Ivalo
Ivalo is a village in the municipality of Inari, Lapland, Finland, located on the Ivalo River 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lake Inari in the Arctic Circle.
It has a population of 3,998 as of 2003 and a small airport, located 11 kilometres southwest from Ivalo. 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ivalo is a very popular resort named Saariselkä. The closest border crossing into Russia is about 50 km from Ivalo: the Raja-Jooseppi border station is staffed by Finland's authorities.
Getting to Ivalo
- 01Ivalo Airport
To get to Ivalo, there's an online bookable transport service from the airport and Ivalo and onto Inari.
Worth seeing
Although quite large, Ivalo is not that well-known by tourists. The village was destroyed during the Lapland War 1944–1945. Most tourist businesses offer services for outdoor activities and visiting the nearby areas. The northern limit for spruce is near the town. Here are still some big spruces, while few non-planted ones grow much to the north.
Things to do
The Ivalo River (Ivalojoki) through the town was the site of a gold rush upstream in the 1870s, and some gold panners still try their luck. The former "Crown Station" Ivalojoen Kultala has been restored and is open for visitors (no fee). There is also an open wilderness hut and a rental hut at the site.
Where to eat
Hotels are your best bet, although there may also be some restaurants.
Getting around Ivalo the local way
- Get inThe only scheduled services are twice daily flights to Helsinki (1:40) on Finnair, although there are many charter flights from all over Europe during the Christmas/New Year peak tourism season.
- Get inThere will be a minibus or coach (depending on how many passengers have pre-booked), which meets every incoming Finnair flight.
From Wikivoyage: Ivalo, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.