Kittilä

Kittilä is a municipality in Finnish Lapland. The best known destinations here are the Levi ski resort (at Sirkka), Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park in the west (Ylläsjärvi, Jerisjärvi/Rauhala) and Lemmenjoki National Park in the north. The snow village in Lainio has got a lot of attention lately.

Ounasjoki river

The airport serves many destinations also outside Kittilä.

Get in

By plane

• 🌍 Kittilä Airport (KTT  ^IATA) (5 km north from the centre). is served by Finnair and Norwegian from Helsinki as well as some charter airlines from the British Isles and Central Europe. Public transport to several destinations, partly, especially off season, as shuttle services that have to be booked in advance. There are several car rental companies at the airport, but advance reservation may be needed.  
• Tunturilinjat Oy, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Regular service to Levi in season. Also other connections. 
• Rundgren ky, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Services to Ylläsjärvi and Äkäslompolo 
• Kilpisjärven Taksi, ☎ [phone]. Taxi to Hetta and Kilpisjärvi. Reservations a day before. 
• Other shuttles, ☎ [phone]. Shuttles to Muonio, Olos, Jeris and Pallas. 
• Other coaches. For Eskelisen Lapinlinjat, Gold Line etc, passing the airport and centre on their way from Kilpisjärvi or Hetta to Rovaniemi (about three services daily), see Matkahuolto. €3.30–6.60. 

By car

Kittilä is situated about 150 km north from Rovaniemi. Many people coming from the south choose to take the car with them on the train from Helsinki and then drive from either Rovaniemi or from Kolari which is just some 60 km away from Kittilä (however the train to Kolari only runs twice a week).

Optionally you can drive from Helsinki. The distance is almost 1000 km and the drive will take some 12–14 hours depending on road conditions. If driving from Germany or Central Europe in general, the shortest alternative is to drive through Sweden along road E4 all the way to Luleå and then through Pajala to the Finnish border and on to Kittilä.

By rail

There are overnight trains to Rovaniemi and to Kolari (sparsely to the latter) from southern Finland and to Luleå from southern Sweden. From there you can continue by coach.

By bus

There are coach services from e.g. Rovaniemi, Hetta, Kilpisjärvi, Kolari, Sodankylä and Haparanda.

Get around

See

Särestöniemi Museum

• Kittilä Town Hall (Kittilän kunnantalo), Valtatie 15, FI-99100 Kittilä, Finland, ☎ [phone]. 8:00–11:00, 11:45–16:00. Kittilä Town Hall is located at the south part of the town centre. Visit Town Hall information desk for local maps and tips for activities. 
• Kittilä wooden church, Valtatie 93. The wooden church in Kittilä was designed by Carl Ludwig Engel and built 1829–31. (updated Feb 2017)
• Home of Kalervo Palsa (Palsa-museo), Kivitie 14 B (in the centre). Jun–Aug Tu–Sa 12:00–18:00. Home and atelier of the artist Kalervo Palsa (1947–1987). €5/2.50. (updated Feb 2017)
• Kittilä's museum of local history and culture, Pakattiojantie 1 (Pakatti, some 6 km from the centre), ☎ [phone], e-mail: kulttuuritoimisto(at)kittila.fi. In old buildings moved here, placed in traditional manner. Main building from the 1860s. (updated Feb 2017)
• Särestöniemi museum, Särestöntie 880 (in Kaukonen village, 25 km from the centre), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu–Su 12–18. Estate of the artist Reidar Särestöniemi (1925–1981), said to have been one of the most important artists in Lapland, known for strong Lapland-inspired oil pentings. The museum includes the old buildings and gallery and cafeteria by Reima and Raili Pietilä. Also changing exhibitions with other artists and chamber music concerts. €12/10. (updated Feb 2017)
• Snow village (Lainio, see below). (updated Jan 2018)

Do

Most people come to Kittilä for downhill skiing in the winter. They head for the nearby ski centres Levi and Ylläs.

There are also a host of other outdoor activities offered by tour providers, see below, sorted by village.

You can also go hiking or cross-country skiing on your own in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. The nearest trailheads are around Aakennustunturi, both trails and skiing tracks.

• Totovaara: 16 km by road 80 towards Kolari; also Aakennustunturi (15 km) and Joutsenpolku (7 km) nature trails
• Äijänkuusikko (10 km farther; skiing tracks, on the other side of Aakennustunturi.
• Trail via Niritsa: 20 km from Kittilä, turn right to road 9403; also Aakennustunturi nature trail (starting 4 km from the road). The skiing tracks start at Levi 20 km away.
• Kalliokoski: 25 km from Kittilä, drive 5 km further along road 9403. The trail and the skiing tracks start at Levi 20 km away.

Sirkka and Köngäs

For activities in or near the villages Sirkka and Köngäs (about 10km north of Sirkka/Levi), see Levi.

Rauhala

Lake Jerisjärvi.

In or near the village Rauhala at lake Jerisjärvi, near Pallas-Yllästunturi fell chain and national park.

• Fell Trek, Muoniontie 3124, 99135 Rauhala, ☎ [phone]. In the village of Rauhala next to Lake Jerisjärvi and Pallas-Yllästunturi fell chain. Cross-country ski tours, snow shoe tours and other winter activities; hiking, biking, canoeing tours and programmes, multi-activity programmes. Guided tours for a day or even a week. Accommodation in rooms for 1–2 persons and cottages, also independently of activities. 
• Pallashusky, 99135 Rauhala, ☎ [phone]. several days' husky programmes in the beautiful surroundings of Pallas-Ylläs National Park. 

Buy

Kittilä centre

Eat

Try the Lappish speciality Poronkäristys (reindeer meat).

Drink

Sleep

Kittilä centre

• 🌍 Hotel Kittilä, Valtatie 49, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Free WiFi, sauna. €75–90 (off/in season), breakfast included. 
• 🌍 Guesthouse Golden Goose, Valtatie 42, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Free WiFi, sauna. €50–85 (off/in season), breakfast not included. 
• 🌍 Kittilän Lomamökit Oy, Sodankyläntie 65 (1 km from the centre, towards Sodankylä), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Cottages, camping etc. 

Jerisjärvi/Rauhala

See also Do above.

Sirkka and Köngäs

See these listings in Levi.

Lainio

30 km from Kittilä centre, near the road between Kittilä and Ylläsjärvi.

• Lainio snow village, Lainiotie 566, ☎ [phone] (M–F 9:00–17:00), e-mail: [e-mail]. Early December–early April; 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00). Check-out: 11:00. Sleep in a room of snow and ice (with temperature a little below freezing). Sculpture theme 2018–2019: Game of Thrones. Warm sleeping bags etc. provided. Showers and other facilities in a nearby warmer environment. Guided tour included. Also normal cabins. Activities for overnight guests and others, including husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris (some with ice fishing or northern light viewing), skiing and snowshoe trips; not all activities all days. Also weddings. Snow village accommodation €220–350; tour for non-stayers €15/8. (updated Mar 2017)

Go next

Routes through Kittilä

Muonio ← Levi ←

N  S

→ Rovaniemi → END