Finnish Lapland in winter is a GREAT choice!
The best things to do in Rovaniemi are all bucket list winter experiences whether you’re travelling with young children, as a couple or with friends, it is truly magical and it’s a trip I’ll never forget.
That being said, I want to be very clear: I have not done every activity on this list and I am not suggesting you need to do them all either, because Finland is EXPENSIVE. Especially Lapland during winter and around the Christmas period.
So what I’ve done is collate a list of all the activities that I considered doing on our 5 day Lapland itinerary so you can consider them too. I did 8 of the activities listed below over our 5 days, so if you’re going for maybe a weekend then you will probably have to pick fewer.
Ultimately I didn’t regret a single one of the Lapland activities that we did and I wish we had more time (and money!) to do them all.
So I hope the below list of Rovaniemi activities helps you to plan your own Rovaniemi itinerary and find some inspiration for your trip!
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Santa Claus Village
Where to stay in Rovaniemi
We booked an Airbnb in central Rovaniemi for our stay in Rovaniemi but unfortunately I can’t find that listing anymore. It was in an apartment building on the river and came with parking which we needed for our rental car.
This hotel is in a similar location and also offers free parking: Arctic City Hotel
However if you’re looking for the igloo experience in Finnish Lapland or you want to stay outside of Rovaniemi to increase your chances of seeing the northern lights away from light pollution then I can definitely recommend Apukka Resort.
We actually spent the last afternoon of our trip before our flight at Apukka Resort which is out near the airport. We had booked their private sauna and arctic plunge experience and ended up staying the afternoon and having lunch at the resort restaurant (which was amazing).
We loved it so much that I think we’d stay there if we returned in the future. Everyone at the resort was so friendly and helpful, there are so many activities you can do on their site: sauna and arctic plunge, ice fishing, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh rides, snowshoeing, husky sledding, horse riding tours, northern lights tours and full winter gear hire. Honestly you could stay there a couple of days and not have to leave for anything!
We actually spent the first half of our week in Lapland in Aava Sky Village in Aavasaksa around 1.5 hours drive from Rovaniemi.
I would only recommend staying here if you have longer than a couple of days in Lapland, otherwise you’ll end up spending more time driving over there and back. If you’re short on time it’s definitely easier to stay in or close to Rovaniemi for the duration.
If you’re interested you can read my full Aavasaka guide here.
Apukka Resort interior
Apukka Resort restaurant
When is the best time to visit Rovaniemi?
I really thought we picked a great time to go in mid-March but I wish we had gone earlier.
Lapland had an unseasonably cold February followed by an unseasonably warm early March and by the time we got there on 10th March, the snow had all melted off the trees. It was so warm that it actually didn’t drop below -1C for the entirety of our trip which apparently is pretty rare for that time of year.
I wish we had gone in February when the snow monster trees “tykky” were still heavily laden with snow, however there was still deep snow on the ground in countryside areas but Rovaniemi had almost none on the streets and even the ice sculptures were melting.
Obviously this is only my personal experience and this could have been a total anomaly for this year and next March could be perfectly snowy and freezing, so who knows!
We chose March because we had heard it would still be cold and because we knew we wanted to do a lot so we wanted more daylight hours. I think mid-to-late February would have been a good middle ground to get both of those things.
Although staff at our hotel said it had got down to -30C in February so it’s worth being prepared for that!
Overall this is what you should consider for each winter month:
December: the most festive time to visit but also the most expensive and very short days.
January: very cold, very dark - good for Northern lights because it’s so dark all the time although it can be cloudy because of so much snow and can still be expensive right after the New Year.
February: best for cold weather but better weather for northern lights, days are slightly longer than Dec/Jan but also still good for seeing northern lights. Snow monster trees are still around. But very very cold.
March: better if you don’t want shockingly cold temperatures like -30C! We also enjoyed the hours of daylight being so much longer than Jan/Feb so we could do more during the day. But no snow monsters, things may be starting to melt so it didn't feel as wintery in Rovaniemi especially, although outside the city centre there was still lots of snow on the ground.
Where to eat in Rovaniemi, Finland
I’m not going to say these are the best places to eat in Rovaniemi as I’m sure there are plenty of luxury dining experiences but they were not in our budget.
For breakfasts and lunches, apart from when breakfast was included at our hotel, everything else we bought from a supermarket. For dinners and drinks I’ll share these below.
So these are all the places we ate/drank during our trip and we enjoyed them all:
Coffee House Rovaniemi for breakfast/lunch
Cafe & Bar 21 - went for coffee
Kauppayhtiö for dinner which a local friend of ours took us too and had great pizza
Lapland brewery is on the outskirts of Rovaniemi but is a great spot for craft beer
Bull Bar and Grill was great for easy dinner options
Apukka Resort - we went for lunch on our last day after our activity there and it was great. Approx £28 each for all you could eat buffet and a coffee and soft drink each.
The best things to do in Rovaniemi, Finland
In this Rovaniemi guide, I’ve included things to do in Rovaniemi and things to do near Rovaniemi in the surrounding areas e.g. many things like reindeer or husky rides are located 20-30 minutes outside the city just by the nature of them needing to be in a bigger space!
But I’ve also included a couple of day trip options towards the end of the list which are a great addition if you’ve got longer in Rovaniemi or you’re feeling adventurous!
Husky sledding experience
Putting this at the top of the list because for me, it was the most beautiful and magical experience.
We did a 2.5 hour husky sledding experience in Avasaksa (close to the Swedish border) so we didn’t do it again in Rovaniemi, however I would recommend it wherever you go.
There is nothing like the rush and joy of seeing happy dogs running in the snow ahead of you, pulling you and your sled along. We had 5 dogs called Turku, Elio, Ash, Tammi and Lissu and I loved meeting them all, having cuddles and learning about their personalities from their handlers.
Finland also has really strict laws around huskies and how they are kept and cared for, so I felt super happy in having this experience in Finland. (This is also partly why they are so expensive because the dogs must be cared for to a very high standard)
This is a similar and well-reviewed option for a husky sledding ride in Rovaniemi.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can book a 30 minute husky sledding experience at the Santa Claus Village.
Husky Sledding
Forest ice skating
Skating on a frozen river as it carves its way through the woods… yes, please!
This is actually an experience we had booked for our trip and unfortunately it was cancelled because of the warm weather, the ice was no longer safe enough to skate on, I was gutted!
This is a natural ice skating rink that weaves peacefully through the trees at Kotatieva, just a short 13 minute drive from central Rovaniemi and they offer a free shuttle bus during the winter from Rovaniemi centre to the resort - so no need to worry about a taxi if you don’t have a car!
There is actually a whole leisure part here at Kotatieva Resort and you can get a day pass for the ice skating, snow tubing, reindeer rides, snow shoeing, sauna and more.
Find out more and book here.
See the Northern Lights
The great thing about seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland is that, depending on where you’re staying, you can see them for free and it’s undoubtedly one of the top things to do in Rovaniemi during your stay.
The Aurora is best seen without light pollution so if you’re staying somewhere like Book Apukka Resort which is outside of Rovaniemi, you can easily see the northern lights from the surrounding countryside and even from your own glass igloo!
If you’re staying in Rovaniemi and want to see the Northern Lights for free, my recommendation would be to walk across the river and follow the Ounasvaara Winter Trail. This is a forested area on a hill with a lookout point and it’s situated in a way that there is less light pollution from the city and you can spot the Northern Lights from there as long as there is no cloud cover.
This is the trail entrance location and this is the lookout tower location that you can follow the trail to.
If you’re staying in Rovaniemi then that’s no problem as there are literally dozens of Northern Lights tour companies! I would recommend going with a tour that gives you a Northern Lights guarantee, this is not a guarantee that you’ll see the Northern Lights, but usually means if you don’t see them, you’ll get a full refund. Some companies also offer you the option to go out the following night to try again if you’re available and they have spaces.
Here are two tour options with a Northern Lights guarantee, pick up from Rovaniemi and professional photos included:
Just be aware that these tours are “unlimited mileage” which means they will drive as far as they can get in the night to get you to see the Northern Lights. This is obviously amazing but also can mean you’re out for 6+ hours which may be pretty exhausting, especially if you have young kids or have a busy following day.
But there are countless other tour providers and if you’re staying at a resort like Apukka, they also offer on site tours which may be cheaper and you don’t have to travel as far.
Northern Lights
How to spot the Northern Lights
If you’re planning to spot the Northern Lights yourself, either by seeing them from your accommodation or driving out into the countryside in your own rental car, these are the websites I used to check conditions for seeing the Aurora:
Finland specific sites for monitoring aurora activity:
RWC Finland
Finnish Meteorological Institute
General Aurora monitoring sites:
Space Weather Live
Visit the Arctic Snow Hotel
This is one of the activities that we ultimately just didn’t have time for on our trip but I would love to see the incredible Arctic Snow Hotel - completely rebuilt each year from ice!
This Arctic Snow Hotel ticket includes transfers from Rovaniemi to the Snow Hotel which is just 25 minutes from Rovaniemi. It also includes access to the sledding and tobogganing area.You get to explore the Arctic Snow Hotel under your own steam where you can get a drink at the ice bar served in an ice glass, learn about how the hotel is constructed and explore the rooms and ice sculptures around the hotel.
Meet the reindeer and go on a sleigh ride
Reindeer have the softest noses!!
I fell so unexpectedly in love with the reindeer in Rovaniemi, they are so cute and I loved feeding them and stroking their noses.
We saw so many reindeer farms around the outskirts of Rovaniemi so again, you have plenty of options for reindeer rides starting from Rovaniemi and travelling out of the city, at the Santa Claus Village or at the resort you’re staying at.
For a more affordable option, this reindeer experience has a shorter ride time (500m) but includes your transfers from Rovaniemi and time at the Reindeer farm - just 20 minutes from Rovaniemi.
This reindeer and husky experience is at the same place as the option above but includes both activities and snowmobiling, making it easier so you’re all in one place - handy if you’re travelling as a family or are short on time.
If you would prefer a longer experience, this is a 2km reindeer sleigh experience. that takes place at the Santa Claus Village. A great option if you’re already going to be here.
Or for a more rural and authentic experience, this is a 2km reindeer sleigh ride at a rural reindeer farm 35-minutes outside of Rovaniemi where you have your sleigh ride, meet and feed the reindeer and get professional photos.
Reindeer
Reindeer Sleigh Ride
Arctic snowmobile adventure
This was the activity my husband absolutely wanted to do and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
It’s definitely a bit of an adrenaline rush without being too “extreme” - you’re going a lot faster than you do on the husky or reindeer sleds but you’re on a big, heavy vehicle and you have a full safety briefing before heading out.
Snowmobile excursions are usually 1-2 hours depending on the provider and weather conditions and you follow a guide in a small group.
Generally they’re all roughly around the same price of £100 per person:
Small group Arctic Safari option
A slightly longer experience of 1.5 hours on the snowmobile
This option is cheaper but shorter, around 45 minutes on the snowmobile
This is a cool option to go snowmobiling at night and Northern Lights spotting around a campfire.
Relax in a forest sauna experience
I had to make the hard decision between this experience or the sauna and arctic plunge experience (see below) on our last day in Rovaniemi.
Due to the timings of our flight and rental car return, we weren’t able to do this option but I do think this is one of the best things to do in Rovaniemi for adults looking for a bit of relaxation without paying for an expensive hotel for the duration of your stay.
The Invisible Forest Spa involves a stunning sauna and hot pools in the forest, surrounded by snow-covered trees. This ticket includes spa, sauna and hot pool access as well as a lunch and your bathrobe and slippers.
This has all the best parts of a luxury spa experience without paying the price tag of staying in a fancy hotel and I think it’s such a great option for couples or for a girls trip!
If you’re looking for a private sauna experience, you might be interested in the option I share below which includes a private sauna and arctic plunge.
The Finnish sauna and arctic plunge
I LOVE LOVE LOVED this experience!
We booked this private sauna and cold plunge experience which is for two people and is located at Book Apukka Resort.
It includes 1.5 hour private use of an authentic wooden Finnish sauna which sits on the edge of Lake Olkka where you will go for your arctic plunge in between sauna sessions.
The sauna host meets you at the saunas and will show you how to operate the sauna and also how to enter the cold water safely, plus recommended lengths of time to spend in each.
On the day we went, it wasn’t busy so our sauna host even gave us some extra time in the sauna to enjoy it longer!
The private sauna cabins all include a changing space inside so you have a private area to change and leave your belongings, there’s also seating outside on your deck. The only shared space is the lake area but it’s a big enough hole in the ice for a few people to enjoy at once!
The first time you go into the water it is shocking, remember to breathe calmly and don’t stay in too long, especially on your first time!
I really enjoyed this experience, it felt luxurious but also authentic and it was really fun to do as a couple - I’d highly recommend it!
We also loved Apukka so much that we went for a buffet lunch in their resort restaurant afterwards which was amazing and a nice way to continue our zen state after the sauna experience.
Private sauna interior
Natural cold plunge
Private sauna exterior
Go ice floating
Having done the arctic plunge, I would totally go and do ice floating on my next trip to Rovaniemi.
This is an adults only experience and you’re in thermal suits the whole time with a guide. The thermal suits are so effective that you can stay in the water for as long as you want!
There is a day time ice floating option and a night time option when you could see the Aurora Borealis.
Both options include pick up and drop off from Rovaniemi hotels.
Experience the magic at Santa Claus Village
Overall I enjoyed our visit to the Santa Claus Village but it wasn’t my favourite thing we did. I’d imagine if you have children it would be very magical to be there with them.
I felt like it was very commercialised and the queues to see Santa were over an hour wait - this is in mid-March! So I can’t imagine what it’s like in December/January.
We had been to see Santa at Santa’s River House for a personal, unhurried hour and a half with Santa, Mrs Claus and his elf, so we didn’t feel the need to queue up at the Santa Claus Village.
We did go and see the animals and watch the sleigh rides and we did go and get our Arctic Circle Certificate from the Arctic Circle Information Centre which was a fun souvenir to take home!
We also saw ourselves on the Santa Claus Village live cam (and waved to some friends at home) so that was fun!
My husband went to the Santa Claus Village 10 years ago when it was just one building and now it’s a huge complex with countless activities and restaurants. You could easily spend a day here which I think is a great option for those who have young children.
Arctic circle marker
Reindeer
Reindeer sleigh ride
See an ice hockey game
If you’re looking for cheap things to do in Rovaniemi, this is a great option!
We tried to see an ice hockey game in Rovaniemi but unfortunately the fixtures for the RoKi Ice Hockey Team didn’t line up with our trip. But we’re huge hockey fans back home (Nottingham Panthers is my home team and Florida Panthers is my husband's home team!)
The ice hockey arena is right in the city centre so it’s super easy to get to and you can buy your tickets here.
The atmosphere at an ice hockey game is always so much fun, ice hockey is naturally the most popular sport in Finland and the ticket prices are much more budget friendly as well as being a great activity for all ages.
Go ice fishing
This is another option that some resorts provide so depending on where you’re staying, it could be worth checking if it’s an activity you can do onsite (like they do at Apukka Resort).
This Arctic ice fishing experience shows you how to drill your own fishing hole, catch and cook your fish, all from a local guide in the forests surrounding Rovaniemi.
Fishing lake in Rovaniemi
Explore Rovaniemi town
Exploring Rovaniemi is free!
The city is decked out in festive lights and ice sculptures and decorations all winter, it felt festive to me even in March!
Have a wander and enjoy the shops and displays, walk along the riverfront and if you’re up for a walk Ounasvaara Winter Trail is just across the bridge on the opposite side of the river from the city centre and is a great place for winter walking trails and Northern Lights spotting close to the city.
There are lots of great cafes and restaurants to enjoy too. Some of our favourites were:
Coffee House Rovaniemi for breakfast/lunch
Cafe & Bar 21 - another cute cafe spot
Kauppayhtiö for dinner which a local friend of ours took us too
Lapland brewery is on the outskirts of Rovaniemi but is a great spot for craft beer
Bull Bar and Grill was great for easy dinner options
Downtown Rovaniemi
Adventure out on a snowshoeing hike
This was the first time I went snowshoeing on this trip and it’s definitely an interesting way of walking!
Depending on where you’re staying, some hotels or resorts offer equipment hire so we were able to hire our snowshoes from our hotel.
If you’re staying in the city centre though, one of the snowshoeing tours like this one is a great option, especially if you’re an avid hiker and want to explore hiking in Lapland!
Snowshoeing
Experience an ice breaker ship
Originally we had been discussing taking the train down to Kemi and continuing on a journey by rail south towards Oslo. If we had done that then we would absolutely have done this!
Going on an ice breaker ship has been a dream of mine for so so long, it just seems like a totally unique, once-in-a-lifetime incredible activity to be on a big ship with the sounds of ice cracking as the hull breaks the ice of the Bothnian Sea in Lapland.
These tours also usually include ice floating off the back of the boat in the sea and hot drinks. There is also lunch available for purchase on board.
These are the two options I considered booking which both have options to include a transfer from Rovaniemi:
Although the Polar Explorer looks cheaper, once you add on the transfers from Rovaniemi, it’s about the same price as the Arktis so both are options to look at and check availability depending on when your trip is.
Surely this is one of the best and most unique things to do as a day trip from Rovaniemi?!
One day I am determined to do this!!
Ride the world’s northernmost rollercoaster
Did you know that the world’s northernmost rollercoast is located in Ruka in Finnish Lapland?
The Ruka Alpine Coaster is located at Ruka resort to the east of Lapland, around 2.5 hours drive from Rovaniemi.
Because we were visiting Riisitunturi National Park and had a rental car for our Lapland trip, we decided to head over to Ruka and go on the alpine Ruka coaster for the afternoon.
Again it didn’t quite look how I expected because there was so little snow on the trees but it was a lot of fun and you do go really fast - 40km/h down a 750 metre track!
You can book your tickets here - check the opening times as they change between winter and summer.
You go down the track fast so I would recommend booking at least the x2 runs ticket.
Also, this is a lot of fun but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here from Rovaniemi - it’s a long way!
I’d only go here if you’re spending time at Ruka resort, skiing in the area or visiting Riisitunturi National Park.
Ruka Alpine Coaster
Ruka
See the tykky at Riisitunturi National Park
Riisitunturi National Park is famous for the “tykky” - the snow covered trees that are so laden with snow that they look like big snow monsters emerging from the landscape.
As I’ve mentioned, we didn’t see tykky on our trip because the snow had already melted off the trees, but since we had a rental car, we still decided to drive out to Riisitunturi National Park on a day trip from Rovaniemi and do some hiking and exploring.
Riisitunturi National Park
Riisitunturi National Park trail
Riisitunturi National Park is free to visit and is around 2 hours drive from Rovaniemi. The car park is here on Google Maps.
We followed the winter trail through the trees and up onto the snowy plateau with incredible 360 degree views. This is where you would normally see the tykky but even without them it was beautiful!
Riisitunturi National Park view
In the car park is the cutest wooden cabin cafe where they serve fresh, homemade soups, bread and cakes. We had incredible reindeer soup and carrot cake that I think is the best carrot cake of my life!
Riisitunturi National Park café
If you want to visit the National Park but won’t have a car, there is actually this day trip from Rovaniemi to Riisitunturi which also includes a visit to the Ruka Alpine coaster that I mentioned above. This is a great way to see more of Lapland on a day tour without having your own vehicle.
Or if you just want to visit Riisitunturi National Park this day trip from Rovaniemi to Riisitunturi National Park will take you there. Click the link to see what I mean about the tykky!
See frozen waterfalls
Another really cool day trip from Rovaniemi is to see the famous frozen waterfalls at Korouoma Canyon.
We actually drove past Korouoma Canyon on our way to Riisitunturi National Park but didn’t have time to stop there (daylight is still short in the winter!)
Check out this Korouoma Canyon day tour option.
This is a really popular day trip from Rovaniemi as it’s not as far away as Riisitunturi National Park and still includes some hiking, plus an arctic wilderness BBQ! And seeing frozen waterfalls is pretty cool too - and rare unless you’re someone from a cold country!
Summary: the best winter activities in Rovaniemi, Finland
As you can see from this list, there are so many incredible things to do in Rovaniemi in the winter and it’s almost impossible to do them all on one trip!
But I do hope this list gives you some ideas and inspiration for what is worth it and what is possible to do during your stay in Rovaniemi.
Being from the UK, this amount of snow and cold and unique experiences is just so incredible to me and whatever you end up doing, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Happy winter travels!
