• HOME
  • Planning
    • Planner Newbie
      • New to planning? Start here
    • Planning Tips & Inspiration
    • 52 Planning Systems in 52 Weeks
      • My weekly spreads
    • Planner Reviews
      • Horizontal Weekly
      • Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes
      • Vertical Weekly
      • Hourly Planners
      • Categories Weekly
      • Daily Planners
      • Discbound Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Planner Roundups
      • Happy Planner (MAMBI)
      • Budget Planners
      • Undated Daily Planners
      • Undated Weekly
    • Planner Index
    • Planner Comparisons
    • Bullet Journal
      • Bullet Journal Reviews
      • Bullet Journal Spreads
      • Bullet Journal Tips
    • Planner pens
    • Highlighters
    • Planner Stickers
    • Digital Planning
    • Household Binder
    • Stationery Shopping
    • Rachael’s Favorites
    • Blogging & Online Business
  • Graphic Design
    • Photoshop Tutorials
    • Affinity Publisher
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Canva
    • Silhouette Studio
    • PicMonkey
  • SHOP
    • Shop at Etsy
    • Online Store
    • Graphic Design Resources
    • ECOURSES
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
        • 1200 Blog Post Ideas (Exclusive Download Content)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
        • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (Exclusive Download Content)
    • Feedback & Testimonials
    • Planner Supplies (my sister’s shop!)
    • Shop my favorite planner supplies on Amazon
  • Learn
    • ECOURSES
      • Free Graphic Design Video Tutorials Library
      • Printables in Affinity Publisher
      • How to Make Planner Stickers
      • How to Make Printables in Photoshop
      • Printables in Microsoft Word
      • Printables in Microsoft Excel
      • Digital planners and notebooks in Microsoft PowerPoint
      • How to Make Labels in Photoshop
      • Make Patterns in Photoshop
      • Party Printables
      • How to Write Product Descriptions
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
  • FREE
    • FREE Printables
    • Free Printables Library – Subscribers Login
  • Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Europe
    • Australia & New Zealand
  • About
    • Browse All Posts
    • FAQ
      • What is a Printable? What happens when I purchase a printable from you?
      • Printing Tips
      • Printable Planner Stickers
      • Downloading Files
      • How to Open Zipped File Folders
      • What does EDITABLE mean?
      • Monogram Etiquette

All About Planners

Printable planners to organize your home, business and life!

January 7, 2020

Visiting Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi – is it worth it when there’s no snow?

Visiting the Santa Claus Village was one of the highlights of my visit to Finland (and my Europe trip!) Visiting had been a bucket list item of mine for years and after watching countless vlog’s on YouTube… it lived up to it’s expectations!

Things to see and do at the Santa Claus Village

  • Visit the post office – you can reply to children’s letter’s from all over the world, mail a letter home or even send a letter to your future self for next Christmas
  • Visit the husky farm – there are almost 100 huskies of all ages (they’re usually born in summer)
  • Do a husky ride
  • Visit Elf’s Farm Yard petting zoo – why would you visit a petting zoo? Baby reindeer, adorable furry rabbits, woolly sheep etc.
  • See reindeer – you can feed them, pat them, take a photo with them and there’s more than one in the enclosure
  • Meet Santa

4 degrees in the middle of September (autumn)… would hate to be here in winter

santa claus village northern finland rovaniemi temperature in september autumn is it worth visiting if there's no snow

santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland guide how to get there tips September autumn

The petting zoo had baby reindeer which you can feed / pat through the fence (just don’t touch their antlers)

baby reindeer elfs farm yard petting zoo things to see and so at santa claus village rovaniemi

Or you can feed / pat fully grown reindeer. They were about the size of a donkey or small horse (very strong when hungry!)

feeding the reindeer at santa claus village in rovaniemi lapland finland

meet a reindeer feed and pat them at santa claus village in rovaniemi lapland northern finland

Is it worth visiting if there’s no snow?

Yes! You can still do most things without snow, the only thing you might miss out on is a husky ride (it’ll be on an ATV type thing if there’s no snow, just as long as the temperature doesn’t exceed 15 degrees).

While it certainly looks more magical with snow, if you go during off-peak:

  • You can walk straight in and see Santa rather than queue for hours
  • There are limited husky rides / runs per day – if you go off peak you have more time to pat the dogs afterwards, talk to the trainers etc
  • Easier to take photos with no one in them
  • You might have seen photos of the main building in the village – in the snow you can’t see the line on the pavement marking the arctic circle
  • There is a tiny food court and very limited dining options – I doubt you’ll be able to get a table in peak times
  • Good luck trying to buy something – the shops are tiny and crowded with stock, you’d barely be able to move in winter
  • It was 4 degrees the day I visited the Santa Claus Village… in mid-September. It starts snowing in October. Cold weather = lots of layers you have to fit in your suitcase and if you feel the cold like I do it won’t be enjoyable (most of the activities are outside)
  • In winter the days are very short e.g. 6 hours of sunlight

The cutest rabbit at the petting zoo! (you get to feed them too)

cutest rabbit at santa claus village rovaniemi finland lapland petting zoo

crossing the arctic circle at santa claus village

One of the highlights – a husky ride (and getting to meet / pat the huskies afterwards)

husky ride atv september things to do at santa clause village is it worth visiting if there's no snow

riding an atv in northern finland husky farm santa claus village rovaniemi northern finland lapland

How to get there

Santa Clause Village is located outside Rovaniemi on the edge of the arctic circle in Finland.

You can choose to stay in huts or igloo’s at the village, or stay in Rovaniemi and catch the Santa Express Bus or Local Bus Number 8 to Santa’s Claus Village.

I stayed in Rovaniemi and am glad I did. If you stay at the Santa Village you’ll probably end up eating there (convenient)… but also very expensive.

santa express bus rovaniemi lapland finland how to get around things to see and do tips guide for visiting

Cost

It’s free to enter the Santa Claus Village but once you get there, be ready to open your wallet. You’ll need to pay to:

  • Enter the Husky Farm
  • Do a husky ride (from memory this was about $65 AUD)
  • Meet / feed / pat reindeer
  • Enter the petting zoo
  • Pay for your food
  • Pay if you want to post a letter
  • Pay for your photo with Santa (it cost 30 euro for 1 photo!)

Free things to do at the village:

  • Meet Santa
  • Enter the buildings e.g. post office, gift shops etc.

santa claus village in rovaniemi lapland northern finland

The Post Office where you can see all the letters from various countries around the world

santas post office santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland arctic circle

Tips for visiting Santa Claus Village

  • Visit the husky farm as soon as it opens if you want to do a husky ride / run (there are limited times per day – you’ll get given a time to come back for the ride)
  • If you want to see Santa, do this first thing to avoid spending hours in a queue at peak times (I had to wait about 10 minutes in September)
  • One day is enough time to see everything – even if you go during peak times I think one day would be enough. During my off-peak times visit I arrived at 10am and left around 2 – 3pm
  • Check the bus timetable if getting the bus back into town (from memory I think they were 20 – 30 min apart)

And now I’ll spam you with lots of photos of huskies!

husky farm Rovaniemi santa claus village husky ride visit finland in september autumn

You can put your hand through the gap in the fencing of most of the enclosures – the dogs love it, they’ll come right up to you!

husky farm puppies september autumn santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland

husky farm puppies september autumn santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland

They had one dog out on a leash that you could pat and take photos with – had the most piercing blue eyes

husky farm september autumn santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland

If you do a husky ride you get to meet and greet the dogs

husky ride in rovaniemi lapland finland santa claus village bucket list

husky farm september autumn santa claus village rovaniemi lapland finland

husky farm santa claus village rovaniemi things to see and do

husky puppies santa claus village rovaniemi things to see and do

So it is worth visiting if there’s no snow?

Yes!

More Finland posts:

  • Favorite stationery shops in Finland (Helsinki & Rovaniemi)
  • Best of Helsinki in One Day (Photo Stops, Attractions & Scheduled Itinerary)
  • Guide to visiting Rovaneimi in Lapland, Finland (the home of Santa Claus!)

Found this post helpful? Pin it!

guide to visiting santa claus village in rovaniemi finland tips things to see and do itinerary schedule worth visiting no snow

You may also be interested in...

  • Hiking day trip to the Finnish Forest!Hiking day trip to the Finnish Forest!
  • Printable Rainbow Calendar Stickers for Erin Condren Planner (or any type of planner)Printable Rainbow Calendar Stickers for Erin Condren Planner (or any type of planner)
  • How to print printables at Plum Paper planner size from your home printer (step by step tutorial)How to print printables at Plum Paper planner size from your home printer (step by step tutorial)
  • How to use the Poooliprint Inkless Pocket Printer for Planning and Bullet JournalingHow to use the Poooliprint Inkless Pocket Printer for Planning and Bullet Journaling
  • How to organize receipts for tax time (digital and paper filing systems)How to organize receipts for tax time (digital and paper filing systems)
  • Trying out the To Do List in a Book Planner (Notepad version)Trying out the To Do List in a Book Planner (Notepad version)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Posted In: Europe, Travel · Tagged: best time of year to visit santas village, guide to visiting santa claus village, lapland finland, real life santa land, rovaniemi finland, rovaniemi things to see and do, santa claus village, santa claus village lapland, santa claus village no snow, santa clause village in autumn, where can i meet santa, where can i visit santa

Welcome

Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

Subscribe and join 60,000+ others on the quest to find planner peace!

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Search

Subscribe

free printables library sign up all about planners blog image graphic subscribe

Shop At Etsy

The photos and content on this site are the property of All About Planners. They are not allowed to be used without permission from All About Planners.

Categories

Recent Posts

  • How I make my travel photobooks using Blurb (Detailed Tutorial and Review)
  • My 4th Plum Paper Planners Haul! (weekly and daily planners, financial planner, goals planner)
  • 10 Strategies for tackling your to do list
  • How I Planned a 6 week European Holiday (Plus download my detailed Itinerary)
  • Time and ToDo Planner Review (Unique weekly layout)

Disclaimer

All About Planners is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Popular Posts

  • 50 Tips for writing a better to do list that will make you more productive
  • 130+ functional ideas to use blank notes pages of your planner or an empty notebook
  • How I use Excel to organize all my travel plans (research, itinerary, hotel, tours, bookings, packing list etc.)
  • How I use Excel to Organize a Home Renovation (budget, spending, program, paint colors, contacts, quotes)
  • How I use Excel for organizing recipes, meal planning, food inventory and grocery lists

Printables

  • Learn How to Make Printables
  • How to Make Planner Stickers
  • Resources & Tools I Recommend

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Privacy

Copyright © 2022 All About Planners · Theme by 17th Avenue