Finland Weather in November 2025: Travel Tips for First-Timers

November is cold to freezing in Finland, and thus the perfect backdrop to a winter holiday full of snow and natural beauty. We recommend visiting Helsinki, Tampere, Rovaniemi, and Inari. Read on to find out more about travel and weather, including temperatures, rainfall, humidity, and tips for November.

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• 1. Weather Overview
• 2. Best Places to Visit
• 3. Crowds and Costs
• 4. What to Wear

Finland Weather in November: Overview

Averages: 

• Temperature range: -3–2°C (28–36°F)
• Rainfall: 6 cm (2 inches)
• Rainy/snowy days: 13
• Sunshine hours/day: 1
• Humidity: around 91% (damp throughout all of Finland)

November marks the beginning of winter in Finland, and this can be seen in the landscapes and felt in the weather. While the south of the country isn't necessarily covered in snow yet, the north definitely is, and there are around 13 days of rain/snow in the month of November. The humidity levels are high around 91%.

Temperatures are cold to freezing, hovering around the freezing point. There is also little sunshine, around 1 hour per day, as the sun rises very late and sets early, creating a unique atmosphere to days there.

November Climate Comparison (Averages) for Finland's Top Tourism Areas

The Best Places to Visit in Finland in November

November is a great time to visit Finland for a winter's escape. During this time, there aren't many tourists, and the temperatures haven't dropped quite as much as they will in December and January. The north of the country does already have some snow, but the south of the country (usually) doesn't yet.

We recommend starting your trip to Finland in Helsinki and Tampere, and then traveling over to Rovaniemi and Inari. This way you will get a mix of culture, historical sights, natural beauty, and a chance to discover both the south of Finland and Finnish Lapland.

Our team of Finland experts are able to help you plan your trip, should you need or want a little guidance. This way you can focus on getting excited about your upcoming holiday without worrying about the logistics. Explore visiting Finland with Global Highlights today.

1. Taste Finnish Delicacies and Visit Helsinki's Best Museums

Helsinki is a bustling capital city, with plenty to do for every type of traveler. We suggest checking out some museums in the city in order to learn a little more about Finnish history and culture.

There is the Helsinki City Museum, but the most popular museum there is probably Kiasma, or the Museum of Contemporary Art. This is where you will find exhibits from both local Finnish artists and international artists, giving an insight into its art and culture.

Afterwards, we suggest heading over to the Old Market Hall just off Market Square. Market Square is worth a visit anyway, due to its historical importance as the city's central market square. Today, at the Old Market Hall, you will find shops selling local Finnish products and drinks.

We recommend trying Finnish meat pastries, known as lihapiirakka, as well as reindeer stew, a commonly eaten dish in Finland. At the market you will also find local fish dishes, such as salmon soup or salmon pie, or smoked fish. The vendors will be able to help you explain what is special about the local dishes, or if you prefer, Global Highlights can arrange for a tour guide to take you so you don't miss out on any of the best dishes! Contact us to plan an authentic Finland trip.

2. Go Ice Swimming in Tampere

While it sounds absolutely terrifying, ice swimming is a popular activity in Finland. Many of its lakes freeze over, but there are lots of spots where the ice either doesn't fully cover the lake, or where a hole is broken into it in order to give way to swimmers.

Combined with a visit to a sauna (did you know Finland has more saunas than cars?), you really can't get more Finnish than ice swimming. While many hotels in Finland have saunas, we suggest finding a traditional local sauna and ice swimming spot to experience this.

Tampere is home to the oldest public sauna in Finland, Rajaportti sauna, dating back to 1906. It's still active today, and a great one to visit. For a sauna on the lake that combines the opportunity to dip in the cold water, check out Rauhaniemi or Kaupinoja saunas.

3. Catch a Glimpse of the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi

The northern lights are often one of the main reasons that visitors come to Finland, and November is a good time of year to see them (between mid-August and mid-April is when there is the most activity). One of the best places to see them is Finnish Lapland, of which Rovaniemi is the capital. On many nights, the skies there light up in dancing green, purple, and blue lights, something that should be on everybody's bucket list.

We suggest going out from Rovaniemi, and heading out of the city further into the Arctic Circle or towards Arktikum Park to see the aurora borealis and enjoy some of Finnish Lapland's peace and quiet.

Rovaniemi is also home to Santa Claus Village, where you can meet Santa himself all year round. November, of course, is a great time of the year to do this before the Christmas season makes it very busy. You can read more about this in our article about visiting Rovaniemi in October.

4. See Real Reindeer at a Reindeer Farm in Inari

In northern Lapland, you'll find a city called Inari, not too far from Rovaniemi. This city is home to the Sami people, a different ethnographic group of people that live across Sweden, Finland, and Russia. There you will be able to sample a little bit of their culture at the Siida Sami Museum and Nature Center, which also sells wonderful local artisan products and gifts for family back home.

The natural landscapes in Inari are also incredible, and not likely to be matched by anything you will have seen before, with vast, snowy scenes and endless forests blanketed in a thick white layer of snow. Visitors come for lots of different outdoor activities like river rafting, cross-country skiing, and walking.

Inari is also where you will find lots of reindeer farms, where you can meet the reindeer native to this landscape. Many of the reindeer farms also offer snowmobile safaris, where you can see some more of the local landscape.

Low Season: Less Expensive and Fewer Crowds

November is low season in Finland, with few tourists and relatively lower prices for transportation and accommodation. This makes it a great time of the year to visit.

On November 2, 2024, Finland celebrates All Saint's Day, a memorial day for Christian saints remembering those who have passed away. In 2025, this is celebrated on November 1, as it always falls on the first Saturday of November. Smaller restaurants and museums might not be open, so we suggest researching and planning ahead.

What to Wear in November

November is freezing to cold in Finland, and we recommend preparing ahead of time to ensure that you don't suffer the cold. We suggest bringing a thick proper winter coat, waterproof trousers and shoes for those visiting the snowy northern parts of the country, and a good pair of gloves, a hat, and a scarf.

Underneath your coat you will want to wear thermal underwear or under layers, as well as fleece or woolen layers to protect from the low temperatures. If you want to go skiing, most of the ski resorts do rent equipment so you don't have to bring that unless you have anything specific you prefer to use.