Welcome to wild and wonderful Rovaniemi, where there is plenty to see and even more to do!
Browse our available tours, including snowmobile safaris, Northern Lights excursions, husky safaris, reindeer safaris,Santa Claus experiences, Nature-focused tours, and even our summer and autumn offerings!
Rovaniemi has it all
From the northern lights dancing in the sky on a winter evening to the Midnight Sun glowing all night long throughout the summer months; cold, crisp, snow-white days to lush green, long, sunny days; activities for those who are looking for adventure and activities for those who are looking to relax.
For those seeking a unique experience, a once-in-a-lifetime activity and the opportunity to witness the magic of nature at its most beautiful; we have something for you in Rovaniemi. This is a vivid, international city with the soul of an open-hearted village.
How to Get to Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is situated in Finnish Lapland, right on the Arctic Circle. Despite the northern location, getting here is easy – Rovaniemi is well connected to the rest of the world via various means of transport. From abroad, the easiest way to get to Rovaniemi is by plane, either via Helsinki or direct. Inside Finland, Rovaniemi can be reached by plane, train, coach or car.
Flight connections Daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki are operated by Finnair and Norwegian throughout the year. During the winter season, November – March, several airlines fly directly to Rovaniemi. These points of origin for the 2025-2026 winter season will be released as soon as they are available..
Train connections Finnish railroads are operated by state company VR . Rovaniemi is easy to reach by rail from many Finnish towns, with several trains running to and from Helsinki every day and a night train every evening. Trains run year round, despite the harsh weather at times.
Coach connections The coach services operated by Matkahuolto and Onnibus cover most of Finland’s road network and provide a well-priced option for getting to Rovaniemi.
Road connections Rovaniemi is easy to get to by car from all directions although distances can be long. If you plan on travelling around Lapland by car, be sure to allocate enough time for the long distances and changing weather conditions, particularly in the winter. Note that during the winter period of snow and ice it is compulsory to have winter studded tires on your car. Up-to-date information on road conditions is published by the Finnish Transport Agency.
Places to visit in Rovaniemi
Arktikum is a museum and science centre that tells about arctic nature, culture, traditions of indigenous Sami people, and life in the Arctic. It is also a perfect place to find more information about the northern lights.
Pilke is a science centre that focuses on the forests of the Arctic and the connections we have with them as people living in the North.
Although Rovaniemi is not a large ski resort like Ruka or Ylläs, it has Ounasvaara ski centre where you can try snowboarding, cross-country and downhill skiing during winter and mountain/fat- biking or hiking during the summer. Lessons for both beginners and more advanced skiers or snowboarders are available through Ounasvaara ski school.
Korundi House of Culture is a space for art and people in Rovaniemi, Lapland. It is home to the Rovaniemi Art Museum and Lapland Chamber Orchestra. Every visit to Korundi is different. Changing exhibitions and unique concerts are a constant source for enlightenment. Korundi works globally: Rovaniemi Art Museum brings forth art from all over the globe, and Lapland Chamber Orchestra takes northern sounds around the world on its tours.The red brick landmark – a post bus depot that survived the second world war- is a stylish venue for meetings and functions, where first-class arrangements and service guarantee memorable moments.
Seasons in Rovaniemi
SUMMER FACTS
June – August Temperature +15 – +25 degrees (the hottest temperature recorded is +31,3 °C)
Daylight 24 hours Midnight sun brings with it wonderfully long sunlit days, meaning plenty of time for Summer Activities .
Activities include canoeing and boat trips on the lakes and rivers of the area, visiting huskies and reindeers, hiking, fat-biking, berry picking, sauna experiences and visiting Santa Claus.
AUTUMN FACTS
September – mid November Temperature -5 – +15 degrees
People head to the forests in search of berries and mushrooms. Aurora starts to dance in the night sky. The first snowfall is usually experienced by mid-November. The autumn colours of oranges, reds and yellows start to appear. To witness this transformation of colour enjoy one of our tours visit Autumn activities. Activities include berry and mushroom picking, nature photography, sauna experiences and visits to a local museum.
WINTER FACTS
Mid-November – mid-April Temperature -5 – -30 degrees (the coldest temperature recorded is -45,3 °C) with rivers and lakes freezing over.
The shortest day of the year is December 21st or 22nd (varies annually), and thanks to being located right on the Arctic Circle, on this day, the sun doesn’t rise at all in Rovaniemi. Beautiful winter landscapes highlighted by the brightness of the snow which on average stays for 183 days of the year.
See the vast selection of our Winter Activities .
SPRING FACTS
Mid-April – May Temperature -15 – +15 degrees
The snow starts to melt although many winter activities can still be enjoyed. The days get longer and warmer, the ice starts breaking up in the rivers and moves downstream in great floes.
Nature (flora and fauna) wakes up and Rovaniemi starts to become green again. In Ranua Wildlife Park you can witness the animals getting ready for the summer. The focus of the Activities in Rovaniemi includes both winter and summer experiences during this indecisive period.
Santa Claus and Santa Claus Village
Only eight kilometers north of Rovaniemi, there is a village named after this jolly, old man: Santa Claus Village – an absolute must-see when visiting Lapland! In the center of the Village, you’ll find Santa’s Office where he meets guests for a quick chat every day of the year, absolutely free of charge. As a perfect memory of your visit, you can purchase the photographs of yourself and Santa Claus for a modest fee. If you wish to have a longer chat with Santa, check out our Santa Claus experiences.
Santa Claus Village is also conveniently located on the Arctic Circle, which is marked through the Village with a white line on the ground, and a line of lights above you. You can even mark this occasion of crossing the Arctic Circle by getting the Certificate for yourself. After this, the next stop is Santa’s Post Office. From here you can order a personal letter from Santa to be delivered just before Christmas to your loved ones, or send a postcard with a unique stamp from the Arctic Circle. In Santa Claus Village, you can visit husky and reindeer camps, souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants. Our office is located in the Village, as well.
Awesome animals of the Arctic
If you are looking for more interaction with animals, check our reindeer and husky tours. These informative trips offer a deeper insight into the lives of these animals and the culture surrounding them; you will have the chance to experience exciting sleigh rides too!
Ranua Wildlife park is the home of over 50 arctic animal species. For a chance to view some of them, you need to get out to the forests and hiking areas. For those animals which are not normally found in the Arctic or are difficult to find, then head to Ranua Wildlife Park, 80 km south of Rovaniemi. Here you can see polar bears, arctic foxes and over 50 species of other amazing, Arctic animals.
Ways to hunt for the Northern Lights
Imagine standing on a silent, vast frozen lake just north of the Arctic Circle. The shadow of the trees of the shoreline in the distance in front of you, the white snow-covered ice stretching as far as the eye can see and the ink black sky above you dotted with more stars than one could ever imagine. Out of nowhere the green haze of light begins to show itself, growing in stature as the evening progresses and slowly starting its dancing of shimmering green skipping across the darkness of space. If you are lucky, colours of pink, blue and violet may even appear.
In Finland, it was believed that the lights were caused by the firefox who ran so quickly across the snow that his tail caused sparks to fly into the night sky creating the northern lights. The colours most often associated with the northern lights are pink, green, yellow, blue, violet, and occasionally orange and white.
Lapland: the land of the midnight sun
During the summer months, Rovaniemi cannot offer a northern lights show for you. However, it has something else to surprise you with – the midnight sun! On the Arctic Circle, where Rovaniemi lies, the sun stays above the horizon for a full 24 hours on the summer solstice, usually marked on either the 21st or 22nd of June. The midnight sun period in Rovaniemi lasts for a month, from 6th June to 7th July, with it staying rather light outside until the middle of August. Why not sample a midnight sun picnic or a canoe trip down the Ounasjoki River? With the skies too bright to experience the northern lights, the midnight sun is a wonderful experience to enjoy during your summer holiday in Lapland.
Incentive & educational travel in Rovaniemi
Wild Nordic’s expertise lies in creating itineraries with a twist on activities which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Lappish values like pure nature, unique activities and dedicated staff are in the core of our business. Our aim is to give your clients something priceless – the reward of motivating their company’s employees to desire to keep striving for the next reward.
Wild Nordic is a travel company operating in Rovaniemi and Levi, Finnish Lapland. We have been providing unforgettable experiences since 1997.
