Finland is one of our favourite places in the world, and there’s no best time to visit than winter. Here are 8 reasons to visit Oulu in winter – this Finnish city is the gateway to Lapland and the 2026 Capital of Culture!
Experiencing the beauty of the North in winter is something that should be on everyone’s travel list. Yes, the Northern Lights are amazing indeed – if you are lucky enough to see them.
There are also plenty of fun outdoor experiences, from husky safaris to sauna followed by ice swimming, snowmobile, and the like – but if you ask me, admiring the Arctic light is the most unforgettable experience of them all.
The destination of our last Finnish trip was Oulu, a city in Northern Finland. Oulu is south of the Arctic Circle, so it doesn’t experience complete darkness in winter.
At the time of our visit in late November, the sun rose around 10 AM and set by 2 PM – four hours of spectacular golden-peach light, as the sun never rises high above the horizon, making it appear as if sunrise and sunset happened one after the other.
The darkness and lack of sunlight of the Nordic winter are seen by many outsiders as depressing, but after having visited, I can guarantee that the atmosphere is truly magical – especially if you’re lucky to get some sunny days.
Enjoying the winter light and atmosphere is reason enough to visit Oulu in winter. Yet, there’s plenty more to see and do – and since the town is the gateway to Lapland, you can always use it as a base to extend your trip further north.
Let’s have a look at some practical info, before moving on to 8 things to do in Oulu in winter!
Where is Oulu?
First things first, Oulu is located on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia in Northern Finland, 200 km south of Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle, and 600 km north of Helsinki.
It’s about 100 km away from Kemi, home to the famous Kemi Snow Castle, and a perfect place to combine with Oulu for a Finnish winter break!
Looking for more Finnish winter destinations? Read our post about North Karelia in winter!
Oulu Winter Weather – What’s it Like?
Ok, so we’ve established that Oulu is fairly up north, so I’m sure you’ll be wondering one thing – how cold does it actually get in winter?
During our late November visit, we were lucky to have four nice and sunny days, with daytime highs around -5°C, dropping to -10/-15 at night. The climate was dry, which made the cold easier to handle.
You’ll quickly notice that Oulu locals enjoy the outdoors in all seasons – riding bikes, hiking, and running even when the temperature drops to -20. An Oulu local told us that -5 is considered ‘nice winter weather’, so be warned!
We were quite lucky to find sunny and considerably mild winter weather in Oulu, but it can indeed get chilly – in January/February, temperatures of -25/30 are not uncommon.
Naturally, you’ll also find plenty of snow when visiting Oulu in winter. The first snow may fall as early as late September, and by November/December it will be a true winter wonderland. Make sure you take some sturdy winter boots, possibly with spikes to avoid slipping on the icy footpaths!
Oulu in Winter – Things to Do
1) Lumo Light Festival
The main reason of our winter visit to Oulu was Lumo Light Festival, taking place every year in mid-November. The festival features all sorts of light installations by Finnish and international artists, in various locations around the city – from the former water tower to public parks, city streets, and even the ground floor of a shopping centre.
The idea behind Lumo Light Festival is to bring light through art in people’s life, during one of the darkest months of the year. In the words of Henry, an Oulu local who guided us around on our first day, ‘November is a really difficult month. It’s dark and cold, but there’s not yet much snow – normally we just stay in. We need something to cheer us up!’
The 2021 edition of Lumo Light Festival featured 18 light installations all over the city, all numbered and linked together by a 3 km itinerary. Many of them are inspired by the environment – such as Gaia, a 7-meter replica of Planet Earth, or The Well, with rows of dangling CDs reminiscent of cascading water.
The most striking installation of all was probably The Traveler, a space-themed video mapping projection on the façade of Oulu Cathedral.
Lumo Light Festival has proven to be very successful – in 2021, despite travel restrictions and very low tourist numbers, the festival was visited by approximately 50,000 people. The streets were buzzing from 4 to 10 PM, the time the installations were operating.
For information on the 2021 installations of Lumo Light Festival and for future editions, visit the official website!
2) Enjoy Nature in the City
Lumo Light Festival was the main reason for us to visit Oulu in winter, but there’s plenty more to see and do! Like Helsinki, Oulu has some amazing parks and is set close to protected nature areas where it’s possible to go hiking and birdwatching.
In the vicinity of Oulu, you can explore different habitats – coastal nature in Letonniemi, bogs at Pilpasuo, and forests along the Sanginjoki outdoor routes. Kempeleenlahti is also known to be a great birdwatching location.
If you don’t have much time to get away from Oulu but still want to enjoy some urban nature, head to Pikisaari, an island right opposite the city centre, connected by a bridge. There’s a forest in the top of the island, and some traditional wooden houses. You can follow the loop trail circling the entire perimeter, perfect for a morning walk or run!
3) Visit a Fishermen’s Village
Another fun thing to do when visiting Oulu in winter is a day trip to Hailuoto, an island about 50 km from the city. Hailuoto is easy to reach with a combo of car and free ferry connecting the island to the mainland, or else you can arrange transportation with Saaga Travel.
One unmissable spot in Hailuoto is Marjaniemi, a sleepy fishermen’s village with traditional red wooden houses – most of which are rented out in the summer. There’s also a lighthouse you can climb to see the village from above.
In winter, Marjaniemi will be extremely quiet, but the pretty Arctic light and the red houses make for some good photo opportunities. In summer, Marjaniemi hosts the Bättre Folk music festival, and thousands of revellers descend upon the village – I’d be really curious to see it!
4) Meet Artists in Hailuoto
There’s also another reason to visit Hailuoto during your time in Oulu in winter. The island has long been popular with artists, attracted to its nature, peace, community, and unique light.
We visited on a sunny winter day, and saw the sunrise from the ferry, shining a powdery pink light made more vibrant by the slate-blue sea. Once again, the day was brief but intense – we walked under mottled light filtering through snow-covered trees, under a candy-floss sunset in Marjaniemi, and surrounded by a starry sky as we made our way back.
Artists, writers, and photographers have the option of spending time in Hailuoto on residencies. Programs last between one week and one month – artists get a private room and shared workspace in the Hailuoto Culture House, a renovated 1930s heritage house with a sauna and recording studio.
Hailuoto also has a resident artist community – we got to meet Eija Ranta, a movement artist who runs workshops encouraging people to use their own bodies as a creative medium.
In summer, the Hailuoto Culture House organizes workshops and performances, but winter is a little quieter. Even if there’s not much going on, you can still experience a piece of Hailuoto’s creative soul by heading to Organum, three interconnected concrete domes by acoustic artist Lukas Kuhne.
Organum is surrounded by trees, on the edge of a small cove. It’s always open and everyone is allowed to enter at any time, and do whatever they want – sing, dance, meditate, play an instrument, or just use their voice to see how sound changes while moving around the structure.
6) Learn How to Make Chocolate
We were lucky with the weather during our Oulu visit in winter, but cold, wet, or snowy weather is a likely occurrence. If that’s the case, you might be looking for an indoor activity – and we have a really good one to recommend!
Chocosomnia is a chocolate-making business on the outskirts of Oulu, owned by Riikka, a chocolate aficionado who started making chocolates in her own kitchen. Chocosomnia is a combination of the words ‘chocolate and ‘dreaming’ – and Riikka’s dream indeed came true, as she soon outgrew her kitchen and moved to the sleek factory where workshops are held.
During the workshop, you’ll learn how to handle and temper chocolate, turning cacao pastilles into tasty chocolate bars and other treats, with the signature ‘snappy’ texture given by the correct tempering process. Then, you’ll also have a go at making pralines, choosing the fillings you prefer – we went for orange, passion fruit, and raspberry.
Naturally, you’ll be able to eat as much chocolate as you can, and also take home a small box of the treats you’ll make, a wonderful Oulu souvenir for your family and friends. The experience is an absolute steal at only €51 per person – I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend a day in Oulu when it rains!
7) Try Ice Fishing
On nice, sunny weekend mornings, you may notice several lone individuals sitting on the frozen sea, naturally all at an adequate distance from one another (this is Finland, after all). You may wonder what they are doing – the answer is ice fishing, an iconic Finnish activity and one of the best things to do in Oulu in winter!
Our ice fishing experience was organized by Oulu Safaris and took place in Nallikari, a beach about 15 minutes drive from Oulu, one of the favourite spots of locals in summer as well as winter. You’ll be onto the frozen sea on sledges, reaching a scenic spot on the Gulf of Bothnia – if you visit in winter, you may expect the ice to be approximately 40/50 cm thick, hard enough to withstand the weight of people and vehicles.
Your guide will provide you with everything you need – drills to cut holes into the snow, seats, tiny ice-fishing rods and bait. And then… you wait. Sit and swish the rod around, admire the sun rising at 10 AM, the frozen Finnish nature, and enjoy everything being still and silent. You may or may not catch something – we didn’t in Oulu, but we did when we visited Mikkeli in winter, so you never know!
8) Explore Nature on Sliding Snowshoes
Ok, do you prefer something a little more active than ice fishing? We have another wonderful activity for you perfect for Oulu in winter – a forest excursion on sliding snowshoes in Pilpasuo, about 30 minutes inland from Oulu.
Sliding snowshoes are similar to the Altai skis we used in Nuuksio when we visited Helsinki in winter – they are shorter and wider than usual cross-country skis, and fitted with seal skins underneath to increase grip. They’re very easy to maneuver, even if you’re an absolute beginner at skiing, and they allow you to ‘glide’ over the trail.
Pilpasuo is a boggy area at the edge of a forest, covered in snow in winter, with a trail of approximately 2.5 km. The first part of the excursion is through the forest, then you’ll reach a clearing with a flat, snow-covered area where it’s really fun to ski. Outings also include a coffee break at a nearby kota, a wooden hut shaped like a teepee with a fireplace in the centre.
Our sliding snowshoe trip was organized by Finnaction, a local operator that specializes in active experiences, including mountain biking.
8) Go on a Northern Lights Safari
There’s only one way to close your Oulu winter experience with a bang – seeing the Northern Lights.
Now, let me tell you a couple of things about the Northern Lights. Yes, Oulu is far north enough, but don’t forget that to see them you need three elements – a clear sky, absence of artificial light, and magnetic activity on the surface of the sun.
As a result, the Northern Lights are never ‘guaranteed’ – to give you an idea, in 2016 we spent 2 weeks in Northern Finland, including a week-long stay in Salla, and never saw them.
You need to be lucky to get the right conditions, and joining a tour will definitely help find locations where the Lights might appear.
On top of that, the Northern Lights are often not visible to the naked eye. You may see them through your camera, so don’t be disappointed if you only see faint lights. They’re still amazing!
On our last night in Oulu, we joined a Northern Lights tour with Oulu Safaris. We were taken to two different locations – a snow-covered golf course and a little harbour just outside Oulu.
The Northern Lights made a brief appearance, arches of flickering green light rising from the horizon, and dissolving into the night sky.
It was a magical moment, yet it was so brief and fleeting, that we all looked and one another wondering if we had indeed seen the Northern Lights. Then, night descended again. I thought it was a kind of metaphor for life, especially in these troubled times.
You need a dark night to truly appreciate the beauty of light.
Looking for more Finland in winter ideas?
- 8 Reasons to Visit Arctic Lakeland
- 18 Best Things to do in Helsinki in Winter
- 8 Things to do in North Karelia in Winter
- The Perfect Day Trip from Helsinki to Tallinn
- 1 Week Bothnian Coastal Route Itinerary
Our visit to Oulu was part of the TraCEs – CultourIsCapital project, in collaboration with Visit Oulu and iAmbassador.
I’ve been recently looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations in Europe where I could truly relax and take a break from the city hustle and bustle. And I found your blog 🙂
Oulu seems perfect for me at the moment and I’m already looking for flights 🙂
Thank you for all the work you do!