Afar
This 16-Day Nordic Trip Includes a Night in a Glass Igloo
From reindeer encounters to the hometown of Santa Claus, this journey through Norway and Finland travels by train, ship, and bus.
The Guardian
Taking a deep dive in Helsinki’s subterranean city
Under the Finnish capital lies a world of swimming pools, go-karting tracks, playgrounds – and even an art gallery The moon is an impostor. Swimming backstroke beneath its surface, I look up at craggy hollows in close relief. White rock undulates in all directions, a forest of peaks rising next to a desert of craters. Every time I trick myself into thinking I’m somewhere celestial, the sound of…
Atlas Obscura
The Fire Captain's Stone in Helsinki, Finland
In the courtyard of central Helsinki's oldest surviving wooden house, a rough-hewn cube of reddish granite sits low in the gravel, flat-topped enough to double as a seat. For decades it was the favorite perch of Alexander Wickholm, the fire captain ( ruiskumestari , literally "hose master"), who liked to smoke his pipe there while keeping an eye on the yard. Wickholm died in 1896. Nearly three…
Lonely Planet
The Best Christmas Markets in Europe
Get planning your festive season with this guide to this year
Lonely Planet
20 things to do in Helsinki and the best way to do them
Explore Finland
BBC Travel
Why travellers are obsessed with foreign supermarkets
From Tokyo egg sandwiches to Greek dairy aisles, supermarket aisles are becoming one of travel's most revealing and beloved experiences. It's 10:00 in a Tokyo 7-Eleven, and I am standing shoulder to ...
Skift
Hoshino’s Nara Prison Leans Into the Heritage — a Test Case for Japan’s Historic Buildings
Japan’s Hoshino Resorts makes a bold move that blends cultural preservation, tourism strategy, and a new “cycle of heritage” model that blends government ownership with private operation. If it works, the rest of Japan will take notice, with its hard-to-maintain civic architecture.
Afar
UNESCO Just Named 25 New World Heritage Sites—Including America’s First Since 2023
The newly added D-Day Beaches World Heritage site spans about 50 miles along the Normandy coastline, including Gold Beach (pictured), Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach, and Pointe du ...
The New York Times
Exploring Helsinki Through the Dreamy Architecture of Eliel Saarinen
A writer goes in search of the architect Eliel Saarinen, whose Art Nouveau-inspired designs helped shape early-1900s Finland as well as midcentury America.
Afar
You Can Now Sauna Like a Finn—Smoke and All—Just Off Helsinki’s Coast
The new Saunasaari island retreat gives visitors a chance to try a traditional Finnish smoke sauna, plus wood-fired hot tubs and open-fire dining. Bathers at Saunasaari can take in views of the city ...
Condé Nast Traveler
UNESCO Just Added 26 Sites to the World Heritage List for 2026—Including 1 in the US
We can’t wait to visit these lush wildlife reserves, dreamy seaside villages, and fairytale French castles.
Lonely Planet
Finland has a new Sauna Island. Here's where to sweat (and freeze) across the Nordics
Nothing gives you that inner glow like a sauna followed by a cold plunge. Here are the best sauna experiences in the Nordics.
Afar
4 Trips Where Expert Planning Makes All the Difference
From Borneo to the Amalfi Coast, these USTOA tour operators handle the logistics, planning, and local connections so travelers can focus on the experience. Some trips only come around once in a ...
The Guardian
‘I don’t think we’ve ever felt closer’: five writers on their most memorable family holidays
Rallying the kids can be chaotic and frustrating, but from Interrailing all the way to Turkey to Vespa rides in Naples, these trips brought families together Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for nine years running, but arriving in Helsinki, dishevelled from one of my first flights with my nine-month-old baby, I was less interested in national rankings and more in having a nic…
Condé Nast Traveler
28 Best Christmas Markets in Europe
Surrounded by snow-capped cathedrals and wooden chalets, these Christmas markets in Europe are as festive as it gets.
National Geographic
Magical places to experience the midnight sun this summer
As our planet makes its annual circuit around the sun, parts of the globe experience dramatic seasonal swings thanks to the tilt of Earth’s axis. Between April and September, the northern hemisphere ...