Destination: Rovaniemi, Finland 
Dates: March 2026
Nights: 3 nights
Accommodation: Spacious house near santapark (Booking.com) 
Highlights: The snow,proximity of everything and the accommodation
Low lights:  Expensive 
Currency: Euros 

“Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s a frame of mind.” — Kris Kringle

We weren’t quite ready to let Christmas go, so we decided to visit the big fella in his hometown of Rovaniemi. We were a group of 13 people, ranging in age from 2 to 65. Given the wide age range, we needed to be mindful of everyone’s budget and capabilities, so we wanted to keep costs as low as possible. Here are some of the reasons we decided to go in March:

1. Lower prices
March is just after the peak winter season (like Christmas and February holidays), so flights and accommodation are usually cheaper. Our flight was empty

2. Great snow conditions
You still get plenty of snow for activities like husky sledging, snowmobiling, and skiing, and it’s often more stable and enjoyable than the colder mid-winter months.

3. Milder temperatures
It’s still cold, but typically less extreme than January or February, which makes it easier, especially for kids or older travellers.

4. Longer daylight hours
Unlike the very dark winter months, March has more daylight, so you can fit in more activities and actually see the scenery.

5. Chance to see the Northern Lights
You can still catch the Aurora Borealis in early March, especially on clear nights. This didn’t happen for us

6. Less crowded
Fewer tourists compared to peak season means a more relaxed experience and often better availability for activities. We didn’t queue once for an activity, and that’s how we like it.

Accommodation

We booked a self-catering 4-bedroom villa on Booking.com. The location was ideal, with everything just a 10-minute drive away: the airport, the town, and most importantly, Santa Claus Village. It was set in a quiet neighbourhood just outside the city centre, and the house had plenty of space for the kids to play (which they made full use of!). The host also provided sledges that you could take on your outings. It also came with a sauna, which was a bonus!

Supermarkets

As a large group, we chose to have most of our main meals at home and prepare lunch and snacks for the kids. Here are the main supermarkets in Rovaniemi.

• K-Market and CityMarket are usually the most expensive
• S-Market somewhere in the middle
• Lidl is the cheapest

Getting around

Because we were a large group with lots of luggage, we hired two vans to get around. Splitting the cost between everyone made it quite affordable. That said, I’d definitely recommend renting a car; everything is close by, the roads are well-maintained and cleared each morning, traffic is minimal, and drivers tend to be cautious. Having a car also helps keep costs down, as you can go out and try to spot the Northern Lights yourself instead of paying high prices for organised tours. We didn’t have clear skies during our trip, but we still went out to look for them every night.

Things to do in Rovaniemi

SantaPark – the Home Cavern of Santa Claus

This is only open during the winter season, from 1st November to 16 January. Entry fee includes all activities (except shopping).

Santa Claus Village

This is open all year round and is free to enter, but you have to pay for all activities. The website isn’t the easiest to navigate if you want to book in advance. Here are all the things we did at Santa Claus Village, with costs and all booked directly at the park on the day (you will probably need to book in advance in season ).

• Snowman World– 35 € and includes: snow tubing, ice slides, ice skating, snow labyrinth, snow art, ice structures and sculptures, snowman disco and a chance to meet and take photos with the snowmen. Opened from 10am-19:00. The activity park entrance ticket is valid for the whole day, so you can come and go as you please.

• Santa Claus’ Main Post Office- The least expensive activity to do in the village. Free entry, but you need to pay for postcards (1-3 €) and postage (3-5 € ) if you want to send one from Santa. You can also write letters to Santa here.

• Meet Santa Claus – Opened all year round to meet the big guy! We met him, took a family photo, paid 55 € and got a digital print. This didn’t include a gift, but you can get one if you pay extra.

• Santa Claus Reindeer– 30 € per person for a 400-meter Reindeer Sleigh Ride with Santa’s Reindeer. Just don’t blink, or you will miss the whole thing!

• Santa’s Pets-10 € to see the reindeer, alpacas, donkeys, sheep, goats, rabbits and different birds. You can feed moss to the reindeer for an extra cost!

• Cross the magical Arctic Circle– The only free activity to do in the park. Cross the Arctic Circle, wave to the live webcam and go on YouTube and take your own photo!

• Santa’s Husky Rides: 63€/adults, 52€/child – A 2.5 km ride around Santa’s village lasting 8 to 12 minutes, includes juice and a gingerbread cookie.

Places to eat in Santa Claus Village

Prices are high here because of commercialisation, but you can bring your own snacks or drinks to save money. The area has a lively dining scene popular with tourists seeking local food. Here are the places we dined in the village:

• Misher’s Tavern in Husky Park- Best for homemade soups, pastas and cakes
• Ice Bar- pretty cool to grab a drink, keep your glass and play the game to win a prize
• Santa’s Cuisine Rest- Reindeer meals
• Santa’s Salmon Place- Fresh salmon cooked on open fire and served with finnish salad and warm bread €25

Lapland Winter Park

The Lapland Winter Park Area Ticket provides full-day access to the winter adventure park in Rovaniemi for €69,00 per person. It includes exploring the arctic forest, meeting and feeding reindeer, a hot chocolate for children, access to 5 warming Kota huts, snowshoeing, ice skating with hockey sticks and goals, skiing, and sledging on a large hill.

This place was enchanting but needed improvements. There wasn’t enough moss for the reindeer, and requests to refill the kids’ buckets went unanswered. The sledges were small and spread out across the park; a conveyor belt would speed things up, especially during the busier months. The ice rink had decent skating and skiing gear, but it wasn’t properly cleared of snow, leading to falls. This place is probably chaotic during busier months, but luckily for us, it was empty.

If people didn’t want to pay for full-day access to the park, you could pay 65 euros to access the Rovaniemi Sauna World. We all dined in the Hawu restaurant and paid 35 euros for the buffet, which finishes at 3pm.

Northern Lights

Catching the Northern lights is definitely a hit-or-miss, but it was quite the adventure! Download the free My Aurora Forecast & Alerts app, which shows you the likelihood of seeing the aurora based on your location. The percentages were low during our stay, but that didn’t stop us from going out every night. Here are the places you can see the lights:

• Ounasvaara Hill: A nearby hill providing elevated views away from the brightest city lights.
• Apukka Resort: Located about 15 minutes from the centre, known for the high frequency of aurora sightings.
• Arctic Garden: Located behind the Arktikum museum, offering a dark space close to the city centre.

Ideally, you can pay for tours that guarantee seeing the northern lights or get your money back.

Rovaniemi City Centre

The town is small and walkable. It was just a 10-minute drive from where we stayed, and parking fees apply. To save time, download the EasyPark app and create an account beforehand. The early risers in the group would head to town first to grab their Chai Lattes at Espresso House, a popular chain in Scandinavian countries. Santa’s official office is in town, where you can meet him and take photos. It is perfect for first-time visitors, walking distance to shops, restaurants, tours, and the Arktikum Museum. The city centre is ideal for easy transport access and dining.

Goodbye Santa

Rovaniemi was a wonderful experience with snow, beautiful scenery, and the iconic big guy! Although Lapland is quite commercialised, we were fine with it since we could choose our activities and budget. The highlight for me was driving to find the Northern Lights, even though we didn’t see any. It was about making memories, walking in the woods at night, sharing scary stories, and feeling completely safe. The snow in our backyard provided endless enjoyment with the kids. It’s a trip we will always cherish.