ROVANIEMI IN NOVEMBER: AMAZING THINGS TO DO, WEATHER, PACKING LIST & TOP TIPS!
WONDERING WHETHER TO VISIT ROVANIEMI IN NOVEMBER?
You’ve come to the right place! We took a 5 day trip to Rovaniemi Finland in late November ourselves, and since put together this clear, easy guide detailing literally everything you could want to know before going.
Like all the best tours, activities and independent things to do, chances of seeing northern lights, will there be snow (and enough of it for activities), seeing Santa Claus on the run up to Christmas, how cold it is, what to pack, etc. Enjoy, we hope you find it helpful!! 😊
ROVANIEMI NORTHERN LIGHTS IN NOVEMBER
I won’t keep you waiting, let’s answer that golden question first – Is November a good time to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?
The answer? Technically – yes – November should be a great month to see the northern lights in Rovaniemi because of its extensive and prolonged dark nights.
CLOUD COVER
BUT. And it’s a big but. Obviously you can’t 110% predict the daily weather, but November is usually the month where Rovaniemi sees a more snowfall. (That being said, when we visited a few years ago in late November there had been hardly any, which was quite uncommon. It still looked like a Winter Wonderland though because of the thick frost).
More snowfall = more cloud cover, obviously not ideal for northern lights viewing. But don’t worry, just because it’s cloudy in the city, doesn’t mean it’s cloudy an hour or so away. This is why we highly suggest to—
BOOK AT LEAST ONE GUIDED TOUR
With expert guides armed with solar activity trackers and detailed weather forecasts, you’ll be taken to the best possible hotspots, seriously maximising your chances of experiencing the Aurora’s magic, away from the city’s light pollution.
We highly recommend this 5* Northern Lights Rovaniemi: Guaranteed Viewing & Unlimited Mileage tour!
With expert guides armed with solar activity trackers and detailed weather forecasts, you’ll be taken to the best possible locations away from the city — ideally with clear skies — to maximise your chances of experiencing the Aurora’s magic!!
Planning your Rovaniemi trip? These guides will help:
🌌 Dreaming of seeing the northern lights? Best tours in Rovaniemi ↗
💎 Want a once-in-a-lifetime stay? Glass igloos in Rovaniemi ↗
❄️ Looking for more things to do? What to do in Rovaniemi in winter ↗
📅 Prefer more reliable snow? Rovaniemi in December (Christmas!) ↗
SEEING SANTA IN ROVANIEMI IN NOVEMBER
Second burning question I imagine you have is all about seeing Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.
You can visit the Santa Claus Village – the “official home to Santa Claus” just outside of Rovaniemi – and meet Santa any day of the year! When we visited in late November, there was a fair few people there – but surprisingly, not as busy as we expected.
Christmas magic to was in full swing with warmly lit trees everywhere, including a GIANT one dusted in thick frost and twinkling fairy lights right next to the Arctic Circle crossing.
No booked tours or any form of tickets needed. It’s totally free to simply turn up by taxi and wander around as you please. Just check their opening times.
It’s also completely free to meet the big man in red at the on-site “Santa Claus Office” building. They’ve staged this really well, even the walk up was themed and exciting, building anticipation while you wait in the inevitable queue.
The only slightly annoying thing is you can’t take your own photos. You’ll have to buy the photos and videos they take if you want a souvenir from your visit.
OTHER TOP THINGS TO DO
Though slightly annoying for northern lights, November’s usual increased snowfall turns Rovaniemi into the ultimate Finnish Winter Wonderland that you’re craving to see! In fact, snow is a welcome sight if you want to do snow-based activities, like snowmobiling for example.
As we said before, we visited in late November, and they’d had not half as much snow as usual. We were lucky and did the very first snowmobiling tour for that season, as they just (and I mean just) had enough snow on the ground to function! If we had been a few days before, they would’ve cancelled it. Here’s a photo we took:
Anyway, snowmobiling is just one of MANY amazing things to do in Rovaniemi in November. Below are some quick links to many other top-rated tours to get you started (Or read our full what to do in Rovaniemi in Winter guide next!)
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UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
>>> Aurora Arctic Ice Floating in Rovaniemi, Small-group (night tour)
>>> Best Of Lapland: Sauna, Ice swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights (book 4.30pm slot for chance of northern lights)
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SNOW-BASED SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
>>> Snowmobiling Quick Spin – 2 h snowmobile experience in Rovaniemi (day tour. IMPORTANT: available only from mid-November onwards)
>>> Private Electric Fat Bike Winter Tour in Rovaniemi (day tour)
>>> Ice Skating on a 500 meter long ice-skating forest trail at Kotatieva Park. Transfer from Rovaniemi included (day activity) IMPORTANT: Opens early December, around 7th (subject to if weather is cold enough. Check website for more details).
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ARCTIC LANDSCAPES & NATURE
>>> Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls (day tour)
Related blog: Is the Frozen Waterfalls of Korouoma tour worth it?
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OTHER NIGHT TOURS
>>> Searching Aurora with Snowmobile (night tour)
ROVANIEMI NOVEMBER WEATHER
TEMPERATURE
Definitely bring your thermals!! Rovaniemi’s November temperatures drop to averages of -1°c highest (30°f) to -6°c (21°f) lowest. Not Rovaniemi’s coldest month, but still can feel pretty cold without proper layers. So long as you’re all wrapped up nicely, during the days you should be fine.
It can have some freak nights hitting crazy temperatures at night like -30°c (-22°f) 🥶, but don’t worry, these cold fronts aren’t too often and usually only last for a few days.
In late November, we had a random -20°c (-4°f) morning out snowmobiling. Since we were dressed in the tour operators thermals, it was bearable!
SNOWFALL
As we mentioned before, November in Rovaniemi usually brings some snow as Winter creeps in, but how much snow changes every year. Some years a huge amount of snow comes early, allowing snow-based activities to start ahead of schedule.
Others, like the one we experienced, while it was “white” on the ground, this was more thick frost. Still gave the Winter Wonderland vibe, but obviously not ideal for i.e. snowmobiling or sledding if that’s what you’re after.
If having full snow on the ground is important to you, we would suggest visiting Rovaniemi in December instead. January, February and March are great too.
DAYLIGHT HOURS
Winter begins to take a chokehold on Rovaniemi in November, reflecting in its ever darkening and prolonged nights—
🌅 1st November daylight hours—
8.16am sunrise, 3.43pm sunset (7 hrs 27 minutes)
🌅 30th November daylight hours—
10.10am sunrise, 2pm sunset (3 hrs 50 minutes)
As you can see, there’s quite a substantial difference in daylight hours from the start to end of November! 3 hours 37 minutes difference.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean by end of November you’d be in total darkness all day long! There’s a lingering “twilight” deep blue before and after the sun rises and sets. At the “should be” sunrise / sunset periods, and expect a heavenly pastel glow – especially on clearer, cloudless days.
PACKING LIST FOR ROVANIEMI IN NOVEMBER
Two words for you, my friend—
🧥👚
Layers
- Under-layers are ideally breathable wool, natural materials like Merino Wool.
- Long-sleeved thermal tops
- Thick thermal jumper / sweater
- A big puffer coat. Ideally with a hood and water/snow proof.
- Thermal leggings (double up with two pairs on night tours).
🧣🧤🧦🎧
Accessories
- Bobble hat.
- BIG ear muffs.
- Thick scarf or snood.
- Thick gloves (something like this – waterproof, cold-proof and enables touchscreen)
- A lanyard to keep your phone around your neck during tours – rather than keep fumbling for it in thermal suit pockets – would actually be very handy. Something like this.
- A couple of thick thermal socks.
- Walking boots with very good grip.
- Chapstick / lip balm to prevent dry lips from the cold!!
CONCLUSION: ROVANIEMI IN NOVEMBER
All in all, we can personally vouch (having visited in late November ourselves), November is a fantastic month to experience the Winter Wonderland magic that Rovaniemi is so well known for!
It’s a magical time to visit Rovaniemi “on the run up” to Christmas, without experiencing too many crowds at the official Santa Claus Village.
By late November, the landscapes are usually clad in white – though this could literally be from thick frost, not snow. Giving the illusion of Winter Wonderland, though potentially not enough snow for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country ski— that kind of thing!
If doing these kinds of activities is important to you, we would suggest waiting until December before visiting just to be safe. Rovaniemi’s snowfall in November really changes year to year.
Nights darken more and more in Rovaniemi as November progresses, with opportunity to provide optimal conditions for northern lights — should you get the perfect pairing of clear skies and solar activity.
That being said, Rovaniemi’s bright city lights and frequent cloudy nights from snow aren’t ideal conditions for Aurora spotting. Maximise your chances of seeing the northern lights away from the cloud and chasing pockets of clear skies, on a guided northern lights tour.
We hope you have the VERY best time visiting Rovaniemi in November. Whilst magical, just remember it’s VERY cold. Bring plenty of layers, warm accessories (especially ear muffs in case of the freezing wind) and a waterproof coat that won’t get wet from any gentle snowfall you may experience.
Keep in mind November (especially late November) is a pretty popular time, so as soon as you know your dates, reserve your hotels ASAP! We recommend Booking.com because of their easy-to-use interface and flexible free cancellation.
Oh, and please say hey to Santa for us!!! 😙🎅🏼
This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!
Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com
A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.
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