Ylläs for a quiet holiday
Two villages, one fell and Finland's most visited national park.
Updated 3 October 2026
Ylläs is a fell area in Kolari, western Finnish Lapland, close to the Swedish border. It is Finland's largest ski resort, yet it still feels like two villages at the foot of a fell.
Two villages, two sides of the fell
- Äkäslompolo lies on the north side. It is the older village, with its first permanent house from 1740, and it is home to Kellokas, the visitor centre of the national park.
- Ylläsjärvi lies on the south side. The gondola runs up from here, and the south-facing slopes are lovely for spring skiing.
The Scenic Road joins the two villages, and in winter a ski bus runs between them.
Skiing
Ylläs has 62 slopes and a vertical drop of up to 464 m. Almost half of the slopes are over a kilometre long, and the longest runs from the summit are about 3 km. For cross-country skiers there are about 300 km of tracks, more than 30 km of them lit, and the classic loop around Yllästunturi is about 30 km.
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
The national park covers more than 1,000 km² and is the most visited in Finland. The 50 km Hetta–Pallas trail is one of the oldest hiking trails in the country, and there are short loops near Äkäslompolo for an afternoon walk.
Through the year
The ski season usually runs from November to early May. Ruska, the autumn colours, peaks in the first half of September. In summer there are about 200 km of cycling trails, and fly fishing is popular on the rivers nearby. Northern lights can be seen from early autumn to late spring.
Getting there
Kittilä Airport is about a 30-minute drive away, and an airport bus runs to Ylläs. Kolari railway station is about 35 km away, with a shuttle bus from the night train. See arrival in Ylläs for timetables.
Our home in Ylläs
Our Ylläs home opens in February 2027. Until then, our homes in Levi are on the other side of the 70 km Ylläs–Levi ski route. See our homes.