Santa claus village : maps of the site
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Station service Shell
Santa’s Salmon Place
Three elves Restaurant
Glass Resort Restaurant
Lapland Restaurant Kotahovi
Café Restaurant Napatapuli
Loft Cafe coffee shop
Restaurant Arctic Eye
Santa’s Pizza & burger
Santasmus world
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi offers 10 options for dining :
- Glass Resort Restaurant : without being gastronomic, we feel that this restaurant respects a certain standing in the atmosphere it offers (calm, almost subdued atmosphere, the dishes are worked for a nice rendering)
They say it: ”this restaurant was created to offer you a tasty, unique journey, respecting Finnish culinary culture and combining new flavors in the expert hands of chef Esa Vartiainen. He wants to make high quality dishes with unique Arctic flavors.’’ - Lapland Restaurant Kotahovi : built in a kota (traditional Finnish tepee built of wood), the setting is traditional and intimate: a central fireplace, the dishes are traditional and elaborate ‘’made with typical Finnish ingredients’’ (reindeer, salmon, mushrooms, berries and local herbs),
- Coffee Restaurant Napatapuli : burger, reindeer kebab, salmon soup, noodles, fish & chips,
- Loft Coffee : coffee and alcoholic beverages, homemade cakes, can be compared to Paul in France,
- Santa’s Salmon Place : This restaurant is a kota (traditional Finnish tepee built of wood) which offers a single dish (25€), snacks and drinks (salmon cooked over a wood fire, served with a Finnish salad),
- Three elves Restaurant : this atmospheric restaurant offers culinary experiences full of pure, genuine flavors and featuring Lappish ingredients.
Arctic Eye Restaurant : member of the Rôtisseurs chain, this restaurant serves elaborate dishes cooked with local products, which they define as “high quality”: reindeer, elk, salmon, arctic char, crab…
- Santa’s Pizza & burger : to eat pizzas, burgers and other fast food dishes at reasonable prices,
- Santasmus World : quiet restaurant, everything is designed to leave feeling peaceful (crackling fire, trout pond, bird sounds),
- Shell gas station : fast food in the resort, open 24/7.
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Nova Skyland Hotel
Restaurant situé derièrre snow world
Santa Claus Holiday Village
Santa’s Igloo arctic circle
Nova Skyland Hotel
Restaurant situé derièrre snow world
Santa Claus Holiday Village
Santa’s Igloo arctic circle
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi offers 4 options to find accommodations :
- Santa’s Igloo arctic circle : chalets with glass roofs and walls to try to see the auroras ; three types of chalets depending on the number of people, some of which can be connected if necessary (for large families for example).
- Glass Resort : individual wooden chalets, cosy, comfortable : the roof and a wall are made of glass to try to see the northern lights. Perfect for couples.
- Nova Skyland Hotel : semi-detached houses, 4 types of apartments that can accommodate from 2 to 8 people. Private sauna in each accommodation.
- Santa Claus Holiday Village : two types of accommodations : chalets and suites. All chalets have a private sauna and a kitchenette.
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Balmuir Stor
Santa Claus Gift House
- Maahisenkolo
- Sarvesta Saparoon
- Tunturi-Tuote
- Lappituote
Santa Claus Office
- Littala Outlet Napapiiri
- Marimekko
- Pentik
Santa Claus Post office
- Martiini Oy
- Santa Claus Post Office
Christmas House
Shell
In Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, you will find a large number of small souvenir shops. Souvenirs from Lapland are varied and there is something for all ages.
- Martiini Oy : Finnish brand renowned for its quality knives, made from various materials (reindeer antlers, wood, etc.)
- Marimekko : clothing store, famous brand in Finland
- Iittala Outlet Napapiiri : furniture and decoration store, famous brand in Finland
- Pentik : souvenir shop, furniture, tableware and decorations, famous brand in Finland
- Santa’s luxury : clothing, shoes, and household linen store
- Santa’s Chocolate and candy shop : candies and chocolate shop
- Lappituote : souvenir shop : traditional Finnish and Sami objects
- Maahisenkolo : drums in reindeer leather, souvenir articles
- Tunturi-Tuote shop : souvenir shop of all kinds
- Sarvesta Saparoon Ky : santa’s gifts and delicacies : souvenirs and clothes shop
- Shell Napapiiri Restaurant/Shop 24/7 : service station, small shop
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Arctic Circle Info
Arrêts de bus
Taxi
Consignes à bagages
Aire de camping-car
- Arctic Circle Info
- Bus stops : bus n°8, Santa’s Express, Santa Claus Bus
- Taxi : Lähitaksi Rovaniemi (tel : +358 200 88 000 ; or Menevä (+358 800 02 120)
- Motorhome area (paying, secure) : electricity, water, toilets, showers, toilet emptying, barbecue area and sauna
- Luggage storage.
More informations about Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi
When you say Lapland, you say… Santa Claus of course ! And to meet him, you have to go to his official office, at Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi. An essential stop during a trip to Finnish Lapland, it is still important to know that this place is more of a square than a village in the strict sense : the place is relatively small, and it is not an American-style universe like Disneyland. So go there without expectations, with your child’s eyes, in order to remain amazed by the magical scenery. In this article, we present the famous village and give you a list of things to do there.
what is the origin of santa claus village
Located 8 km from the town center of Rovaniemi, the village was built on the Arctic Circle (napapiiri in Finnish), which made it famous, thanks to a certain Eleanor Roosevelt… Indeed, shortly after the Second World War, the First Lady of the United States of America wanted to visit Finland, and more specifically to come to the Arctic Circle. For the occasion, a small wooden chalet was built very close to the imaginary line ; from there, more and more visitors come from all over the world to see the “Roosevelt Cottage” and cross the Arctic Circle. Subsequently, the village was gradually built to become one of the most visited places in Finnish Lapland.
Today, millions of tourists flock here every year, especially around the Christmas holidays. It is always possible to visit the Roosevelt Cottage, not far from Santa’s post office.
when to go ?
The village of Santa Claus is visited all year round. But if you want to soak up the magic of Christmas and marvel at the lights installed everywhere in the village, then the best time is between December and March (preferably when it is dark). Know however that December is the busiest month of the year : to meet Santa Claus in his office, the waiting time varies (from 5 minutes to sometimes 2 hours).
Things to do in Santa Claus Village !
#1 meet santa claus in Rovaniemi
Our favorite one is of course meeting the real Santa Claus ! He is waiting for you at his office, right next to the Arctic Circle. Admission is free. Lutins welcome you at the beginning of a nice tour leading to Santa Claus.
A tip: don’t forget to look through the doorways all the way !
Note that it is not allowed to take a picture with your personal camera, because a photographer and a videographer will take care of it on the spot. The photo with Santa Claus is paid : 35€ for the photo alone, and 50€ with a video included. Beware, there are two Santas in the village : one in his office, the other in a souvenir shop (if you are in a hurry, or the waiting queue discourages you). Look for the building with a Santa Claus on the roof to make sure you don’t miss the one in his office !
If you prefer privacy to crowds, there are also private meetings with Santa Claus organized by a private company (beware, you have to count on a large budget for these programs).
#2 cross the arctic circle
The Arctic Circle is the imaginary line above which it is night (and day) for at least 24 hours. In the village, it is represented by a light blue garland (hence the point of going there at night) and large columns with the words “Arctic Circle”. This is the opportunity to photograph you crossing it ! Even more unusual, there is a live camera on the Arctic Circle, to greet your loved ones from the gates of the Arctic !
#3 Send a letter from Santa’s post office
A few meters from Santa’s office, the official post office of Santa Claus allows you to send your postcards with the special Arctic stamp. You can also send a personalized letter signed by Santa Claus, accompanied by a certificate of the good child, funny stories about the activities of Santa Claus and his elves, and a coloring card (€9.01).
Santa Claus writes in 13 languages.
It is also possible to have his passport stamped on request. However, this stamp may cause immigration problems in some countries, so we advise you not to do it.
Santa's letter to your children
#4 have fun in Snowman World…
Feel like ice skating, sliding down a sledge track on a buoy or sipping hot chocolate in an ice bar ? This is what happens at Snowman World ! In between two fun activities, you can also admire ice sculptures and why not eat at the ice restaurant (booking here).
Price of the entrance ticket to Snowman World : 29€/person
#5 Visit Santapark
Located 3km from Santa’s Village, this Christmas-themed amusement park is easily accessible on foot, by taxi, by car or even by bus (Santa’s Express line). The park is only open from November 19th to January 7th.
Admission is relatively expensive (from 29-11 to 15-12, 39€ for children from 3 to 12 years old and 45€ for adults / from 16-12 to 06-01, 42€ for children from 3 to 12 years old and 49€ for adults), and the general atmosphere is quite commercial : we advise you to go only if you have children. You can check the prices here.
Indeed, several activities may appeal to them : elves school, pastry shop, ice bar, ice gallery, magic train, elf show… Beware, there is also a Santa Claus at Santapark ! If you plan to visit the village on the same day with your children, get creative…
#6 buy gifts
There are several souvenir shops in Santa’s office, in the shopping mall opposite and around Santa’s post office. You will find “classic” souvenirs (magnets, mugs, caps…), but also more traditional items. We recommend the Marttiini shop, a reference in Finnish cutlery that offers knives, kuksas and reindeer skins. For handmade items by lappish craftsmen, book a visit to the lappish workshop of Irene and Ari !
It is also possible to buy food (dried reindeer, berry jams, bear meat…), but the prices are much higher than in the supermarket. We advise you to buy them instead in a K-Market, S-Market or Prisma.
