Beyond Helsinki · Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian Lapland
Lapland at Christmas: Our Favourites
Father Christmas on the Arctic Circle, SantaPark’s elves, sleighs pulled by reindeer, huskies and horses, snow hotels and glass igloos: a short flight or a night train from Helsinki.
What's onThis week in Helsinki
Father Christmas and the elves
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On the Arctic Circle
Santa Claus Village
Father Christmas’s office, his main post office and the Arctic Circle line, open every day of the year.
Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Napapiiri (Arctic Circle), RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Letters to Father Christmas
Santa Claus Main Post Office
Where letters to Father Christmas arrive, and where your own cards get the Arctic Circle postmark.
Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Napapiiri (Arctic Circle), RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Elf School and the gingerbread bakery
SantaPark
The underground Christmas theme park: Elf School, Mrs Gingerbread’s Bakery, the elves’ show and a magic train.
Tarvantie 1, 96930 Arctic Circle, RovaniemiExplore View on map
Sleighs: reindeer, huskies and horses
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Family reindeer herders
Santa Claus Reindeer
Reindeer sleigh rides at Santa Claus Village, from a 400-metre first ride to night-time sleigh trips under the northern lights.
Joulumaantie 13, 96930 RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Drive your own sled
Bearhill Husky
Alaskan huskies in Rovaniemi: family rides with a musher, Santa’s Husky Rides and self-drive safaris.
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Huskies, reindeer, snowmobiles and the aurora
Lapland Safaris
Husky and reindeer safaris, snowmobile trips and northern lights tours in five Lapland resorts, since 1982.
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Sleigh bells in the forest
Horse-drawn sleigh rides at Apukka
Horse-drawn sleigh rides through the forest around Apukka Resort, outside Rovaniemi.
Snow hotels, ice bars and the icebreaker
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Ice bar and ice restaurant
Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos
A hotel built of snow and ice outside Rovaniemi, with an ice bar, an ice restaurant and glass igloos.
Lehtoahontie 27, 97220 RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Rebuilt every winter
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
Two hectares of snow halls, ice art, snow suites and an ice restaurant, rebuilt each year near Ylläs.
Lainiotie 566, 99120 KittiläExplore View on map
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Float in the frozen sea
Icebreaker Sampo
A cruise on a working icebreaker in the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, with a float among the ice in a survival suit.
Lumilinnankatu 15, 94100 KemiExplore View on map
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Rebuilt each winter since 1989
ICEHOTEL
The ice hotel by the Torne River, built anew each winter by artists from around the world, with ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL.
Marknadsvägen 63, 981 91 Jukkasjärvi, SwedenExplore View on map
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An ice bar in the snow
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
Norway’s igloo hotel at Alta, open from late December to April, with its Igloo Ice Bar.
Sorrisniva 20, 9518 Alta, NorwayExplore View on map
Glass igloos and Arctic hotels
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On the Arctic Circle
Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
Glass-fronted suites raised among the pines on the Arctic Circle, within walking distance of Santa Claus Village.
Tarvantie 3, 96930 Arctic Circle, RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Aurora cabins and Kammi suites
Apukka Resort
Glass-roofed Aurora Cabins, Kammi and Komsio glass igloo suites and a full winter programme outside Rovaniemi.
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Since 1974
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
The original glass-igloo resort near Saariselkä, with Kelo-glass igloos, smoke saunas and Santa’s Home.
Kiilopääntie 9, 99830 SaariselkäExplore View on map
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On a fell slope above Levi
Golden Crown Levin Iglut
Glass-roofed igloos at 340 metres on a fell slope, 10 km from Levi, with the northern sky overhead.
Harjatie 4, 99130 LeviExplore View on map
Luxury Lapland
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For the discerning few
Octola
A private wilderness retreat beyond the Arctic Circle, “reserved for the discerning few”.
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On the Lule River
Arctic Bath
A floating hotel and spa on the Lule River, with a cold plunge pool at its heart and cabins along the shore.
Ramdalsvägen 10, 961 78 Harads, SwedenExplore View on map
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Rooms by leading architects
Treehotel
Rooms in the treetops designed by leading Scandinavian architects: the Mirrorcube, the UFO, the Bird’s Nest and more.
Edeforsvägen 2 A, 961 78 Harads, SwedenExplore View on map
Sámi culture, with respect
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The national museum of Sámi culture
Siida, the Sámi Museum
The national museum of Sámi culture in Inari, with an open-air museum and, this winter, Sámi art with Kiasma.
Inarintie 46, 99870 InariExplore View on map
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An Inari Sámi herding family
Reindeer Farm Petri Mattus
A visit to an Inari Sámi reindeer-herding family, crossing frozen lakes by sled to the herd.
Kittiläntie 3070 b, 99870 InariExplore View on map
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Drive your own reindeer
Nutti Sámi Siida
A Sámi tourism company at Jukkasjärvi: train and feed reindeer, or drive your own reindeer sled.
981 91 Jukkasjärvi, SwedenExplore View on map
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A Sámi herding family
Sállir Reindeer
A small, family-run Sámi reindeer-herding business on Kvaløya, just outside Tromsø.
Museums, wildlife and the northern lights
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Where a Lapland visit begins
Arktikum
Rovaniemi’s science centre and museum of the Arctic and Lapland, by the river.
Pohjoisranta 4, RovaniemiExplore View on map
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A polar bear, lynx and Arctic foxes
Ranua Wildlife Park
About 50 Arctic species, including a polar bear, lynx and Arctic foxes, south of Rovaniemi.
Rovaniementie 29, 97700 RanuaExplore View on map
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A chairlift to 900 metres
Aurora Sky Station
A winter chairlift up Nuolja to 900 metres above sea level, to watch for the northern lights above Abisko.
Where to eat
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At the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
Restaurant Rakas
The Arctic TreeHouse Hotel’s restaurant, its name Finnish for “beloved”.
Tarvantie 3, 96930 Arctic Circle, RovaniemiExplore View on map
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Lappish cooking in the centre
Ravintola Nili
Lappish dishes made with Lappish and Finnish ingredients, in the centre of Rovaniemi.
Valtakatu 20, 96200 RovaniemiExplore View on map
Resorts and towns
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The Official Hometown of Santa Claus
Rovaniemi
The capital of Lapland on the Arctic Circle: Santa Claus Village, SantaPark, Arktikum and the airport of Santa Claus.
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15 km from Kittilä Airport
Levi
A lively ski resort village on Levi fell, 15 km from Kittilä Airport.
Myllyjoentie 2, 99130 LeviExplore View on map
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Seven fells and a national park
Ylläs
Seven fells between the villages of Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi, on the edge of a national park.
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Europe’s northernmost outdoor resort
Saariselkä
The village at the edge of Finland’s second-largest national park, reached from Ivalo Airport.
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The heart of Sámi culture
Inari
The village on Lake Inari that Lapland North calls the heart of Sámi culture, home of Siida.
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The longest ski season in Northern Europe
Ruka
Ruka-Kuusamo: a ski resort with what it calls the longest ski season in Northern Europe, and Christmas events in December.
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Northern lights by the fjords
Tromsø
Norway’s Arctic city by the fjords: northern lights, dog sledding, Sámi reindeer visits and winter whale watching.
Getting there
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The official airport of Santa Claus
Rovaniemi Airport (RVN)
Daily connections from Helsinki to the official airport of Santa Claus.
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For Levi and Ylläs
Kittilä Airport (KTT)
Multiple daily connections from Helsinki; Levi is 15 km away and Ylläs about 35 km.
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The northernmost airport in Finland
Ivalo Airport (IVL)
Daily connections from Helsinki to Finland’s northernmost airport, for Saariselkä and Inari.
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By sleeper from Helsinki
Santa Claus Express
VR’s night train from Helsinki or Turku to Rovaniemi, with seats or your own sleeper cabin, and room for the car.
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For ICEHOTEL and Abisko
Kiruna Airport (KRN)
Swedavia’s airport at Kiruna, the gateway to Jukkasjärvi, ICEHOTEL and Abisko.
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About 5 km from the centre
Tromsø Airport (TOS)
Several daily flights from Oslo, about 1 hour 50 minutes; the airport is about 5 km from Tromsø’s centre.
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Been to Lapland with children? Share your experience and tips with other families.
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