PNPremier NordicsQuiet, authentic Nordic travel
Ylläs · Getting there

How to get to Ylläs: Kittilä Airport with timed buses, the Kolari night train, or a car from Rovaniemi.

Ylläs has no airport or station of its own. Kittilä Airport is about 39 km from the fell, about 40 km by road to Ylläsjärvi and about 55 km to Äkäslompolo, with airport buses that run on confirmed flights in the ski season. Kolari railway station, the northernmost in Finland, is about 37 to 40 km away and takes VR night trains from Helsinki. Rovaniemi is about 170 km and Levi about 50 km by road.

Reviewed
2026-09-26
Sources checked
2026-09-26
Published by
Premier Nordics
Snowy road and cabins in Äkäslompolo village below Ylläs in winter
Key numbers

The facts that decide this trip

Kittilä Airport
About 39 km from the fell; about 40 km by road to Ylläsjärvi and about 55 km to Äkäslompolo; about 45 to 90 minutes by bus
Airport buses
Run to Ylläsjärvi and Äkäslompolo on confirmed flights in the ski season, roughly 1 December to 30 April, and on request outside it
Kolari station
About 37 to 40 km from the villages; VR night trains from Helsinki with sleeping cars and car-carrier wagons; buses meet the trains
Rovaniemi
About 170 km by road, roughly two and a half hours; coaches via Kittilä take longer, check Matkahuolto
Levi
About 50 km by road, roughly 45 minutes; no reliable scheduled bus, so a car or taxi
Between the villages
About 11 km; the ski bus links Äkäslompolo, both ski areas and Ylläsjärvi through the season

By air: Kittilä Airport and the timed airport buses

Kittilä Airport takes Finnair flights from Helsinki all year and, in winter, scheduled and charter flights from the UK, Germany and other European cities; Finavia lists the current routes. Airport buses run on confirmed flight arrivals during the ski season, leave about 20 minutes after the listed landing time, stop at the Ylläsjärvi hotels first and continue to Äkäslompolo. Outside the season and for flights not on the timetable, the bus runs on request and must be booked ahead.

Shared transfer minibuses also operate between the airport and the villages on a booking basis, and taxis are available at the airport. Whatever you choose, do not book a tour that starts within three hours of a scheduled landing; winter delays are normal.

  • Check your flight number against the airport bus timetable before booking the hotel.
  • Ylläsjärvi is the shorter bus ride; Äkäslompolo adds about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Book the return bus for a morning flight the day before; the desk in the village can help.

By rail: the Kolari night train

VR night trains run from Helsinki through Tampere and Oulu to Kolari, the northernmost station in Finland, arriving in the morning after about 14 to 15 hours. Sleeping-car cabins, some with showers, and car-carrier wagons on selected departures let you bring skis, children and a car north without a flight. Frequency varies by season; daily or near-daily in the ski months, fewer in the shoulder seasons.

Buses meet the trains at Kolari station for the 37 to 40 km to Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi; check the connection on Matkahuolto or the Ylläs arrival page and book it with the train in peak weeks. Cabins for the Christmas fortnight and the Finnish school holidays sell out months ahead.

Where to stay

Where to stay for easy arrivals in Ylläs

Stay on the airport-bus and ski-bus routes so that arrival and departure are a bus stop rather than a taxi; both villages qualify.

Affiliate disclosure: the Stay22 comparison link is commercial. If you book through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost. Providers control prices, payment, changes and refunds; the picks stay editorial.

  • ÄkäslompoloLapland Hotels YlläskaltioOn the bus routes with the ski shuttle at the door; family loft rooms and saunas for a late arrival.
  • YlläsjärviYlläs Lake HotelIn the village centre on the shorter airport-bus run, with a restaurant, sauna and a shuttle to the lifts.
  • ÄkäslompoloKuerHotelA small family-run hotel with breakfast and tracks from the door, on the village bus routes.
Stay22 · live value comparisonFind best-value stays around YlläsCompare live totals, map position and cancellation terms for the exact dates.
Check live prices

By road: Rovaniemi, Levi and the Swedish border

From Rovaniemi the drive is about 170 km and roughly two and a half hours on unlit roads through forest; from Levi about 50 km and 45 minutes; from Kolari village about 35 km. Rentals come with winter tyres, but reindeer on the road, snow and darkness after 15:00 in midwinter mean the drive is slower than the map suggests. Coaches from Rovaniemi reach Ylläs via Kittilä with a change; check Matkahuolto for the current timetable.

Kolari is also the border town for Pajala in Sweden, about 30 km from the station, which makes Ylläs a workable stop on a Finland and Sweden road trip.

Car or no car for the week

A normal ski or aurora week does not need a car: the airport bus, the ski bus between the villages and the ski areas, and tour pickups at the hotels cover it, and both villages have a supermarket and restaurants within walking distance of most stays. Rent a car at Kittilä if you want Levi, the Pallas side of the national park, the SnowVillage on your own timetable or Rovaniemi as day trips, if you are staying in a cabin outside the village, or if you arrive outside the airport-bus season.

Experiences

Reviewed first-day tours from Ylläs

A beginner snowmobile outing and a snowshoe climb of Kesänki fell suit the day after arrival; the full-day wilderness snowmobile tour suits the middle of the week, all checked on the public product pages on 26 September 2026.

Affiliate disclosure: GetYourGuide and Viator links are commercial. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost. Providers control prices, operator terms, changes and refunds.

GetYourGuideYlläs snowmobiling ABC beginner tourTwo-hour introductory snowmobile outing on the forest tracks around Äkäslompolo with a guide leading at a beginner pace; confirm the driving licence rule, the two-per-snowmobile pricing and whether thermal overalls are included.
Check on GetYourGuide
GetYourGuideYlläs snowshoe hike to Kesänki fellGuided four-hour snowshoe climb of Kesänki fell in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park with a campfire break and fell-top views on clear days; confirm the meeting point, the fitness level expected and what the snack includes.
Check on GetYourGuide
GetYourGuideYlläs full-day wilderness snowmobile tourSix-hour snowmobile day deep into the forest and fell country beyond the villages with a cooked lunch at a wilderness hut; confirm the licence rule, the distance covered and whether the price is per driver or per snowmobile.
Check on GetYourGuide
Practical questions

Questions travelers ask before booking

Answers use the sources listed below. Re-check live hours, weather and operator terms close to the travel date.

How long is the transfer from Kittilä Airport to Ylläs?

About 45 minutes by bus to the Ylläsjärvi hotels and about an hour to Äkäslompolo, longer with stops and snow. A taxi or shared minibus takes about 40 to 60 minutes.

Does the airport bus meet every flight?

In the ski season it meets the flights listed on the timetable and leaves about 20 minutes after the listed arrival; for other flights and outside the season it runs on request. Check the timetable against your flight number and book if needed.

Is the night train to Kolari worth it from Helsinki?

Yes for families, skiers with equipment and anyone bringing a car: you sleep on the way, arrive in the morning and the bus meets the train. Book cabins early for Christmas and the school holidays.

Can I do Ylläs as a day trip from Rovaniemi?

Only with a car and a long day: about 170 km each way on winter roads. Two nights at Ylläs on the way to or from Rovaniemi is the practical minimum.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

Checked 2026-09-26. These sources support hours, distances, transport and climate facts; they do not guarantee prices, availability or operator terms.

Keep planning

Related Ylläs guides and pages

Ylläs or Levi

Ylläs or Levi: two Kittilä fells, one quiet and one lively, compared honestly.

Ylläs and Levi share Kittilä Airport but not much else: slopes, cross-country, nightlife, transfers, families and aurora compared so you can pick the right fell.

Read the guide
Skiing

Skiing in Ylläs: two ski areas on one fell, and the largest cross-country network in Finland's resorts.

Skiing in Ylläs explained: the two ski areas, the gondola with a sauna cabin, the 330 km cross-country network with lit tracks, ski-week logistics, lessons and rentals.

Read the guide
Northern lights

Northern lights in Ylläs: dark villages, a fell top and safaris that leave the lights behind.

How to see the northern lights at Ylläs: dark lake shores in both villages, the fell top, ice floating and snowmobile safaris, forecasts and which nights to protect.

Read the guide