Rovaniemi holidays

Holidays to Rovaniemi take you to the heart of Lapland. It's a place of husky rides, meeting elves, riding snowmobiles – and, of course, Father Christmas.

A polar capital with a warm heart

Rovaniemi's the capital of Finnish Lapland. It’s a small, compact city that comes with a real buzz of modern shopping malls, lively bars and restaurants, serving up everything from traditional cooking to French cuisine. It’s also got the rather big draw of having Santa Claus on hand – not to mention Arctic wilderness that’s perfect for snowsports and sleigh rides. And the whole place is designed to look like a reindeer’s head from above – complete with antlers.

Santa Claus Village

It’s Christmas all year round at Santa Claus Village, less than 10 minutes' drive north of Rovaniemi. It’s a novelty to send greetings from the Post Office here, and there’s the chance to learn about the history of Christmas traditions. The place gets busy at the end of November when there are concerts, gift bazaars, performances by Santa’s elves.

Sports and shopping

Father Christmas has some competition. Sporting activities are popular at Ounasvaara, just outside the resort – there are nearly 50 different things to do here throughout the seasons. Cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing make up the winter fixtures.Shopping's a popular activtity, too. Head to Lordi Square in the heart of Rovaniemi, where a huge Christmas tree lights up the shop-lined streets.

Reindeer safari

Reindeers and Rovaniemi go together like turkey and trimmings. Experienced guides can take you into the icy wilderness of the Arctic Circle on reindeer safari. Some of the sleigh-ride operators* also do visits to a reindeer farm, where you can meet the animals up close.

Your itinerary

Our Lapland holidays feature action-packed itineraries which can vary from hotel to hotel – you can head to your hotel’s info page for a flavour of what to expect. It’s also worth noting that all itineraries are subject to minor changes, and you can find your final itinerary on the TUI Lapland App – available from the App Store and Google Play – two days before you go. When it comes to booking additional experiences, we’d recommend you book these with us – it’s just so we can make sure they fit in around your included activities.