The Artisan Blog

What you need to know about the Midnight Sun before your summer escape to Finland...

Have you ever wondered what summer in Finland is really like? Let me tell you –it's unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. This is your chance to be part of something truly extraordinary and witness a natural wonder you will never forget; the Midnight Sun.  

This summer, it’s just you, the locals, and the wild in open wilderness. You’ll feel like you’ve stumbled onto a hidden world that’s all yours to explore. No rush, no stress -just pure, unfiltered adventure.

What’s the science behind the Midnight Sun?

It’s one of those things that sounds too magical to be real, but it absolutely is. The sun doesn’t set, instead it hovers just slightly above the horizon, bathing everything in the most incredible warm light and keeping the wilderness alive. 

The endless daylight gives you endless amount of opportunity to explore anything, from midnight hikes, hours' worth of ‘golden hour’ and taking in the mesmerising scenery with the locals.  And it’s not just people who thrive under the Midnight Sun. The land itself comes alive. The forests get greener, the air feels fresher, and of course, the sun is always shining.

When Can You See It?

Here’s the best part: the Midnight Sun isn’t just a fleeting moment. In Finland, it’s in full swing from around mid-June to early July, and the further north you go, the longer it lasts. Imagine having all that extra time to explore and soak up the magic.

We know how to make every moment count, and we want you to experience this first hand. Whether it’s a peaceful evening paddle on a glowing lake or a guided hike through landscapes that look like they’ve been plucked from a postcard, we’ve got you covered. And while you’re at it, dive into the Sami culture. Their traditions, their stories—they’ll stay with you long after the trip is over. So out advice is,start your summer escape to Finland now!

Envision your summer experience in Finland...

Finland is home to some of the most untouched and undiscovered landscapes, due to its amount of Arctic wilderness and dramatic landscapes. During the winter months, Finland is the land of the Northern Lights, with frozen lakes, snow-covered forests and the white scenery that leaves you in a winter dream. But summer in Finland is also just as mesmerizing, and it not as commonly heard of as their winter, leaving it more undiscovered and perfect for travellers looking to escape the crowds and just be among the locals and their nature.

If you have ever dreamed of a place where the sun never sets, and nature glows in golden hues all day and night, then we are here to tell you that such a place exists, and it’s waiting for you in Finland this summer...

Picture yourself surrounded by breathtaking beauty, where endless daylight transforms the typical imagination of an Arctic landscape into something truly magical with 24/7 sun. Spend your summer in Finland hiking through sunlit forests, with the fresh scent of pine filling the air. Every step brings you closer to crystal-clear lakes that mirror the vibrant greens of the trees around them. 

Now, take a moment to breathe in - can you feel the crisp, clean air rejuvenating your spirit? Up in Northern Finland, Lake Inari is a secluded sanctuary of pristine wilderness, deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Sami culture and untouched by time. For the adventurers at heart, Finland’s dramatic mountains and landscapes are a dream come true.

Hike to your heart’s content, paddle across tranquil waters, or simply bask in the enchanting glow of the Midnight Sun. And when the day winds down (not that the sun does!), you’ll find warmth and comfort in Finland’s cosy wilderness retreats. Picture yourself unwinding with a smile, knowing you’ve just experienced something truly extraordinary.

This isn’t just a summer getaway; it’s a chance to reconnect with nature and with yourself. Every moment here feels like a gift - an unforgettable adventure waiting to be unwrapped.

Rather than battle through the crowds during your summer holiday, why not choose a location away from the flocks of tourists without having to sacrifice on culture and interest?

Usually, when the Artisan team travel to Finnish Lapland we visit during the winter season between the end of November and the beginning of April. However, this year we were given the opportunity to travel to Finland and Norway in the month of May. Lapland in spring provides a very different type of trip to the ones that we offer in the winter months.

Despite it being May I have to say that I was surprised to be greeted in Finland by blazing sun and a nice warm temperature of 21°C! Having got off the plane it was time to jump into the hire car and start our Finnish adventure.

The Arctic Circle is generally associated with winter and long, dark nights but I have always found the prospect of the Midnight Sun and the endless summer days to be alluring. It is something which is hard to understand when you come from a world that has both light and dark each day. In fact, this natural phenomenon seems so unnatural to us in the UK that it can divide opinion. I have since returned from the far north of Finland and having just experienced the Midnight Sun for myself I can honestly say that it should be on every bucket list, and don’t worry, the hotels in Finland have excellent blackout blinds!

At this time of year, the sun does not set in Northern Norway. Whilst slightly disorientating at first, I soon came to really enjoy the never-ending days and the opportunities this opened. In this time of the Midnight Sun, Norwegians sleep less – they fish, they kayak, they BBQ, they island hop – more daylight means more time to enjoy the splendours of the land and socialise until the early hours.

At around 11.30pm the sun dips toward, but never quite reaches, the horizon. The Norwegian fjords and mountains are bathed in a pinkish golden glow and the scenery looks all the more idyllic, exuding a sense of warmth and serenity. As strange as it sounds, one of my favourite things to do was to simply sit on the water’s edge and enjoy the colours of the light.

One of the key highlights of the trip was the chance to spend time on the island of Senja. Having listened to colleagues rave about it for years, it was a place I was eager to see. I can confirm that it does indeed live up to the hype.

It didn’t really occur to me until afterwards, but to see a whale in the wild is truly a magnificent experience.

We were lucky enough to see four sperm whales up close off the coast of Norway (although, as Daniele our guide pointed out to us, your eyes play tricks with you at sea and what feels like 20 metres away is more like 80) and it makes you feel overwhelmingly humbled to witness an animal that has swum in our oceans for more than 5 million years.

The adjective ‘beautiful’ is banned in our office so I have had to delve into my thesaurus to accurately describe what I thought of Norway on my recent stay. Glorious, splendid, gorgeous, lovely and stunning are a good way to start, but perhaps most accurately, my overall thoughts on the parts of Norway we explored were that they were so easy on the eye that it was almost laughable.

The magnificent Treehotel in Swedish Lapland has finally opened their latest accommodation - the new 7th Room.

"We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow."

I've always wanted to incorporate Led Zeppelin into one of my blogs and the opening lines from their classic "Immigrant Song" presented the perfect opportunity.

Singer Robert Plant was inspired to write the lyrics when the band played in Iceland 1970 and this remarkable island has continued to inspire ever since.

I have been lucky enough to visit Tromsø in Norway several times in recent years, both in the summer and winter months, and I really like the city. It has a lot to attract people, including some mind-blowingly good restaurants, lively bars, cute little shops and a really beautiful harbour area.

I thought I had seen most of what Tromsø and the surrounding area had to offer, but it was only on my recent visit last summer that I learnt of the island of Senja....