Hello there! If you want to know how to have to most magical time in Lapland, you have come to the right place. Visiting Finland, crossing the Arctic Circle and wandering the snowy sceneries of Lapland is one of the most bucketlist-worthy experiences I can imagine. Seeing the Northern Lights, doing dog sledding and driving around with a snow mobile is just out of this world. With this two day Rovaniemi travel itinerary, you will get the most of your trip to Lapland and experience all the magical places to see in Lapland.
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FAQ on Traveling Rovaniemi
How to Get to Rovaniemi?
The easiest way to get to Rovaniemi is to fly to Rovaniemi Airport, especially when you are coming from abroad! If you are coming from Helsinki, you can also take a night train. For anyone else, the plane is the most convenient!
Where to Stay in Rovaniemi?
Although you will spend the majority of this trip outside, doing all kinds of winter activities, one still has to have a place to sleep, right? The best place for that in Rovaniemi is the Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus. The lovely place has cozy and clean rooms, a great breakfast buffet and also a sauna (more of that later!)
How do you Get Around in Rovaniemi?
The winter magic of Rovaniemi really comes alive with the activities you plan surrounding your trip! If you plan it well, you also don’t have to worry about transport in Rovaniemi, because most of the experiences include pick-up and transport to the activities. So mostly, you will only have to arrange airport transfer yourself!
What to Wear and Pack for Rovaniemi?
As I think you will be visiting Rovaniemi during the winter season, it is best to pack the warmest clothes you own! I am talking thermal underwear, sweaters and warm pants and the warmest jacket that you own. On top of that you should also make sure to carry a warm hat and mittens and bring your ski clothing, if you have some!
Day 1 – Arriving in Rovaniemi, checking into the Santa’s Hotel, Exploring Rovaniemi, Dinner & Aurora Hunting
If you are lucky, the first major highlight of your winter in Lapland will be the flight to Rovaniemi. On a sunny day, you can catch the first glimpses of the Winter wonderland that is expecting you from above already. I was fortunate to have the window seat and see a frozen lake and all things white from above.
Check-In at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus
Once you land, it is only a short drive from Rovaniemi airport to the city, where you will check into Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus, your cozy place to stay in Rovaniemi. I loved this place, as it is located very central in town and has a wonderful breakfast.
Exploring Rovaniemi
Depending on when you arrive in Rovaniemi, you will now have the time to explore your base for your stay. The coolest thing to do here is to take a walk on the frozen river and leave a snow angel or two on your way.
Sauna
If you are staying in the Santa’s Hotel and you still find the time before dinner, make sure to check out their in-house sauna! If there is one thing I had on my Finland bucket list, it was to go to a sauna. As an integral part of Finnish culture, going to the sauna is almost a daily practice in Finland. It helps you to relax and detox your body through sweating. As one of my favorite wellness practices, I couldn’t resist doing it in Rovaniemi. Santa’s Hotel has two saunas, one for men and one for women, and I loved it there!
Northern Lights Watching
Once you have heated up and cooled down again, it is time to get ready for dinner and the most incredible natural wonder there is – the Aurora Borealis. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy and wait for them is to have a Finnish BBQ and get ready to be patient – usually the later it gets, the better the lights get. It can also be beneficial to get outside of the city to see them, as it is easier to see them the less light pollution you have. However, it is also not impossible to see them from the city, but you have to stay up really late.
Day 2 – Breakfast in Santa’s Hotel, Santa Claus Village, Snow Mobile Safari, Sauna, Dinner & More Northern Lights Watching
Rise and shine! I hope you will be very sleepy at this point of your trip to Lapland, because of staying up so late to watch the Northern Lights! Hopefully, you saw as many as possible and went to bed at an unreasonable hour. But no matter how little sleep you get, you shouldn’t stay in bed for too long as you will miss the breakfast at Santa’s Hotel, which you will need to be able to make it through all the activities of the day!
Santa Claus Village
The first thing you want to do on this day of your Lapland Itinerary is to visit the Santa Claus Village. This amusement park is such a joy-filled place with more festive Christmas spirit than any other place in the world! It feels like cruising the pages of a fairytale book, and you can even visit Santa Claus and send a letter from Santa to your friends and family, dating to the next Christmas!
Right there, you will also find a reindeer farm and the offer to ride a reindeer sleigh and a dog sled. In my opinion, you should go for the reindeer sleigh in any case, however, make sure to not let this be the only occasion with the husky sleds, as you will get a much better experience later on in this Lapland Itinerary.
Snowmobile Safari
Make sure to depart early enough from Santa Claus Village, so you don’t end up missing my favorite activity in this Lapland Itinerary. To be honest, I didn’t think this activity would end up being my favorite, but it is just too much fun. During the snowmobile safari, you will ride through the frozen landscapes of Rovaniemi, the Kemi River, and the forests surrounding the area. The snowmobiles are very easy to ride and it is the most fun experience, all while having the ultimate winter wonderland passing you as you go.
Dinner & More Northern Lights Watching
Once you have completed the activities of the second day of this Lapland Itinerary, you should make sure to heat up again in the Santa’s Hotel (the best option here is clearly the sauna again!). This night, I suggest either going for the barbeque night again or staying in Rovaniemi for dinner and trying to see the Northern lights from the river! At the Arktikum Arboretum, you will find a nice park and a great place for a walk to see the lights!
Day 3 – Dog Sledding & Leaving Rovaniemi
In my case, my flight back to Germany only left in the afternoon, leaving some time for one last activity before this Lapland Itinerary ends. This last activity might be the favorite activity for many people reading this Lapland Itinerary and let me tell you – it is such a spectacular experience!
Dog Sledding in Rovaniemi
As usual, you can book a tour with GetYourGuide to go dog sledding close to Rovaniemi, which includes pick-up from your hotel. The dog farm that had us was a lovely place with huskies ranging from all ages, some only weeks old. Including in the price, you will have a short introduction to the farm life and dog sledding with hot drinks before you have time to pet all the dogs in the area. Finally, you will also ride the dog sled, which is one of the best experiences ever!
Leaving Rovaniemi
After you bid farewell to the dogs and get back to Santa’s Hotel, it is time to pack the bags and head for the airport, leaving Rovaniemi with the most amazing memories there could be!
That’s It! I hoped you liked my Lapland Itinerary and if so, make sure to pin it for later!
