Welcome to Rovaniemi - the home town of Santa Claus and the Northern Lights Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi Dogsledding in Rovaniemi in a special winter activitiy Snowmobiling is a great winter activity

Rovaniemi Travel Guide

Welcome to the hometown of Santa Claus. Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland is an adventure destination gathering many exciting experiences.

Here you find topics and themes we hope an inspire and prepare you for travel experiences.

There are many reasons to visit Rovaniemi. First, it is the biggest city in Finnish Lapland with a population of 60.000 inhabitants, and here you can discover Lappish culture and traditions and several wild activities.

Lappi is the Finnish name for Lapland and is the northernmost region of Finland.



The Santa Claus Village 

Santa Claus Village is the top attraction here. Discover all about Santa through entertainment and adventures. Why not stay in one of the Arctic Santa Claus accommodations here too.

See more: Top Attractions in Rovaniemi




The Arctic Rovaniemi

In an Arktikum exhibition, you will find much more information about what's happening in the evolving Arctic region. The Arktikum Museum presents and provides information about Arctic issues and tells stories about Lapland. The Arktikum is a 10-minute walk from the centre.




Northern Light adventures

The seasonal Northern Light is a big attraction here, and Rovaniemi has some perfect spots to explore it. Local tour operators organise special Northern Light adventure tours, where you can get an unforgettable experience. 

 


Top activities

Rovaniemi offers activities and adventures from snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing, husky tours, etc. This is the perfect destination to experience and get close to pure, raw nature.



Delicious local food

Lappish food tastes delicious in fine dining restaurants and by a campfire out in the wilderness. For culinary excursions into the local world of flavours, try the seasonal Lappi á la carte and Rovaniemi menus in the various restaurants around town.




The history of Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi traced its history back over 8,000 years and was earlier a trading centre for hunters and merchants. The German soldiers began systematically destroying the town in October 1944 and the old Church. Twenty-five thousand people were evacuated from Rovaniemi to Swedish Lapland and south to Finland's Ostrobothnia province, and 90% of Rovaniemi's buildings have been destroyed.

 


Stay in an ice hotel

Ice sculpture designers construct an Arctic Snow Hotel annually from November until March. This spectacular accommodation attracts many tourists from all over the world.

 



Transport to Rovaniemi with flight

It is easy to find excellent flight connections from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Within a short time, you can be in the natural element, where you will forget the busy life, annoying noise and agreements.

We can recommend Finnair - a Finnish company with connections to many countries.

TUI also has flight connections to Rovaniemi from the UK to Kuusamo, Kittila, and Ivalo airports in Finnish Lapland.


See more: How to get to Finland