City guide / Finland
Rovaniemi, verdict by verdict
Rovaniemi is the Lapland town on the Arctic Circle. Our verdicts cover Santa Claus Village, husky safaris and northern lights tours, the airport route and where to stay.
Explore the decisions
Sights and tickets
Explore the decisions
Tours
Explore the decisions
Big choices
The review
Rovaniemi in short
Rovaniemi is the Lapland town on the Arctic Circle: home of Santa Claus Village and a compact base for husky and reindeer farms, snowmobile safaris, glass igloo nights and northern lights tours. For families with young children in the Christmas season, few places in Europe pack this much winter activity around one small town.
The caveats are cost and expectations. Safaris, igloos and Christmas-season rooms are expensive, the Santa attractions are commercial by design, and the northern lights depend on clear, dark skies, so no tour can promise a sighting. The town itself is modern and small rather than picturesque.
Plan activities first and book the popular ones early for December. The centre is easily explored on foot, tours usually pick up in town, and local buses reach Santa Claus Village.
Go if
- Families meeting Santa Claus in the Christmas season
- Husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris in the snow
- Northern lights tours on clear winter nights
Skip if
- Your budget is tight; safaris and igloos price at a premium
- You need a guaranteed aurora; cloud cover can cancel a sighting
- You want a historic town; the centre is modern and small
- When to go
- Winter for snow, safaris and Christmas at Santa Claus Village, with the northern lights in the dark autumn and winter months. Summer brings the midnight sun instead of snow.
- How long
- Three to four nights fits Santa Claus Village, one or two safaris and a northern lights tour with a spare night for weather.
- Getting around
- Direct flights connect Rovaniemi with dozens of European cities, and trains, including the overnight sleeper, run from Helsinki several times a day. In winter, airport buses link the airport to the city; otherwise use a taxi. The centre is walkable, and local bus 8 runs year round to Santa Claus Village.
Where to stay
Hotels that fit this trip in Rovaniemi
We are checking our Rovaniemi hotel picks against live rates. Meanwhile: Search Rovaniemi hotels on Expedia partner site
Keep exploring
If Rovaniemi works for you
Pack for it
Gear verdicts from our sister site, Real Buyer Experiences: