[Nordic 15-Day Free and Easy Trip] Day 6: Exploring Inari | Heading to Inari, Watching the Aurora at the Frozen Lake

Table of Contents Trip Overview Trip Preparation Heading to and Exploring Inari A Leisurely Morning & Sauna Time Long-Distance Bus to Inari Inari and Sami Culture Accommodation & Supermarket Shopping Aurora Night Three: The Aurora Erupts Over the Frozen Lake! Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travel Journals 1. Trip Overview Today is the most relaxing day of this trip, because yesterday we already confirmed that there isn't much worth exploring in downtown Rovaniemi, so we decided to slow down and truly enjoy the morning. Made breakfast leisurely at the apartment, dealt with some messages, and finally enjoyed a sauna before taking the long-distance bus to Inari — one of Finland's famous spots for viewing the Northern Lights. After arriving, we first went to the supermarket to shop, specially choosing reindeer meat as the star of that night's dinner. As night fell, the aurora forecast showed extremely high probability, so we quickly headed out and successfully witnessed the aurora erupting over the frozen lake — three nights in a row, our aurora luck was amazing! II. Trip Preparation Transportation 🚍 Rovaniemi → Inari long-distance bus Travel time: about 5 hours 45 minutes Fare: about 1,700 NTD (€48) Booking website: (Matkahuolto official website) Note: The bus facilities are basic, and there isn't even a luggage rack.

Accommodation 🏠 Aurora Apartment Inari (Booking Reservation) This apartment is like the host's own home, and it's only open for rent when someone books it. Fully equipped with a built-in sauna, it's a completely authentic Finnish daily life experience. About a 15-minute walk to the supermarket & the lake, much cheaper than staying by the lake (9,925 TWD per night).

III. Heading to and Exploring Inari A Leisurely Morning & Sauna Time 7:30, the alarm went off, and everyone got busy in their own way — auntie prepared breakfast, while I took the chance to catch up on messages that had piled up due to the time difference. Once everything was sorted, of course it was time for a sauna! Meanwhile, the other three outside chatted about relationship topics — this trip started from an online group-forming post, and who would've thought it would lead to making a new friend. Life is truly wonderful! Long-Distance Bus to Inari 11:20, we arrived at the bus stop early, and the bus pulled in right on time, almost fully packed with passengers. The facilities were extremely basic — there wasn't even a storage net in front of the seats... but the fare for the 5-hour ride was nearly 1700 NT dollars. Nordic prices really are something you just have to sigh at!

Heading north all the way, after bidding farewell to Santa Claus Village, the bus made two rest stops along the way. As it entered Urho Kekkonen National Park, we discovered this is a paradise for many skiing enthusiasts, making us feel an urge to get off and explore!

Inari and Sámi Culture Located in the Lapland region of northern Finland, Inari is the heart of Sámi culture, home to Finland's only Sámi Parliament and the Sámi Museum (Siida), offering deep insight into the history and traditions of this Nordic indigenous people. The Sámi people have lived in the polar region for generations, sustaining themselves through reindeer herding, fishing, hunting, and handicrafts. Their traditional clothing is vividly colored, and their unique language is still widely used within the community today. If you're interested in polar indigenous culture, Inari is absolutely worth a visit! (Unfortunately, we only had a brief stop this time and didn't get the chance to explore it in depth.)

Check into the apartment & grocery shopping We first headed to tonight's accommodation, Aurora Apartment Inari, to drop off our luggage. This apartment looks just like someone's private home, only opened up for rent when there's a booking. Almost every apartment in Finland has a sauna — this must already be part of the locals' daily life! Grocery shopping To experience local ingredients within the Arctic Circle, tonight's stars are — reindeer meat & cabbage! 🥩 Reindeer meat: tastes like lamb but without the gamey smell, surprisingly delicious! 🥬 Cabbage: totally lacking the sweet crunchiness of Taiwanese cabbage, disappointing!

Aurora Night 3: Ice Lake Aurora Outbreak! At 8 PM, the aurora forecast showed a very high KP index. We quickly packed our gear and headed towards the lakeside, looking forward to tonight's aurora.

As we were about to arrive at the lakeside, Auntie Pang noticed something unusual in the sky. After checking her phone, it was indeed the **aurora!** We quickened our pace; many photography enthusiasts had already gathered by the lake, setting up their tripods to capture the magnificent sight of the aurora. Within about an hour, we captured two aurora bursts. By then, our phones were freezing and crashing repeatedly, and our hands and feet were numb with the cold. Finally, after this wave passed and the aurora faded, we all returned to the apartment feeling deeply satisfied.

大家輪流洗澡時我仍盯著極光 App，發現其他區域又有極光活動，忍不住又衝出去，這在屋外再次見證極光爆發！ 這次極光動態感十足，如生命力旺盛的光流，持續地變換著形狀，為我們的 Inari 之夜劃下最完美的句點。

Itinerary Summary & Other Nordic Travelogues Today didn't have many scheduled activities, but the leisurely pace, the reindeer meat experience, and the aurora outburst made the day full of surprises. Thank you, Goddess Aurora, for giving us good luck, allowing us to see the aurora for three consecutive nights. Tomorrow, we will continue driving north to Kirkenes to board a cruise! Explore more independent travelogues of the four Nordic countries. Northern Europe is more than just auroras and snow; it also offers urban elegance, polar mystery, and cultural depth. This journey across Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden will take you to explore the splendor of Europe's purest corners! 🇩🇰 Denmark Independent Travel 📍Day 2: Copenhagen Day Tour | 📍Day 3: Explore Freetown, fly to Finland 🇫🇮 Finland Arctic Journey 📍Day 4: Helsinki City Tour & Overnight Train | 📍Day 5: Santa Claus Village and First Aurora Experience 📍Day 6: Rovaniemi Husky Sledding & City Exploration | 📍Day 7: Inari Lakeside & Aurora Secret Spot 🇳🇴 Norway Cruise Itinerary & Aurora Exploration 📍Day 8: Cross border from Inari to Kirkenes to board cruise | 📍Day 9: Stop at Hammerfest and onboard life 📍Day 10: Tromsø Museums & Cable Car Snow Scenery | 📍Day 11: Transportation disruption, stranded in Tromsø 🇸🇪 Exploring Swedish Culture and a Perfect Ending 📍Day 12: Flying to Stockholm, a breathtaking view of the Northern Lights from above | 📍Day 13: City Hall & Vasa Museum 📍Day 14: Deep exploration of the Old Town and Swedish culture