Inari: Sámi Culture, Nature and Lake Inari

Inari offers several points of interest to help you plan your trip: Sámi cultural heritage, the landscape around Lake Inari, and tours on foot or on the water. In the village, you’ll find the open-air museum Siida and Sajos on the Juutuanjoki River; hiking and paddling routes lead to destinations in the surrounding area. These different themes can help you decide whether Inari suits your travel interests.

Sámi Cultural Heritage at Siida and Sajos

The open-air museum Siida presents Sámi cultural heritage, architectural history and traditional livelihoods. Visitors can explore around 50 buildings and structures on the site. The network of paths is about 800 metres long and shaped like a reindeer herder’s lasso. The open-air museum trail is accessible by wheelchair and with a pushchair in summer and autumn. A guided tour of Siida also tells you about Inari’s 10,000-year history. All tours of Siida must be booked in advance.

Sajos is located in Inari on the banks of the Juutuanjoki River, where it flows into Lake Inari. It is the centre of Sámi self-government in Finland. Tours of Sajos cover the building’s architecture, its rooms and how they are used. They also provide information about the Sámi people and the Sámi Parliament of Finland, including its role, responsibilities and objectives.

Landscape and Trails Around Inari

The Juutuanjoki River flows through the village of Inari and is well known among fly fishers. From the village, views open out over Lake Inari, whose shores are mostly undeveloped. A nine-kilometre hiking trail leads from Inari to Otsamotunturi. From there, views extend across Lake Inari to the fells of Lemmenjoki. This route therefore centres on a clearly identified hiking destination and views of the lake and fells.

There is also a direct link to a nearby destination on the water: a paddling route leads from Inari harbour to the wilderness church of Pielpajärvi, seven kilometres away. The church was an old centre of Inari, was built in 1760 and is one of the oldest buildings in northern Lapland. The route to the church and the hiking trail to Otsamotunturi thus differ both in their starting points and in the type of excursion.

Ukonsaari and Cruises on Lake Inari

Near Inari, Ukonsaari is an ancient Sámi sacrificial site and one of Finland’s most valuable and best-known archaeological monuments. A cruise on Lake Inari starts beside Siida, circles Ukonsaari and follows an old postal route on the way back. Along the way, it passes cemetery islands with old wooden crosses. If you’re planning a trip, check the current dates in advance.

Practical Information for Your Stay

Café Čaiju serves lunch in central Inari. It aims to use ingredients from Finnish Lapland whenever possible. Coaches run daily between Rovaniemi and Inari; check the timetable before departure.

Further afield in the region, Lemmenjoki is about 50 kilometres west of Inari, on the edge of Lemmenjoki National Park. Boat trips through the river valley lead to the Ravadasköngäs waterfall. This makes it possible to distinguish getting your bearings in the village of Inari from taking a trip further afield.

Discover more destinations: Kilpisjärvi, Räisälä, Konnevesi, Tervola, Muonio, Rautuskylä, Ylläsjärvi, Ivalo

For the broader travel overview: Lapland.