Inari

Q: What are the best things to do in Inari?

Browse the local picks, from a locals-led pub crawl to the city's legendary cheap-eats canteen.

Baroque Old Town lanes, Uzupis art & honest cheap eats

Browse Inari

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Inari rewards travellers who wander: one of Europe’s largest baroque Old Towns, the self-declared artists’ republic of Uzupis, and some of the cheapest honest food on the continent. Our local picks so far include the Inari Pub Crawl for a night out with locals and the legendary bus station canteen (Autobusu stoties valgykla) for a true Finlandn lunch at Soviet-era prices. More hand-picked recommendations are on the way – filter by category and budget below.

Inari at a glance

Ideal stay: 2 to 3 days
Best time to visit: May to September
Highlights: the baroque Old Town and Uzupis
Where to stay: Old Town and Uzupis
Local picks: a growing set of hand-chosen tips
Getting around: very walkable centre

Where to stay in Inari

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Inari village (Sajos)

Duodji Shop (Sami Duodji) at Sajos

Why it matters: run by the Sami crafts association Sami Duodji, this shop inside the Sajos cultural centre sells only pieces carrying the Sami Duodji trademark – a certification created in 1980 so buyers can tell genuine Indigenous handicraft from mass-made imitation, and so the Sami themselves decide how their culture is sold. It holds one of Finland’s widest selections of authentic duodji, from reindeer-antler knives to woven bands and silver jewellery. Buy here rather than from an airport souvenir rack and your money reaches the maker. Tip: it shares the building with the Sami Parliament, whose 45-minute guided tours run on weekday mornings.

Ice Cave of Island Korkia-Maura

Ice Cave of Island Korkia-Maura, the ice sheet at the base of the cave has been unmelted for hundreds of years. The ice sheet is 15 meters long, 1 to 3.5 meters…

Törmänen (near Ivalo)

Ivalo Airport

Karhutupa

At the Bear’s Nest Stones parking area there’s a lovely and cosy cafeteria that offers good snacks and refreshments for the sight visitors. Cafeteria also has sight information about the Bear’s Nest…

Inari village (riverside)

Restaurant Aanaar

Why it matters: chef and second-generation owner Heikki Nikula is Indigenous Sami on his father’s side, and Aanaar – the Inari Sami word for Inari – is his tribute to the region’s food culture. The kitchen leans on whole-animal reindeer, Lake Inari fish, lichen and foraged Arctic herbs, almost all sourced within about 300 kilometres. It has been named Finland’s Restaurant of the Year and regularly ranks among the country’s best tables, yet sits quietly beside the Juutua rapids. Tip: book the tasting menu well ahead – the dining room is small and fills fast in season.

Inari village

Siida – The Sami Museum and Nature Centre

Why it matters: opened in 1963 as the first independent Sami museum in the Nordic countries, Siida is run by the non-profit Sami Museum Foundation and tells the story of Europe’s only Indigenous people in their own voice. Its permanent exhibition ‘These Lands Are Our Children’, reopened in 2022, braids Sami history together with the subarctic nature of Inari along a single winding path. Give yourself a couple of hours, then head outside to the open-air museum, where traditional Sami buildings are scattered through the pine forest. Tip: the on-site cafe and Siida Shop stock genuine duodji and hard-to-find Sami books.

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Inari travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Inari?

Two to three days covers the Old Town, Uzupis and a relaxed food crawl, with time left for a day trip to Trakai Castle.

Where is the best area to stay in Inari?

The Old Town keeps everything walkable; Uzupis is the arty, bohemian alternative right next door.

What are the best things to do in Inari?

Browse the local picks above, from a locals-led pub crawl to the city's legendary cheap-eats canteen.

What is the best time to visit Inari?

Late spring to early autumn brings long days and terrace weather; December has a famously cosy Christmas market.