6 Best Winter Adventures in Rovaniemi Finland
LAST UPDATED: 16th June 2024
Rovaniemi is a true winter wonderland experience. The Finnish Lapland offers adventure, wildlife, and culture. Located in the furthest part of Europe, you will discover the dense forests and stunning skies made even more beautiful with the expanse of white snow in the colder months. Most of all, you can be guaranteed some of the BEST winter adventures in Rovaniemi.
Discover The Best Winter Adventures In Rovaniemi
Speed Off On A Snowmobile
Hold your hand up if you’ve dreamt of speeding through the snowy forests of Lapland. It was top of my list and snowmobiles are an exhilarating way to experience this.
After a short safety demonstration on how to drive the vehicles, visors down and off you go through the Lappish wilderness. It gets pretty icy out there so layering up for the cold weather is needed for this unforgettable snowmobiling safari experience. It is one of the best winter adventures in Rovaniemi.
Be A Husky Musher!
When else would you get to be a husky musher? Controlling the pack of huskies towing the sled across the 10km wilderness was an awesome experience. These four-legged arctic animals go crazy when they know they are ready to go out but they are also up for a cuddle too.
You get taught the basics of being a husky musher which sounds more difficult than it is. Once you get into your stride, husky sledding is a fabulous way to explore the white wonderland.
Explore Lappish Culture On A Reindeer Safari
Learn about reindeer herding from the Sami people, an indigenous group from Lapland. Only Sami people are legally allowed to own reindeer which generally roam free with close monitoring. Traditionally, reindeer were a primary mode of transport but nowadays tourists are big users of fun sleighs in the snow.
Reindeer have 2 coat layers where the air is trapped to keep them warm, stroking the reindeer would move this air so no petting these Arctic beauties. Finding out more about the culture on the reindeer safari was a bonus!
Relax And Float In An Icy Lake
It sounds like a strange concept, but floating on a frozen wilderness lake and looking up at the sky was a very soothing experience.
You get decked out in a big orange survival suit so only your face is visible – this will keep your body warm and your clothes dry. Be warned, they are not the most attractive of outfits but they sure do work. You will feel the vacuum effect when you enter the water which is a hole carved out of the ice.
We went ice-floating at night hoping to gaze at the Northern Lights but you can also do this during the day.
Brave The Arctic Sauna
You will find a range of Finnish sauna experiences in Lapland. We immersed ourselves in the traditional wood sauna and when things got too steamy, we ran out for a roll around in the snow between sessions. Dipping into the numbing cold and bathing in the sauna is good for circulation. Sounds bonkers but do as the locals do, the Finnish sauna is an experience you cannot miss.
As there are twice as many saunas as Finnish people, you can be guaranteed your hotel will have one.
Feel Festive In Santa Claus Village
Lapland in winter would not be complete without a visit to see Santa Claus. This amusement park at the Arctic Circle is a place where you can meet Santa all year round.
Send your letters from the Post Office, go reindeer and husky sledding, visit the Elf’s Farm Yard, have a gander around the shops, and dine in the restaurants – I’d recommend the Smoked Salmon soup in the Three Elves in Santa Claus Village.
Winter Adventures In Rovaniemi: Travel Essentials
Where To Stay In Rovaniemi?
Apukka Resort (where I stayed) – Features an ice village on-site in the winter months, Apukka Resort – Aurora Centre is in Apukka, just 17 km from Rovaniemi. The property features 6 saunas, including an ice sauna, an igloo sauna, and movable saunas. >> Read reviews of Apukka Resort
Santa Claus Village – Located at the heart of Santa Claus Village, 10 km north of Rovaniemi, it offers heated cabins with private saunas, a kitchenette, and a terrace. >> Read reviews of Santa Claus Village
Arctic City Hotel – Located in central Rovaniemi, a 2-minute walk from Sampokeskus Shopping Centre. It offers free parking, 2 relaxing saunas, and rooms with a flat-screen TV and free WiFi. >> Read reviews of Arctic City Hotel
Tours And Local Information On Rovaniemi
- Choose from a wide selection of tours with local guides.
- Find the best adventure-seeking activities in Rovaniemi
- Visit Rovaniemi will tell you all you need to know about the place.
Getting To Rovaniemi
- Plane – Daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki are operated by Finnair and Norweigan. There are direct flights from London Gatwick between October and March.
- Train – Rovaniemi is easy to reach by rail from many Finnish towns, with several trains running to and from Helsinki every day. Trains by VR run year-round, whatever the weather.
- Coach – Matkahuolto offers services in most of Finland.
Travel Insurance For Winter Activities
Especially with the winter adventures in Rovaniemi Finland, make travel insurance a priority!
HeyMondo offers additional cover adventure activities, check the small print to see what you require cover for. With HeyMondo you would benefit from 24-hour medical assistance, 365 days a year with single, multi-trip, and long-stay insurance, cover for Covid-19, and non-refundable expenses. They have a useful app that makes the process simple. I love that they give a little back too by contributing to ‘Doctors Without Borders’.
If you click my link you get a 5% off your travel insurance with HeyMondo.
Where Next After Rovaniemi?
For of all, don’t miss exploring Helsinki on your way through. For more winter adventures in Europe, try a city break in Krakow in December to get in the festive spirit! Or explore the rest of Poland in better weather with wonderful day trips from Krakow. There are so many famous historical sites in Europe to visit for the culture vultures!
PIN for Winter Adventures in Rovaniemi!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. It comes at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Looks amazing! We want to visit Finland but I don’t know what time of year. Winter is so cold- but it seems like so much of Finland is best highlighted in the winter! Summer also looks gorgeous though!
I’ve heard it’s a fabulous place to visit in the summer too, the landscape would look so different and I guess you get boats across the lakes instead of walking on them.
Love it! Huskies, snowmobile, reindeer safari – all of it! Thanks for sharing, I suddenly feel like Christmas again after looking at all of your photos!
It was great to visit after Christmas to get over the sadness of the season being over – all the activities were non-stop fun!
Wow, you saw a reindeer! so chrismassy, The photos looks amazing, I wanted to try the snowmobile, looks adventurous but I guess I need to learn how to make it work first, ahha
They teach you all you need to know before driving the snowmobiles in Lapland, you need to try it!
These sound like some fun winter activities! I’d especially like to try the husky sledding and the reindeer safari. I’ll be in Finland this summer, so not the best time for these types of things. Hopefully I’ll get to go back in winter someday to try them 🙂
Oh lovely… I’d like to see the difference of Finland in thew summer!
What an awesome winter holiday! Dog sledding, reindeers and all. I can just imagine all the hot Coco I’d be drinking there!
There’s always a little something to help you warm up after a day in the snow. Can’t recommend Rovaniemi enough!
This is so high on my bucket list. I would love to visit Finland. I’ve always wanted to try an Arctic sauna and do a reindeer safari. And you’re never to old to visit Santa 🙂
The Artic sauna is fabulous… and yes, visiting Santa is timeless as far as I’m concerned!
oh your articule brought me some good memories. I did this trip last year and it was the best experiences ever. The only thing I couldn’t do was the snowmobile and of course I didn’t see any Northern Light so bad….Need to go back.
I didn’t see the Northern Lights either but that sky sure was pretty anyway!
This is so cool! all of these are on the list of things we want to try! Husky sledding sounds like so much fun.
This is a great list of fun activities – husky sledding in Lapland was awesome!
This seems like a great adventure. I want to visit Nordic Countries. Hopefully, will plan soon. Thanks for the inspiration.
It was my fist visit to a Nordic country and I’m a big fan now!
Ice floating at night to see the Northern Lights?! I don’t think I can imagine anything more unique and awesome. That just got added to my bucket list!
I loved the experience, I just wished we were staring at Northern Lights, we weren’t so lucky!
Wow from the images it does look like Rovaniemi is a true winter wonderland experience!! My kids would love to visit the home town of Santa Claus and view the Northern Lights. Arktikum the museum and science center exploring the Arctic region would be interesting to visit too.
Rovaniemi is perfect for kids (think I’m just a big kid) – I loved every minute of it!
These are nothing short of bucketlist points! Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m in awe and I dont know if I’d be able to experience the same someday.
I do hope you get to experience this snow-filled fun-filled land of Lapland some day.
I’m a total winter girl so I would be all about this! Those reindeer are so adorable, I would have to see them. Also Santa is a must!
Lapland has your name written all over it in that case… hope you get to experience!
Looks like you had quite the adventure! I would love to visit Santa’s cave and stay in a teepee – sounds like the perfect winter getaway 🙂
Rovaniemi was the best Winter getaway – so much fun to be had!1
Being based in northern Europe, I mostly tend to travel south – seeking the sun. However, Scandinavia looks always so mesmerizing – I think I have to explore it. This spring, we are starting with the Baltics, so….
Now I live in Dubai, it’s lovely to visit cold places like Finland. When I lived in the UK, it was always hot destinations. I’d love to see more of Scandinavia!
Truly, having a chance to float on a frozen wilderness lake while looking up at the sky was seemed very soothing experience and interesting as I have not read anything like this before. I haven’t been to Finland, but surely, this has long been penned on my bucketlist. thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Finland certainly was up there with my top trips… and yes the ice floating was a unique experience!
Your adventure sounds amazing! I can’t think of any activity that you listed that I wouldn’t want to do. Your Santa Claus photo made me smile from ear to ear. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks Alecia. I would go back without a doubt for more fun in the snow but I’d love to experience Finland in the summer too!