 15 minutes from the resort, with regular airport transfers and taxis available throughout the winter season.
Direct flights currently operate from:
These routes are operated seasonally during the winter months and are ideal if you're planning to stay in Levi or explore nearby resorts.
We've flown into Kittilä ourselves on our DIY trip to Levi and found it incredibly straightforward. The transfer to the resort took around 15 minutes, meaning we were checking into our apartment less than an hour after landing.
There are no direct flights to Kittilä from Ireland
The best airport depends entirely on where you're planning to stay.
If it's your first visit to Lapland, Rovaniemi and Kittilä (Levi) are by far the easiest options. Both have direct flights from the UK and Ireland during the winter season, making them ideal for DIY trips.
If you're heading to one of Lapland's quieter resorts, such as Saariselkä, Inari or Ruka, you'll usually need to fly via Helsinki or continue your journey by car, bus or train after landing.
Here's a quick guide to which airport is best for each destination.
Rovaniemi Airport is the best choice if you're visiting Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village or attractions such as Snowman World. It's also a good option if you're travelling onwards to Pyhä or Luosto, both of which are around a 90-minute drive away.
As the busiest airport in Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi has the widest choice of direct flights from the UK and Ireland during the winter season.
Another option is to use Rovaniemi Airport as your gateway to Levi. There are regular coaches between Rovaniemi and Levi throughout the winter season, with the journey taking around 2½ to 3 hours. If you've found a much cheaper direct flight to Rovaniemi, it's well worth comparing the total cost, as flying into Rovaniemi and continuing by bus can sometimes work out better value than flying directly to Kittilä.
If you're staying in Rovaniemi, there's no need to hire a car. Local buses connect the airport with the city centre and Santa Claus Village, while many hotels also offer airport transfers. The city itself is compact and many attractions are within walking distance or easily reached by public transport.
If you're staying in Levi, Kittilä Airport is by far the most convenient choice. The airport is only around a 15-minute drive from the resort, with regular airport transfers and taxis available throughout the winter.
Kittilä is also the closest airport for Ylläs, making it a good option if you're planning a ski holiday or a quieter Lapland escape. We flew into Kittilä on our first DIY trip to Levi and found the transfer quick and straightforward, allowing us to be in our apartment less than an hour after landing.
A seasonal airport bus runs from Kittilä Airport to Ylläs during the main winter season (usually December 1 – April 30). This drops you off in the Ylläs villages (Äkäslompolo & Ylläsjärvi) directly from the airport.
If you're planning to visit Saariselkä or Inari, you'll normally fly into Ivalo Airport, the northernmost airport in Finland. While there are no direct flights from the UK or Ireland, it's easy to reach with a short connection through Helsinki.
From Ivalo Airport, Saariselkä is around a 30-minute drive, while Inari is approximately 45 minutes away. Regular airport buses meet arriving flights during the winter season, making it easy to reach both destinations without hiring a car.
Another option is to fly directly to Rovaniemi from the UK or Ireland and continue north by direct public bus. The journey to Saariselkä takes around 3 hours 15 minutes, with several services operating each day during the winter season. This can sometimes work out to be a cheaper alternative than connecting through Helsinki, particularly if you've found a good deal on direct flights to Rovaniemi.
If you're planning to visit Ruka, Kuusamo Airport is the closest and most convenient airport. While there are no direct flights from the UK or Ireland, it's easily reached with a short connection through Helsinki.
The journey from Kuusamo Airport to Ruka takes around 30 minutes, with regular airport buses operating during the winter season to coincide with arriving flights. Taxis and private transfers are also available if you prefer.
Another option is to fly directly to Rovaniemi from the UK or Ireland and continue to Ruka by public bus. The journey takes approximately 3 to 3½ hours, with services usually operating once per day during the winter season. If you choose this option, it's worth checking the timetable before booking your flights to ensure the bus connects with your arrival.
If you're planning to explore the surrounding area or visit places beyond Ruka, hiring a car will give you the most flexibility. However, if you're staying in the resort itself, it's perfectly possible to visit using public transport alone.
Direct flights from the UK and Ireland to Finnish Lapland usually take between 3½ and 4 hours, depending on your departure airport and destination.
If you're flying to Helsinki, the journey is slightly shorter at around 3 hours. From there, an internal flight to Lapland typically takes 1 to 1½ hours, with connections available to Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Kuusamo.
Although flying via Helsinki takes a little longer overall, it's often worth comparing prices before you book. We've frequently found that travelling this way opens up more flight options and can work out cheaper than flying directly, particularly if you're travelling outside the Christmas holidays or have flexible dates.
If you can't find affordable direct flights to Lapland, don't overlook Helsinki. In many cases, flying to Finland's capital can be significantly cheaper, particularly if you're travelling outside the busy Christmas period or have flexible travel dates.
From Helsinki, you can continue your journey to Lapland by taking a short internal flight to Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo or Kuusamo. Another popular option is the Santa Claus Express, an overnight sleeper train that travels north to Rovaniemi and Kolari. It's a memorable experience in its own right and a great way to start your Lapland adventure.
We always compare direct flights with routes via Helsinki before booking. Sometimes flying straight to Lapland offers the best value, but we've often found that travelling via Helsinki opens up cheaper flight options and gives you much more flexibility when planning a DIY itinerary.
If you're not tied to school holiday dates, it's definitely worth comparing both options before you book, as the savings can sometimes be substantial.
Finding cheap flights to Lapland is often the difference between an affordable DIY trip and one that feels out of reach. Prices can vary hugely depending on when you travel, which airport you fly from and even the day of the week you choose to fly.
The first thing I do is search using Skyscanner's whole month view. Rather than searching for fixed dates, it lets you compare prices across an entire month, making it much easier to spot the cheapest departure and return combinations.
If your travel dates are flexible, it's also worth checking more than one departure airport. We've often found that flying from a different airport has saved us well over £100, even after factoring in the extra travel to get there.
Another tip is to compare direct flights with routes via Helsinki. Direct flights are often the quickest option, but we've sometimes found that flying to Helsinki and continuing on by internal flight or the Santa Claus Express works out cheaper.
Finally, don't feel you have to book a package holiday.
On all three of our DIY Lapland trips, we've booked flights separately from our accommodation, giving us much more flexibility and, in many cases, saving a significant amount of money.
If you're looking for inspiration, every autumn and winter we also share DIY Lapland flight finds in our Travel Club, combining cheap flights and accommodation from airports across the UK and Ireland to help members find the best-value breaks.
We've now booked three DIY trips to Lapland, and one thing we've learnt is that flight prices can vary dramatically depending on your travel dates and how flexible you can be.
For our first family trip to Levi, we paid just £52 return per person for direct easyJet flights from Manchester to Kittilä. Our second trip, a three-day break to Rovaniemi, was even cheaper at £48 return per person.
The third trip cost a little more at £89 return per person, but on that occasion we were travelling for my daughter's birthday, so our dates weren't flexible. Even so, we still felt it represented excellent value for a direct flight to Lapland.
Over the last few years, we've also shared hundreds of Lapland flight deals across our social media channels and with members of our Travel Club. One thing we've learnt is that the cheapest fares rarely last long, so it pays to compare prices regularly and be ready to book when a good deal appears.
The biggest lesson we've learnt is not to assume Lapland flights are always expensive. If you can be flexible with your travel dates, departure airport or even your destination, it's often possible to find return flights for under £100 per person. We always compare flights to Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Helsinki before deciding which option offers the best overall value.
In our experience, yes, it often is.
When we first looked at visiting Lapland, we were quoted around £1,200 per person for a two-night package holiday. Instead, we planned the trip ourselves and spent £481 per person for a four-night stay in Levi, including flights, accommodation, airport transfers, activities, food, winter clothing and travel insurance.
Of course, prices vary depending on when you travel and how far in advance you book, but planning your own trip gives you far more flexibility. You can choose where to stay, decide which activities are worth paying for and travel for longer without necessarily spending more.
That doesn't mean package holidays aren't a good option. For many families, having everything organised, including clothing hire and transfers, is worth the extra cost. However, if you're happy to spend a little time planning your own itinerary, a DIY trip can offer excellent value and a much wider choice of flights and accommodation.
If you're looking for inspiration, we've now planned three DIY trips to Lapland and have written detailed guides covering everything from choosing between Rovaniemi and Levi to packing tips, budget itineraries and honest activity reviews. You'll find them all in our Lapland Travel Guide Hub.
And if you'd like us to do the searching for you, our Travel Club shares seasonal DIY Lapland deals by combining cheap flights and accommodation from airports across the UK and Ireland, helping members find great-value trips throughout the booking season.
Copyright © Build a Break | Website by Furness Media
