Rovaniemi Lapland: A Complete Guide To A Magical Winter Wonderland
Rovaniemi Lapland is a true magic winter wonderland that has to be seen at least once in a lifetime. The closest city to the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Lapland is the picture-perfect winter wonderland that most winter lovers dream of.
This Rovaniemi, Lapland complete guide will help you make the best decisions when planning your trip to this dreamy part of Finland.
If you’re planning a trip now, lucky you! We wish we could go back again already!
What you’ll find in this guide:
- About Rovaniemi Lapland
- The Weather In Rovaniemi Lapland In Winter
- The Best Time To Visit Rovaniemi
- How To Get To Rovaniemi Lapland
- Moving Around Rovaniemi
- Where to stay in Rovaniemi Lapland
- How Long To Stay in Rovaniemi Lapland
- What To Pack For Your Trip
- What To Eat in Rovaniemi
- Activities To Do In Rovaniemi In Winter
- Cost Of Traveling To Rovaniemi
- Our Tips
This post is purely informational and based on our own experiences. We also use affiliate links which help us keep this website running, at no cost to you.
Finnish Lapland welcomes winter in November when the first snows start to fall but it isn’t until December that the snow is well-settled enough to enjoy all the different kinds of activities the place offers such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing reindeer safari, and more.
What’s more, if the weather permits and the stars align in your favor, you can also see the Northern lights!
About Rovaniemi, Lapland
Rovaniemi is located in Finnish Lapland and is the capital of Lapland, which can also be found in parts of Sweden where it borders Finland.
Being the nearest city to the Arctic Circle in the northernmost region of Europe, it is no wonder that it carries a mysterious air of wonder and magic everywhere you turn to.
In addition, it’s got so much snow that everything is literally covered in white, fluffy tufts of snow.
Fairy lights, wood cabins, glass igloos, and reindeers add up to evoke an aura of being in a fairytale.
If you’re looking for reasons to visit Rovaniemi, Lapland, then you’re in the right place!
What the video to get a feel of the kind of activities to do in Rovaniemi, Finland.
But what makes Rovaniemi the most precious place to visit in winter?
It’s all about the magic of Christmas!
Rovaniemi, Lapland is the official home of Santa Claus in the world. Of course, it goes without saying that anyone in love with the beauty of Christmas, would find Rovaniemi to be the perfect winter wonderland destination.
THE WEATHER IN ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND in winter
Due to its location in the arctic, Winter in Rovaniemi, Lapland brings arctic subzero temperatures of between a maximum of -5 °C (22.9 °F) and it can go as low as -14 °C (6.8 °F).
In addition, Rovaniemi also experiences an other-worldly atmospheric change, as most cities above the Arctic do during winter.
A twilight aura envelopes the city because the sun doesn’t quite rise and stays just barely visible on the horizon for a mere 2-3 hours before getting dark again.
During this twilight period, the horizon metamorphoses from pinkish red to orange, before the sun decides to hide away completely, and all is dark again.
The Aurora Borealis aka Northern Lights, also come out to dance fairly often during this period due to the longer period of darkness and, hopefully, clearer starry nights.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND
Most people usually visit Rovaniemi for 2 main reasons:
- To visit Santa at his official Home in Santa Clause Village
- To see the Northern Lights
Personally, we think it would be a great idea to combine both activities and maximize your stay in Rovaniemi Lapland.
And what winter month would be ideal to get the best of both worlds?
Well, there isn’t a really straightforward answer to that question as much of it depends on the weather.
Given the current state of climate change, one would have to get a really reliable weather forecasting app because you’ll need a super clear sky to see the Aurora Borealis.
Keeping this in mind, we would suggest mid-November to late January. These are the periods with the least snowfalls and as such, more occasions of clearer skies.
Also, who would want to visit Santa Claus in Lapland when the snow has melted?
Na! I don’t see the magic in that.
HOW TO GET TO ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND
Getting to Rovaniemi, Lapland is actually quite easy. There are direct flights from several major European cities like Milan, Brussels, and London.
Depending on where you’re coming from, choose the most convenient option for flight connections for you.
We left from Malta and had a connection in Istanbul with a layover in Helsinki.
The next day, we had a 1.30hr flight which left us enough time to get some activities done on the same day!
Another interesting option for getting to Rovaniemi is to take the Santa Claus Express train from Helsinki.
On this journey, you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful Finnish landscape, all the way into Lapland. Tall conifer trees draped in white and hillsides with dotted houses here and there, all lit up with Christmas lights.
Beware though, it takes 12 hours!
So if you’ve got an extra day to spare and you’re curious about what nature looks like in these parts, then go for it. It would for sure be an experience in itself.
We had other places to travel to during our trip to Rovaniemi Lapland so we opted to spend a night in Helsinki instead.
MOVING AROUND ROVANIEMI LAPLAND
Getting around Rovaniemi is pretty straightforward. There are buses connecting the city but the easiest and fastest way is by taxi.
They are easily accessible and run until past midnight. All you need is an internet connection or phone line to call a taxi.
What’s even nicer, you can walk into any hotel and request help with booking a taxi.
Also, if you book an activity, the company usually arranges a pick up from your hotel or a location nearby.
WHERE TO STAY IN ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND
Being a hotspot for winter visitors, there are quite a variety of accommodation types to choose from. From modest cabin lodges to 5-star luxury resorts, you will be spoilt for choices of where to stay.
We stayed at The Arctic Treehouse which is about 3km from Rovaniemi airport, and 2 kilometers from Rovaniemi city center.
This hotel is a dreamy collection of ultra-modern cabins set at some distance from each other and surrounded by trees. Each cabin is fitted with every amenity you could need in a winter cabin including very warm bedding and the most calming picturesque view of the forest.
The cabins are about 200 meters from the main hotel building where the reception and restaurant are located.
Being one of the most highly sought after luxury hotels in Rovaniemi, it’s best to book well ahead. We booked in November for our trip in December.
HOW LONG TO STAY IN ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND
Rovaniemi is packed full of activities in winter. One can easily loose track of time with the twilighty ambience and the lure of the wild arctic.
If travelling with kids, then 5 days would be ideal. This will give the kids enough time to really enjoy all the joys Santa Claus Village has to offer such as feeding Santa’s reindeers, crafts with Santa’s elves, and all the snow activities for children.
For other kinds of travellers, our suggestion is to stay in Rovaniemi for 3-4 days. This will be sufficient to see and do most of the activities. If you have more days to spare, then we’d suggest moving to other places in Lapland like Kemi or Levi (link).
Moving will especially increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights ( that is if you don’t see them in Rovaniemi)
WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR TRIP TO LAPLAND FINLAND
Packing for Rovaniemi Lapland doesn’t have to be complicated. You will only need a handful of clothing- All made of wool or other highly thermal material. If you’ll be booking tours, then you’ll be provided with very warm clothing, shoes, helmets, socks, and gloves.
However, if you decide to venture out in the wild on your own, then you’ll need to pack some extra super warm outerwear.
In our case, since we are skiers, we only had to take our skiing gear with us, sans the ski of course!
If you don’t live in a cold region or don’t do any winter sports, then you’ll do well to invest in some warm clothing, especially thermal underwear.
All you’ll really need for 4-6 days in Rovaniemi are 2 /3 wool pullovers, 2 pairs of winter pants, a very good waterproof winter boot, mittens (oh yes mittens!), a wool hat, wool or thermal socks, and most importantly, thermal underwear.
Trust us, you’ll find that while you’re in Rovaniemi, fashion doesn’t really matter as you just want to be covered up most of the time. In addition, you’ll end up not having to use more clothes than what we’ve already suggested. So save space in your luggage instead for keepsakes and such.
WHAT TO EAT IN ROVANIEMI LAPLAND
Here is one aspect of Finland that we were completely in the dark about. And there isn’t enough information out there to satisfy our curiosity!
So it was with delight that we discovered that we didn’t have to eat only bread and reindeer meat for the duration of our stay.
We found quite a lot to choose from and didn’t have a single moment of an unsatisfactory meal.
What’s more, there are a host of restaurants and cuisines to suit almost any taste. There are also good options for vegetarians and vegans.
We often had meals included in our activities but we had excellent dining at the Arctic Treehouse Hotel, as well as this local restaurant where I had that plate of chicken salad in the picture above.
ACTIVITIES TO DO IN ROVANIEMI LAPLAND IN WINTER
In Rovaniemi Lapland, you’ll come to find that there is a myriad of things to do to keep you busy and moving constantly in winter.
We were pleasantly surprised that despite the cold, there was so much to do that we had to make a list and prioritize what we wanted to see and do during our stay.
Below, is a list of all the activities we did during this trip.
More details about the activities will be in the next post.
OUR TOP THINGS TO DO IN ROVANIEMI LAPLAND IN WINTER
GO: Ride a snowmobile in the wild arctic forest and chase the Aurora Borealis
VISIT: Go to a reindeer farm where you can experience a reindeer sleigh ride and feed the reindeer afterward.
VISIT: Go visit Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at their official office in Santa Claus Village.
ENJOY: Gaze at the amazing views of the sun on the horizon, changing from bright yellow to orange to blue.
GO: visit a husky farm and take a hair-raising, self-driving ride on your private husky sled.
LEARN: Discover the history and culture of the native Sami tribe of the Arctic region of Lapland.
LEARN: Get educated about the lives of reindeer and the important role they play in Sami culture and Lapland as a whole,
GO: Take a walk through Rovaniemi city center and soak in the Christmas atmosphere
EAT: Try out a traditional Lappi dish in a traditional Sami hut, next to a fireplace. Try Poronkäristys a warm dish of stewed reindeer eaten with bread.
DRINK: Have a sip of something cold at an ice bar.
VISIT: Pay a visit to Santa’s secret cavern at Santa Park (not the same as Santa Village)
ENJOY: Stay in a Finnish winter cabin with glass windows or in a glass igloo
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COST OF TRAVELING TO ROVANIEMI LAPLAND: IS IT WORTH IT?
To be honest, traveling to Rovaniemi in winter doesn’t come cheap. However, it isn’t as expensive as most people might imagine.
Again, how much it will cost you will depend on where you choose to stay and the activities you decide to do.
Before making our final decision, we carried out thorough research on costs if we decided to organize everything by ourselves or to go with a travel agency.
In the end, we decided to go with this local travel agency based in Malta where we live. We used them for flights, accommodation, and for some of the activities
These are the comparisons we made that influenced our decisions.
Now, keep in mind that this is what worked for us in our situation. You should always carry out your own research before making your final travel decision.
So, was it worth it?
Absolutely yes!
The experience we had in Rovaniemi Lapland is one that we’re sure can never be replicated.
All you have to think about is if it’s a place your dream of seeing, and if so, why not go for it?
OUR TIPS
As you can see, there is a lot more to Rovaniemi than just Santa Clause. And although, it is the Christmas spirit that most people go there to chase, ultimately, people leave with a much richer and more magical experience than they had thought.
So, when planning your trip to Rovaniemi, we suggest that you do the following things:
- Look out for the best travel options and flight connections for you.
- Decide what kind of experience you want and plan well ahead due to the high demand.
- Do not expect to see the Northern Lights; rather, hope that luck will be on your side. (We didn’t see the aurora here but eventually did at a different location)
- Do not bother with cash, everything is paid for by card.
- Check the weather forecast using a very reliable (preferably local) weather application.
- Finally, enjoy yourself in one of the most magical winter wonderlands in the world!
Would like to know about our full experience in Finnish Lapland? Then Read this post next:
THE MOST EXCITING ROVANIEMI ITINERARY FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP TO FINNISH LAPLAND
Our Favourite Travel Resources
HOTELS
Booking.com has always been our go-to for finding and booking both affordable and luxurious accommodation.
Expedia UK is especially useful if you live in the UK but you can still book with them regardless. It’s also perfect for finding great accommodation deals inside the UK.
ACTIVITIES
Tripadvisor provides useful reviews from real people that have booked activities all over the world. This helps us compare experiences before making reservations.
Get Your Guide is by far our favourite place to book experiences for all things Europe. What we also love is that you can find major tour companies as well as individual private locals who can really show you around the unbeaten paths.
FLIGHTS
Wayaway is a flight aggregator that is very helpful in finding great flight deals from major US and global airlines without any hidden fees. In addition, if you join the Wayaway Plus Membership, you’ll get more services such as deals offering “money back” options on selected flights. Sign up here and use my special code “ZEBRA01″ to get 10% off!
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Isabella & Pietro
TRZ TEAM
A couple with a zest for all things travel, a love for motorcycles, and a voracious appetite for good food!
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It was a pleasure assisting you on your trip to Rovaniemi! You truly have to be there to experience this magical place. Thank you for choosing to book your holiday with Royal Travel 🙂
And thank you too! It was great using your services. Everything was organised efficiently.
I’d love to see the northern lights one day, but the temperatures and the little sunlight have kept me from going to places where you might. be able to see them. Too bad you didn’t see them in Rovaniemi. Where was it then that you saw them?
It’s all about what you wear! That’s what makes the difference in how you experience the weather. To answer your question, we eventually saw the Northern Lights in Tromso, Norway, and it was incredible!
I definitely have a new addition to my bucket list! It looks magical!
It IS magical and more!
It does look truly magical!!!
Yes, indeed!
What a fun adventure. And to say that you have been to the North Pole is awesome.
Exactly! We’ve been to the North Pole! It’s both an exciting and overwhelming thought.
I went in 2015 and I want to try and go back next March! What a special place!
How cool! I’m sure it would be different in March. If the weather is still subzero, you might enjoy the Northern Lights too! Let us know when you visit.
It sounds like you had a great time!! I enjoyed learning about Lapland. I hope to see the Northern Lights one day.
Yes, we did! I’m glad you enjoyed reading about Lapland. Perhaps, you should bookmark this page for the future. You never know…
I now have something extra to add to my Christmas bucket list! I never heard of this place but it sounds like so much fun.
Julie, it was the same with us. We only learned about Rovaniemi when we were researching places to go to see the Northern Lights. As soon as we discovered it, we knew we just had to go. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed when you do visit.
This is amazing, what a lovely place to visit, and love the snow and decoration. Christmas with snow makes it the best for me.
We love the combination too! It’s always magical for us because we live in a place without snow.