Where To Eat, Shop & Explore Santa Claus Village
Santa Claus Village is the number one place to visit for many travelers who are planning a trip to Lapland and luckily, it’s open every day throughout the year. Santa Claus Village is located at the Arctic Circle, and you actually can cross the line in the village and underground in the Santa Park! The village is 10 minutes from the city of Rovaniemi and 5 minutes from the airport by car. You can also take a bus number 8 (timetable 31.10.2022 – 4.6.2023 in PDF) or taxi (Rovaniemen Lähitaksi: +358 (0)200 88000 (1,92€/call + 0,25€/10s + local network charge) from the airport, or even rent a car to drive there yourself. Keep in mind that driving conditions in Finland during winter can get very icy and snowy, so hopping behind the driver’s seat isn’t recommended if you’re unexperienced. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Santa Claus Village- Things To Do
Santa Claus Village has lots of experiences and excursions to offer, and it’s always better to book in advance, as everything tends to get fully booked especially during the winter season. The first thing in mind for many must be meeting the Santa Claus himself, which you totally can do here! Meeting Santa is free, and you can buy a picture and video with him as a souvenir. Please, keep in mind that Santa has lots of daily visitors from all around the world, so the queues can get long and time with him in the village is limited. If you’re interested to spend more time with Santa, there is a Santa Claus Secret Forest – Joulukka in the Santa Park, where you can book a private or group tour to meet Santa amongst other Christmassy activities. Meeting Santa’s reindeer is another must do thing while you’re in the village, and more precisely right in the backyard of his office. There are different length sleigh rides you can participate without prebooking from November until April, and the prices start from 18€ / adult and 14€ / child. You can also purchase a reindeer driving license as a memory of this unforgettable experience!
In addition to Santa’s reindeer, there are Siberian huskies in the Husky Park, as well as alpacas, sheep, llamas, goats, rabbits, different birds and other animals to be found in the Elf’s farmyard. It’s also possible to meet, hug and take a walk with the animals during the summer months, but sleighs can only be pulled with lots of snow. There are many activities to choose from, so remember to dress accordingly, as the temperatures can get very low during these snow filled winter months! You can also check out what it looks like and how others are dressed right now in the SCV from their Arctic Circe live video webcam.
Where to eat & sleep
The village and nearby surroundings have many restaurants, cafes, hotels and cabins to recharge your body and mind. When it comes to food, within the village you can find multiple restaurants and cafes, such as Lapland Restaurant Kotahovi, Ice Bar & Snow Restaurant of Snowman World, Glass Restaurant, Golden Bowl Dim Sum Restaurant, Three Elves Restaurant & Lobby Bar, Dinner & Lunch Restaurant Santamus, Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos’ restaurants and bars, Nova Skyland Restaurant and Restaurant Aitta. All of these restaurants are offering many types of foods and courses in beautiful and ambient settings. I’d recommend checking availability and possibly making a booking to some of these restaurants beforehand, especially around the Christmas holidays. If you’re in mood for something quicker, there also is Santa’s Pizza & Burger in the Arctic Circle, as well as Shell with a restaurant on the other side of the road. Additionally, there are cafes, such as Napatapuli and Loft Cafe, in the village where you can pop in for a quick snack and drinks.
Accommodation near Santa Claus Village
Accommodation options vary from the heart of the Santa Claus village to the nearby surroundings, some being in the center of Rovaniemi and others in the heart of Lappish nature, which you might want to consider to get a better chance to see the northern lights, as well as reindeer on your yard! If you’re interested to stay within or very close to the village, Santa Claus Holiday village, Santa’s Glass Igloos Arctic Circle, Nova Skyland Hotel & Restaurant, Glass Resort, and Santa’s Luxury Boutique Villa / Apartments might be something you’re looking for! If you’re okay with staying a short drive away from the village, Apukka Resort, Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, Hotel Metsähirvas, and Santa’s Holiday Homes might be something for you to look into, in addition to many hotels in Rovaniemi city centre. There are many caravan parks for campers and vanlifers in Rovaniemi as well, one being right across the road from the village – BestPark Arctic Circle Rovaniemi. You can check out some of the multiple accommodation options in and near the SCV with photos and more information here.
Where to shop- Santa Claus Village
One simply doesn’t leave the magical Lapland without wanting to take a piece of it back home. There are plenty of shops in SCV, which are offering locally produced goods, cards and other souvenirs for all ages, Tunturi-tuote and Lappituote being some worth mentioning. There also are factory outlets and local workshops, which you can easily find while you are roaming around the village. In addition to Lappish souvenirs, you can also find some internationally well-known Finnish brands in the village, such as Pentik, Iittala and Marimekko. Walking around the atmospheric village is fun and completely free and crossing the Arctic Circle right in front of the Santa’s house with Christmassy music playing in the background is a memorable experience for all ages. Santa’s post office is also located in the village, and even though that is the place where Santa receives all the letters from all around the world, you can also send your own Christmas cards from the Santa’s post office – with an Arctic Circle special stamp!
Above all, Santa Claus and his village is all about cherishing and spreading kindness and love 🙂
⇐ By Erika Katainen / Visit Lapland ⇒
