Rovaniemi is arguably the most famous Lapland city as it is home to the official Santa Claus Village, the gateway to see the northern lights and sleeping under the stars in a glass igloo.
While Finland is arguably not the cheapest place to visit, be warned that for Rovaniemi during the winter seasons, it is even more true.
But is it worth it to visit Rovaniemi? Absolutely! So let me share my experience and research for you so you can plan your trip!
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions on Visiting Rovaniemi in Winter
You probably have quite a few questions about Rovaniemi! As did I, so here is a quick round of frequently asked questions answered.
Is it worth visiting Rovaniemi?
Yes! While it is a touristy town, it has its advantages with better tourist-geared infrastructure, such as buses and ride-hailing apps availability. Plus there are good flight, train, and bus connections. There are also a lot of tours to choose from, and of course, the one and only official Santa Claus Village.
Is 2 days enough in Rovaniemi?
You can see the highlight of Rovaniemi within 2 days, but I personally have not found it to be enough – given that I had to adjust to the jetlag and much colder weather than I am used to.
We had a wonderful day at a winter park, saw Santa Claus Village, rode on a reindeer sleigh, went on a husky safari, and did a northern light tour.
But we did not explore the town itself or go to the nearby national parks. We ended up staying at a glass igloo in Ivalo instead of Rovaniemi, but more on that in the accommodation section.
Is it expensive in Rovaniemi?
Yes, it is expensive in Rovaniemi, especially in the popular winter season. It’s best to book a few months in advance to secure better prices. When I booked around 2-3 weeks before the trip, a lot of accommodations were already taken, and tours generally filled up as well for things like self-drive husky safari.
Restaurants tend to cost around 30-50 euros per person, depending on how much you eat. So I strongly advise booking somewhere that includes breakfast and or has a kitchen that you can use to at least make breakfast and maybe a packed lunch. There is a supermarket on the main road that is reasonably priced.
Is it always dark in Rovaniemi?
No – the nights are longest around winter solstice, but we had solid daylight hours in late February with sunrise around 8 am and sunset at almost 5 pm. This gave us plenty of time to do day-time activity but also have a long night to see the northern lights!
Which month is best to visit Rovaniemi?
Which month is best to visit Rovaniemi entirely depends on your main objective of visiting!
Best shoulder season for value for money: November, March, and April where it’s not as cold and you can chase the northern lights with longer daylight hours.
Do note that it is coldest between December and February, with temperatures going as low as -30 degree celsius.
More on snow and aurora below.
Is Rovaniemi always snowy in winter?
Snow generally comes from November onwards, but the best time to visit for snow is from January onwards. This gives enough time for a reliable snowy landscape, with the end of February to March having the thickest snow layer.
When to see the aurora in Rovaniemi?
The best time to see the aurora is around the equinox, which makes September, October, February, and March statistically the best with increased geomagnetic activity.
Another key factor in seeing the auroras is the lack of cloud coverage, but December and January can be cloudy, and it’s hard to predict the weather. Therefore, staying for at least 2 nights, best with 4 nights, is recommended.
Aurora generally appears between 9 PM and 2 AM, but you should definitely download the aurora alert apps! I use this one for general forecasts, and if you stay at a resort with an aurora detection function, it’ll alert you when it senses one!
Both times we saw the auroras were around 10-11pm!
Getting to Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi has an international airport, as well as a train station and a bus station, making it very easy to reach.
The airport is only a 10-minute drive to the city center, and the bus stop and train station on the southern edge of town are near each other. Most will choose to either take a flight or a train, and because we booked late, we ended up taking a flight directly from Helsinki after our long haul arrived.
Flying from Helsinki to Rovaniemi
If you want to make the best of your time in Finland, then flying is the fastest way to get to Rovaniemi. There are international flight options, but for most, it’ll involve a transit in Helsinki.
There’s no separate terminal for domestic and international flights in Helsinki Airport. The security check is done first, whether you are transiting or arriving for your flight from the city. Then at the end of domestic gates, you’ll find the immigration check.
So you can buy food and drinks freely once you’re past security, unlike some other airports I’ve been to where you’ll find security checks again.
Helsinki Airport Transfer
If you’re transiting in Helsinki to go to Rovaniemi, you should leave at least a 90-minute window for your transfer.
We landed just before 6 am, and our flight is 7:15 to Rovaniemi – but in the winter season, there’s also possible delays due to the weather, so you have to factor that in.
While it was smooth to get off the flight, the security check queue was long and the all passport immigration queue even longer.
We had to ask a staff member to help us join the queue, but it’s still a toss up, depending on whether the person in front of you took long or not. We saw a family miss their flight in front of us who only had a 45-minute transfer window.
Our gate was also very far from immigration, so it took extra long for us to talk there. Although it wasn’t exactly the final call yet, we did run for a bit, and the boarding finished quite soon after we arrived.
Just before the plane got to the runway, there were high-pressure water jets that scraped off the ice forming on the plane, and it was interesting to watch.
The flight is only an hour or so, therefore they only provide free blueberry juice or water.
Rovaniemi Airport to Rovaniemi City Center
The AirPort Express bus costs 8 euros one way, and for some reason, my Bolt ride was only 14.1 euros, so we took a Bolt for the 10-minute journey to our hotel in the center of Rovaniemi.
Airport Express Rovaniemi
Departs every 25 minutes from 9 am to 9:30 pm with no specific schedule, and have several stops in town, making it easy to reach your hotel or AirBnB.
On our arrival, there’s already an airport bus waiting, but I got a good deal on Bolt (taxi app) so we did that instead.
Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi
The Santa Express is arguably the most popular way to travel between Helsinki and Rovaniemi, since it doubles up as a transport system, as well as a night of accommodation.
You’ll find 2 nightly departures, one at 9 pm and another at 11 pm. If you don’t book months in advance, you’re likely left with the latter option. And the Helsinki – Rovaniemi stretch usually sells out quickly.
There are 2 types of cabins as well, one with an en suite bathroom and another one without. There is a price difference, so if you don’t think you really need a shower in the cold winter, you can opt for the cheaper cabin, which is more likely to be available.
Getting around in Rovaniemi
There are a few options to get around town – the perks of going to a touristy town! A lot of tours also offer pick up and drop off, but if you want to have flexibility in where to dine and don’t drive, it’s best to stay in the city center.
Santa Express
The Santa Express is the most popular public transport option to get from the city center to Rovaniemi, and you can also get to the airport on the bus as well.
It is supposedly cheaper to buy tickets online as well, but I find it very difficult to manage on a mobile browser as it needs your address in addition to your credit card so it’s a lot of things to fill in.
You can pay by card on the bus so that is easier. Getting a return ticket would also be cheaper if you plan on riding the bus back.
Taxi and Ride Hailing App in Rovaniemi
Both Uber and Bolt operate in Rovaniemi, and it’s best to link your card to make sure you have a smooth journey on arrival.
Ride hailing apps would be cheaper than taxi in general, and save you from worrying about any price jump if there is traffic or long waiting time at traffic lights. Taxi price is counted both per km and per minute on the meter!
Local Bus in Rovaniemi
Aside from Santa Express, there are also local buses, but personally, I find it a bit difficult to navigate as someone who isn’t familiar with the city’s layout or where the attractions are. But you can check the routes and schedules on their official website.
Kotatieva Winter Park
The main reason I booked the Kotatieva Winter Park is that they have a forest ice skating path, and it’s one of my dreams to skate on a natural body of water!
Apart from that, they also have snow shoes, sledding, and you can add on reindeer rides and lunch as well. We did exactly that, and it’s 200 euros for two, which was decent value in Lapland prices.
Everything except getting the ice skate and Reindeer ride is self-service, but the staff were happy to help and make suggestions.
Shuttle to Kotatieva
They also have a free shuttle that runs from Rovaniemi city center (near the stadium, their gps location on the official website is exactly the right place to wait), the Santa Claus Village, then Kotatieva.
Lunch at Kotatieva
We took the 11am shuttle from the city center and arrived just in time for lunch at noon as we needed to take a scenic walk up the hill to the restaurant.
There’s the option to have soup of the day, where there’s a meat and a vegetarian option, burger, or pizza (ham or pepperoni). My husband got the traditional beef soup which was good for warming up but isn’t too filling. I had the burger which was standard but the chips were very tasty. Water is provided for free but other drinks are extra.
Ice skating
The ice skating forest path starts directly behind the safari house that was the first point of arriving at Kotatieva. It has several meandering trails, most of them circles back to the safari house but one goes to the ice hockey area.
You can tell the staff at the safari house your shoe size – I recommend sizing one up and wearing thick fluffy socks. The skate quality is really good and they also have helmets that you should make use of.
I have severely underestimated the difference between ice skating in rinks and in nature. It’s a lot harder to maneuver for me so le hubby and I both took the skating support which made all the difference!
Sledding
There’s a gentle slope for sledding parallel to the trail going up to the restaurant. They have a selection of different size mats and plastic mats for sledding, but the latter is not recommended for adults as they run faster and with heavier weight you can get thrown off.
Reindeer ride
The reindeer ride is at an extra charge of 30 euros per person, but there’s a 10% discount if you buy it along with your Kotatieva day ticket.
There’s not a lot of interaction with the reindeers as they generally do not prefer to be touched,
Santa Claus Village
Known as Santa’s official North Pole residence, this village is one of the main tourist draw for Rovaniemi and it is arguably a bit of a tourist trap.
That said, it’s completely free to visit the village, which is about 8km north of Rovaniemi city center and close to the airport. You can find charming wooden buildings, restaurants, and activity parks clustered together, as well as hotels and resorts.
Whether or not you believe in Santa Claus, it’s still worth a visit because how can you explain to your friends and family that you went to Rovaniemi without setting foot near Santa? Plus, there are free sights!
Crossing Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle line is clearly marked on the ground in the village’s central square. Visitors can cross it by hopping, jumping, or even doing a cartwheel, and can purchase a commemorative certificate to mark the occasion at the safari hut.
We didn’t do that, since we were planning to meet Santa~
Santa Claus Village YouTube Livestream
The village has a live broadcast on YouTube at the central square near the thermometer and the Arctic Circle line. This allows people worldwide to see current conditions, such as snow depth and visitor activity, in real-time.
But it has become popular for people to screen record themselves on the livestream – some ideas would be re-creating a viral dance or just wave hi!
Meeting Santa
You can meet Santa every day of the year at the Santa Claus Office or the Christmas House. Entrance is free, but you must pay for professional photo/video packages if you want a visual memento of your chat.
The queue length ebbs and flows, and it took us around 30 minutes to get there. It is more of a family oriented thing as Santa would talk to the kids and ask them about their wishes and things.
As an adult, my contribution to the conversation was that it’s cold here.
The digital-only package includes the 3 photos they took and a video of me telling Santa it’s cold – for a grand 55 euros.
Santa’s Post Office
This is the only official post office of Santa Claus, run by “postal elves”. All mail sent from here is hand-stamped with a special Arctic Circle postmark. You can also order a “real” letter from Santa to be sent to loved ones before Christmas.
It can get crowded there with everyone buying postcards and writing it on the spot, so if you can, prepare a pen and maybe write it over lunch and bring it back.
Santa’s Salmon Place
Santa’s Salmon Place came up constantly when I was researching where to eat and for Santa Claus Village. It’s actually located a short walk away in the back hills of the main area, and not to be confused with All About Salmon by the entrance, although they do sell exactly the same thing.
There’s a 1 euro price difference, which I figured out later and ratings are similar, so honestly I’d say queue for whichever one is convenient for you. The queues can get long from 11:30 onwards – and they open at 11, and we waited for around 30 minutes at 12:20ish.
There used to be salmon soup according to the reviews I read but only salmon on my visit. The salmon are cooked by the central fire which also kept the room warm, and the drinks hot. The only seasoning they add is salt,
Husky Sledding in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a signature Arctic experience typically available from late November through April, depending on snow conditions. Tours range from quick introductory rides to multi-hour wilderness safaris, with many allowing you to mush your own team of dogs.
After reading through tens of tour descriptions, I decided to go on a 4/5km husky sled and it was my favourite experience of the whole trip!
Northern light tours in Rovaniemi
It can be hard and overwhelming to pick a northern light tours for Rovaniemi because of all the options available. They are like “hunts”, designed to escape city light pollution and find clear skies, which are essential for viewing. Because weather is unpredictable, the most effective tours use unlimited mileage and real-time satellite data to drive as far as necessary—sometimes even into Sweden or Norway—to find a break in the clouds.
Most tours depart between 18:00 and 21:00 and last anywhere from 3 to 12 hours. There are again many tour options, and I decided to go on a small group tour with photography service!
Rovaniemi to Ivalo Bus
The most economical way to get to Ivalo from Rovaniemi is to take the bus, and to be honest the two bus companies I found both have mixed reviews online.
I decided to book the one with the best time for us, as the Finnish hotels all have quite late check in time at 4pm, but check out is at noon. So our ride departs at 11:45 and would get us to Ivalo at 4pm.
The driver has a list of the passenger names so ‘check in’ was easy. Seating was free for all and given there were many stops along the way, it’s best to bring only light hand luggage onto the bus that you can store in the overhead compartment.
Since both of us have a large bag – electronic cameras and snacks – we had to put the bags between our legs and if you’re a taller person, it’d be uncomfortable.
The bus was at bay 2 as the ticket listed, and it departed quite on time. But it is best to arrive 15 minutes to get good seats.
There’s a bathroom in the bus station but you have to pay 1 euro or buy something to use it.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there’s WiFi onboard, and the speed was reasonable, and each side of the seats have sockets to the side where you can charge your devices with a plug.
Each major stop was announced and there was a 15 minute break where the bathroom was free to use. For those carrying on to Inari, there’s a 30 minute break at Ivalo.
Restaurants in Rovaniemi
There are many restaurants in Rovaniemi, but most of them are not that cheap, especially for Asian’s standards. We were very busy on our 2 days and 2 nights there, and only managed to eat out once, but I’ll put my research recommended places here, too.
Note: for some restaurants, it’s best to make a reservation!
Restaurant Nili
The restaurant was a short walk from our hotel, and although it was busy. It has a nice cozy Lapland Chalet vibe. The portions are on the bigger side, so we ordered from the Rovaniemi Market (which needed a minimum of 2 to order) to try reindeer cooked in different ways, as well as some fishes, and shared the arctic char that was delicious.
The total did come to 80 euros – which shows you how expensive Rovaniemi can be!
Opening times: Mon – Fri 16:00 – 23:00; Sat 12:00 – 23:00
Arctic Restaurant
Arctic Restaurant was actually my first choice, but sadly it was fully booked on the night we visited, even though we went there at just past 6pm.
It has a classier decor that is more suited for couples or a special occasion.
Opening times: 17:00 – 23:00
Where to stay in Rovaniemi
Deciding on where to stay in Rovaniemi is like deciding on whether you spend a lot for an alright hotel or spend a bit more than a lot for a nice hotel.
Personally, I don’t like considering AirBnB unless my arrival is late and departure early as storing luggage is difficult, especially for Rovaniemi in the winter since it’s so cold with icy roads.
However, if you’re in a big group and plan to cook, then it’s probably best to book AirBnB.
It’s also important to book early as we booked less than a month in advance and options were limited.
Hotels in Rovaniemi city center
The city center of Rovaniemi is not very big, and hotels are generally clustered east of the main road towards the river.
If you’re planning to attempt to walk to the train or bus station (or vice versa), then it’s better to find one towards the south end of town. But most of the restaurants are towards the north end, but it’s easy to walk if you’re not carrying luggage.
My main criteria for this trip were to be comfortable, as my husband is a luxury traveler in taste, so space and quality was the most important. But I’ll also put some options that were high on my list during research.
*I have a separate post on choosing + staying in a glass igloo in Lapland
Haawe Boutique Hotel
Haawe Boutique Hotel is arguably the best hotel in town with a good location, spacious and well-designed room, and a full living room and open kitchenette complete with cooking and dining equipment.
However, the price is also high, and it is completely unmanned, with the door code and room code sent to you via email (I booked through trip.com so also through messages on the app.
There are lockers available that can fit our two big luggage easily with room to spare, which we did on arrival. Check in time is 4 pm, and that’s when your room door code will be activated.
I also really liked that they stocked the fridge with food and drinks so we can make our own breakfast at our own pace. Everything was top quality and more than enough for two nights stay!
The TV also has a Netflix option, and the toilet and shower are separate, which is great.
*Get off Aallonkatu (Hotel Pohjanhovi) if you are taking the Airport Express.
Rough Price: ~€300 to €700+ per night
Arctic Light Hotel
Frequently ranked as the #1 hotel in the city, this boutique property is housed in the former 1950s City Hall. It’s famous for its award-winning breakfast (created by a Finnish TV chef) and stylish, spacious rooms that blend heritage architecture with modern Lappish luxury.
Rough Price: ~€250 to €600+ per night.
Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus
A large, dependable 4-star hotel located right in the center of Rovaniemi. It’s a popular choice for families and business travelers due to its high-ceilinged rooms, on-site restaurants, and the convenience of having the Santa’s Express bus stop right outside the door.
Rough Price: ~€180 to €450+ per night.
Scandic Rovaniemi City
A sleek, minimalist hotel with a very central location. It is highly rated for its consistency, excellent gym and sauna facilities, and its proximity to the Arktikum Museum. It offers a more standard, reliable hotel experience compared to the boutique options.
Rough Price: ~€140 to €350+ per night.
Santa Claus Village Hotels
Staying directly at the Santa Claus Village offers a unique “on-site” experience. Prices in this region fluctuate dramatically by season, with peak rates occurring in December and January and significantly lower rates in the summer.
Santa Claus Holiday Village
This is the most iconic on-site option, featuring red Finnish log cabins equipped with private saunas and kitchenettes. Although the style is a bit dated, it is ideal for families wanting the most traditional “Santa’s village” atmosphere, as the cabins are just a few minutes’ walk from Santa’s main office.
Rough Price: ~€150–€180 (low season) to €550+ (peak winter) per night.
Glass Resort
A luxury boutique resort consisting of high-end glass apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows and private outdoor hot tubs. It is designed for travelers seeking a premium experience with the potential to view the Northern Lights directly from their room while maintaining high privacy. And still be walking distance to the Santa Village.
Rough Price: ~€700 to €1,100+ per night.
Nova Skyland Hotel
This woodsy-chic hotel offers modern Scandinavian-style villas and aurora suites with large panoramic windows. It provides a more contemporary and quiet aesthetic compared to the traditional log cabins, situated slightly on the edge of the village for a more serene forest feel.
Rough Price: ~€280 to €650+ per night.
Santa’s Luxury Boutique Villa, Santa Claus Village
This exclusive option focuses on high-end materials and impeccable service, often featuring fully stocked pantries and personalized hospitality. It is one of the most expensive choices in the village, catering to large groups or those seeking the highest level of luxury and privacy.
Rough Price: ~€1,800 to €2,300+ per night for full villa/luxury apartments.
Santa’s Igloo Arctic Circle
Located about 600 meters from the main square, these specialized glass-roofed igloos are optimized for aurora viewing. Each unit features a Northern Lights alarm and modern amenities, blending the novelty of an igloo stay with the convenience of being near the village’s attractions.
Rough Price: ~€300 to €850+ per night.
