CityBuddy
Arktikum
Best time to visit
Visit in late afternoon (2-4 PM) to catch the changing light through the glass corridor, especially stunning during the blue hour of polar twilight between November and January.
Budget tips
Entry costs €14 for adults, with free admission for under-7s and a 20% discount for students. The Rovaniemi Card includes skip-the-line access and a 10% discount at the museum café.
Recommended for
Science and nature lovers, Photography enthusiasts, History curious travelers, Winter adventurers
Plan your visit
2-3 hours
About
Quick facts: The building itself tunnels under the ground to protect exhibits from harsh Arctic winters, with a glass corridor stretching 300 meters like a giant frozen caterpillar. Inside, you can watch the northern lights dance overhead on a 4K screen while standing in a thermal-heated room designed to feel like a cozy wooden hut.
Highlights: A 172-meter glass tube acts as an indoor street that channels the sun's path, flooding the underground galleries with natural light even when temperatures outside drop to -40°C. The museum's "SnowChange" exhibit lets you step into a replica of a 1950s Lapland home, then walk through a full-scale recreation of a modern Arctic research station to see how daily life has transformed in just one generation.
Insider tips
- The free audio guide adds 30 minutes of stories that bring exhibits like the 9,000-year-old bear skull to life, definitely grab one at the entrance.
- Skip the gift shop until the end, the best items (local Sami handicrafts and reindeer leather goods) are sold at the small boutique inside the final exhibition hall.
- Photograph the glass corridor at sunset when the low Arctic light paints the entire tunnel in shades of orange and pink.
- Visit on a weekday morning to have the northern lights theater almost to yourself, weekends draw bus groups from Helsinki.
Where to Stay in Helsinki
Selected by City Buddy based on guest reviews and proximity to top attractions
Search all hotels in HelsinkiPowered by agoda
Have you heard of free walking tours?
After traveling to 30+ countries, there's one thing I wish someone had told me from day one, and it completely changed how I experience new cities.
Free walking tours. Yes, actually free. No credit card needed. No catch.
Local guide, 2-3 hours
Major sights, hidden gems, local stories
100% tip-based
Guides earn only tips, so they give their absolute best
You tip what feels right
At the end, just tip whatever you feel is right
I've done these in dozens of cities and they've been the highlight of almost every trip. If you're visiting Helsinki, Finland, do this on your first day. You'll thank me later.
More attractions in Helsinki
All attractions in Helsinki →
Most popular itineraries!
Browse trip plans created by other travelers