21 Enchanting Things to Do in Rovaniemi in Winter (2024-2025)
Home to Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi is a bucket list destination for many winter-loving travelers.
It’s the largest city in Finnish Lapland and one of the most iconic winter destinations in all of Finland. And let me tell you, while visiting Helsinki in winter is a delight, experiencing Rovaniemi in winter is even more magical!
| ⌛ Planning your winter trip to Rovaniemi? Here are my quick picks: ❄️ Best Rovaniemi Tours & Experiences Northern Lights Chase by Minibus (the best aurora tour, with guarantee!) Self-Driven Dog Sledding Tour (my #1 daytime adventure!) Snowmobile Safari Through Lapland’s Forests (for adrenaline and fun!) 🛏️ Best Rovaniemi Hotels Arctic TreeHouse Hotel (boutique cabins with Northern Lights views!) Apukka Resort (luxury glass igloos for aurora spotting; lots of activities) Santa Claus Holiday Village (family-friendly cabins with personal saunas) Hostel Café Koti (budget-friendly dorms, central location in city) |
But Rovaniemi is so much more than just the ‘home’ of Santa Claus. From chasing the Northern lights to meeting reindeer to dog sledding to Nordic fine dining to snowmobiling through birch forests, Rovaniemi in winter offers something for everyone.
I spent three weeks in Rovaniemi this year, visiting in both January and March. Here’s my compiled list of all the best things to do in Rovaniemi in witner, from someone who knows it well and has traveled through the Arctic extensively (including Abisko, Alta, Tromsø, and Svalbard!)
21 Best Things to Do in Rovaniemi in Winter
Go chasing the Northern lights.
Due to Rovaniemi’s position with the Arctic Circle crossing through the city itself, is it really much of a surprise that this Arctic city is one of the best places to see the Northern lights in the Nordics?
While you can see the Northern lights in Rovaniemi proper, taking a dedicated Northern lights hunting tour that brings you outside the city center will give you far better results. I strongly recommend doing a minibus tour (either 4 hours or 8 hours, depending on how dedicated you are and how much flexibility you have with your budget) as opposed to an aurora camp tour.
This is the tour I took, but which lasts about 4 hours and the route is customizable based on where they think you’ll have the best chance of seeing the Northern lights. Anecdotally, on our tour we traveled more than 100 kilometers west (and back!) in order to have the best shot of seeing the lights, and we shifted our plan several times on the route in accordance with the changing conditions. To me, this is the mark of a great aurora tour: awareness of the fact that it is an unpredictable natural phenomenon and being flexible to match that.
There’s another aurora chasing tour which is more expensive, but they offer a ‘guarantee’ of sorts and unlimited mileage. The way it works is this; they’ll email you the day of your tour with the odds of seeing the lights that night; in the event that the forecast is bad, you’ll have the opportunity to either rebook or cancel, and if you go anyway and don’t see the lights, you’ll get a 30 Euro refund.
It’s definitely the most expensive option but it is warranted, as it offers the most premium experience with the best possible odds to see the lights.
Book your ‘guarantee’ and unlimited mileage lights tour here!
The most budget option is the basic Northern lights tour with BBQ, which lasts about 3 hours. This tour includes three photo stops, but you will spend most of the evening at the main picnic spot, where you have a BBQ dinner of fire-roasted sausages and glögi or other warm beverages.
The price is great, but there’s very little flexibility in it: the locations are pre-selected and are not altered based on the weather, so if there’s poor cloud conditions in the spot they’ve chosen for the picnic, the tour will proceed anyway.
There are all sorts of other ways to experience the Northern lights in a more unique way, including a private sauna and Northern lights experience and a snowmobile and Northern lights tour.
No matter which tour you pick, you have a fairly good chance of seeing the lights — but of course, being a natural phenomenon, there are no guarantees.
Visit Santa Claus Village.
Santa Claus Village is one of Rovaniemi’s biggest draws. To be honest, as an adult who isn’t particularly fond of Christmas, I find it a bit cheesy and Disney-esque. However, other people who really like Christmas and families with kids are sure to love it!
You can visit Santa Village and Santa‘s Post Office either independently or on a guided tour. If you want to get to Santa Claus Village independently, you can either drive if you’ve rented a car, hire a taxi (approximately $25-30 USD each way), or take the local bus #8 from downtown Rovaniemi.
There is no entrance fee to visit Santa Claus Village, although you will definitely want to budget for food and Lapland souvenirs on your visit! There’s plenty to do in Santa Claus Village, including reindeer sled rides, snowmobiling, restaurants, sending a postcard at Santa Claus’s post office, etc.
Visit the Arctic SnowHotel.
One of the most unique winter activities in Rovaniemi is visiting the Arctic SnowHotel and its incredible ice sculpture garden! It is one of few snow hotels in the world (there are others in or near Abisko, Sweden, as well as Alta and Tromso, Norway).
While staying in a snow hotel is really expensive, it’s rather affordable to visit this stunning Lapland hotel for a tour! In particular, this tour offers excellent value because it not only includes a tour of the snow hotel and the glass igloos but it also includes a 3-course dinner meal of Lappish-inspired cuisine.
For this year‘s menu, the starter is a forest mushroom soup, the main course is one of 4 choices (roast elk, Arctic salmon, chicken breast, or cold-smoked tofu), and the dessert is a raspberry-vanilla bavarois. Delicious!
The tour includes transportation from your hotel to the snow hotel (about 30 minutes away), as well as a guided tour of the hotel and its unique features like its snow sauna, carved ice sculptures, ice bar, ice restaurant, and of course — its rooms!
Want an even more romantic and memorable option? Pick the snow sauna and private jacuzzi option with dinner and a snow hotel tour!
This snow hotel is created from scratch each year and opens annually on December 15th, so it’s only available for a few short months each year — don’t miss this top thing to do in Rovaniemi in winter if you can help it!
If you just want to visit the snow hotel with no meal included, you can also book that here, but personally I think the visit plus meal options offer better value per dollar!
Go on a husky safari with a team of enthusiastic dogs.
One of the best things to do in Rovaniemi in winter is go dog sledding — I’ve written in depth about my experience husky sledding in Rovaniemi here if you want to read more.
Dog sledding is one of my favorite activities and I’ve gone in a handful of destinations around the world (including a Tromso, Alta, and Abisko too)… it’s something I do every time I’m in the Arctic in winter, four times in total so far.
The self-drive dog-sled tour I recommend will bring you to a husky farm near Rovaniemi at Apukka Resort, where you can first meet all the lovely huskies who live here year-round. Your experienced guides will give you a demo of husky sledding and how to self-drive a husky sled safely, for both you and the huskies!
It is really a team sport: you will be running and pushing the sled up hills and generally actively helping your huskies pull the sled, so don’t expect to just sit back and enjoy a husky ride!
If you’re traveling with kids, there are also family-friendly options that do not involve self-driving your husky sled.
Instead, this tour has you and your family being carried by your team of huskies on a short sleigh ride, led by an experienced musher. This tour also includes ample time for husky meet-and-greets, and the ride is followed up with some snacks and hot beverages.
Chase frozen waterfalls in Korouoma National Park.
One of the benefits of Lapland getting so cold is the opportunity to see some truly otherworldly landscapes… like frozen waterfalls! One of my favorite things I did on my trip to Rovaniemi in January was take a day trip to visit Korouoma Canyon and its frozen waterfalls.
If you have a rental car, you can drive there independently; however, I only recommend driving in Rovaniemi if you are a highly experienced winter driver as the road conditions are extremely dangerous and accidents are common. If not, you may want to take a guided tour like this one.
Go on a day trip to Riisitunturi National Park.
If you’re in Rovaniemi in late December or early January, you ought to prioritize a trip to Riisitunturi National Park. The reason? Its magical “popcorn trees,” a sight straight out of a Dr. Seussian winter storybook!
This unique phenomenon occurs when a combination of conditions align, which is most likely in late December and early January (sometimes extending into February, though climate change has been shortening this window). Frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall create layers of snow that cling to the pine trees, giving them a whimsical, popcorn-like appearance.
However, these enchanting trees are fragile, with warmer temperatures or strong winds stripping away their snowy coats and leaving them looking like ordinary trees once again. Sadly, last January’s unseasonably warm weather and gusty winds cut the season short, so I haven’t had the chance to see the “popcorn trees” in person yet. But friends living in Arctic Finland swear it’s a magical experience, and I can’t wait to return for it someday.
If you’ve rented a car, Riisitunturi is easy enough to reach on your own—just make sure you’re confident driving in icy winter conditions. If not, I’d highly recommend joining a guided tour, like this one, which lets you enjoy the scenery stress-free while someone else handles the tricky roads.
Go downhill skiing at Ounasvaara.
Generally, Rovaniemi isn’t the place to go for downhill skiing in Finland — that would be Levi, about 100 miles away.
However, there is Ounasvaara Ski Resort not far from Rovaniemi if you want to do some downhill skiing as opposed to cross-country skiing (which is a lot more popular in the Rovaniemi area).
Lift tickets are approximately €42.50 per adult for a day pass or €31 for a 2-hour night skiing pass, but there are other options: you can check more pricing details here.
Getting to Ounasvaara from Rovaniemi is not too hard, with public transportation options available from the city center, or you can also take a taxi or drive.
Enjoy a snowmobile safari through the forests.
One of the most fun ways to experience the Finnish wilderness is on a snowmobile ride!
Don’t worry if you’ve never ridden a snowmobile before — it’s quite easy to get the hang of, and you can take a snowmobile tour so you’ll be guided through the landscapes without worrying about getting lost or stuck in the snow.
Check out the Arktikum Museum.
One of the coolest places to visit in Rovaniemi is the Arktikum Science Center and Museum. It’s a really interesting place to visit for adults and kids alike, with interactive features as well as informative exhibits.
There are four permanent exhibits which focus on the drastic seasonal shifts in the Arctic (land of both the polar night and midnight sun), life in the North, the changing Arctic climate, and the Arctic Ocean’s history.
They also have a rotating temporary exhibits that change typically once per season. The upcoming year will feature an exhibit on Antarctica.
Tickets cost 15€ for adults and 5€ for children 7-15 (children under 7 are free).
Enjoy art and music at the Korundi House of Culture.
Another place in Rovaniemi that is worth visiting is the Korundi House of Culture, home to the incredible Rovaniemi Art Museum and the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, as well as a gift shop and a café.
Tickets to the Rovaniemi Art Museum cost €11 for adults and €6 for children, making it one of the more affordable things to do. lt’s even free on Thursdays if you enter between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM!
Go for a winter hike in the Arctic Circle Hiking Area.
One of my favorite places I visited in Rovaniemi was the Arctic Circle Hiking Center, located 16 kilometers down the road from Santa Claus Village or 7 kilometers from Apukka Resort. It’s a bit hard to get here if you don’t have a rental car, but you could always take a taxi.
There are places where you can start a fire (free firewood is provided!) and have your own BBQ, as well as a beautiful bridge over the rushing river and plenty of hiking trails to explore in the area.
Take a traditional Finnish sauna.
One of the most typical ways to experience a touch of Finnish life is to have a sauna experience!
Whether that’s taking a sauna at your hotel (most hotels include a sauna) or booking a special sauna experience, there’s nothing more quintessentially Finnish than sauna!
Stay in a glass igloo.
Finland is known for its incredible glass igloos from which you can watch the Northern lights in bed! While many are located further north, there are a handful of options near Rovaniemi.
One of the most popular glass igloo option near Rovaniemi is Apukka Resort, 15 minutes away from Rovaniemi; I didn’t stay in the igloo here, but I did visit the premises and explore around and it was magical and I plan to stay here someday in the future!
Because it’s located a bit outside of the town of Rovaniemi, you’ll be able to enjoy beautifully clear night skies without the light pollution of the city — better chances of the Northern lights, while still getting to enjoy all the fun winter Lapland activities!
This magical place is truly unforgettable: beyond just glass igloos, they also have an ice sauna and even portable private saunas that they transport by skis!
All glass igloos also include an en-suite bathroom so you won’t have to worry about going outside in the cold in the middle of the night! A free breakfast is also included with every night’s stay.
Check reviews, room types, and availability here at Apukka Resort here!
Try ice floating under the Northern lights.
Ice floating? Wait, hear me out! This unique winter activity in Rovaniemi is perhaps one of the most surprising ways to see the Northern lights!
On this tour, you can fit in an icy lake where a hole has been dug out so people can float in the icy water. And if you’re worried about getting cold: you wear an insulated, buoyant suit that keeps you warm no matter how cold the water is!
Guests reported staying relatively warm and dry as they floated in the icy lake and say it’s a must-try in Rovaniemi. I haven’t gotten to do this yet but it’s on my bucket list for my next trip to Finland!
Go on a reindeer safari at a Sami reindeer farm.
For millennia, the Indigenous Sámi people have been reindeer herders. It’s a difficult job that involves herding reindeer across a variety of unforgiving terrains — all without losing track of them.
While traditionally, herding and harvesting reindeer for their meat was one of the main ways that Sámi people made a living, now tourism is also an important part of the economy. Some herders bring their reindeer to a dedicated farm for the winter season and invite tourists to come learn about the history of reindeer herding and offer activities like reindeer sleigh rides.
Go snowshoeing outside the city center.
If you like to get active on your travels, going snowshoeing is one of the best things to do in Rovaniemi in winter! Going on a guided hiking and snowshoeing tour is an excellent way to get acquainted with the Finnish nature.
This tour includes a guide and a pick-up/drop-off transfer to a forested area full of nature trails that cross the Arctic Circle, where you can snowshoe past frozen rapid rivers and waterfalls, keeping an eye out for any Arctic wildlife along the way.
It also includes a forest campfire BBQ where you can enjoy sausages, roasted marshmallows, and warm blueberry tea to fuel up after your hike!
Try cross-country skiing.
If you’ve never tried cross-country skiing, Rovaniemi is a great place to give it a try. There are plenty of well-groomed cross-country ski trails outside of Ounasvaara, also a popular downhill ski areas near Rovaniemi.
This guided tour is a good way to get acquainted with the sport if you’ve never cross-country skied before — they will teach you the motions you need to do in order to glide smoothly across the ski trails.
Tours include pickup and drop-off, a guide, winter clothing and ski suit rental, all ski equipment you’ll need, and a treat at the end of hot beverages and cookies to replenish your energy after your trek!
Walk along the Kemijoki River… and maybe go for an ice dip!
Rovaniemi is located at the convergence of the Ounasjoki River and the Kemijoki River. These rivers both tend to freeze over (in full or partially) during the winter, making it even more beautiful.
Take a stroll along the waterfront street, Koskenranta, and admire the scenery. See if you can spot the hole dug on the other side of the river for swimming in the ice hole. Some brave Finns may even be taking a dip!
… And you can too if you’re feeling up to it — there is a heated changing room and a steam room available to warm up in afterwards for a small fee of about 5€.
Visit the Luosto Amethyst Mines.
One of the more unique things to do in Rovaniemi in winter is take a day trip to the Lampivaara Amethyst Mine. This tour includes a guide who will tell you all about the history and geology of the area, as well as stories about the amethysts that have been excavated here, in this special part of Pyhä-Luosto National Park (the only place where amethysts can be extracted).
Located about 60 miles from Rovaniemi, visiting these mines in winter is even more interesting because the roads are shut down between Lampivaara and the mine, so you’ll have to take the mine’s dedicated Sno-Cat!
The tour also includes a BBQ lunch (including options like salmon soup, reindeer sandwich, and sausage) and hot beverages, in addition to all the necessary transportation.
Check out the Pilke Science Centre.
Another fun place to visit in winter in Rovaniemi is the Pilke Science Centre in downtown Rovaniemi. The Pilke House focuses on an ecosystem very near and dear to Finnish hearts: the forest!
It looks at the forest not only through a scientific lens but also a cultural one, exploring the relationship of Finns (and humans in general!) to their forest environments.
Adult tickets cost 7€, tickets for children aged 7-15 cost 5€, and children under 7 are free. Family tickets are also available for 20€.
Go on a horseback ride through the snow.
Horseback riding in the Arctic? Why not! This 3-hour horseback tour is a great option for horse lovers who want the chance to ride wherever they travel.
Enjoy riding atop a Irish cob horse for a 1-hour horseback ride through a forested, glistening winter wonderland, admiring the beautiful Finnish countryside a short distance from Rovaniemi. You’ll also get the chance to brush the horses and learn a little about their life on the farm and how the horses are well-adapted to the cold environment.
Enjoy delicious Nordic cuisine in Rovaniemi’s best restaurants.
Nordic cuisine is a fascinating mix of ingenuity and local ingredients, and you simply must try some Finnish cuisine while you visit Rovaniemi.
In such an extreme environment, limited ingredients are available, and seasonality — as well as preserving the ingredients that are available during the few times of abundance — plays a huge role in Finnish cuisine.
My favorite place to eat in Rovaniemi is Gustav Kitchen & Bar. They have small dishes ranging from €20-25, all utilizing local Finnish ingredients. An even better deal is their lunch menu which costs about about €15 for your choice of a freshly-prepared lunch plate and unlimited salads, bread, butter, and cookies. On my last visit I ordered Arctic chair with a fennel salad as my main.
If you have a special occasion, you can reserve one of their two heated igloos. There is no additional charge for reserving one of the igloos, but they require a minimum 200€ spend, and can fit a party of up to six.
Other delicious restaurants in Rovaniemi include Ravintola Aurora (upscale Nordic fine dining options) and one of my favorites, Santa’s Kebab (don’t knock their reindeer kebab until you try it!)
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
