Continue to Ylläs
Trade Levi's busier resort atmosphere for long slopes, ski tracks and a quieter fell experience.
Exploring Lapland
Back to Exploring LaplandLevi
Slopes, restaurants and livelier Lapland nights.
Levi is the trip for a day off that you want to turn into something bigger. Come for the slopes, stay for dinner, add an activity or make a night of it — all in one of Finland's most complete fell resorts.
ResortSkiingRestaurantsAfter skiLonger trip
Resort / skiing / restaurants / after ski
Finnish Lapland
Image: “Torkuja, a street in Levi ski resort, Sirkka, Finland.” DanielMichaelPerry / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Cropped and optimized for web.
01 / Why Levi
More than a ski day.
Levi makes sense when you want more from your day off than one activity and a drive home. The resort combines downhill and cross-country skiing, restaurants, winter activities, scenic fell access and a much livelier evening atmosphere than the quieter villages farther north.
- 01
Skiing
Make Levi the destination, not just the backdrop. Spend the day on the slopes, move between different ski areas and stay until you have had enough.
- 02
Food & cafés
A bigger resort also means more choice when the skis come off — from casual slope stops to a proper dinner.
- 03
Winter activities
You do not need to ski all day. Husky and reindeer experiences, snowmobiling and other winter activities can give the trip a completely different shape.
- 04
Evening life
Levi is one of the better choices when you want the day to continue after the outdoor gear comes off, with restaurants, bars and a real after ski scene.
02 / Levi at a glance
A longer trip worth planning for.
- From Saariselkä
- Around 190 km / about 3 hours each way.
- Best for
- Skiing · food · activities · after ski · overnight escape
- Time to allow
- Full day — or stay overnight
- Feel
- Active · social · full-service resort
Our take
If you are driving this far, give Levi enough time to feel different from an ordinary day off.
Distance and journey time are approximate. Actual journey time depends on weather, road and winter conditions.
03 / Choose your day
What kind of Levi day do you want?
- 01
The ski day
First lift to last run.
Leave early, spend the main part of the day on the slopes and finish with something good to eat before heading north again.
- 02
The active day
Snow without spending the whole day on skis.
Ski for a few hours or skip the slopes completely. Add a husky ride, snowmobile experience, scenic lift or another winter activity and make the destination itself the experience.
- 03
The slower day
Lunch, views and a change of scenery.
Levi also works without an ambitious programme. Walk around the village, take the gondola for the view, eat well and finish with the spa.
- 04
Make a night of it
Let the evening be part of the trip.
Ski or explore during the day, slow down for dinner and stay for the after ski or nightlife. Sleep in Levi and make the drive back part of the next day instead of the end of the evening.
04 / Worth knowing
Build the day around a few good choices.
- 01
Gondola2000 + Santa's Cabin
You do not need to spend the whole day skiing to get up the fell. Take Gondola2000 for the views and make Santa's Cabin one of the stops. The small cabin was built as a film set for Christmas Story and has become one of Levi's best-known photo spots.
See Santa's Cabin & scenic lifts - 02
Ski the World Cup slope
If you are a confident skier, Levi Black gives the day a story to take home: this is the slope used for Levi's Alpine World Cup. Check the current slope status before planning the run.
See Levi's West Slopes - 03
Take a fell-top break at Tuikku
Tuikku is one of Levi's classic fell-top stops: panoramic views, food and a well-known after ski scene during the ski season. If it is open during your trip, it is a much more memorable break than heading straight back down for lunch.
See Tuikku - 04
Had enough of the cold?
Finish an outdoor day somewhere warm. Water World Levi has pools, saunas and outdoor jacuzzis, making it a useful plan for a slower evening or a day when the weather changes your plans.
See Water World Levi
Local picks
A few places we'd keep in mind.
- For Lapland flavours
Restaurant Ämmilä
Choose Ämmilä when you want dinner to feel connected to Lapland rather than just another resort meal. The restaurant focuses on traditional local food with a modern twist.
See Ämmilä - For something different
King Crab House
King Crab House is a good option when you want the meal itself to be part of the Levi trip: Arctic seafood, king crab and northern ingredients in the centre of the resort.
See King Crab House - For a proper night out
Hullu Poro Areena
If you are staying overnight and want the evening to continue, check what is happening at Hullu Poro Areena. It is one of Levi's major live-music and nightlife venues, and the programme matters more than simply turning up.
Check what's on
If we had one day in Levi
Here's how we'd use it.
Start with the slopes. If Tuikku is open, take a proper break up on the fell there. If skiing is not your thing, use Gondola2000 for the views and make Santa's Cabin your photo stop.
Come back down for dinner — Ämmilä for Lapland flavours or King Crab House for something more unusual.
If you want the evening to continue, check what is happening in Levi and stay overnight rather than turning dinner and after ski into the start of a long drive north.
05 / Stay overnight
The evening can be part of the trip.
Levi is far enough from Saariselkä that staying overnight can be the better version of the trip — especially if dinner, after ski or nightlife is part of the plan.
- 01
Stay in the centre
Best if restaurants, after ski and an easy evening are the reason for staying.
- 02
Stay by the fell
Good if skiing and scenery matter most.
- 03
Apartment or cabin
A natural choice for friends sharing the trip or anyone wanting more space, a kitchen and often a sauna.
06 / Plan ahead
A better Levi trip starts before you leave.
- 01
Give it enough time
With roughly three hours of driving each way from Saariselkä, Levi is best when you can dedicate the day to it — or stay the night. Actual journey time depends on weather, road and winter conditions.
- 02
Check what is open
Slopes, trails, lifts, activities and restaurants follow their own seasonal schedules. Check current conditions and opening information before setting off.
- 03
You do not need the car for everything once there
Levi's ski buses connect the main slope and accommodation areas, so the rental car can get you to Levi without needing to move it for every part of the day.
- 04
Staying for the evening?
Park the car, enjoy the evening and stay overnight. Make the drive back tomorrow's plan.
07 / Go further
If you have more time.
Explore Ylläs
Continue to Rovaniemi
Turn the trip south into a bigger Lapland break with city services, culture and Santa Claus Village.
Ready for a bigger day off?
Make room for Levi.
Tell us when you need a car and how long you are staying. We'll confirm what is available.