We visited Rovaniemi in the Lapland region in peak winter. These were the most dramatic, romantic, and exciting 5 days of my life. This is an account of my trip to Lapland where I got to watch the northern lights and much more.
We decided to visit Lapland for various reasons. Firstly, it is a snow-covered wonderland. Secondly, it is where Santa Claus lives. Thirdly, it is where the mysterious northern lights or Aurora Borealis play in the night sky. Lastly, it is the home of around 200,000 reindeer. In fact, Lapland is an experience. It is an experience of raw, untouched nature at its best. It is not very easy to visit Lapland, especially with public transport. But where there is a will, there is a way.
Rovaniemi is a city situated in the heart of the Lapland area of Finland. Also it is the official residence of Santa Claus. But most importantly, it is also a favourite sight to observe the northern lights.
Best time to visit
You can visit Rovaniemi any time of the year. However, if you want to see the Northern Lights, the best time to visit is from February to early March. Please note, it is extremely cold so be careful if you are visiting in winter.
Getting there
Rovaniemi has its own airport and is quite easy to reach. In fact, it has daily direct flights from Helsinki, which is an important city that connects with most of the world.
You would have to take a taxi or a pickup from your hotel or Airbnb to get to your accommodation. There are public buses, but they are infrequent.
Our Rovaniemi Itinerary
My main aim for visiting Rovaniemi was to encounter the northern lights. Of course, I wanted to have a fair amount of time to have a good chance of watching them. Honestly, I took away a lot more than I initially expected.
We visited Lapland in the month of March. As a matter of fact, we were following the weather from a few months before. Therefore, we were confident, it was the best time to watch the northern lights.
DAY 1 - Rovaniemi and Northern lights, first impressions
We reached Rovaniemi early in the morning from Helsinki. Incidentally, the flight was very special because of the bird’s eye view of Lapland it offered. For instance, there were just arrays of spruce and pine trees covered with a carpet of snow. To clarify, everything was absolutely white.
Rovaniemi has a cute little airport. The moment we arrived, Jarno greeted us with a warm hug. Eventually, the Airbnb was about 40 minutes away from the airport. So, we enjoyed the Polar sun in the car on our way. Jarno told us it would not be that easy to get supplies for breakfast because the shop timings were limited in the place. So, we bought some groceries and ready-to-eat stuff from a supermarket on the way.
Tip: Keep yourself stocked with food that keeps you warm because the weather is extreme. For instance, you could find yourselves craving food at any time of the day. In addition, the shop timings are limited and they are spread out.
Our Airbnb was in the heart of the town. However, it was in a secluded and peaceful little locality and was completely covered in snow. In fact, it was a magical retreat and there was nobody to disturb us. After taking some rest, we decided to venture out. We went to the center of town and had some lunch and coffee. However, you could not be out for too long because the weather is extremely chilly. After lunch, we went back and rested because we had the most exciting plan for the evening.
Northern Lights Experience- Part 1
We had booked an experience with Airbnb to watch the northern lights. Suddenly, the dream became a reality and it was very much possible to experience the northern lights!
Tip: Just in case, keep some brandy with you just to survive the cold. However, alcohol is not available in supermarkets. There are special shops to buy them and you do need some to keep you warm.
In the evening, we were picked up in a van from the center of town along with other tourists and taken to a spot on the outskirts without much sky pollution. After that, we traveled for about 1 hour before we reached a spot. To our surprise, it was -34 degrees. We were wearing 5 layers of winter clothing. In addition, we had a frozen lake in front of us and a dark forest surrounding the whole area. Sometimes, we saw a car passing by on the highway. However, except for that, there was nothing else disturbing us.
We took pictures for about 10 minutes before heading back into the camp and realizing our feet were completely frozen. The boots we had worn were not feasible for this kind of weather. After putting our feet near the fire for several minutes we had started to feel them again. Some of our co-travelers were sometimes screaming out that they saw the northern lights, but they all seemed to have been false alarms.
After spending around 2 hours in the wild, we were ready to go back. Although we could not see the lights, the experience was thrilling enough to remain in our hearts forever.
DAY 2 - Exploring Rovaniemi and watching the Northern Lights
On the morning of the second day, the first thing we wanted to get was a pair of sturdy boots to help us last the rest of the days we had here. Jarno recommended a second-hand shop in the center of Rovaniemi. So, we went there to find out. However, we discovered a hidden treasure.
Surprisingly, there were many rare items in this store, including books, sculptures, clocks, and many more. As a result, we ended up buying a second-hand reindeer fur scarf and some books. Moreover, we also got hold of some ugly looking but very sturdy boots at a dirt-cheap price. Next, we had a hearty lunch to keep us warm for our adventure in the evening.
Northern Lights Experience- Part 2
Eventually, we had booked another experience for the evening. As a matter of fact, this time it was a little more expensive along with 5 other people. In addition, the weather was a little better so we were secretly hoping for the best. This time, we were picked up from our Airbnb. After that, we drove for about 1 hour outside the city to observe the northern lights.
After a while, we heard someone screaming that the lights were there. We immediately ran out to observe. There they were, a mild streak of green light in the sky. After a minute, it was gone. Sadly enough, Egor told us that was it for the night. Naturally, we were a bit disappointed. At the same time, we were also very happy to make friends and have meaningful conversations in the middle of nowhere.
DAY 3 - A Trip To The Santa Claus Village
Santa Claus Village
We woke up early on the third day because Jarno had promised to take us to the Santa Claus village on this day. Therefore, we had nothing else planned. He dropped us off at the village in the morning. We realized why this place was called winter wonderland after arriving at Santa Claus Village.
It was a cute little village with shops and cute little houses and of course the headquarter where Santa himself is available 365 days of the year. First of all, we wasted no time and went to the headquarter. After a short wait, we finally got a chance to meet Santa, and boy, was he the nicest man in the world. Surprisingly, he spoke with us like a grandpa and listened patiently while we babbled nervously. We took some pictures with him before saying goodbye.
Tip: It is absolutely free to meet Santa Claus. You only have to pay if you want to buy the pictures you took with him. You are not allowed to do Mobile photography inside Santa’s office.
After getting out, we had some reindeer soup and mashed potatoes to keep ourselves warm. After that, we decided to explore some more. Firstly, we visited the spot where the Arctic Circle begins and took some pictures.
Husky Park
Next up, we went to the husky park to meet the cute huskies of the Arctic Circle. You have a chance to also go on a husky sledge ride. However, it could be expensive.
There is a fee of 10 Euros to enter the Husky Park and inside is a world of cuteness. In fact, you get to meet hundreds of huskies, greet and pet them if you like. To sum up, they are the nicest and kindest dogs in the world.
Reindeer Ride
After this, we wanted to meet the most famous creature of the place, the reindeer. Luckily, we were just in time for a last reindeer ride for the day. It was the most exciting ride through the snow. In addition, you could also pet the reindeer for as long as you want. They are very kind, warm, and comforting.
To end the day, we bought some souvenirs before Jarno picked us up.
Tip: Some of you may prefer to stay in the glass igloo hotels that are famous in Lapland. Although they are pretty on the outside, they are very inconvenient if you really want to experience Lapland. In fact, you will rarely get to see the Northern Lights from these hotels because the glass is almost always covered in snow. In addition, it is also low on space. Therefore, I would suggest you save this money to pay for one or several experiences with the locals.
DAY 4 - Watching the Northern Lights Dance
We decided not to venture too far on this day because we had another, more expensive, and personal Northern Lights trip planned for this evening. In addition, we were really exhausted from the day before. At the recommendation of Jarno, we walked to a nearby lake with him and his family. After this, we played different snow games with Jarno’s kids at the beautiful frozen lake. They told us, they would often come to swim in the lake in summer. However, in winter, it was meant for pure fun in the snow.
Northern Lights Experience- Part 3
After grabbing some lunch, we went back to our Airbnb and waited for our car to arrive. As a matter of fact, this time we were going further away from the city. In addition, this was our last Airbnb experience. Therefore, we were just excited to go into the wild and did not even consider watching the Northern Lights. We drove for about 1 hour on the highway before turning into a dirt road. Our host, Lukka told us this road was mainly used by him and his family and he had shoveled the snow the same morning to make the road drive worthy. We rode for about 30 minutes more before reaching our destination.
In fact, this may have been the most beautiful of the 3 spots that we visited. There was another bigger and whiter lake in front of us and woods with tall trees for as far as we could see. Secondly, nature here was totally undisturbed. We made a bonfire and started to drink some warm berry juice that Lukka heated up in a kettle on the bonfire. There was another couple with us, and we started talking. After about 30 minutes of sitting around the fire, Lukka casually told us to get our cameras ready as they were coming. They meaning the Northern Lights.
Our host gave us an extra hour and said this was the second-best show they had had this winter. The lights were still dancing after we had overstayed our time quota. However, we were freezing so we finally decided to head back. All this time, the lights kept dancing the whole way, and we kept gazing like children. At one moment, Lukka felt pity for us so he stopped at a beautiful spot and asked us to take some more shots. This gesture was thrilling for us. By now, there were streaks of green, purple, and red in the sky. To sum up, I had never seen such a beautiful thing in my life.
After a satisfying experience, we went home and slept like babies.
DAY 5 - Rovaniemi Local Sightseeing
We reserved the final day of our trip for the local sights of Rovaniemi. Firstly, we went to Lorde’s square. Here, we visited some shops and bought ourselves some souvenirs. After that, we went back to the second-hand store to return our boots. Next, we made our way to a very special museum called the Arktikum.
The museum has a unique glass roof and a view of the forest and could be a magical place to observe the northern lights. But the best part was that it held some of the richest historical and cultural aspects of living in the Arctic Circle. It was interesting to learn about living in such harsh climatic conditions and adapting.
After this, we grabbed some lunch and walked through the snowy streets. We encountered an empty frozen lake, the name of which I do not remember, passed a beautiful church and a graveyard. Everything was still and not a soul walking near us.
We had a hearty meal with Jarno and his family in the evening and said one of our hardest goodbyes. This is an example of how you could make the best of friends through Airbnb. Our flight was early the next morning. Jarno dropped us off and told us we were welcome anytime. We had made ourselves a new friend for life.
What to eat
Having every meal at restaurants could be very expensive in Rovaniemi. I would suggest you to stock up on as much warm food as possible from the nearest Supermarket. Keep bread, cookies, and ready-to-eat items with you at all times. If possible, keep some brandy with you. Note that you wont find alcohol in the supermarkets like any other place in Europe. There are special supermarkets exclusively for alcohol. We visited Alko Oy.
Make sure you also eat at restaurants at least a couple of times to enjoy the local delicacies like Salmon soup and Reindeer meat.
Where to stay
Try to stay as centre as possible. Public transport is not very frequent and also very exhausting because of the weather. There are innumerable Hotels but they are mainly on the expensive side. I would suggest you to book an Airbnb close to the centre but also in a residential area to save money and to get to know the locals.
Activities and Budget
Must Do
- Hunt for the Auroras.
- Have some reindeer soup.
- Make friends with one or many locals.
- Play with the huskies.
- Take a reindeer ride.
Unique Experience
- Take a Northern Lights hunting trip with the locals.
- Visit the Arktikum Museum.
- Take a walk in the snow at night.
Budget
Hotel: 80 Euros and above per night.
Airbnb: 40 Euros and above per night.
Food: 60 to 100 Euros for a meal with drinks for two persons.
Airbnb Experience for Northern Lights Hunting: starting from 50 Euros per person.
Other Expenses: 30 to 50 Euros per day per person.
2 Responses
Seems like an awesome trip. Thanks for the info !!!
Which month you visited and can you share from where you booked Aurora tour with local? and other activities
Hi Shatakshi,
We went there in March. We booked the Aurora tours from Airbnb Experiences.
Regards,
Emily.