For a child of the right age, a trip to Rovaniemi is not a holiday but a pilgrimage: this is where Santa lives, and they are going to meet him. For the adults organising it, it is one of the more demanding trips to plan — expensive, booked far ahead, cold and dark. This guide is for you.
The best age, and the best time
- Ages four to nine are the golden window: old enough to cope with the cold and remember the trip, young enough to believe.
- Under three: perfectly possible, but toddlers tolerate cold and bulky clothing poorly. Keep outdoor sessions short and choose a warm base with space to play.
- Teenagers may be past Santa but love snowmobiles, huskies and the aurora.
- When: December has the Christmas atmosphere. But Santa receives visitors all year, and a trip in January, February half-term or March gives you more snow, more daylight, lower prices and shorter queues. Small children rarely care what the date is.
Booking for Christmas
The weeks from about mid-December to the first days of January are the most sought-after of the year, and Rovaniemi is a small place.
- Accommodation first: family rooms, cottages and glass igloos for Christmas are commonly reserved six to twelve months ahead. Prices are several times those of January, and minimum stays of three or four nights are usual.
- Flights: direct seasonal flights and Helsinki connections fill early; fares only rise.
- Activities: book the husky ride, the reindeer ride and anything with limited places as soon as the dates are fixed. Free cancellation on most tours means there is little to lose.
- Restaurants: reserve dinners for 23–26 December and New Year’s Eve; many places close or offer set menus only.
- Package or independent? Charter packages bundle flights, hotel, clothing and a fixed programme, and are simple. Booking independently costs less and lets you set your own pace — which, with small children, matters.
Meeting Santa
There are three places to meet him, and children do not need to see more than one.
- Santa Claus Office, in the main building of Santa Claus Village: the classic. Free to enter, open every day. The walk through the dim corridors builds real suspense. No private photography; photos and a video are for sale afterwards.
- Christmas House, also in the village: another Santa in a cosier setting, often with a shorter queue.
- SantaPark: Santa’s office inside the cavern, included in the entry ticket.
Beating the queue: in December the wait at the Santa Claus Office can pass an hour in the middle of the day. Go at opening time or in the last hour or two of the evening. Have the children write their letter beforehand so that they have something to hand over, and decide in advance whether you will buy the photo — the price list is displayed at the counter.
Full-day combo tour from €188 Rovaniemi: Reindeer, Huskies & Santa Claus Village
The classic first day in Rovaniemi rolled into one booking, and the most reviewed combination tour in town. You visit a husky kennel and a reindeer farm for short rides, then have free time at Santa Claus Village to cross the Arctic Circle, post a card and meet Santa. The rides are tasters rather than long safaris.
- Short husky sled ride and reindeer sleigh ride
- Time at Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle
- Transport and winter clothing included
Entry ticket from €42 Rovaniemi: SantaPark Entry Ticket
Official tickets to the “home cavern of Santa Claus”, an indoor Christmas theme park built inside a hill. Everything inside is included in the ticket, which makes it the easy option on a bitterly cold day with small children. It opens for limited seasons only — chiefly the weeks around Christmas — so check dates before planning around it.
- Elf School and gingerbread decorating
- Ice gallery and elf show
- All indoors and warm
Entry ticket from €37 Rovaniemi: Snowman World Entry Ticket in Santa Claus Village
A winter playground built from snow and ice in the middle of Santa Claus Village, with slides, a skating area and an ice bar. It is rebuilt every year and opens only while it is cold enough — roughly December to March.
- Ice slides and snow tubing
- Ice bar and ice restaurant
- Winter season only
Short husky sled ride from €63 Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village Husky Ride
The simplest way to try a husky sled: a short ride on a forest loop at the kennel inside Santa Claus Village. It is over quickly, but it suits small children and anyone fitting a ride around a village visit. Slots sell out in December, so reserve ahead.
- No transfer needed — it is at the village
- A musher drives; you sit in the sled
- Meet the dogs afterwards
Reindeer farm visit from €87 Rovaniemi: Reindeer Experience with Sleigh Ride
The best-value reindeer outing and one of the most reviewed. You are driven to a farm, meet the herd and ride in a sleigh at a reindeer’s unhurried walking pace — a calm contrast to the huskies. Ride length varies with the option you choose.
- Sleigh ride through the forest
- Feed the reindeer
- Learn about herding from the farmers
Day trip with entry ticket from €99 Rovaniemi: Ranua Wildlife Park Ticket with Transportation
An easy half-day to the Arctic zoo at Ranua, about an hour south. A boardwalk winds through the forest past some 50 northern species kept in large, natural enclosures. Animals are generally livelier in the cold, so winter is a good time to go.
- Finland’s only polar bears
- Lynx, wolverine, moose and owls
- Return transport and ticket included
Guided half-day visit from €119 Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village and Arctic Circle
A straightforward half-day with transport and a guide to show you where everything is — Santa’s office, the Main Post Office and the Arctic Circle line — before leaving you time to explore. The village is free to enter and easy to reach by bus, so this is mainly worth it for the convenience and the extras included.
- Guided introduction to the village
- Arctic Circle crossing
- Reindeer encounter (see listing)
Guided walk from €49 Rovaniemi: Guided Tour of Santa Claus Village
An inexpensive guided walk on site, for travellers who make their own way to the village. A local guide explains how Rovaniemi became Santa’s hometown, points out the quieter corners and helps you plan the rest of your visit.
- The stories behind the village
- Tips on queues and what is worth paying for
- Low price
Santa Claus Village or SantaPark?
- Santa Claus Village is free, outdoors and open all year. You pay per activity. Best for mixed ages, for the Arctic Circle line and the post office, and for husky and reindeer rides on the spot.
- SantaPark is ticketed, entirely indoors and open only in limited seasons. Elf School, gingerbread decorating, a show and a small train are all included. Best for children of about three to ten, and a refuge on the coldest days.
- Both? Yes, if you have three days or more — on different days.
Activities by age
- All ages: reindeer sleigh rides (calm, slow, wrapped in blankets); Ranua Wildlife Park; Pilke and Arktikum; sledging on any slope.
- From about three or four: short husky rides, sitting in the sled; Snowman World’s ice slides; mini-snowmobiles for children at Santa Claus Village; Elf School at SantaPark.
- From about seven or eight: longer husky safaris as a passenger, ice fishing, snowshoeing, skiing lessons at Ounasvaara, a short aurora outing with a campfire.
- Teenagers: full snowmobile safaris (as passengers until 18), self-drive husky safaris with an adult, Korouoma’s frozen waterfalls, ice floating.
Operators set their own minimum ages and heights, particularly for snowmobile sleighs and ice floating. Check each listing before you book, and say how old your children are when you reserve.
Keeping children warm
- Layers, as for adults: wool or thermal base, fleece, then a one-piece snowsuit. Operators lend child-sized thermal overalls on most activities, but the smallest sizes can run short — ask.
- Mittens, not gloves, with a spare pair, because the first pair will get wet. Wool socks, boots with room in them, a balaclava under the hat.
- Hand and foot warmers are cheap and transform a queue.
- Small children sitting still in a sleigh or sled get cold long before the adult who is driving. Check faces and fingers often; a child who has gone quiet is usually a cold child.
- A sledge beats a pushchair. Wheels are useless in snow. Many hotels and Santa Claus Village lend or rent small pull-along sledges.
- Plan warm-ups: an hour outdoors, then a café, a fire or a museum. Hot berry juice is sold everywhere.
Pacing and daylight
The commonest mistake is trying to do too much. In December it is light for only a couple of hours, dressing a family for −15 °C takes twenty minutes, and a three-hour safari is a full day’s effort for a six-year-old.
- One main activity a day, plus something gentle.
- Use the middle of the day for outdoor sights, the dark afternoon for museums, swimming or the sauna.
- Jet lag works in your favour for families from the west: late bedtimes suit aurora watching. A short campfire aurora tour that ends by ten is the family-friendly version.
- Build in a free half-day. Children remember building a snowman behind the hotel as fondly as anything you pay for.
What it costs
Be prepared: for a family of four, three or four paid activities can cost as much as the flights. Ways to keep it in hand:
- Santa Claus Village, meeting Santa, sledging, the Ounasvaara trails and the aurora are free.
- Choose short versions of husky and reindeer rides for young children — they are happier and it is far cheaper.
- Children’s prices generally apply up to about 12 or 14; under-threes are often free.
- Book an apartment or cottage with a kitchen, and make lunch the main meal out.
- Combination tours cost less than their parts.
A sample four-day family plan
- Day 1: arrive, settle in, play in the snow. Early evening walk to see the lights; early night.
- Day 2: Santa Claus Village at opening time: Santa first, then the Arctic Circle line and the post office, a reindeer sleigh ride and a short husky ride. Back for a sauna.
- Day 3: Ranua Wildlife Park in the morning, or SantaPark if it is open. A short campfire aurora tour in the evening.
- Day 4: a family snowmobile safari with the children in the sleigh, or Arktikum and Pilke, then sledging on Ounasvaara before the flight.
For longer and adult-paced versions see our itineraries, and for family-friendly places to sleep see where to stay.
