Finland · SAUNA & AVANTO EXPERIENCES
The sauna is the easy half; the avanto — the hole in the ice you drop into afterwards — is the part people remember. These 15 range from a public sauna ticket on the Helsinki waterfront to a private smoke sauna in the Lapland woods, with prices and towel policies.
Traditional 1958 blacksmith sauna by the Kemijoki River, then hot stones and cold ice swimming, with Northern lights chances in a private 1.5-hour session.
“Easy access from Rovaniemi City Centre by bus, and the host was very polite and helpful. Would rate the experience highly!”
Forest hike near Helsinki, campfire Finnish lunch, and smoke sauna with lake plunge, plus small-group transport and guided nature time.
“Amazing experience - a great way to get out of Helsinki and see the forest, and have a sauna experience! Alex was wonderful as a guide”
Rovaniemi: wood-fired sauna, Arctic ice swim, open-fire smoked salmon dinner, and a Northern Lights chance on evening tours.
“BE AWARE OF THIS TOUR Terrible experience. If I can, I will give this trip zero star. Very unprofessional tour guide and the very poor communication from the company. We participated 4 tours at Rovianiemi, all other three from other companies were awesome and we had a lot of fun except this one. Do not waster your money and time.”
Arctic sauna and ice swimming on a frozen lake near Rovaniemi, plus fire-side dinner and an evening Northern Lights chance.
“I really recomend this activity… it was so pleasant to spend time in a little house in the middle of the forest, were we enjoyed with the sauna and bath in the lake… and also an incredible dinner after that! The tour guide and Tania the chef were so friendly.”
Get smoke and wood-burning sauna heat at Löyly in Helsinki, then cool off with a Baltic Sea swim and enjoy a seaside restaurant in 2 hours.
“It was amazing the saunas were fab, the Baltic baltic but exhilarating”
Private Finnish sauna by a lake, hot outdoor jacuzzi, and an old Lapland cottage dinner in Rovaniemi, with pickup for 3.5 hours.
“We had a private sauna and jacuzzi, they provides everything you need for a SPA day, transfer from your accommodation and a delicious dinner. The locations is amazing”
Rovaniemi Arctic SnowHotel tour with snow sauna, Finnish sauna and jacuzzi, plus ice rooms and winter fun. 5-6 hours
Guided private lakeside Finnish sauna in Rovaniemi, with aurora time, hot drinks, towels, and a 1-hour sauna session.
“This experience is going to stand out for us as incredibly memorable for years to come! We arrived in the forest complex to the twinkle of fairy lights and floor candles lighting the pathway into the visitor centre, and as if by devine intervention the sky opened up with a fine show of Aurora for us as we were shown to our lakeside Finnish sauna. Our guide Mara gave us a good rundown of what to expect and how to keep the sauna going- though we confess the Northern lights specacle kept us distracted for a good portion of our time! That said, we found this trip a perfect amount…”
Hike Sipoonkorpi’s taiga forests near Helsinki, then unwind in a Finnish smoke sauna with a cold lake swim and barbecue lunch.
“Amazing experience, loved it. Had no idea I was booking with a small business either and was pleasantly surprised. Our tour group was small and everyone got to know each other really well. Definitely recommend these guys and glad to support local.”
Rovaniemi sauna, ice swimming, and an open-air jacuzzi chance at the Northern Lights, with hot drinks and gingerbread.
Cycle Meilahti and Seurasaari by e-bike or bike, learn löyly in a Finnish sauna, enjoy BBQ and thermal baths in Helsinki.
“Luca was an awesome guide. He was well prepared and ensured that all bikes were working properly and kept the group on track, while providing an interesting narrative about the sights. This bike tour was a great way to get an overview of some distinctive aspects of Finnish culture in an off the beaten track way. Luca quickly stepped in and came through with a Plan B for a different sauna when there was a glitch with the lick on original sauna (not by fault of operator), which provided another dimension to our tour. Highly recommended!!!”
Try Kuukkeli SaunaWorld in Saariselkä: electric saunas, a smoke sauna, plunge pools, and possible northern lights, plus reindeer spotting nearby.
“There were three types of saunas. The outdoor sauna was the best. I could smell the smoke and watch the reindeer while I was in the sauna. The staff also kept the sauna clean, so I was able to spend a comfortable time there.”
Finnish sauna and guided ice swimming near Rovaniemi, in a 70-year-old sauna, with cold plunge help and Arctic views.
“We loved the experience with the sauna and bath in the icy river, highly recommended! We come out like newAuto-translated”
2 hours at Invisible Arctic Forest Spa in Lapland: Wave Sauna panoramas, outdoor hot pools, sauna lounge, and Arctic cocktails.
Wood-burning Finnish sauna, ice-hole plunge, fire snacks, and Rovaniemi pickup in small-group Lapland, with northern lights chances
“Definitely one of the highlights of our holidays in Rovaniemi. The remote location next to the lake is just beautiful. The Finnish sauna and the dip in the frozen lake afterwards were a unique experience. Alex and Tanja were lovely hosts and the food served after the sauna in the cosy cabin was delicious.”
Aurora nights, husky yards, icebreakers and archipelago ferries — and the best of each.
