WHAT TO DO IN ROVANIEMI IN WINTER: UNMISSABLE TOURS, ACTIVITIES & FREE THINGS TO DO IN WINTER!
WONDERING WHAT TO DO IN ROVANIEMI THIS WINTER, BUT DON’T WANT TO SPEND HOURSSSS RESEARCHING?
Well, you’re in luck my friend!
For our recent 5 day trip to Rovaniemi Lapland, I spent hours and hours researching all the best things to do before we went, including all top-rated 5* half-day, full-day and night tours!
To save you the trouble — and tbh, SO MUCH time — we’ve put all the best things to do in this clearly categorised, helpful one-stop guide!! Made super easy to find the best activities to suit you and your personal travel preferences.
Each category only has the very best 2 or 3 experiences too, so don’t worry, you won’t be overwhelmed by too much choice. We’ve done all that hard work for you already!
FYI – You won’t find any “animal pulling sleigh” type tours promoted here. It’s just not our vibe!
Click the shortcuts below to jump ahead, or you can also just scroll on down.
Free things to do in Rovaniemi
Paid tours, activities & experiences
FREE THINGS TO DO IN ROVANIEMI
VISITING THE REAL SANTA
Parents of young children unite and breathe a HUGE sigh of relief – visiting Santa Claus Village – the “official home to Santa Claus” just outside of Rovaniemi – is completely free to do. No booked tours or any form of tickets needed.
Simply turn up and wander around as you please. They are open every day of the year, 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.
The photos and videos package are a bit pricey. When we visited, it was €90 for the full digital pack, €50 for 1 digital photo and the video (€20 extra for every 1 photo added on) and €35 for one physical printed photo copy.
Don’t be disheartened though, there’s a slight silver lining. You don’t have to buy the photos there and then. You’re given a QR code (accessible for up to 400 days) to pay for and receive your photos online. So if you just need another pay day, that’s totally possible and you won’t miss out!
ROVANIEMI’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EVENT
“SANTA CLAUS IS ON HIS WAY”
Will you be in Rovaniemi around 23rd December? If so, you cannot miss the annual “Santa Claus is on his way” event at Santa Claus Village. Excitable crowds gather as this festive celebration marks Santa Claus leaving Finland for his annual journey delivering gifts to children around the world. It’s totally free again, too. Watch last year’s livestream here.
PAID TOURS, ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES IN ROVANIEMI
NORTHERN LIGHTS TOURS
I imagine this is also one of the main reasons you wanted to visit Rovaniemi in the first place, with it being a brilliant spot to see the northern lights!!
It’s actually quite rare to spot them over Rovaniemi city itself because of its strong light pollution.
Our recommendation? Book at least one guided tour! These tours will take you out of the city to darker skies, giving you the best chance to see a breathtaking Aurora display.
OUR RECOMMENDED NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR
We highly recommend this 5* Northern Lights Rovaniemi: Guaranteed Viewing & Unlimited Mileage tour, available from early August to mid-April!
Personally we think this type of tour is your very best chance of finding the lights. 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 and forecasted solar activity.
OTHER NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR OPTIONS
Below are a few other brilliant tours in Rovaniemi where you might see the northern lights. However, it’s important to note that these tours are not specifically designed to chase the aurora.
Instead, they are nighttime activities with the added bonus of spotting the northern lights — if — they happen to appear during your experience.
>>> Aurora Arctic Ice Floating in Rovaniemi, Small-group (available until start of April)
>>> Northern Lights Snowmobile Sledge Ride in Rovaniemi (available until end of March)
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Visiting Rovaniemi in itself is special. BUT. What if we told you there were two unique experiences that crank it up a notch??
ARCTIC SNOW HOTEL
From late December – end of March only, see a life-size hotel made completely out of ice at Arctic Snow Hotel, located approx. 30km away (26 minute drive) from Rovaniemi’s city centre. The intricate, beautiful snow sculptures here have to be seen to be believed!
HOW TO VISIT ARCTIC SNOW HOTEL
There’s very limited public transport out to Arctic Snow Hotel, so there’s really a few options to get here. First is independently, by self-driving. We wouldn’t recommend getting a private taxi because Finland taxi fares are EXTORTIONATE.
The most hassle free option for most – is to book onto their official guided half-day tour, Rovaniemi: Arctic Snow Hotel Tour listed on GetYourGuide.
In a nutshell, this includes-
- Round-trip transfers from Rovaniemi centre or Santa Claus Village.
- Full guided tour (with knowledgable commentary) around all of the Arctic SnowHotel, seeing spectacular ice sculptures, unique hotel rooms, and unique specialties, such as the Snow Sauna.
- Free time, option to order a shot from the Ice Bar (additional fee), served in a glass made from ice.
Did you know— You can actually stay overnight here in one of the Snow Suites! Read our full Arctic Snow Hotel guide after to find out all the details how.
STAY OVERNIGHT IN A “GLASS IGLOO”
Picture this. You’re snuggled up in a comfy bed – cocooned by a warm, crunchy duvet – whilst watching the northern lights dance above your head. How you ask?
A stay in a “glass igloo” – a bucket list accommodation type with a transparent “glass roof” to watch the night sky from bed, whether it be millions of stars or the Aurora! Or both!
See our list of Top 5 Rovaniemi Glass Igloos here.
🌟 A quick insight, Apukka Resort is a popular luxe option, and LakeLodge Kiehinen & Igloos (where we stayed and recommend) is a great affordable option.🌟
ARCTIC LANDSCAPE TOURS
There’s no better way to experience Finland’s stunning icy landscapes than on this Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls walking tour (direct link for ease).
We did this exact tour and really enjoyed it. The Canyon and waterfalls are amazing to see, especially the “bright blue” Mammoth Falls. Here’s a photo I took—
For a full run down of our experience and what to expect, read our Frozen Waterfalls of Korouoma tour review after!
SNOW-BASED ACTIVITIES
Whether you’re a notorious thrill-seeker with a “need for speed” or simply want to get out your comfort zone and try something new, here are the top-rated tours for Rovaniemi’s main snow (or ice) based activities—
>>> Snowmobiling Quick Spin – 2 h snowmobile experience in Rovaniemi (day tour, ends mid April)
For a full run down of our experience and what to expect, read our Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi tour review after!
>>> Private Electric Fat Bike Winter Tour in Rovaniemi (day tour, available until 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, available until early April)
AUTHENTICALLY FINNISH EXPERIENCES
Looking to truly take a deep dive into the Finnish culture? Check out these few highly-rated tours—
>>> Best Of Lapland: Sauna, Ice swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights (book 4.30pm slot for chance of northern lights, available until mid-April)
IN ROVANIEMI CITY
Not forgetting, there’s also a few things to do in Rovaniemi itself, such as—
>>> Nili Restaurant. An incredibly popular restaurant famed for its delicious traditional Finnish delicacy menu. Definitely pre-book a table online in advance. We’re talking, before you even arrive in Rovaniemi!
>>> Arktikum Museum. This museum exhibits the fascinating history and evolution of Northern Scandinavia, with nature, science, culture and history-based displays.
(mid-cost activity)
WONDERING WHEN TO VISIT ROVANIEMI?
CONCLUSION: WHAT TO DO IN ROVANIEMI DURING WINTER
And there you have it – our top findings for what to do in Rovaniemi during the Winter months. Of course, it would be impossible (and tbh – pretty expensive!!) to do absolutely EVERYTHING on this list.
However, we hope these clear, curated options help you choose the activities that will make your personal Rovaniemi adventure truly unforgettable.
Our goal is to save you time and effort so you can focus on planning the trip of a lifetime. Now, all that’s left is to get excited and start your journey!
We’d love to hear about your experiences — drop us a message and let us know what you discovered in Rovaniemi. Have an amazing time!!
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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