SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE

Located in Rovaniemi in Finland, right in the Arctic Circle, the Santa Claus Village is one of the best and most famous attractions in the country. Also known as Santa’s official North Pole residence, this village is the hometown of Santa Claus and opened its doors to visitors in the late 1900s. This is where you can find a real-life Santa receiving all your letters and greeting his fans in person.

In addition to meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus, you can also see the Elf School where Santa’s elves work all day long to receive your letters and send presents to children all over the world. Additionally, the village also has Santa’s official Post Office, from where you can send a letter to your family and friends. There are several handicrafts and souvenir shops located here, where you can get your hands on small knick-knacks or learn about the Finnish Christmas traditions and folklore. You can even get your photo clicked with Father Christmas here! Located right on the Arctic Circle, the village offers a lot of activities to the hundreds and thousands of visitors that come here all around the year.

The Santa Claus Village is also one of the top places in Finland to catch sights of the pristine Northern Lights. Additionally, it is a great place to indulge in sleigh rides, driven by none other than Santa’s reindeers. 

Some of the main attractions of the Santa Claus Village in Finland include Santa’s office and Christmas house, Santa’s Post Office, husky and snowmobile parks, reindeer farms, and more.

Santa Claus Village is located in Rovaniemi in Lapland. This is in the northernmost province of Finland. The best way to get to Rovaniemi is by taking a flight from Helsinki. From India, direct flights operate from the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, etc. to the Helsinki Vantaa International Airport. Some of the flights operating between India and Helsinki include KLM, Finnair, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa Airlines, among others.

From there, you can either avail a flight to the Rovaniemi Airport or travel overland by availing direct buses or trains to Rovaniemi. The Santa Claus Village is situated around 3 kilometres from the Rovaniemi Airport, with numerous buses and private cabs available to take you to the village.

The Santa Claus Village is located around 8 kilometres north of Rovaniemi. You can either take the Santa Express bus from the Rovaniemi city centre to the Village or rent a private car to drive by yourself. It typically takes around 9 hours to reach the Santa Claus Village from the Rovaniemi city centre.

The Santa Claus Village is located in Rovaniemi in the Lapland region of Finland. This region typically experiences four major seasons: The winter season in Rovaniemi is the months of the Polar Night, with no light, intense snowfall, and extreme cold, which is great for viewing the Northern Lights. These months at the Santa Claus Village are very special, owing to Christmas, when tourists, as well as locals, flock to the village to meet Santa in person and enjoy the winter wonderland.

The snowy winter months of December to March give way to the spring season in April and May. This is when the snow and ice in the region melt, the rivers, and lakes start gushing again, and the last few days of the Northern Lights display are spotted. The summer season of the midnight sun, white nights, and warm spells begin in June and end in July. This is the most crowded time of the year for Rovaniemi, with people coming out in masses, celebrating the daylight, and enjoying various activities throughout the day.

Finally, the warm summer months are followed by the appearance of Northern Lights from late August to November. This is when the temperatures begin to drop below zero, with the first snowfall of the year. Rovaniemi and the Santa Claus village are painted in rusty autumn hues, and the region is great for hiking and other nature-related activities. The best time to visit Santa Claus village is during Christmas. This is when you can meet Santa, visit the other attractions and indulge in thrilling activities in the village, as well as view the Northern Lights. This is the time of the year when this small village is most lively.

1. Meet and greet Father Christmas: Since this is the official residence of Santa Claus, meeting him is one of the top things to do at this village. Meet and greet Santa, see all his elves, take pictures with him and enjoy a once in a lifetime experience here.

2. See the reindeers at the Reindeer Farm: Visit Rudolph’s cousins at a reindeer farm in the village. Spend some time in the open Nordic countryside, ride on a snowmobile or explore the arctic wilderness while you are driven by reindeers on a sleigh.

3. Send a letter from Santa’s post office: When visiting the Santa Claus village, head over to Santa’s post office and send a letter to your loved ones back home from here, which are delivered by Santa’s elves. 

4. Cross the Arctic Circle line: Cross the Arctic Circle that runs through the Santa Claus village through an underground tunnel. When you cross the line, ensure that you take a photo to keep as a memory.