Christmas in Santa Claus Village, our Barefoot Package

Arktikum Museum & Science Centre

A Science center and Museum that brings northern nature, cultures and history close to the visitors. You will have the chance to experience and enjoy arctic stories in the experiential exhibitions and events of the museum.

Also explore the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland.

The open hours are on Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00a.m. to 06:00p.m., Monday is closed, also on Christmas Eve is closed.

The address is Arktikum-talo Pohjoisranta 4, 96200 Rovaniemi Finland.

Visit Santa Claus Village & Meet Him In Person

Santa Claus Village is the most famous attraction for someone who visits Rovaniemi during Christmas season. It is an amazing experience for all ages and not just for the children.

You will have the chance to meet Santa Claus himself and use the Santa Claus Main Post office, where you can write letters to your family and loved ones back home and get it stamped by the “official” Santa Claus Main Post Office postmark. While you are there you can wander around this beautiful Christmas village and get lost in the decorated streets with the little shops for some Christmas shopping. You can also find some Christmas attractions in Santa Claus Village like the reindeer sleigh rides, children’s snowmobiling (ages 4 and up), and snowmobiling safaris. If you feel hungry you can choose amongst the many restaurants that are in the village or in the area around.

The open hours for the facilities of the village are daily from early in the morning till 07:00p.m. (the exact hours among the many facilities vary)

The address is 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland.

Elf´s Hat Academy

There is an academy not like the others, at this academy you learn how to read and organize larger and smaller books, will learn, and practice the art of hiding in plain sight, will study the craft of toy making, learn the secrets of sauna rituals and how Santa’s elves prepare for the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve.

The elves will share their tips and tricks on how to become an elf little helper yourself. Upon graduation, you will receive a special elf mark to symbolize the newly acquired wisdom and, of course, an Elf Academy graduates’ diploma to always remember the secrets you learned.

The Elf’s Hat Academy is in the Santa Claus Village.

You just need to book for participating and the duration is around 30 minutes.

Relax in a Finnish Sauna & Ice Swimming

The Finnish sauna culture is one of the main reasons why the Finns rank first in the yearly polls about the happiest people on the planet.

Heal, Cleans and Relax in an authentic Finish sauna. There are nearly as many saunas in Finland as there are houses. This tradition goes back 9,000-year-back and is the first Finnish element on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Finnish people used the sauna for purification rituals before marriage, and for many is the holiest room in the house and the one most closely associated with their wellbeing. There are many places in Rovaniemi where you can enjoy relaxing time in a sauna during your Christmas period. If you want to take it a step further, you can combine the sauna with a dip in an ice-cold river. This is also a part of the Finnish culture. There are several places where you experience this while you are in Rovaniemi. Don’t miss it out !!

See the Northern Lights

The area around Santa Claus Village offers a good setting for seeing the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, because the Village is located on the Arctic Circle in Lapland. The season for Northern Lights happens between end of August and early April.

The long nights and dark skies make this area at the Arctic Circle among the top places to experience the Northern Lights. You can also enjoy the Aurora Borealis if you travel out into the wilderness to find clear sky, away from city lights, where this extraordinary natural phenomenon takes place. Be ready to experience something unique this Christmas period, bring a good camera if you want to take good photos of the Lights. The best time to see the Northern Lights tends to be from 10:00p.m., although they may be visible from 05:00p.m., until  02:00a.m. so be sure to have a rest before in order to have energy.

There are many different tours you can book, to see the Northern Lights.

Snowshoe Walk to The Arctic Nature

If you want to try something new into the heart of the wild Arctic, then this snowshoeing adventure in Lapland is the right one for you.

You will follow footprints into the world’s largest woodland, explore the magical Taiga forest with specialized snowshoes. This is a tradition that dates to arctic living itself. While you participate in this tour, you can learn more about the seasons and wildlife in the Boreal Forest. You can also see active species like Arctic Hare and Snow Fox, that live in the forest. You will be given warm clothing from the tour company, but don’t forget to bring your own and ideally isothermal clothing to keep you warm.

There are many different tours you can book, to Snowshoe walk to the Arctic Nature.

Ice Fishing like a Finn

If you want to understand how Finnish people get through the dark and rough winter, then you just need to join this amazing activity. Ice fishing is in the culture of Finnish people.

You will go to a frozen lake, drill a hole in the ice and lower your bait. While you are waiting to catch the freshwater fish, enjoy a hot drink while sitting on a reindeer skin. You can reach the ice fishing spots by a car, by a snowmobile or by snowshoeing. The duration of this fascinating experience is around 2 hours and 30 minutes. This tour will include winter clothing (thermal overall, thermal boots, woollen socks, mittens), transfers, guiding, ice fishing, hot drink and light snacks.

The open hours to join Ice-fishing are on Tuesday, Friday & Sunday at 10:00a.m.

You can go to the Apukka Resort, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. The location is only 18 km (a 20-minute drive) from the city of Rovaniemi, 12 km (a 15-minute drive) from Rovaniemi airport, and 8 km (a 10-minute drive) from Santa’s Village.

Apukka Resort stands in the embrace of two wilderness lakes amid the most stunning Arctic nature.

Authentic Reindeer - Husky Farm & Reindeer Sleigh Ride

In this tour you will create picturesque memories of the Arctic’s most lovable animals, the reindeer & huskies. The reindeer is one of the symbols of Lapland and also is an important part of the local history and culture.

You will learn more about these iconic animals. You can choose a morning visit to take the reindeer on a short sleigh ride or an afternoon visit for a longer ride through the arctic countryside. Next you will meet the adorable huskies with huge personalities at their private and beautiful forest and riverside property. Choose this tour to gain a real experience of the reindeer and husky farms on the outskirts of Rovaniemi where reindeer herders and the husky mushers introduce you to both their care-taking and the animals’ lives.

The duration of this amazing tour is around 2 hours and 30 minutes. In this tour coffee, hot tea, snacks, private transfer & hotel pick-up/drop-off are included. Don’t forget to wear warm clothing.

You can either join the morning tour or the afternoon one. In both cases you will enjoy yourselves and learn more about these great animals and also the lifestyle of the herders.

There are many different tours you can book, to visit an authentic Reindeer – Husky Farm & Reindeer Sleigh Ride.

Experience Husky Sledding

If you want to mush, move forward, like professional dog mushers do in Rovaniemi, then this is your chance! Learn how to mush and enjoy the thrill of gliding through the Arctic landscape on a dogsled with this private husky adventure.

Enjoy a meeting and greeting with the huskies and learn about their care and training before an expert on sledding explain the basics of guiding a dogsled. Then take the reins for a trip over the snow-covered countryside or relax on board as your guide mushes the team. You will travel through the Lappish countryside on a traditional dogsled and enter into the world of training huskies and mushing a team of them.

You can also relax and let the  expert drive the sledge. Once again don’t forget to wear warm clothing, and be ready to take many beautiful photos of this amazing day.

The duration of the tour is approximately 3 hours. In this tour bottled water, snacks, private transfer are included.

The open hours to participate are Monday to Sunday from 09:00a.m. to 06:00p.m.

There are many different tours you can book, to experience a Husky sledding.

Visit a Snow Hotel & Snow Restaurant

While you stay in Rovaniemi during Christmas season, this tour will help you experience something unique and at the same time unusual.

With this tour you will visit a snow hotel that also has a snow restaurant, made completely out of snow. Just 20 minutes drive from Rovaniemi, you will find this snow hotel, that has many hotel rooms, in case you want to spend the night, an ice chapel, an ice bar to enjoy a drink in an ice glass, and of course an ice restaurant that you can taste delicacies of the Nordic in a 3-course dinner. You will be able to see all the different ice sculptures that decorate the rooms and understand a bit more about the construction of the hotel.

The duration of the tour is approximately 2 hours and the pick-up is from Rovaniemi at 02:30p.m. daily.

The address is Lehtoahontie 27, 97220 Rovaniemi.

You are definitely going to remember this tour for a long time!

Take a Thrilling Snowmobile Ride

Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi, across Lapland’s snow-blanketed landscapes is an unforgettable experience that you should try during the Christmas period.

If you like outdoor activities, then you will love snowmobile ride for sure! At Santa Claus Village there are track rides for young children (4-years old and more) and in the Lapland forest, there are faster ride trucks for teenagers and adults. In these rides there are often stops for lunch and hot drinks. You can choose to start your ride after dark, for an even more atmospheric tour and magnificent views as you drive through the snow at night.

If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights along the way.

The duration of the Snowmobile ride is approximately 1 hour.

The open hours for this tour are daily at 05:00p.m. and the meeting point is behind the Santa Claus Village.

This tour includes guided services, winter clothes overalls and snowmobile equipment.

Experience The Frozen Waterfalls in Korouoma Canyon

This all-day guided trip departing from Rovaniemi, will give you the chance to hike the Korouoma Canyon and experience its impressive frozen waterfalls.

Once you arrive you will start hiking down into the Korouoma canyon and get to the best spots to admire the frozen waterfalls. The hike is around 5 km, and your guide will share with you their knowledge about the arctic nature and give you some survival tips and how to make fire by using your surroundings in case you need. You can also enjoy some sledding down the little slopes created by the path and take some magical photos of the frozen scenery.

A Finnish barbecue lunch on an open fire, is included in your tour prepared by your guide. In your tour is also included hotel pick-up, transportation, hiking (around 2hours), expert outdoor guide, snacks & hot drinks.

The duration of the tour is approximately 7 hours, and the departure time is at 09:00a.m.

The trip heading to the Canyon and the Pure Nature Reserve of Korouoma is a one-way journey and takes around 1hour & 30minutes.