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Dog Sledding in Rovaniemi - ©Visitrovaniemi.fi

Best of Lapland Express - Rovaniemi

(4 days / 3 nights)

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Snowy adventures in Santa’s hometown

Adventure is calling you to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. This Arctic wilderness is beautiful beyond belief and you can explore it by snowmobile and husky sled for the thrill of a lifetime. Wander through colourful town streets and learn about traditional Sámi culture. Ride in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and visit the Santa Claus Village to meet the “man in red”. You might even spot the northern lights when you sleep under the stars in a glass igloo!

Please note that this package is subject to availability. Please wait to book your flights until after we have confirmed your reservation.

Secure your Christmas getaway now by booking a spot on our Best of Lapland - Guaranteed Departure tour starting on 18 December 2024.

4 days / 3 nights

Price p.p. from

The amount will be charged in EUR

Approx 1838 EUR

— Why book with Nordic Visitor

  • Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
  • Quality & value for your money
  • Specialists in travel to Lapland
  • Great customer reviews 
  • Carbon offsetting included

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Tour Highlights

  • Discover the beauty, history and culture of Lapland
  • Meet the famous man in red” at the Santa Claus Village
  • Feel the wind on your cheeks on a sleigh pulled by huskies
  • Spend the night in a glass igloo at the Arctic SnowHotel
  • Learn about Sámi culture and meet local reindeer
  • Take in the snowy scenery of the Finnish valleys and woodlands
  • Walk through the magical streets of Rovaniemi
  • Experience the thrill of Arctic excursions and add optional activities
  • Have a chance to glimpse the colourful northern lights in the night sky
  • Speed through the frozen wilderness on a snowmobile

Travel style

Partially Guided i

Interest

Arctic Circle i, Dog Sled i, Glass Igloos i, Ice/Snow hotel i, Reindeers and Sami Culture i, Santa Claus i

Season

Dec - Mar

Departure

Daily

Interest

Arctic Circle i, Dog Sled i, Glass Igloos i, Ice/Snow hotel i, Reindeers and Sami Culture i, Santa Claus i

Itinerary

A day-by-day plan to guide your Finnish travels.

  • Day 1: ARRIVAL IN ROVANIEMI

    Welcome to magical Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland! When you arrive at Rovaniemi Airport a private driver will meet you to take you to your accommodation in town. Then head out to explore the snowy city centre. It is small but charming, with children ice skating and sledging on the main streets. You’ll also find a shopping centre and lots of restaurants to try the local cuisine.

    Tonight, you have the option to join a wintry adventure to maximise your chances of seeing the northern lights. Tours range from a family friendly snow train to a thrilling snowmobile ride in the frosty forest.

    Spend the night in Rovaniemi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 2: DOG SLEDDING & AN ARCTIC STAY

    This morning, you’ll join a 10-kilometre (6-mile) guided dog sledding excursion. When you arrive at the husky farm you’ll hear the excited huskies waiting for their chance to run through the snow-covered forest trail. Following a brief lesson at the kennel, you’ll drive your own sleigh, pulled by a team of energetic huskies, through the woods and over the snowy plains. There will be 2 people sharing each sleigh, taking turns mushing.

    In the afternoon you will head to the Arctic SnowHotel. This complex is built entirely of snow and ice each year. Here you’ll enjoy a guided tour* to see the beautiful ice rooms as well the ice restaurant and ice bar.

    After the tour, tuck into a 3-course dinner based on local specialties at the rustic Kota. It is modelled after a traditional Sámi structure for a cozy atmosphere. Before staying the night under the stars in a glass igloo, you could end the evening with a traditional Finnish sauna session.

    *Guided tours of the Arctic SnowHotel are dependent on opening times. The hotel usually opens its ice-carved doors around 15 December each year.

    Spend the night in a glass igloo.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 3: SÁMI CULTURE & THE SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE

    Start the morning early with a hearty breakfast at the Arctic SnowHotel resort before returning to Rovaniemi. Later that morning you will be joining a tour to a reindeer farm before continuing on to the Santa Claus Village*.

    At the reindeer farm, you’ll learn about the Sámi people and their culture. Their way of life includes reindeer herding, so you’ll enjoy a short reindeer sleigh ride. You’ll also join your hosts in a special ceremony of crossing the Arctic Circle.

    Next up you’ll travel to the Santa Claus Village. Here you’ll have some time to do some souvenir shopping, send postcards from Santa’s main post office, and of course meet Santa Claus himself! Afterwards you’ll return to Rovaniemi, where you can spend the evening at your leisure.

    Spend the night in Rovaniemi.

    *For arrivals in December until 6 January the transfer will be by bus. On other dates, you’ll travel via snowmobile to the reindeer farm.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 4: DEPARTURE FROM LAPLAND

    Today is your last day in Finnish Lapland. After an adventurous winter getaway, a driver will take you back to Rovaniemi Airport in time for your departure flight.

Optional extras

Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.

We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.

Map

Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.

Reviews

We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.

I will use Nordic Visitor again

I will absolutely use Nordic Visitor again, and I have recommended your organisation to family and friends. I was particularly struck by the attentiveness of Juliana. I note here that she saved me over $3,000 in travel expenses because she caught an error I made while making my flight arrangements to Finland. She is one of the most professional, and helpful people I have ever encountered.

Excellent experience!

Cannot fault our experience. Everything was made very easy from start to finish. Thank you so much. Loads included but still had enough time to do other things and explore on our own. Excellent experience. No glitches so no negative memories of the experience. Loved equally by child and adults!

We were well looked after

We had a fantastic time. We were well looked after. Our activities were well laid out. Liza our Nordic Visitor agent was really good keeping us informed as well.

Holiday of a lifetime

Professional, well organised, friendly and extremely helpful consultant helped plan a holiday of a lifetime. Instructions were very clear and all activities were planned perfectly.

Everything was perfect

Knowledgeable and customised our tour perfectly. Everything was perfect.

Accommodation

Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.

Comfort Plus

Rooms with private shower or bath and WC. These are in three-star hotels and are all centrally located within towns. All provide ..

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Superior

Rooms with private shower or bath and WC. These are in four-star hotels and are all centrally located within towns. All hotels pro..

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Price per person from

The amount will be charged in EUR

Approx 1838 EUR

Tour Information

We recommend that you read carefully through the following section about travelling to Rovaniemi, Lapland. It includes some important information about what the tour includes, accommodation, and more about your thrilling activities.

Please note that this package is subject to availability. Please wait to book your flights until after we have confirmed your reservation. If the accommodation in Rovaniemi or at the glass igloo is fully booked on your preferred travel dates, your travel consultant will be in touch with information about the next available dates.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MULTI-DAY TOURS
On a multi-day tour, Nordic Visitor books your accommodation and excursions for a self-guided travel experience. That means you’ll enjoy some free time to explore on your own as well as planned, guided day tours.

Each activity is run by a different tour operator, so you’ll get to meet a few local guides throughout your trip.

You can rest assured that Nordic Visitor only works with a small number of handpicked suppliers that meet our high standards. The activities you’ll participate in are all extremely well rated so you’re sure to have a memorable time.

During your tour, we’re with you every step of the way. Plus, you’ll always be able to reach us on your trip by calling our 24/7 helpline.

ACCOMMODATION
On your multi-day tour, you’ll stay in accommodation that’s been hand-picked by our Lapland travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels and guesthouses in Rovaniemi based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

During the booking process, you can choose from single, double or triple rooms. Please note that in Lapland room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

Included in this package is a 1-night stay in a glass igloo at the Arctic SnowHotel complex. If these are fully booked during your travel dates, we have wonderful glass igloo options in the nearby Apukka Resort or Santa Claus Village area.

FITNESS LEVEL AND ADVENTURE PACKAGES
You should have moderate to good physical fitness to take part comfortably in this tour. This is because packages set in the Arctic are considered adventure travel due to the specific conditions you’ll experience. Arctic travel can sometimes involve extreme weather conditions as well as vigorous activity and animals (like huskies and reindeer) on many excursions.

TRANSFERS TO/FROM ACTIVITIES
Please note that transfers between your hotel and tour meeting locations are not included. You will need to check your vouchers and itinerary information carefully. It is your responsibility to be on time to meet tour guides at meeting locations. Thankfully, Rovaniemi is a charming, small, and very walkable city.

ARCTIC SNOWHOTEL
Included in your package is a stay in a glass igloo at the Arctic SnowHotel, use of the traditional Finnish sauna, a 3-course dinner and breakfast. The SnowHotel offers a northern lights wake-up call service at your glass igloo if you want.

Between 20 November – 20 December, there is ongoing construction work to finalise the building of the Arctic SnowHotel (as it is rebuilt every year). Please note that the Arctic SnowHotel does not open until 15 December.

Entrance ticket to the Snowman World at the Santa Claus Village is included with your stay at the Arctic SnowHotel. The Snowman World usually opens around 6 December each year.

DOGSLEDDING TOUR
The dog sledding tour on this package is a 10-kilometre (6-mile) husky safari.

Each sleigh is shared by 2 people, meaning you’ll take turn sitting and mushing. When controlling the sleigh, you’ll need to stand, kick and sometimes run to assist the dogs, depending on the terrain.

Children will be travelling safely with the tour guide on a large sleigh.

SNOWMOBILE TRANSFER TO THE REINDEER FARM
If you travel between 1 December and 6 January, you'll hop on a bus transfer to the reindeer farm. If you arrive between 7 January and 31 March, you'll enjoy a snowmobile transfer to the farm instead.

Each snowmobile is shared by 2 guests taking turns driving. The driver of the snowmobile has to be at least 18 years old and hold a driver’s licence valid in Finland on the tour. You should be able to present your driving licence at the excursion as there may be checks during the snowmobile safari. Under Finnish law, you cannot drive a snowmobile under the influence of alcohol.

There is a height restriction for children. Children measuring under 140 centimetres (4.5 feet) will usually be seated in a sleigh pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. Children over 140 cm are allowed to sit on the snowmobile behind an adult.

SAFETY AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Please note that sightseeing and tours are dependent on weather and road conditions and might need to be altered if they are not favourable. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24-hour helpline to speak directly with Nordic Visitor staff.

As you’re visiting Lapland in winter, there will be snow and ice on the ground. This can sometimes make it difficult to walk. Please note that there are no luggage handling services available in Lapland. You must be able and prepared to carry your own luggage in snowy conditions.

NORTHERN LIGHTS & DAYLIGHT HOURS
The northern lights are a natural phenomenon, which means that sightings cannot be guaranteed. Evening excursions will operate according to the tour schedule, even in unfavourable viewing conditions. Your guide will do their utmost to determine the best possible location for sightings and make this an enjoyable experience for you.

Please be advised that because of its northerly location close to and inside the Arctic Circle, Lapland has limited daylight in winter. Usually you can expect daylight between 10 AM and 2 PM. The advantage of the snowy surroundings is that the light reflects off the snow making the days seem brighter.

TRAVELLING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
As it is a top family travel destination, generally our Lapland packages are child friendly. That said, many activities (e.g., snowmobile and dog sled tours) have an age limit of 4 years old.

On snowmobile excursions, height restrictions also apply. Children measuring under 140 centimetres (4.5 feet) will usually be seated in a sleigh pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. Children over 140 cm are allowed to sit on the snowmobile behind an adult, when paying the adult price.

TRAVELLING WHILE PREGNANT
If you are pregnant we do not recommend taking part in dog sledding and snowmobiling excursions due to safety concerns. Please let us know in advance and we can offer alternative options.

DEPOSIT PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION CHARGES
This tour requires a non-refundable deposit payment of 50% of the total price at the time of booking. You can view more about the deposit and cancellation fees here.

ADD-ONS & OPTIONAL UPGRADES
You can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades. You are also welcome to combine this tour with any of our Scandinavian packages.

If you have something specific in mind, get in touch with your travel consultant and they’ll create your dream trip.

AFTER BOOKING WITH NORDIC VISITOR
After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip.

We aim to complete bookings within a few weeks. During this time we take care of booking your accommodation, activities, and transport, confirming all parts of your journey. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip.

CARBON OFFSETTING YOUR TOUR
Nordic Visitor is working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours. Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund.

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