Ruka-Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland is one of Europe’s great winter destinations: a place of world-class skiing, husky safaris, reindeer experiences, snowmobile tours, Northern Lights, vast wilderness national parks and Finland’s UNESCO-recognised sauna culture, recently named Outdoor Destination of the Year 2025 by the Scandinavian Outdoor Award. This winter, getting there from the UK is easier than ever before.
UK travellers now have more ways than ever to reach Ruka-Kuusamo, with a combination of direct airBaltic flights on selected dates and significantly enhanced Finnair connections from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh making the journey faster and more frequent than before.
airBaltic will operate direct services from London Gatwick and Manchester to Kuusamo Airport on selected dates this winter taking just over three hours, while Finnair’s greatly expanded network of connections via Helsinki brings Kuusamo within reach of British travellers up to seven days a week from three UK departure points, with journey times from as little as five hours 20 minutes from Manchester and five hours 35 minutes from London.
Together, the two airlines open up Ruka-Kuusamo to British travellers in a way that has not been possible before, with more departure points, more frequency and faster journey times across the board.
Those looking for something truly off the beaten track will find it at Pohjolan Pirtti in the village of Vuotunki, around 30 minutes from Ruka. One of the region’s most atmospheric addresses, the property dates to the 1680s and offers private Santa’s Secret Cottage visits alongside traditional sauna evenings, wild cuisine dinners featuring local fish, game, berries and mushrooms, and winter sledging. It is the kind of Finnish experience that has no equivalent elsewhere in Europe, and one that is now considerably easier for British travellers to reach.
Janne-Juhani Haarma, CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourist Association, said: “UK travellers have been our most important international guests for 25 years and we are very happy to be able to offer them better connections to our beautiful destination Ruka-Kuusamo. Having both direct scheduled flights from the UK and a greatly strengthened network of connections via Helsinki, across multiple UK departure points seven days a week, marks the beginning of what we believe will be a long and fruitful partnership.”
Anssi Partanen, Market Director Europe at Finnair said: ”Finnair is the only airline that flies to Kuusamo all year round and I’m excited that next winter season we can offer a revised schedule to Kuusamo with a hassle-free transfer at Helsinki Airport throughout the season. Kuusamo is one of our most popular destinations in Northern Finland, not only during the winter season but also during the summer with lots of activities for nature lovers and adventurer seekers alike.”
Mantas Vrubliauskas, VP Network Management at airBaltic, said: “We are pleased to offer direct flights connecting the UK to Kuusamo, further strengthening connectivity between Britain and Northern Finland. Kuusamo is an increasingly popular winter destination, and our services give UK travellers a fast, direct option on selected dates throughout the season.”
Direct (airBaltic)
London Gatwick to Kuusamo: 09:25 LGW → 14:50 KAO, flight time 3h 25min. Return 07:00 KAO → 08:40 LGW, flight time 3h 40min. Operating 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and 14 to 21 February 2027.
Manchester to Kuusamo: 17:55 MAN → 23:10 KAO, flight time 3h 15min. Return 15:40 KAO → 17:15 MAN, flight time 3h 35min. Operating 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and 14 to 21 February 2027.
Via Helsinki (Finnair, daily connection during the winter season)
London Heathrow to Kuusamo, Monday to Saturday: LHR 10:20 → HEL 15:15 → KAO 17:55. Connection 55 min, total journey time 5h 35min. (Earlier 07:30 departure also available.) Sundays: LHR 07:30 → HEL 12:15 → KAO 14:50, total journey time 5h 20min.
Manchester to Kuusamo, Monday to Saturday: MAN 09:55 → HEL 14:45 → KAO 17:55. Connection 1h 25min, total 6h. Saturdays: faster connection arrives KAO 17:15, total 5h 20min. Sundays: MAN 10:05 → HEL 14:50 → KAO 17:35, total journey time 5h 30min.
Edinburgh to Kuusamo, Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday: EDI 08:10 → HEL 12:45 → KAO 17:55, total 7h 45min. Mondays: EDI 10:25 → HEL 15:00 → KAO 17:55, total 5h 30min.
Finnair’s winter schedule season is from 31 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, but Finnair operates flights to Kuusamo all year round with connections from the UK via Helsinki.
