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Major city · Finland

Tankavaara

One night is enough: gold museum, panning and a short national-park trail. Stop here only if you are already driving or busing the E75 north.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Jun–Sep for trails and panning; Dec–Mar for snow, snowshoeing and auroras
avoid Nov (dark, wet, little open); late Apr–May mud season
Airports
IVL · RVN
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Nordic countries ↗Decide light or dark before anything else: summer trips (June–August) and aurora trips (September–March in the Arctic) need different countries, clothes and bases.
  • Nordic countries ↗Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroes sell stronger alcohol only in state shops with short hours; buy before evening and before Sundays and holidays.
  • Finland ↗Finland is in the EU and the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border.
  • Finland ↗The land border with Russia is closed to travellers; do not plan a route across it.
  • Finland ↗Everyman's rights let you walk, camp for a night and pick berries on most land, but not near homes, and not to make fires without permission.

Tankavaara is a small gold-prospecting village on the E75 in Finnish Lapland, 90 km north of Sodankylä and 30 km south of Saariselkä. It holds a gold museum, a panning outfit, a hotel and the trailheads of Urho Kekkonen National Park. There is no rail and no airport: you arrive by car or coach, and most people give it one night or a half-day on the way north.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Tankavaara, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffeecheck€3–5 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealLunch or dinner maincheck€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
  • Beer0.5 lcheck€7–9 (≈ US$9–11)
  • Museum or sight ticketGold museum entry€10 (≈ US$12) adult, €8 (≈ US$10), €5 (≈ US$6); free for ages 7–16
  • Budget bedCamping pitch, a night, per room€20 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedGold Village cottage, a night, per room€70 (≈ US$85)
  • High-end bedGold Village cottage, a night, per room€80 (≈ US$95)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €100 (≈ US$120) · High €160 (≈ US$190)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Gold prospecting history since the 1930sGold prospector museumGold panningTrailheads into Urho Kekkonen National Park
Airports
IVL Ivalo Airport (About 60 km north; the usual arrival airport, then coach or car south on the E75) · RVN Rovaniemi Airport (About 230 km south; railhead and the start of most coach services north)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Tankavaara: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−9°C

−19°C

9 rd

Feb

−9°C

−19°C

8 rd

Mar

−4°C

−15°C

8 rd

Apr

2°C

−8°C

8 rd

May

8°C

−1°C

9 rd

Jun

15°C

5°C

10 rd

Jul

19°C

9°C

11 rd

Aug

16°C

7°C

11 rd

Sep

10°C

3°C

10 rd

Oct

2°C

−3°C

10 rd

Nov

−4°C

−10°C

10 rd

Dec

−7°C

−16°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The village is small: walk everywhere, including from the hotel to the museum and the trailheads. A car is needed for Vuotso, Sompiojärventie and the wider park. Coaches on the E75 stop at 'Tankavaara th' on the main road, which is a short walk from the village.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Saariselkä

go

Door to door: About 30 min by car

Coach or car north on the E75

More beds, shops and fell trails; the practical base if Tankavaara is full.

Urho Kekkonen National Park trails from Tankavaara

go

Door to door: On foot from your bed

Walk from the village to the trailheads by Tankavaara Wild

Nature trails of 1, 3 and 6 km, plus a 7-km geological trail; the 1-km route is wheelchair-accessible in summer if assisted.

Pyhä-Nattanen fell and Sompio Strict Nature Reserve

go

Door to door: About 1 h from Tankavaara

Car to Vuotso, then 9 km along Sompiojärventie to the trailhead

Circle trail over the fell; stay on marked trails inside the reserve.

Ivalogo

Door to door: About 45 min by coach

Coach or car north on the E75

Airport, shops and services; useful on arrival or departure day.

Sodankylä

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Coach or car south on the E75

The administrative centre for the area; a supply stop rather than a sight.

Rovaniemiovernight

Door to door: About 3 h by coach

Coach south on the E75, or drive

Railhead and airport; too far for a comfortable return day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Gold Village (Kultakylä), Tankavaarantie 31

The only real base: hotel rooms, cottages and camping in one place, with the restaurant and panning on site.

Vuotso, 10 km south

Small village with a grocery store; only useful if Gold Village is full.

Saariselkä, 30 km north

Far more beds, shops and services; sleep there and visit Tankavaara as a half-day.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–140 (≈ US$110–170) excl. bed
High
€140 (≈ US$170)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel twin room with shower1 × 1 night × €120€120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €100€200
Gold panning, 1 hour2 × €12€24
Gold panning, family day1 × €60€60
Gold museum entry2 × €10€20
Coach Ivalo → Tankavaara2 × €10 · check€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€44
Trip total≈ €244 per person per day, bed included€488≈ US$600

2026 estimate in euro; travel to Tankavaara excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffeecheck€3–5 (≈ US$4–6)
Lunch or dinner maincheck€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
Beer, 0.5 lcheck€7–9 (≈ US$9–11)
Gold panning, 1 hour€12 (≈ US$14)
Gold museum entry€10 (≈ US$12) adult, €8 (≈ US$10), €5 (≈ US$6); free for ages 7–16
Coach Rovaniemi → Tankavaaracheck€30–40 (≈ US$35–50)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very low crime; the real risks are cold, dark and distance. Tell someone your route, carry a charged phone and a headlamp, and do not climb the unrestored wartime structures.
  • No rail and no airport: plan around coach times or drive; the nearest railhead is Rovaniemi, 230 km away.
  • Coaches stop on the E75 at 'Tankavaara th', not at the door: check the walk to your bed before booking a late arrival.
  • Old German Schutzwall structures from the Lapland War are unrestored and can collapse: look, do not climb.
  • The trail from Tankavaara into Sompio Strict Nature Reserve is closed; use the Vuotso trailheads instead.
  • Winter trails are snowshoe routes: check snow and daylight before setting out, and carry a headlamp.
  • Fuel, groceries and pharmacies are limited: fill up and stock up in Sodankylä, Ivalo or Saariselkä.

Emergency numbers

Emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Medical helpline
116 117

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

TankavaaraTankavaara

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Tähän osoitteeseen, kiitosTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Emergency112
  • Medical helpline116 117

Embassy

No embassies in Lapland; most are in Helsinki. US, UK, Canadian and Australian travellers should register with their embassy in Helsinki before heading north (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Coach Ivalo → Tankavaara: about €10 (≈ US$12), 45 min (check)
  • Coach Rovaniemi → Tankavaara: about €30–40 (≈ US$35–50), 3 h (check)
  • Gold panning, 1 hour: €12 (≈ US$14) per person

Say or show

  • Hei — Hello (hay)
  • Kiitos — Thank you (kee-toss)
  • Paljonko se maksaa? — How much is it? (pahl-yon-ko se mak-sah)
  • Voinko maksaa kortilla? — Can I pay by card? (voyn-ko mak-sah kor-til-la)
  • Missä on vessa? — Where is the toilet? (mis-sa on ves-sa)
  • Tarvitsen apua — I need help (tar-vit-sen ah-poo-ah)

Postal code 99695 Tankavaara. Free Wi-Fi at the Prospectors Restaurant.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Tankavaara. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for trails and panning; Dec–Mar for snow, snowshoeing and auroras · avoid Nov (dark, wet, little open); late Apr–May mud season · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for IVL and RVN: last coach times north and south, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster map for the village: hotel, museum, Tankavaara Wild, trailheads, war-history trail.
  3. Place pages with verified opening hours for the gold museum and Tankavaara Wild, and eat pages with last orders at the restaurant and saloon.
  4. Winter fixtures: snowshoe-route status, daylight hours and aurora-night guidance so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Finland

Sources