Santa's Village - Rovaniemi in a day!

Rovaniemi Finland is famously known for its proximity to the Arctic Circle and for housing the world famous - Santa Clause's Village. If you look at all the travel itineraries it is an impossible feat to cover this village in a day, but a wonderful visit is still possible. This guide covers the extensive planning it takes to pull off such a feat. Enjoy the read!

Getting There

1. By Air - Finair is the best option several flights a day 

1. Rovaniemi is located approximately 826.5 km from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The possible modes of travel are - Car, Bus, Air and Train. 

Air would be the fastest taking only around two hours from Helsinki. Finnair is the famous option.

Train would take around 12 hours and the best way to travel is with Santa's Express, which is a wonderful experience itself and the option that we took. 

https://www.vr.fi/en/santa-claus-express

Car would also be a great option for those with kids as it would give the best flexibility. 

Bus is not a recommendation I would give as it is too long of a ride to endure for such a distance.

Accommodation

Since you will be spending only a day in Rovaniemi, there is no requirement for accommodation.

Generally accommodation is quiet pricey inside the village and outside as well so if you do decide to spend more than a day best is to book your accommodation at least 6-8 months ahead of time.

Booking.com's free cancellation option is a God send in these times as it allows you the flexibility to keep your itinerary open and still get a good deal on early booking.

https://www.booking.com/index.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1BCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaIUBiAEBmAEJuAEXyAEM2AEB6AEBiAIBqAIDuALl3tuvBsACAdICJGZkNjk5MWRmLWNiZDMtNDMzZi1hNmNhLTg3MGIwNTkxZmIyYtgCBeACAQ&sid=a5c3530c25b5cf7cd4785ea54d3574bf&keep_landing=1&sb_price_type=total&

Getting to Santa's Village 

When you come via the Santa Express you will be getting down at the Rovaniemi Central Station. 

There is a bus which takes you straight to Santa's Village departing at particular times. The timetable can be found on their website and at the train station notice board. You can buy a one way or return ticket - the return ticket is cheaper as a whole. Do note that you need to pay for the kids as well.

https://apukkaresort.fi/about-apukka/transportation/apukka-shuttle-bus/

Activities:

I am going to run through the best activities you can do in the short amount of time you have in your hand. 

1. Meet Santa : you need to obtain a time to meet him and get there by that time, however, it still includes a long line and videos and images can be bought at a cost.

2. Reindeer Ride: this is magical, there are three different rides based on the distance available. We took the 2km one and for three people and a kid it was 150 Euros. 

3. Santa's Post Office: magical place, you get to buy postcards and send them to your loved ones across the world. 

- Postage per card is 2.5 Euros

- Postcards come in different prices, and different themes, you can buy as you wish.

- There are several souvenir items you could purchase to bring back, such as fridge magnets, Euro notes, gold coins and so forth.

4. Cross the Arctic Circle: knowing that you are at the Arctic Circle is magical enough but being able to cross it and take a picture is something else. Best part of the whole experience - its free!!!

5. Husky Ride : Something we were unable to do but having seen multiple bloggers out there take part in the experience, this is definitely a must do. 

Getting Back

Once you have experienced the magic that is Santa's Village, take the return bus to Rovaniemi train station to catch the Santa Clause Express back to Helsinki.

My recommendation is to take an upstairs compartment, it comes with a shower, toilet, toiletries, two berths and its comfortable. After an exhaustive day at the village you do need a hot bath and a good nights rest before arriving at Helsinki for the rest of your journey.

As much as this journey maybe short, it is still worth the visit to Santa's Village even for 24 hours. 

If you need more information on planning your trip to Rovaniemi, contact me on any of my social media platforms.

Enjoy Travelling!