Fly First or Business Class to See Santa Claus’ Hometown!
Rovaniemi, Finland is the official hometown of Santa Claus. It is also considered the cultural center of Lapland. Located at the junction of the Kemijoki and Ounasjoki rivers on the Arctic Circle in the wilderness, Rovaniemi is Lapland’s capital city. Tourists travel to Rovaniemi year-round to meet Santa Claus. Frequent flights to Rovaniemi are offered throughout the year from Helsinki and other cities. The majority of international visitors change planes in Helsinki. During the Christmas season, there are many charter flights from Sweden, UK, and other countries that fly directly to Rovaniemi. Plus, there’s a regular bus and train connection with all major Finland cities. Ask our gurus about great deals on cheap business class flights to Finland or discounted first class flights to Finland.
Alpha Flight Guru reviews the top attractions in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Santa Claus Village - At Santa Claus Village, you can meet Santa Claus and cross the magical Arctic Circle. Painted across the park is a white line signifying the Arctic Circle at its position from 1865. When visitors cross that line, they officially enter the Arctic area. The line is a very popular photo spot for tourists. Santa Claus spends his time at Santa Claus Village every day of the year.
- Santa Claus’s Main Post Office: Feel the Christmas spirit here year-round from the merry post office elves. They happily serve visitors in seven languages. A large variety of Christmas related items are sold in the post office, such as stamps, postcards, writing utensils, letters from Santa Claus, and other Christmas souvenirs. All mail sent from this post office is postmarked with a special Santa Claus postmark and a genuine Arctic Circle postmark, which you can’t get anywhere else. Visitors can also specify when their mail is sent, such as the next Christmas, on someone’s birthday, or for other special events, regardless of when they actually visit the post office. The beautiful post office building is made of natural stone and aged pine.
- Santa Claus’s Office: Located inside the main building of the village, visitors can take photographs and chat with Santa Claus here. Keep in mind that Santa Claus has office hours, and he may not be in the office, even when the village is open.
There are also many restaurants and shops inside the village, selling various items related to Santa Claus and the Lapland region. To get there, take Rovaniemi city bus route 8, known as Santa’s Express, from Rovaniemi Railway Station to Santa Claus Village. The length of the bus trip is approximately 30 minutes.
SantaPark – Situated within walking distance from Santa Claus Village and about 1 mile from Rovaniemi Airport, SantaPark is an underground amusement park and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rovaniemi. Its design emulates the cavern residence of Santa Claus on the Arctic Circle. The park opened in November 1998. Attractions include Elf Show, Santa’s Workshop, Gingerbread Kitchen, Sleigh Ride, Elf School, Elf Workshop, and Post Office. Plus, sleigh rides, an ice bar, stunning ice galleries, shopping, a special Christmas carousel, Mrs. Claus’s famous kitchen, and many other attractions and activities. Visitors can also dine at the café while the elves of SantaPark present their dance show on the main stage. Located in a huge manmade cavern inside bedrock, visitors access the park by descending via a large portal. Enjoy a fun day with your whole family in SantaPark!
Snowman World – Next door to Santa Claus is Snowman World, one of the merriest places on the Arctic Circle. It offers winter fun and an icy ambiance. In the art gallery, you can admire the ice sculptures, then enjoy a beverage from an ice glass in the Ice Bar. For unique accommodations, spend a night in the Igloo Hotel. Try the Ice Restaurant, the only ice restaurant in the world and one of the coolest experiences on the Arctic Circle. Here you’ll find beautiful ice sculptures and a menu created from local ingredients. You can choose from two menus: the Wild Lapland menu or the Arctic Sea menu. The Ice Restaurant experience includes an appetizer drink from an ice glass at the Ice Bar. For another dining option, try Restaurant Ensilumi, offering Lappish cuisine in a warm environment. Snowman World’s friendly staff and happy snowman characters will direct you to snow fun for the whole family. Plenty of joyful winter adventures await, such as sliding down hills, ice skating, snow sculpting, and other exciting Lappish games. The newest activity is the extreme bag jump. Spend an unforgettable day in Snowman World!
Other Activities at Santa Claus Village
- Arctic Circle Husky Park - Husky sled rides in the winter, and husky park visits in the summer.
- Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park – Guided snowmobile safaris and other types of safari programs and activities, plus special programs for children.
- Raitola Husky and Reindeer Farm – Meet Santa’s reindeer and take a sleigh ride in the wild forest, and meet the huskies on daily two-hour husky safaris. Adventures for the whole family with arctic animals at a traditional farm. Try ice fishing at a frozen lake, and enjoy a hot beverage around an open fire after your safari.
- Santa’s House of Snowmobiles – Permanent exhibition that presents the different snowmobiles of Lapland and other arctic regions. The exhibition is a tribute to the snowmobile, a very important vehicle in the arctic.
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If you missed our previous posts about Finland, catch up now with 5 Best Hotels in Helsinki, Finland, Finland Travel Tips, 5 Ways to See the Northern Lights in Finland, Top Items to Pack for Finland in Winter, Best Food in Finland for Travelers, and Top Attractions in Helsinki, Finland.