Do your little ones dream of meeting Father Christmas? Head to Rovaniemi, Father Christmas' home town, with your family. You will also be amazed about just how many things there are to see and do in Lapland (Finland)!
Rovaniemi is located on the Arctic Circle, in Lapland. And now, with Vueling, fly direct from Barcelona! Another option is to fly to Helsinki and from there, choose whether to travel to Rovaniemi by night train or by plane.
You are guaranteed a once in a lifetime family getaway in Father Christmas' home town, although Lapland has a lot more in store for you in winter. This post will look at everything you can do with children for them to have a great time. Let's get started!
Father Christmas' home town
Rovaniemi, less than 10 km from the Arctic Circle, is home to the Santa Claus Village, which can be visited all year round, although it is always best to travel there in the months leading up to Christmas to round off the magic feel. Furthermore, as it is almost always dark during the winter season, the town is home to a true spectacle of lights. Your little ones will love it! There, they will meet Father Christmas in his snowy house, while he takes a break reading all the letters from children all over the world, surrounded by his little elves and fairies, preparing millions of packages.
They work every day to prepare for the Christmas period, although they are always happy to take the time to pose for a photo. You can then visit his reindeer farm, where they prepare for the long Christmas journey ahead. Don't forget to go visit Santa's Main Post Office to drop off your letter!
Santa Claus Park
Next to the town is Santa's amusement park, also known as the Home Cavern of Santa Claus, where children can participate in a variety of activities with the elves, including cooking classes, craft workshops, etc. The sets and the show will make sparks fly right in front of your children's eyes. Here, you can also discover the IceBar for an incredible experience: having a delicious drink surrounded by ice... a priceless experience!
Reindeer sleigh ride
You simply cannot visit Lapland with your family and not take a ride on a sleigh like Father Christmas' sleigh. One very interesting option is also to visit the reindeer herders, the Sami, who still live very close to nature, quite a feat in the cold winter months! A visit to their farms to pet and feed the reindeer is an unforgettable experience for little ones. These farms also organise sleigh rides. To round off the experience, we highly recommend visiting the Arktikum Museum, which immerses visitors into the culture of this part of the world.
The slides at Snowman World
An ice playground with ice slides that you can go down on tubes, an igloo bar, an ice rink and a long list of other surprises. In short, bucket loads of fun for the entire family!
Marvel at the northern lights
One of the most fascinating spectacles of nature, they are pure magic. A wide variety of excursion options are available in the area, some even include a campfire for a dinner in the middle of nature with roasted marshmallows. Just another experience that will be unforgettable for the whole family.
Ranua Wildlife Park
This wildlife park is an hour's drive from Rovaniemi, with the option of organising the excursion with transfer included if that works best for you. Ranua wildlife park is located in the middle of the forest and in winter there is snow on the ground. A wholly unique experience! During your visit, you can observe the native animals that inhabit Arctic areas. Wolves, foxes, bears... As if they were just another member of the family!
Kemi SnowCastle Resort
Now this is bound to leave you speechless! Kemi SnowCastle Resort is made from snow and ice and is rebuilt every year. Worthy of the Snow Queen, it will leave your little ones speechless. It measures 13 thousand square metres built to replicate mediaeval castles, with towers measuring up to 20 metres in height and extensive walls measuring up to 1 km in length. Located in the Gulf of Bothnia, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, Kemi's SnowCastle Resort will transport you into a veritable fairy tale. And it is just 1 hour from Rovaniemi! Looking for how to get to Kemi SnowCastle Resort?
Ice fishing
A typical activity in Nordic countries: fishing in Lapland… although here, you have to drill holes in the ice to catch fish!
Snowmobile tour
One of the most exciting experiences involves driving snowmobiles in the wild nature surrounding Rovaniemi. When it comes to your little ones: on limited speed safaris, they can ride on a special sleigh pulled by the guide's snowmobile.
Cross-country or alpine skiing
Finland is the perfect country for trying your hand at cross-country skiing with your family! This activity forms part of Finnish culture, as a means of transportation. It is a good, athletic yet relaxed way to discover the surrounding nature and get away from the hustle and bustle. And if you want to do a little downhill skiing, there are slopes just outside Rovaniemi.
Now, admit it: you are already imagining yourself on a sleigh, watching snowy landscapes pass by while you go in search of Father Christmas, right? So what are you waiting for? Let's go!
