City centre
First-timers and valueAround Lordi Square and the river: restaurants, supermarkets, tour pickups and most beds.
Rovaniemi city guide
Things To Do In Rovaniemi
On the Arctic Circle: northern lights from autumn to spring, huskies and reindeer, a sun that does not set in June, and the official Santa Claus Village.
3
Hostels in the city
7.5
Average, from 261 reviews
66°33'N
The Arctic Circle runs through the city
Sep–Mar
Northern lights season
30+
Consecutive days of midnight sun in June and July
The Arctic Circle, with an airport attached
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and the most accessible place on the Arctic Circle — a direct flight from Helsinki, an overnight sleeper train, and the line itself running through the northern edge of town.
The city was almost entirely destroyed in 1944 during the German withdrawal and rebuilt to an Alvar Aalto plan, which is why it looks modern rather than old.
People come for two seasons that could not be less alike. From late August to early April the sky is dark enough for the aurora, and from late May to late July the sun does not set at all.
Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle is free to enter and is an unapologetic commercial operation that is also, for a lot of people, exactly the point.
The real draw is what surrounds it: forest, the Ounasjoki river, huskies, reindeer and a scale of empty country that is hard to convey.
Two or three days, and book activities in advance in winter.
Where to stay
A small centre, with the Arctic Circle and the village eight kilometres north.
Santa Claus Village and Arctic Circle
The village itselfEight kilometres north on the Circle: the village, cabins and glass igloos, with a bus into town.
Ounasvaara
Forest and slopesAcross the river: a ski hill, forest trails and quiet lodges with a view back over the city.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 3 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Rovaniemi
Chase the aurora between late August and early April. Tours run €90 to €150 and take you out of the city's light, which is the main thing you are paying for; on a clear night you can see it from the riverbank or Ounasvaara for nothing, and a forecast app is more useful than any guide.
Arktikum is the museum to do, at about €18 — a glass tube built into the riverbank covering Lapland, the Arctic and Sámi culture, and it is genuinely good rather than dutiful.
Santa Claus Village is free to enter and sits on the Arctic Circle. Meeting Santa is free; the photograph costs about €40, and the huskies, reindeer and post office are separately priced.
Husky and reindeer sledding run €120 to €200 for a couple of hours. Reindeer are slower and quieter, huskies are faster and much noisier, and both include the clothing.
In summer, the river, the forest trails on Ounasvaara and the midnight sun replace all of it.
Free things
Free things to do in Rovaniemi
The northern lights are free if the sky is clear and you get away from streetlights — the riverbank north of the centre and the Ounasvaara hill both work, and no tour is required to see them.
Santa Claus Village is free to enter, as is crossing the Arctic Circle line itself and meeting Santa. Only the photograph and the activities are charged.
Ounasvaara has free marked trails through pine forest, used for walking in summer and skiing in winter, with a view over the city.
The Ounasjoki and Kemijoki riverbanks are free to walk, and the Jätkänkynttilä bridge is the city's landmark.
Everyman's Right applies: you may walk, camp, swim and pick berries and mushrooms across most uncultivated land, which in Lapland means almost everything.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Rovaniemi
Expensive, and more so than southern Finland because everything comes a long way north.
The weekday lunch buffet at €12 to €16 is the saving here as everywhere in the country.
Lappish food is the local draw: reindeer — usually sautéed with mashed potato and lingonberry — arctic char, cloudberries and leipäjuusto, a squeaky bread cheese served warm with cloudberry jam. A reindeer main runs €25 to €35.
Supermarkets are the practical answer for anyone on a budget, and most hostels have kitchens for that reason.
A beer is €7 to €9, and anything above 5.5% comes from Alko, which closes at 9pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturdays.
Nightlife
Going out in Rovaniemi
Small, and shaped entirely by who is in town. In winter it is visitors and seasonal workers from across Europe; in summer it is quiet.
A handful of bars around Lordi Square and Koskikatu carry it, with a couple of clubs at weekends and live music in the university term.
A beer is €7 to €9 and cocktails €12 to €16.
Winter nights end early for most people because the activities start early — a husky trip at eight in the morning is the usual reason.
The midnight sun in June is the odd one: it stays fully light all night, and terraces stay busy at two in the morning with people who have lost track of the time.
Getting around
Getting around Rovaniemi
The centre is small and walkable. Bus 8 runs to Santa Claus Village and the airport for about €4 and is the one route most visitors need.
The airport is ten minutes out, with direct flights from Helsinki in an hour and a half and seasonal routes from across Europe.
The overnight sleeper from Helsinki takes about twelve hours, carries cars, and is a better experience than flying if you have the night to spend.
Activity operators pick up from central hotels and hostels, which is how most people get out of town.
Driving in winter needs winter tyres, which are a legal requirement in season, and reindeer on the roads are a real and constant hazard.
Costs
What Rovaniemi costs
The most expensive place in Finland in winter, and reasonable in summer. Dorms run €30 to €60 in December and €22 to €35 in September.
A day is €60 to €110 before activities, and activities are what actually set the budget: husky or reindeer sledding €120 to €200, an aurora tour €90 to €150, a snowmobile trip similar.
Two or three activities is a realistic winter plan and adds €300 to €500 per person on top of everything else.
The free version is real, though: the aurora needs a clear sky rather than a guide, Santa Claus Village is free to enter, and the Ounasvaara trails cost nothing.
December is the peak — book beds and activities months ahead or pay sharply for both.
Safety
Staying safe in Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a safe city, and the risks here are cold and wilderness rather than crime.
Winter temperatures reach -30°C and frostbite is a real possibility on exposed skin within minutes. Dress in layers, cover extremities, and take the clothing operators offer rather than assuming your own coat is enough — it usually is not.
The river and lakes freeze unevenly and there is current. Do not walk on ice without local knowledge.
If you go into the forest alone, tell someone where you are going. Phone coverage thins quickly outside town and the country is genuinely empty.
Reindeer on roads cause accidents constantly. In summer, mosquitoes in the forest are severe from June to August and repellent is not optional. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Rovaniemi
National parks, a ski resort and the emptiest country in Europe.
Ranua Wildlife Park
Arctic animals including polar bears, in large forest enclosures. Popular with families.
Levi
Finland's largest ski resort, with slopes, huskies and a season running roughly November to May.
Inari
The centre of Sámi culture in Finland, with the Siida museum and a vast lake. Better as an overnight.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Christmas is the whole point for a lot of visitors, and it books out early.
Late November to early January
Christmas season
Santa Claus Village and citywide
The peak season by a distance. Beds and activities book out months ahead and prices rise sharply.
Late August to early April
Aurora season
Outside the city lights
When the sky is dark enough for the northern lights. February and March combine long dark nights with clearer weather.
Late May to late July
Midnight sun
Citywide
The sun does not set. Terraces stay busy through the night and nobody sleeps much.
Late June
Juhannus (midsummer)
Countrywide
Bonfires and cottages, under a sun that does not go down.
November to April
Ounasvaara ski season
Ounasvaara
Slopes and cross-country trails across the river from the centre.
Hostels
Where to stay in Rovaniemi
A small scene that tightens severely around Christmas, so book months ahead for December. Live from Hostelworld.
When to go
December for snow and Christmas, February and March for the best aurora conditions, June for the midnight sun.
Jan
Deep cold and snow. Very short days, strong aurora season
Feb
Cold, bright and snowy. One of the best aurora months
Mar
The best month: snow, longer days and clear aurora skies
Apr
Snow going. Skiing continues, aurora season ends
May
Thaw and mud. Quietest month of the year
Jun
Midnight sun, green forest and mosquitoes
Jul
The warmest month. Midnight sun into late July
Aug
Warm, and the aurora becomes visible again at the end
Sep
Autumn colour, first aurora nights, good value
Oct
Cold and dark. Between seasons and cheap
Nov
Snow arriving and the winter season starting
Dec
Peak. Christmas, snow, and the highest prices of the year
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, and they run well below freezing for five months. The aurora needs darkness and a clear sky, which is why March often beats December — more settled weather and still plenty of dark.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros, in winter.
These are winter figures. The doing line is the variable that matters — one sledding trip is €120 to €200 on its own, and September rates across the board run about a third lower.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Rovaniemi travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When can I see the northern lights?
Roughly late August to early April, on nights that are both dark and clear. February and March are often better than December because the weather is more settled and there is still plenty of darkness. You do not need a tour — the riverbank away from streetlights or Ounasvaara works, and a forecast app helps more than a guide.
Is Santa Claus Village worth it?
It is free to enter, it sits on the Arctic Circle, and meeting Santa costs nothing — only the photograph, at about €40, and the separate activities. It is an unashamedly commercial operation, and whether that is charming or grating is a matter of temperament.
How expensive is it?
The most expensive place in Finland in winter. Dorms €30 to €60 in December, and activities are what really set the budget — husky or reindeer sledding is €120 to €200 and an aurora tour €90 to €150. Two or three activities adds €300 to €500 per person.
What is the midnight sun?
From late May to late July the sun does not set here at all. It stays fully light through the night, terraces stay busy at two in the morning, and sleeping takes some adjustment — bring an eye mask.
How cold does it get?
Regularly -30°C in midwinter, with frostbite possible on exposed skin within minutes. Take the thermal clothing activity operators provide rather than relying on your own coat, which almost certainly is not enough.
Husky or reindeer sledding?
Huskies are faster, noisier and more of an event; reindeer are slower, quieter and closer to how Sámi herders actually work. Both run €120 to €200 for a couple of hours with clothing included. If you only do one, pick on whether you want speed or calm.
When should I book?
For December, months ahead — beds and activities both sell out and prices rise sharply. September and March are far easier and, for the aurora, March is arguably the better month anyway.
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