ROVANIEMI IN MARCH: AMAZING THINGS TO DO, WEATHER, PACKING LIST, EVENTS & TOP TIPS!
WONDERING WHETHER TO VISIT ROVANIEMI IN MARCH?
You’ve come to the right place! After our 5 day trip to Rovaniemi Finland we’ve put together this clear, easy guide detailing literally everything you could want to know before visiting Rovaniemi in March!
Like all the best tours, activities and independent things to do, chances of seeing northern lights, will there be snow, seeing Santa Claus, how cold it is, what to pack, etc. Enjoy, we hope you find it helpful!! 😊
ROVANIEMI NORTHERN LIGHTS IN MARCH
I won’t keep you waiting, let’s answer that golden question first – Is March a good time to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?
The answer? Absolutely! In fact, our northern lights tour guide told us when we were there that March (and September) are the BEST months to see the Aurora in Rovaniemi because of the Spring / Autumn Equinoxes.
The Equinoxes basically mean more solar wind, which creates beautifully bright and strong displays, especially with different ruska colours like pink and oranges!! The Spring Equinox you’ll be interested in peaks around mid-March.
REDUCED CLOUD COVER
Obviously you can’t 110% predict the daily weather, but March tends to receive less snowfall than say January / December in Rovaniemi. Less snowfall = less cloud cover, allowing for more nights with clear skies for optimal northern lights viewing.
BOOK AT LEAST ONE GUIDED TOUR
Definitely join at least one Rovaniemi guided northern lights 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 ↗
📅 For peak Winter conditions, go to Rovaniemi in February ↗
SEEING SANTA IN ROVANIEMI IN MARCH
Second burning question I imagine you have — Can you still see Santa in Rovaniemi Lapland in March? The answer is absolutely! Though Christmas just gone is over, he is already busy getting prepared for the next 😉
Joking aside, you can actually visit the Santa Claus Village – the “official home to Santa Claus” just outside of Rovaniemi – and meet Santa any day of the year!
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
Goldilocks herself would call March in Rovaniemi the “just right” month for everything! Winter’s snow sticks around in the cool temperatures, while longer daylight hours crank up possibilities for epic daytime adventures, from sightseeing to exploring.
Here’s some quick links to 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, ends start of April)
>>> Visit the infamous Arctic Snow Hotel! (day tour, closes for the year end of March)
>>> Best Of Lapland: Sauna, Ice swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights (book 4.30pm slot for chance of northern lights, ends mid April)
🛷🎿⛷️
SNOW-BASED SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
>>> Snowmobiling Quick Spin – 2 h snowmobile experience in Rovaniemi (day tour, ends mid April)
>>> Private Electric Fat Bike Winter Tour in Rovaniemi (day tour, ends end of April)
>>> Ice Skating on a 500 meter long ice-skating forest trail at Kotatieva Park. Transfer from Rovaniemi included (day or night activity, ends start of April)
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ARCTIC LANDSCAPES & NATURE
>>> Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls (day tour, ends mid-April)
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OTHER NIGHT TOURS
>>> Searching Aurora with Snowmobile (night tour, ends mid April)
ROVANIEMI MARCH WEATHER
TEMPERATURE
Slowly easing out of the thick of Winter, Rovaniemi temperatures in March are still pretty cold but start to push away from uncomfortably freezing! 🥶Temperatures typically range on average from 0°c highest to an average low of -10°c (32°f to 14°f). Early mornings are generally when it is coldest.
SNOWFALL
As we mentioned before, snowfall in Rovaniemi does taper off considerably the further you reach late March.
Nonetheless, there’s still an abundance of snow on the ground (built up from the Winter) which isn’t going anywhere fast! This makes Rovaniemi’s magic truly sparkle, blanketing its already stunning woodland and landscape in fresh, white powdery snow.
Not to mention this snow provides excellent conditions for snow-related activities, like snowmobiling or snowshoeing for example.
DAYLIGHT HOURS
The polar night in Rovaniemi — a natural phenomenon where the sun never rises above the horizon — ended in late December. In Rovaniemi, the sun didn’t rise for 2 whole days around the 22nd December!
Since then though, Rovaniemi’s daylight hours have been steadily increasing.
We couldn’t believe the change in Rovaniemi’s daylight hours from the start to the end of March. Check this out!
🌅 1st March daylight hours—
7.30am sunrise, 5.29pm sunset (9 hrs 59 minutes)
🌅 31st March daylight hours—
06.33am sunrise, 8.10pm sunset (13 hrs 37 minutes)
That’s a difference of approx. 3hrs 38 mins more daylight hours! So the later you go in March, the longer your days will be!
PACKING LIST FOR ROVANIEMI IN MARCH
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.
- Removable shoe cramp-ons – Easily removable and gives you extra peace of mind on very icy pathways.
- Chapstick / lip balm to prevent dry lips from the cold!!
ANNUAL MARCH EVENTS IN ROVANIEMI
There are two big events that happen annual in Rovaniemi every March, which if you can, would be super fun to try and align your dates to experience—
ARCTIC DESIGN WEEK
Rovaniemi’s Arctic Design Week is the world’s northernmost design festival celebrating Arctic creativity, innovation, and sustainability. It features workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows, and seminars focused on Arctic living in extreme conditions.
For full info check the official website.
ARCTIC PRIDE WEEK
Founded in 2013, Rovaniemi’s Arctic Pride is an annual celebration and supportive event of the northern LGBTQIA+ community. Taking place around mid-March, there’s so much to get involved in, like fun family events, cultural performances and it of course ends in style with the lively pride parade!
CONCLUSION: ROVANIEMI IN MARCH
March is a fantastic month to experience the Winter Wonderland magic that Rovaniemi is so well known for!
You are basically guaranteed snow on the ground, and potentially a bit more snowfall while you’re there, making for stunning Arctic landscapes and perfect conditions for fun snow-related tours and activities. Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country ski— that kind of thing!
It’s technically still in the “dark night” Winter season, providing optimal conditions for northern lights — should you get the perfect pairing of clear skies and solar activity. Plus the Spring Equinox in mid-March should bring some seriously big, bright and beautiful northern lights displays!!
Early March especially can still have snowfall, bringing with it some cloudy days. To maximise your chances of seeing the northern lights away from the cloud and chasing pockets of clear skies, pre-book yourself onto a guided northern lights tour to be safe!
We hope you have the VERY best time visiting Rovaniemi in March. Just remember, bring plenty of layers, warm accessories (especially ear muffs in case of the freezing wind) and — if you’re concerned about the slippery paths — investing in removable snow spikes are a must!
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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