The Polar Night Light Festival brings stunning light installations to the public for free. However, the best way to experience the event is by skiing, snowmobiling, or walking along marked trails in the Kurus and Eturinteet areas. There’s a suitable lift ticket for everyone, and the lights are best visible early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
By skiing on the slope area, you can experience the light installations in the most spectacular way.
Lift tickets are available from single rides to multi-day passes.
You can purchase tickets at a lower price by buying them in advance from our online store no later than the day before:
Lift Ticket Prices
Go to the Online Store
Psst! From the Ruka Ski School, you can find a guide to the slopes for the Polar Night Light Festival, regardless of your skill level.
Ruka Ski School
Have you ever towed a sled down a ski slope under colored lights? After the slopes close, you can take the gondola to the top of Saarua and ski down either the front slopes or the Vuosseli side.
| Ticket/snow race rental | Price |
|---|---|
| Gondola ticket + snow racer rent, 19.30–21.30 | 35 € |
| Gondola ticket 19.30–21.30 | 20 € |
| Snow racer rent | 15 € |
You can experience the Polar Night Light Festival for free by walking in Ruka village. From the village, you can access the illuminated Kuru and Eturinteet, where the most impressive part of the light installation is located.
You can experience the vibrant light display from the scenic gondola that crosses over Ruka. The gondola takes you all the way to the Valley, or you can disembark at the top of Saarua and walk down along the marked path. Strollers and pets are also welcome in the gondola.
| Ticket duration | Adukt | Youth (12-17 yrs.) senior (over 65 yrs.) & students | Child (4-11 yrs.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One way | 9,50 € | 9 € | 7 € |
| Return | 13,50 € | 13 € | 9,50 € |
You can purchase pedestrian ticket types from the ticket machines located at both lower stations of the gondola lift or at all our ticket sales points (the rental shops at Piste, Valley, and Vuosselinportti, as well as the Ski-Inn receptions in RukaVillage and RukaValley). Pedestrian tickets are not available for purchase online.
You can travel environmentally friendly by train to Oulu or Rovaniemi and continue from there by bus to Kuusamo. From Kuusamo, the journey continues by local buses to Ruka. If you prefer to drive yourself, you can also take your car on the night train and be ready to hit the road refreshed in the morning.
There is a night train from Helsinki to Kemijärvi daily, and from there, there is a bus connection to Ruka.
You can search for train journeys on VR's website www.vr.fi.
Book a train journey
Bus connections are quite comprehensive when choosing Kuusamo as your destination. From Kuusamo, you can travel to Ruka by local bus.
You can check bus routes and schedules on Matkahuolto's journey planner or website matkahuolto.fi.
Book a bus journey
When traveling from the capital region, the fastest route is via Route 5, covering just over 800 km. Many also choose the route through Oulu. Along the way, there are plenty of rest and refueling spots available around the clock. Ruka has ample parking space, and charging stations are available for electric vehicle users both along the route and in the Ruka area.
Parking at Ruka
Finnair offers direct flights from Helsinki to Kuusamo year-round, with a travel time of just over an hour. During the winter season, there are several flights daily.
In winter, Europe also has direct connections to Kuusamo. Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt once a week on Saturdays, Eurowings from Düsseldorf on Sundays, and Edelweiss from Zurich once a week on Fridays.
You can reach Ruka by airport bus from all scheduled flights.
We offer the opportunity for a car-free skiing holiday in Ski-Inn accommodation next to the ski slopes and services.
