The capital of Finnish Lapland, right on the Arctic Circle and the 'official hometown of Santa Claus': Santa Claus Village, SantaPark, husky and reindeer sleighs, snowmobiles, and nights in glass igloos watching the Northern Lights. Aurora season runs Sep–Mar, snow Dec–Mar, with temperatures down to −30°C; summer brings the midnight sun. About 1 h 20 min by Finnair from Helsinki or ~12 hours by night train; in winter there are direct flights from Frankfurt, Munich and Istanbul. Ski resorts Levi and Saariselkä lie further north. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa (German Embassy in UB, VFS Global). Christmas is the most expensive time — book months ahead.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 16h☀ Best months: February, March, September, December
#Santa Claus#Northern Lights#huskies#reindeer#snow#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: February, March, September, December.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle line
KidsVillage and meeting Santa free; photos with Santa, huskies and reindeer charged separatelyDaily all year; hours vary by season
8 km north of town near the airport: step across the Arctic Circle line painted through the square, meet Santa in his office and post a letter with the special Christmas stamp from Santa's Main Post Office. Souvenir shops, cafés and, in winter, short husky and reindeer rides. Bus 8 from town.
KidsAdults €42–62 depending on date, ages 3–12 from €37, under 3 free
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goFinland has no embassy in Mongolia and is represented by the German Embassy for short-stay visas, so Schengen visas for Lapland are taken by the German visa centre (VFS Global) in UB. For a Christmas trip, apply in August–September.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
If Finland is your main destination, book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee of 100,000₮. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days. Long-stay visas and residence permits are handled by the Finnish Embassy in Beijing.
Tip: Finland's honorary consul in UB does not accept visa applications — go straight to VFS.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter; state your Lapland tours and igloo bookings clearly in the itinerary. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border (fully live since 10 April 2026); the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityRovaniemi Airport is small, just 10 minutes from the centre and within walking distance of Santa Claus Village.+
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Airport bus
The Airport Express bus meets flights and reaches the city-centre hotels in ~10 minutes; the ticket is €8, paid to the driver by card, no booking needed. Taxis wait too, and many igloo resorts and tour companies offer pick-ups.
Tip: Landing late at night? Ask your hotel about a pick-up in advance.
Schengen passport control happens in Frankfurt or Helsinki, so you land in Rovaniemi like a domestic flight. Lufthansa flies Frankfurt–Rovaniemi only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so match it to MIAT's days; Finnair flies from Helsinki several times a day.
VR's Santa Claus Express leaves Helsinki Central in the evening and reaches Rovaniemi in the morning — ~12 hours. Sleeper cabins (some with showers) are dynamically priced and sell out weeks ahead from December to February; you can take a car on board.
📶Phone and internet+
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eSIM — the easiest
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt and Helsinki.
Tip: Batteries drain fast in the cold — keep the phone in an inside pocket and carry a power bank; the signal weakens in the forest, so download offline maps.
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Finnish prepaid SIM
Elisa, DNA and Telia prepaid SIMs are sold at R-kioski shops and supermarkets; Finnish mobile data is fast and unlimited plans are common. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it also works elsewhere in Europe.
🚇Getting aroundThe centre is small enough to walk; Linkkari city buses go to Santa Claus Village and the airport. Most safari companies pick you up from your hotel.+
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Linkkari buses and line 8
A one-zone Linkkari city bus ticket is €2.80; the centre and Santa Claus Village are both in zone A. Bus 8 links the centre with Santa Claus Village, SantaPark and the airport all year; check times at linkkari.fi or on Google Maps.
Book taxis by phone; Uber barely operates in Rovaniemi. Car-hire firms are at the airport and train station — winter cars come with snow tyres, but icy roads, short days and reindeer collisions are real risks. Parking in the centre is mostly paid.
Tip: Rather than driving at night to chase the aurora, take a guided tour — stopping suddenly on the road is dangerous.
Finland is nearly cashless: Visa, Mastercard, contactless and phone payments work everywhere. Cash is only useful at markets and small stalls. Service is included in prices; tipping is optional.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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Lapland is expensive — how to save
Safaris and igloo stays cost several times more over Christmas, so early November, mid-January and March are cheaper. Weekday 'lounas' lunch buffets and supermarket food save money. Santa Claus Village, the Arctic Circle line and the Ounasvaara trails are free.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodLapland food: reindeer, salmon and northern berries.+
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What to eat
Poronkäristys — thin-sliced sautéed reindeer with mashed potato and lingonberry jam; creamy salmon soup (lohikeitto), flame-grilled salmon, leipäjuusto (squeaky baked cheese) with cloudberry jam. Safaris usually include sausages grilled on the fire and hot berry juice.
Tip: On weekdays from 11:00 to 14:00 'lounas' buffets are cheaper than dinner.
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Shops
K-Market, S-Market, Prisma and Lidl for groceries. Over Christmas many restaurants take bookings only, and many close on 24–25 December — plan your meals. Strong alcohol is sold only in Alko shops.
Ambulance, fire and police — all 112, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent illness, medical advice — 116117. The 112 Suomi app sends your location when you call.
Winter can reach −15 to −30°C: layer wool base layers, warm boots, mittens, a hat and a face scarf. Wear the overalls tour companies provide, or rent them in town. Pale, numb fingers, cheeks or nose are signs of frostbite — get indoors and rewarm slowly without rubbing. Check children often.
Tip: Only go onto frozen rivers or lakes with a guide.
Paths are icy — buy shoe spikes. If you drive, slow down: reindeer step onto the road without warning and stand in herds, most dangerously in the dark. Report any collision to 112. Pharmacies (apteekki) have a green cross.
Finns value quiet and personal space. 'Kiitos' (thank you) and 'Moi' (hi) go down well. When watching the aurora, don't point torches or headlights at other people.
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Animals and Sámi culture
Reindeer belong to Sámi and Lapland herders and are their livelihood — don't feed or chase reindeer on roads or in the forest. Handle huskies and reindeer only as the guide allows. Avoid wearing Sámi dress or symbols as a costume.
Shower before the sauna; public saunas are usually single-sex. Under 'everyman's rights' you may walk freely in forests and pick berries, but leave no litter and only light fires at marked sites.
Check the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) aurora forecast and cloud maps every evening — clear skies matter as much as solar activity. Apps such as My Aurora Forecast send alerts, and many igloo resorts have an aurora alarm.
VR app for the night train, Finnair for flights, Google Maps for Linkkari bus times. Book safaris, SantaPark and igloo stays in advance on official sites or through Visit Rovaniemi. Google Translate's camera translates Finnish menus.
The airport is ~10 minutes from town — Airport Express bus, bus 8 or a taxi. Snowstorms and de-icing delay flights, so leave plenty of time for connections in Helsinki or Frankfurt; if connecting to MIAT, leaving a day early is safest.
Leave Schengen no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically. A letter stamped at Santa's Post Office, reindeer hide, cloudberry jam and Marimekko make good gifts; show Tax Free goods to customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
31 Oct 2026–23 Jan 2027; usually 10:00–18:00 (from 9:00 on December weekends)
A Christmas theme park inside a cavern dug into a hill: elf school, gingerbread decorating, an ice gallery, a private meeting with Santa and a little train ride. Best for families with young children; open in the winter season only.
A museum with a long glass gallery covering the history of Lapland and the Sámi, Arctic nature and the science of the Northern Lights. A good family stop on a cold or stormy day, on the Ounasjoki riverbank.
NatureFarm visit from €79; 5 km husky safari from €140Snow season (roughly Nov–Apr); book a time in advance
Drive your own husky team through snowy forest; small children ride in the sled. Choose a farm that looks after its dogs well and does not overwork them on long runs — check reviews for how the dogs are kept.
Nature€79–199 depending on tour and lengthAll year; sleigh rides in the snow season
Meet and feed reindeer at a herding family's farm, then take a calm sleigh ride through the forest. Usually ends with hot drinks and stories by the fire in a 'lavvu' tent. A calm, safe choice for families.
Northern Lights hunt, snowmobile safari and ice fishing
NatureDepends on the tour company; book aheadSep–Mar, lights usually 21:00–02:00; snowmobiles Dec–Mar
Head by minibus or snowmobile to dark lakes and hills away from city lights to wait for the aurora — it depends on cloud and solar activity, so nothing is guaranteed; staying 3–4 nights improves your odds. Snowmobile and ice-fishing trips run by day on the frozen river. Driving a snowmobile requires a driving licence.
RelaxArctic SnowHotel glass igloo €314 (Sep)–€1,500 (Christmas); Apukka aurora cabin €250–2,000 a nightGlass igloos all year; snow hotel roughly Dec–Mar
Watch the aurora from bed under a glass roof — Lapland's signature experience. Arctic SnowHotel (26 km from town) adds an ice bar and snow rooms in winter; Apukka (about 20 km) sits on a lakeshore. Over Christmas minimum stays are 2–4 nights and prices multiply — September and early March are far cheaper.
NatureLift pass 1 day €49, children €36.50 (2025–26 prices); under 6 freeSki season usually Nov–Apr; trails all year
A forested hill across the river from the centre: downhill skiing, snowboarding, long cross-country trails, and a summer sled track and hiking. The top looks over the city and the Kemijoki river. Hotels nearby have proper Finnish saunas.
NatureFree (guided tours extra)Falls freeze Dec–Mar; open all year
A 30 km canyon near Posio, 110 km south-east of town: streams falling from cliffs over 100 m high freeze into blue icefalls used for ice climbing. The trail into the canyon is steep and icy, about 5 km — spikes and a guide recommended.
KidsOnline: adults €24.50, ages 4–14 €20, family €74; under 3 freeDaily: Jun–Aug 10:00–18:00, Sep–May 10:00–16:00
80 km south of town, one of the world's northernmost zoos: polar bears, brown bears, wolves, lynx, moose, Arctic foxes and about 50 northern species along a 3 km forest trail. A family day trip.
CultureFree from outside; library entry freeLibrary usually on weekdays
The work of architect Alvar Aalto, who replanned the city after it burned in World War II: the Lappia theatre and concert hall, the town hall and the library. The street plan is said to follow the shape of reindeer antlers. Nearby Rovaniemi Church has a large fresco of Lapland nature.
NaturePrices vary by resortSki season usually Nov–May
Further north from Rovaniemi: Levi (170 km, 15 km from Kittilä airport) is Finland's biggest ski resort with lively nightlife; Saariselkä (260 km, 30 km from Ivalo airport) is quieter, beside Urho Kekkonen National Park, and sees the aurora more often. Both are reached by bus or by direct flight.
