Finland in winter is magical. Santa Claus is even more magical. Even more so before Christmas.

Last year Finland and a visit to was on our short list for holidays. But last minute changes saw us flying towards sunny Cancun rather than the cold North. So this year we decided to plan our trip to Rovaniemi, Finland. Especially since it was maybe the last magical year for Eric, who will turn 7 in 2024.

I’ve been literally hunting for cheap flights towards Helsinki. Especially since we needed good connecting flights since we had only 4 and a half days to get to Santa and back home. Plane tickets went from 250 euros to 300 400 and nearly 500 euros from our home town to Helsinki. Last year the same flight was 149 euros in early December. So I was literally refreshing momondo and skyscanner websites every single day in the hopes to see a drop in the ticket prices. Until one lucky night when prices dropped to a whooping 170 euros with Lufthansa. Woohoo! Now the downside was that we had a 4h layover in Munchen airport on our way to Helsinki. And an even worse one on our way back. But, we never really traveled back the way we were supposed to. Lufthansa canceled our flight back home because of major snow disruptions in Munich. They offered us a similar return flight 3 days later, which did not work for us. So we booked a last minute flight with a layover in Berlin. And from here, a wizzair flight back to Cluj-Napoca.

Original flight plan: Cluj-Napoca to Helsinki via Munchen and Helsinki to Cluj-Napoca via Munchen. Carrier: Lufthansa. Baggage: only two cabin backpacks regular sized. Price: 170 euro/person.

Actual return flight (last minute booking due to flight cancellation): Helsinki-Berlin with Finnair. 2h30 min layover in Berlin, followed by a wizzair flight Berlin-Cluj-Napoca.

Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back. There are actually a lot of direct flights from Helsinki to Lapland’s town of Rovaniemi, home of Santa Claus, kingdom of magic and consumerism. To cut down on costs and experience night travel on the train, we booked an overnight train ride from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Not only was this cheaper than flying, but it also saves 2 nights’ accommodation in Finland. There are two different trains that have sleeping berths and we chose the one that arrived the earliest in Rovaniemi. At 7:20 am we were already embracing the cold weather of the Arctic Circle. For the return train, we chose the one that left the latest from Rovaniemi, at 8:57pm. It’s super exciting to travel on this train since the cars bear the Santa stamp. It’s a thrill for the kids! Where to buy the train ticket from: I used the official website for the Finnish railway: https://www.vr.fi/en to book one sleeper cabin for two adults. Make sure you tick the Cabin prices and night trains box. Return ticket price for the entire cabin was 288 euros. Kids up to 7 years old travel free if they share the cabin with an adult. After I bought the tickets, I contacted the Railway company VR via chat and asked them to issue the train tickets for the child traveling with us. They were super fast and less than 1 hour later, Eric also had his train ticket. I also installed the VR Matkalla app, where I could see the platform number for departure, the route and I could also activate the tickets (the conductor doesn’t check them of you active the tickets. You can do this 15 min before the departure and up to 10 minutes afterwards). The train has one restaurant. Unfortunately, there are very few seats. If you wish to eat/drink, make sure you head towards the restaurant as soon as you board the train, even before the train departs. Food is around 15 euro for pasta, meatballs. Very limited choice and rather poor quality. Drinks are expensive and limited choice. We had an omelette for breakfast which was soaked in oil. I recommend bringing your own food and drinks. The menu is available via the VR Matkalla app I mentioned above.

Where to stay in Rovaniemi (budget stay): we booked an apartment, which was 8 minutes walking distance from the train station. Buses for Santa Village depart from here. Apartment price: First Aparthotel Comet 185 euro/night (+9 score on booking.com). Decent apartment, few towels, well maintained, could be slightly better cleaned. You need to pick up the key from the Da Zhong Hua restaurant located 5 minutes away (not in the direction of the train station, which is inconvenient).

Getting around Rovaniemi: bus no 8 goes from the train station to Santa’s Village. It is slightly cheaper than the official Santa Bus, but it also takes longer to get there. Santa bus schedule and prices are available here: https://www.santaclausbus.fi/en/frontpage/. The route and schedule for bus no 8 is here: https://linkkari.fi/In-English/Routes-and-timetables. Where to eat in Rovaniemi: there are multiple restaurants in Santa Village, Santa Park only has a buffet restaurant available for lunch. The food is decent, but again, limited choices. Prices for buffet lunch: 22,90 € adults | 13,90 € children (3-12 years old). Alternatively, we ate a delicious salmon soup and reindeer stew in the Alvari restaurant, located in the central station building (menu available here: https://ravintolaalvari.fi/our-menu/). They also serve a breakfast buffet, which is convenient if you arrive early morning with the night train.

What to pack for December in Rovaniemi. So, we fitted everything into 2 regular sized backpacks that qualify as cabin luggage with Lufthansa. We each had thermal blouses, 1 pair of Merino wool thermal leggings, wool socks, ski trousers, jacket and gloves, 1 fleece jacket, wool beanie, ski hood, wool scarf and winter boots. Mine are lined with a thick layer of wool on the inside. Eric and Bogdan bought their winter boots from Decathlon. Find Eric’s boots here: https://www.decathlon.ro/p/cizme-drumetie-pe-zapada-sh100-warm-copii/_/R-p-4395?mc=8287476&c=NEGRU. They are good for -10 degrees and still comfortable up to -20.

Total costs for 2 adults + 1 child (6yo): flights (originally 500 euro, only cabin luggage 8kg), Helsinki accommodation including breakfast (160 euro), Rovaniemi accommodation (185 euro), train Helsinki-Rovaniemi-Helsinki sleeper cabin (288 euro)

What we did in Rovaniemi:

DAY 1

Since we arrived very early (7:20am) in Rovaniemi with the Santa express night train, we took bus no 8 to Santa’s Village. We started our first of the two days with a visit to Santa’s office. We arrived minutes before opening, which meant literally no queue. Santa’s Village is magical early morning, it’s still dark and there are very few people around. Most of the crowds start arriving at 10:30-11am. So, head there early to beat the crowds and enjoy a peaceful picture perfect crossing of the Arctic Circle. Don’t forget to wave to those back home. Santa live cam is installed right on one of the towers close to the digital thermometer, on the Arctic Circle line. Inside Santa’s Office, we could take photos, except for the actual meeting with the chubby fellow. Eric was super emotional and didn’t even want to get close to Santa. We took the letter Eric wrote him and I secretly handed Santa the letter. Eric was amazed to see his letter in Santa’s hands (magic!). The elfs take a picture and also make a video which you can later purchase for ONLY 35 euros (one large printed photo) or 50 euros (digital photo + video). That’s consumerism at its finest! If you wish you can also purchase a gift right before meeting Santa. Just let the elf know of your intentions and you can pay for it before meeting Santa. Then, during your time with Santa, he will hand that gift to the kid. It’s a souvenir kind of gift. We actually told Eric before even traveling to Finland that we pay for the gift and it’s not an actual gift from Santa. So, he was not interested in receiving one during the visit.

After meeting Santa, we went for ride in the snowmobile park, located immediately behind Santa’s Office. It was only 9:40, so no queues. Eric was super thrilled. A kid snowmobile ride lasts about 10 minutes (it was definitely longer) and costs 22 euros. In the end, he got a driving license as a souvenir to take back home.

At 10:20am we were queuing to get tickets for the reindeer ride. They don’t take reservations for the shorter paths, so we couldn’t reserve a ride prior to our arrival. To be honest, I didn’t even contact them to see if it could’ve been possible. The reindeers are located right next to the snowmobile park, also behind Santa’s Office building. They are open from 10am to 5 ppm. More info here: https://www.santaclausreindeer.fi/winter/reindeer-rides-santa-village-rovaniemi/ . The shorter paths come in two different lengths. The Reindeer Path (400 m) and the Forest Path (~1 km). This last one is slightly more expensive at 36 euro/adult and 28 euro/ child. Although it was a really cool (yeap cool and cold) experience, it was absolutely horrible to wait for our turn. There were people coming in with organized groups that basically jumped the line, the staff was completely disorganised and we ended up waiting for more than 1 hour. It was poor planning on my side. We should have done the reindeer ride immediately after visiting Santa, instead of doing the snowmobile experience, as there was literally no queue at that time. In the end, we loved the ride, the staff took some lovely photos of us and we crossed the Arctic Circle (literally half a circle above the reindeer path) in a sleigh pulled by reindeers. Pretty neat!

The afternoon of our first day in Santa’S village saw us feeding reindeer in the Elf farm, which is to the left of the snowmobile park. We payed 40 euro fir 2 adults and 1 child and an extra 5 euro for a bag of reindeer food. The elf farm is rather small and the highlight is definitely the reindeer feeding experience. There are also some winter experiences in place. Eric had a blast on the small slopes and we loved the white reindeer. They also have fire pits and tents to grill sausages or marshmallows (you can buy these at the entrance). It was pretty chill, with few people around, in the afternoon. More info here: . https://elfsfarmyard.com

Late afternoon we were back in Rovaniemi, in the city centre looking for a local travel agency to book an aurora hunting activity. We were lucky enough to land one of the best travel agencies. Nordic Unique Travels https://nordictravels.eu/ has a lot to offer. But we booked the aurora bus experience. While they say the tour starts at 7:30pm and lasts about 2-3hours, our guides were so passionate about their job that we ended up spending at least 4 hours driving from one spot to the next in search of the aurora. The kpindex was high that night, but it was also very cloudy. I have never imagined that it would be possible to see the northern lights, but I was so wrong. The guides were constantly checking the weather and all other indexes. They could have easily taken us home after 3 hours, but instead they drove us around to the next spot with clear skies. And there it was! Eric was already fast asleep, when the guide gave us the good news. I woke him up and stepped out of the minivan. There was nothing! And then I glanced up, directly above our heads… it looked like a swirling green cloud that shone and faded before our eyes. And suddenly it changed into a curtain of pink and green shades. Absolutely phenomenal. It’s probably the best way to spend your money. We actually opted for the cheapest trip. 69 euros/adult and 39/ kid. If you do decide to go aurora hunting, just ask for Daniel or Joel. These guys are the best!

After we booked the aurora hunting trip, we actually headed towards the Arktikum museum which is opened 10am to 6pm and costs 18 euro/adult. Free entry for kids below 7. The museum has locker rooms to store your belongings before sinking into the culture and wild life of the Arctic Circle. The museum is interactive, with several exhibitions in place that take visitors on a informative journey regarding the flora, fauna, people and history of the Northern part of Finland. We loved the ice cave, the movie and the aurora borealis show, which was more like an intro to what we were about to see later that night. We spent about 2 hours in the museum.

Unfortunately, the Pilke science center located right next to the Arktikum museum wad already closed, but it should be a top sight if you travel in Rovaniemi to learn more about northern forests.

DAY 2

The next morning we took the 9:35 am Santa express bus back to Santa’s village to experience a husky pulled sleight ride. We booked about 10 days prior to our arrival. There was no availability on the website, so I just emailed to try my luck. The guys were super nice and they actually had a spot for us, which was conveniently in the morning at 10am exactly at the beginning of opening hours. They also have the option of walk in tickets, but honestly I just wanted to make sure we have this planned and then figure out the rest of the day. Pre bookings come with perks. For 49 euro/adult and 39 euro/kid (4-14 yo) we received warm cookies and juice and got to sat down and play with the dogs, after taking them for a ride. These are the high season prices. Bear Hill Husky are opened everyday 10:00 – 16:00 and we opted for their 2.5km ride. Check it here: https://bearhillhusky.com/product/santas-husky-ride-2-5-km/. Why? Well, we had only 2 days in Rovaniemi and Bear Hill Huskies are conveniently located next to Santa’s village. That saved us a lot of time, since you know… kids and snow and cold… sort of get in the way of keeping things on time and on track! We loved it! It was a short ride, but the dogs are so beautiful. And the forest is absolutely stunning with all that snow.

One of the top attractions in Santa’s Village, located right next to the entrance, on the right, is the main post office. Don’t worry if you didn’t bring your letters, there are several postcards just waiting to be sent out into the world.

While in Santa’s Village, a visit to Mrs Santa Claus house is also one of the main attractions. A small fee is required to meet Mrs Santa Claus. There’s usually a long queue during mid day, which is why we actually preferred to visit Santa Park instead of waiting in line.

The Elf hat academy is yet another activity in Santa’s Village. The entire thing lasts about 30 minutes. Prices: 39 euro/person, with more info on opening hours here: https://snowmobilepark.com/product/elf-hat-academy-santas-village/. There’s a similar activity (I think) in Santa Park, which is included in the entry ticket. We decided not to do this activity.

The afternoon of our second day was entirely dedicated to the indoor underground amusement park: Santa Park. We were already in Santa’s Village and buses departing from here do not stop at Santa Park. They are headed directly to Rovaniemi city center. That is why we decided to take a taxi. The ride is short, less than 10 minutes and the price is 15 euros for a small car or 23 euros for a minivan. Santa Park is an indoor amusement park located in the underground air raid shelter of the city of Rovaniemi. To enter, we walked a dimly lit tunnel up to a larger hall where the cloak room and ticket offices are located. To be honest, the tunnel is lovely lit as if you are under the aurora sky, but also a bit creepy with sounds that resemble that of howling wolves. Ticket prices are 42 (36) euros for adult/kids aged 3-12 and they include most of the activities available inside. Once you reached the main cave, at the end of the second tunnel, we passed the post office and crossed yet again the Arctic Circle (this time underground!) to arrive at the Ice Gallery. The temperature inside the cave is great for a long sleeved shirt, but the Ice Gallery is freezing cold. There are a couple of ice statues and an Ice bar where they offer a blueish drink to be savored out of an ice glass. It was already noon, so we rapidly moved towards the main stage and the restaurant. We payed an additional 22.90 € adults | 13.90 € children (3-12 years old) for the buffet lunch and waited for the Elf show to start. There are three of these held each day at 12, 2 and 4 pm. The show is an acrobatic one, fun to watch and lasts about 30 minutes. Once the show was over, we walked upstairs to the virtual sleigh activity. I honestly think this is the most crowded of all, as we waited for about 45 minutes to ride Santa’s sleigh. The ride lasts only 2-3 minutes and it’s a VR ride. Eric loved it, so in the end it was worth the wait. He also enjoyed decorating his own gingerbread cookies in the bakery. This is extra charge. One cookie is 3 euros. Various icing colors are available for decorating. The elf school is immaculately next to the bakery, but it’s not that great, especially for those not fluent in English as the elf do a lot of talking. In the end, they hand all participants a diploma and an elf red hat. Then, there are two play zones. I think Eric was most excited about this play area than anything else. Also included in the entry price is the elf workshop where we built a Christmas decoration (an alf). Meeting Santa is possible here as well (as in Santa’s Village) and his office is close to the elf workshop. We didn’t meet Santa here, as we preferred to board the magic train instead since there was no queue. It’s a small ride that is magical for little kids as the train goes through Santa’s toy factory, among other. Was it worth it? I would say that it’s a good activity to do with small kids, but a little overpriced for what they offer.

Overall costs (including meals, drinks, snacks and souvenirs): 2800 euro for 2 adults and 1 child. It may be expensive, Santa’s Village and Park may be a bit too commercial, but it’s also kind of magical.