Rovaniemi is a small city, but where you stay changes your trip more than you'd expect. Some guests want to walk to restaurants. Others want silence, a lake view and a dark sky for the northern lights. Here's how we explain the options to friends who visit.
City centre: easy and walkable
Stay in the centre if you don't have a car and want everything close: restaurants, cafés, shops, the Arktikum museum and the riverside. Most tour companies pick up from central hotels and addresses, so day trips are simple.
Good for:
first-time visitors, short stays, people without a car.
Keep in mind:
street lights make aurora watching harder. You'll want to take a short walk or a tour to see the lights properly.
Ounasvaara: nature right next to town
Ounasvaara is the hill on the other side of the river, a few minutes' drive from the centre. It has ski slopes, cross-country tracks and walking trails through the forest. In winter you can ski straight into the woods, and on a clear night you get away from most of the city light.
Good for:
active travellers, skiers, families who want both nature and the city.
Keep in mind:
walking to the centre is possible but a car or taxi is easier in deep winter.
Near Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle
Santa Claus Village sits on the Arctic Circle about 8 km north of the centre, close to the airport. Staying nearby makes sense if Santa is the main reason for your trip, especially with small kids. Several husky and reindeer farms are also in this direction.
Good for:
families, Christmas trips, early flights.
Keep in mind:
you'll need a car, taxi or bus to get into town for dinner.
Lakeside and forest homes outside town
This is where Lapland really feels like Lapland. Fifteen to thirty minutes from the centre you find homes by frozen lakes, surrounded by pine forest, often with their own sauna and almost no light pollution. You can watch the aurora from the terrace, take a sauna and walk down to the shore.
Good for:
couples, groups of friends, aurora hunters, anyone who wants to slow down.
Keep in mind:
a rental car makes life much easier. Many tour companies can still pick you up, but check before you book.
Hotel or a home?
Hotels are fine for a night or two. For longer stays, families or groups, a home usually gives you more for the money: separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, a drying space for wet winter clothes and often a private sauna. Cooking a few dinners yourself also helps, because eating out in Lapland adds up quickly.
Our quick recommendation
- No car, 2 to 3 nights:
city centre
- Active holiday, skiing:
Ounasvaara
- Kids and Santa:
near Santa Claus Village
- Northern lights, peace and sauna:
lakeside or forest home
We look after around 90 homes in and around Rovaniemi, plus a few in Levi, and each one is checked and cleaned by our own local team. Browse our stays, or tell us what kind of trip you're planning
and we'll suggest a place that fits.
