Dreaming of Ruka-Kuusamo | Year Round Finnish Dream Destination
With over 30 blogs about Finland and Lapland on Traveltomtom, it's safe to say that we have become true Lapland enthusiasts and fans! And of course, sharing our love for Lapland with our readers is the most beautiful thing there is.
Years ago Rovaniemi was our only and biggest Finnish and Lappish dream. This dream was actually based solely on the fact that Santa Claus lives in Rovaniemi, which is why we wanted to go there so badly.
Now that Finland and Lapland have become so dear to us and we have been travelling there at least once a year in recent years, we are also very curious about the rest of Finland and Lapland in particular. Our dreams now extend beyond Rovaniemi. Lapland has so much more to offer and we want to discover so much more. But where do you begin?
For us, dreaming about Lapland means dreaming of icy temperatures and snow-capped landscapes in winter, endless forests, rivers and lakes in summer, amazing Ruska colours in Autumn, beautiful nature and national parks, a place where locals prefer to go all year long and a place still relatively unknown to (mass) tourism.
For us, that also means dreaming about that one destination that touches your heart. Where, no matter the season, nature is the star of every season.
Of course, we're also influenced by what we see on social media. Lately, we've seen quite a bit of content coming from Finnish Lapland, almost always from Ruka-Kuusamo. Because we are really excited about these images, we decided to take a closer look at this destination in eastern Finland.
In this blog post, we'd like to share with you how we pick a new destination and which factors played a major role in our decision to choose Ruka-Kuusamo.
To start watch here a Youtube video about Ruka-Kuusamo, Finland – Sauna, silence, outdoor adventures and a premier ski resort.
This video about Ruka-Kuusamo perfectly sums up everything about this Finnish dream destination and all it has to offer, and when we see this, we immediately want to book flights and experience it for ourselves!
Outstanding outdoor destination
Nature and the outdoors play an important role in our travels, so a destination must truly offer this. Turns out, Ruka-Kuusamo is an award-winning outdoor destination. You've already caught our attention! They have been awarded the prestigious Scandinavian Outdoor Award in 2025. This award means that they were officially the 2025 Outdoor Destination of the Year. The award was presented at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel fair in Germany.
This award shows that for Ruka-Kuusamo, nature and the outdoors are central and incredibly important. For us definitely a reason to choose a destination and surely a reason to pick Ruka-Kuusamo as next destination!
National Parks
When you search for Lapland online, you often see those dreamy nature images of snow-capped trees. Of course we're familiar with those images too. But you won't find these snow-covered trees just anywhere in Lapland. In fact, during all our previous trips we have never seen these so-called Marshmallow trees before. Ruka-Kuusamo is surrounded by three stunning national parks, Oulanka, Riisitunturi and Hossa. For outdoor lovers this is a dream, and certainly for us too!
We are especially excited about Riisitunturi National Park. Riisitunturi offers magical views over snow-covered trees and fells as well as the famous marshmellow trees.
However Oulanka is famous for the Karhunkierros Trail which winds through roaring rapids and ancient forests, while Hossa enchants with crystal clear lakes and prehistoric rock paintings.
Whatever season you visit Ruka-Kuusamo, the national parks always have something to offer!
Year round destination
Although Lapland is mainly known as a true winter destination, it is also beautiful in summer and autumn. This also applies to Ruka-Kuusamo. They offer year-round events and activities. International sports competitions such as the FIS World Cup brings elite athletes and a lot of excitement to the area. Then they also have local festivals like the Polar Night Light Festival and the Solstice festival, offering culture, music and regional flavors in the heart of nature.
Winter of course is snow, freezing temperatures, Northern Lights and all the Lapland activities you can imagine like huskies, reindeer, snowmobile, sauna, and so on. However, when the snow starts to melt, summer arrives! When summer arrives it’s time for fishing, hiking, paddling and riding the rapids. You can go mountain biking and horseback riding or simply explore on foot.
In Summer you can bask in the purity and peace of nature. And also enjoy the peace and quiet, because Lapland is still an undiscovered destination in the summer! Where in Autumn it’s all about soaking up the wonders of nature, especially the season’s wonderful and amazing Ruska colours!
Finnish culture
Over the years we fell in love with Finnish culture and traditions. Diving into Ruka-Kuusamo we have seen that their cultural roots run deep in reindeer herding, something hardcore Lapland. Visiting reindeer farms, which can be done year round, gives unique experiences through authentic farm visits in the region. It gives you insight into the Arctic life and the peaceful coexistence with nature. The region also celebrates the Finnish sauna culture.
Whatever you’re after, they offer it. Smoke saunas, lakeside saunas, ice saunas (yes they do exist!), combined with the silence of the wilderness provide a perfect balance to the active outdoor adventures.
Local’s favorite
As great as it is when a destination is a tourist hotspot, for us it's only truly interesting when it's popular with locals. When locals find a destination worthwhile and prefer it over a destination abroad, you know you're in good hands. Ruka-Kuusamo is a real locals favorite!
Finns from all corners of Finland love to come to Ruka-Kuusamo for its diverse offerings and year-round possibilities.
It often starts as a child, when your parents take you on a (ski) holiday to Ruka-Kuusamo. As teenagers and early twenties, you often return to Ruka-Kuusamo with your own group of friends, to the place where you had such a great time as a child. Then you start a family of your own, and the cycle essentially begins all over again, as you bring your own children back to Ruka-Kuusamo.
With a country full of lakes, forests, and the most beautiful and diverse scenery, it's certainly remarkable that Ruka-Kuusamo is so beloved by the Finns. It makes us incredibly curious and makes us want to visit this place really badly!
The local hospitality also makes it a unique destination. As a visitor, you're not welcomed as a tourist, but as a guest! We love it when accommodations, guides, restaurants and tour operators are family-owned businesses. It’s these family-owned businesses that form the backbone of the Ruka-Kuusamo experience. The passion and personal touches added by these businesses infuse every experience with authenticity.
All in all, Ruka-Kuusamo is the perfect next destination in Finnish Lapland for us, after we visited Rovaniemiseveral times. We think that here it is even more about nature, Finnish culture and outdoor life. Ruka-Kuusamo offers us a great number of factors that are important to us when choosing a holiday destination. The nature and outdoor possibilities, local cultures and traditions and the year round events and activities make it very interesting for us.
Ruka-Kuusamo is more than a destination, it's an experience that stays with you. It's a place where nature, culture, and northern well-being meet. At Ruka Kuusamo, stories aren't just told, they're lived in every step, every breath, and every moment.
At Traveltomtom, we're certain; Ruka-Kuusamo is our next destination in Lapland. And we can't wait to explore it. So stay tuned in 2026 to find out if Ruka-Kuusamo will make our dreams come true.