Rovaniemi Holidays

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.

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, plus the grand opening of SantaPark, Santa’s secret underground grotto.

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, while golf and bobsledding top the bill in summer. And the area's also criss-crossed with well-signposted hiking trails.

Reindeer rides and Rovaniemi go together like turkey and trimmings. You can either try your hand at steering a traditional sleigh yourself*, or sit back and enjoy the ride* while an experienced guide takes you into the icy wilderness of the Arctic Circle. Some of the sleigh-ride operators* also do visits to a reindeer farm, where you can meet the animals up close.

Fly To Rovaniemi – Stay In Rovaniemi

Day 1
After touching down in Lapland’s capital, you’ll be kitted out with all your snow clothes. Then, Santa’s elves will take you to your accommodation and you’ll have the rest of the day to explore.

Day 2
Today sees you visiting the fun-filled Santa Park, where you can meet Santa, graduate from Elf School and decorate gingerbread. You’ll get to experience being pulled by a snowmobile, and have a short husky ride in our taster sessions. Plus, you'll get to meet the reindeer and get pulled along in a taster session, and also have a go with a toboggan. Lunch is included in the day as well, unless you're a guest at Hotel Winter Wonderland – you'll get lunch at your hotel.

Day 3
Today is yours to spend how you like. You can sign up for a reindeer safari, and Elf Adventure or visit Lapland’s Arctic Wildlife Park.

Guests on 3-night trips will enjoy Day 4’s activities today instead.

Day 4
There's plenty of free time today to explore at your leisure. Then, in the evening, you’ll be treated to a festive meal in a dining room decked out with banquet tables and Christmas decorations.


Classic Lapland can be teamed with any of our accommodation in Rovaniemi. The order of events may change slightly from trip to trip, but all the activities will be included at some point during your holiday.

If you want to celebrate Christmas Day in Rovaniemi, book our 4-night trip. Flights leave on the 23rd of December.