As it’s Christmas, I thought I could share my experience at Santa’s Holiday Village in the end of November and our encounter with the official Santa Claus. In my earlier post, I wrote about our journey to Rovaniemi and the apartment.
Waking up in Rovaniemi to some daylight felt strange, forgetting there are no polar nights here, unlike Kirkenes where we live. It was bright with beautiful snow outside, and that’s when I realized we had overslept. We intended to drive early to Santa’s Village around 10, ensuring we’d be there at opening to avoid a long line for a photo with Santa. However, we woke up around 11, and we didn’t get there until around 12. We decided to have lunch there, so we skipped breakfast.
The drive from the city centre to Santa’s Village is only about 10 minutes. The snow-covered road looked beautiful along the way. Surprisingly, there were parking spots available, and yes, it’s also free. Despite many cars, parking was not an issue.
The transformation from summer to winter made Santa’s Village appear like a different world. Despite being open year-round, it was noticeably quieter during our winter visit. Perhaps meeting Santa in +20 degrees Celsius is not as sought after.
The first thing we did was head to the building by the entrance where Santa is. There were quite a lot of people waiting, but I think we arrived just in time before the line became huge. Surprisingly, we only waited for about 20 minutes! The door opened, and it was our turn to go in. Two elves welcomed us, and then we got to meet Santa, chat with him, he asked where we were from, and then the photos were taken. Be aware that you can’t take photos with your phone; it’s not allowed. They take professional photos of you that you can purchase, either in paper format or digital. I paid around 70 euros for one digital photo and one print. It’s a bit pricey, but I love the photos. As you exit, you go through the gift shop where you can buy the photos and all kinds of other Christmassy things.
After meeting Santa, we headed to his post office and decided to bring back the joy of sending postcards – a simple tradition that still brings happiness in a world dominated by digital communication.
We headed toward the cocktail bar, making it our first stop on our agenda. Intrigued by the idea of a bar in Santa’s village, we passed through the Arctic Circle gate, a spot capturing the exact location of the Arctic Circle and popular for photos. Our aim was an early visit to the bar – a careful choice since we were driving. While Finland permits a 0.5 promille limit compared to Norway’s 0.2, we preferred not to take chances. A single early drink sufficed, especially with plans to stay the whole day.
The bar, exclusively for adults, offered fantastic drinks in its cozy setting, drawing people from around the world. The skilled bartender thoroughly explained the ingredients in each cocktail, presenting a variety of Christmas cocktails. I enjoyed a hot cocktail with cinnamon and apple—simply delicious.
Afterward, we continued exploring the area, browsing through numerous gift shops located in the same building as the Loft Bar. There’s also a dim sum place in that building. Santa’s Village hosts various restaurants, and feeling hungry, we headed towards one. Along the way, there were reindeers offering sleigh rides in a circular path. Despite feeling a bit uneasy about it, we proceeded to the restaurant next to the reindeers and ordered reindeer stew. It was delicious, similar to Norwegian finnbiff, likely influenced by Sami culture. The restaurant, set in a lavvu (traditional Sami tent), had a unique Sami style. It’s worth noting that they don’t serve alcohol here.
As darkness fell, the scene transformed into a beautiful and magical scene! Numerous colorful lights decorated the trees, and even the snow sparkled in their bright glow. The buildings were lit up in various colors, creating an enchanting atmosphere that brought to mind a snowy fairytale.
I wish we had more time, but darkness had fallen, and we aimed to dine at my favorite spot in Rovaniemi at 7 pm. Still, we explored further, discovering cool things like snowmobiles for kids to drive in circles. I wished I could be a kid again. We also found husky sledge rides, short journeys through the woods priced at 40 euros. While it might seem expensive, considering that in Norway, where we live in Kirkenes, a similar experience costs over 3000 NOK (around 300 euros) for a bit longer ride, but still only 20 minutes compared to 5-10 minutes for 40 euros here.
There was also another building where you could meet Santa’s wife and have another photo with her, but we didn’t do that as it required additional payment. The village had various restaurants, ranging from casual to more elegant options, including a dim sum place, casual burger joints, a salmon lavo restaurant, etc. One restaurant even had an igloo outside where you could dine. While it can be an expensive experience for those willing to spend at the Santa’s Holiday Village, it’s a really cool place! I would have loved to visit with my whole family and stay in one of the hotels in the village, although they are beautiful, they tend to be quite expensive during the season.
After this, we felt satisfied with the day’s experiences and opted to drive back to the apartment. Santa’s Holiday Village was truly a beautiful place that I recommend everyone should visit at least once. Wrapping up this post, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May your celebrations be joyous and festive.
Stay tuned for a future post where I’ll share details about my favorite food place in Rovaniemi and a glimpse into the nightlife!
Anyah Mroz 