The Skiers' Guide to Ruka

Ruka was great, completely different experience to the Alps. Shorter runs but the runs and lifts were so quiet it didn't matter - great for getting lots of kms in. They are very set up for the darker months that you can ski for longer every day, on fridays till 9pm, a great experience!

Lots of off piste, snow park and non-skiing activities to do around the resort. We loved ice karting, the ruka coaster and seeing the northern lights.

Some great restaurant options, and most hotels you have kitchenettes in to keep costs down.

And cant beat a sauna after skiing when the temperatures are sometimes very low!

Brilliant, beautiful resort. Conditions where amazing. Quiet runs, no queues at the lifts. Tree lined and stunning runs. Ski area isnt as large as other resorts but perfect for family's and beginners

First time in a Ruka, it was amazing. Ski school staff were lovely and extremely helpful, lots of places to eat and drink! RUOK burger is the best place in my opinion! As a beginner I’m really glad I came to Ruka! By the end of the week I had already completed most of the blue runs!

Great local resort in Northern Finland, easily accessible from Kuusamo airport, enough slopes to enjoy a few days of skiing even in the dark thanks to the slopes being lit up until late afternoon. Other activities available as well, and a good place for families too.

Small resort but plenty of varied runs. Might be a little limited of you're advanced. Gorgeous little town with everything you need close to the lifts. Limited high end accommodation in the town but decent apartment options. Lots of non slope activities too (snowmobiles, huskies, reindeer, sledding etc.)

My husbands first ski trip. And he is now totally addicted! A fab resort for beginners and lots of black and red runs too (which we were too scared to do this time round)

It's honestly has be the trip of a lifetime. I can't recommend this resort enough for all levels - families or even parties. It honestly has it all

Thankyou ❤️

Great resort for families, and everything within walking distance in the village and on the other side of the mountain.
Loads of great places to eat and drink.
Could get busy on the gondolas and anywhere at lunch on the ski-side of the mountain, but it was Christmas/New Year in Lapland… also they’re building loads year-on-year and blue/red slopes were quiet. Will 100% go back.

Disclaimer that it was the coldest week in Finnish record when we were there

Ruka was a nice resort with a variety of runs across three valleys
The beginners are in a small fenced off area at the bottom of the mountain
Ski school was good but too cold to properly take advantage of
Mainly T-bar and button lifts due to winds, gondola was closed some days due to this so have to use T-bar to get up the mountain which is okay as long as you’re advanced enough to ski back to accommodation (some of our group weren’t and so couldn’t get to ski lockers), there were some shuttle busses but not very frequent
Food and drink was expensive but expected in Lapland
Accommodation was incredible with log burner and sauna, good self catering facilities

Ruka was a wonderful resort, with a great variety of slopes for all abilities. Lifts easy to use and no big waiting times to get on them. Very family friendly, fire pits situated around the slopes to stop off and warm up by, helpful ski patrol should you need them. A very good choice of restaurants and places to grab a drink. Highly recommend Base on the mountain for lunch or dinner, even just a bite to eat, it’s very chilled but amazing food and great service. Also Piste which is probably one of the better places for an apres vibe too.

We absolutely loved Ruka . Snow was incredible. Resort fun . Magical . Will return ! The most amazing NYE . Perfect for families to couples to groups .

Lovely family run resort, great for beginner and intermediate riders. Ski school was great, no complaints on anything and the accomodation we stayed in was lovely

First time visitng Ruka as we were mainly looking for some guaranteed snow at the start of the season given how unpredictable the Alps have been in recent years.

Everything about the resort exceeded my expectations! I'd read some older reviews about it not being great for snowboarders and there being a lot of drag lifts, but I can safely say this is no longer true! 90% of the resort can be accessed by modern, fast chairlifts and there was only one significant run I found that was t-bar only (still not a deal breaker just less fun on the legs).

Yes, the runs are short, but they immaculately groomed every night and you should go in knowing it's a different experience from the alps. Quiet slopes with that finnish atmosphere (think cooking up sausages by the fire as a mid-run break as opposed to dancing on tables). The park is world-class and used by many professionals for training and comps so if that's your thing you're very well catered for. There are also plenty of short dips through the trees and some dedicated ungroomed terrain which unfortunately we didn't get quite enough snow to sample properly.

The tempreature is worth mentioning (-20c average for us during a week at the start of Jan) but if you bring the layers and are prepared it doesn't stop you from doing anything.

The village is small but modern with everything you could need - a small supermarket, a few nice bars and restaurants and some good winter clothes shops. Also worth mentioning the new BASE sauna and restaurant which opened for 2025 at the top of the hill and is an all-round incredible experience.

There's also way more to do here than just ski which is half of why a lot of families visit i'm sure - we took part in snowmobiling and ice karting but there's also ice fishing, reindeer farms, tubing down a frozen lake, snowshoeing and more, it truly is a winter wonderland!

We found all food and drink to be very expensive, even more so than most Alps resorts we've been to, but countered this by gettting a very good deal on a half-board hotel which meant we had little need to eat out. I'd say overall it's still a cheaper holiday as flights and accomodation package deals to Ruka seem much more reasonable than a lot of places.

Finally - the transfer from kuusamo airport is about half an hour! Can't get that anywhere else i'm sure.

Overall I feel as though i've found a hidden gem in Ruka and will certainly be back!

This was a great resort for a family with lots to do for non skiers alike. Lots of great food options. Very busy in morning, quiet by afternoon.

Ihan hyvaa!Cool place to spend the day with friends, and enjoyed a pint. Good layout of rental area and a small ski school for the kids. Lift could use a upgrade and the price is fair.

Quiet slopes; fast and efficient chair lifts; well groomed; wide runs-lots of blue and red; good for families

Had the best time especially with the polar lights, the other activities you can do like speed sledging on a night or riding sledge with huskys

the ski resourt has a hotel at the bottom of the slopes which gives easy access to the slopes. The food prices in every restraunt is very good value for money and you can easily get lessons if you are a beginner. all the lifts are comfy and easy to get to. there are a load of sloped for all levels of skiing and/or snowboarding.

Brilliant compact family friendly resort. The slopes are unbelievably quiet and the locals are warm and welcoming.

For a first time skier, this resort was very welcoming and friendly. It has a range of slopes for difficulties and a family friendly slope for beginners and children. I had a 1 week holiday in Ruka and have advanced to intermediate level. The staff are incredible and taught me so much. I was nervous and doubtful when going skiing for the first time, but the instructors never pushed you too hard unless you were ready to move on. I would come back here time and time again. 5/5 stars.

Ruka Ski Resort is absolutely stunning. Depending on the time you visit, you can have the slopes all to yourself. However, this resort is small compared to other resorts Ive been to. During our first two days in Ruka, we managed to ski down all the runs. As an Intermediate skier, I would recommend this resort to people who are just learning and families with small children. Night skiing is great and the slopes are open till 23:00 on Fridays. We experienced the Polar Night Light Festival and although it looked amazing, we were underwhelmed as it was only a section of the slopes with colourful lights.Ruka Ski Resort is amazing when complimented with spending time doing experiences Lapland has to offer. Definitely a bucket list resort and do not regret coming.