Santa Claus Village Finland A First Visit

A first visit to Santa Claus village in Finland for Gaynor Scott and family coming from the balmy warmth of the Channel Island of Jersey.

Gaynor on location in Finland.

As our Finnair plane touched down it was snowing heavily in Helsinki.

Finland is ready! Equipped with numerous and large snow ploughs sweeping into action dealing with this daily requirement of the Finnish winter time.

Frozen airfield of Finland.

A beautiful airport too! Ultra clean and beautifully designed with a very efficient and quick passport control.

Onwards before our appointment with Mr Santa Claus at The Santa Claus Village of Rovaniemi we had decided to spend a day and night discovering something of Helsinki.

Santa Claus Village in Finland.

It took around 20 minutes in a taxi from the airport to our city centre hotel.

Entering the Hotel Kamp we immediately felt as though we were stepping into timeless luxury.

This historic hotel is in the very heart of Helsinki in a buzzing retail district.  With Finnish design shops, the Christmas market area plus many high-end global brands.

Helsinki Here We Come

We were given a suite so we could check-in early. It even had its own terrace where we could build a snowman. Perfect!

Cuddle and a carrot for a nose…of course!

Breakfast was taken in the Brasserie restaurant, overlooking the beautiful Esplanade Park. Now covered in fresh blankets of snow.

Top priority then was a search for a carrot for our snowman’s nose. We were in luck, less than a 5-minute walk away in a supermarket.

Walking through the bustling streets of Helsinki with fresh snow falling on us we felt totally safe. There’s always something new and interesting just around the corner and lots of coffee shops to warm up in and watch the trams go by.

We found a great Italian restaurant called La Famiglia which is worth booking in advance since it was jam packed, always a good sign!

We warmed up with the local Nordic version of hot mulled wine called ‘Glogg’, as we checked out the menu for our dinner.

Heading back in the morning to the Helsinki airport for our short flight to Rovaniemi.

The Helsinki Finnair Lounge is a great oasis away from the busy terminal with delicious complimentary hot & cold food & drinks and the perfect place to enjoy a glass of Champagne or a hot chocolate with views of the snow laden runways.

Flying To Santa Claus Village

Even without the lounge access the rest of the airport also has plenty to offer with a good variety of shops, bars, and restaurants to enjoy.

The chosen frozen of Finland.

After our short 1hour 30 flight we landed in the very small but efficient Rovaniemi airport. Less than 10 minutes away a car took us to our hotel Nova Skyland Hotel.

Chosen by us for its good reviews and its perfect location to Santa Claus Village.

Checking into our beautiful Nordic cottage which overlooked the reindeers in the forest. Complete with a warming fireplace and that essential in these climes,  a sauna.

Putting on our warmest snow clothes we crunched through the snow for about five minutes the short distance to the Santa Claus village.

Gaynor Scott…All wrapped up.

Such a magical experience for a family coming from the balmy Channel Islands.

There is no admission to enter the village, you pay for each individual experience you choose.

Santa Claus Village in Finland.

Everything is nearby in the village and it doesn’t take long to experience or see what’s on offer.

There are countless activities and shops. Offering a range of authentic Lappish crafts and Finnish souvenirs and gifts, plus plenty of restaurants and bars.

The Official Santa Claus Post Office

Our first must do activity was the Reindeer sleigh rides with Santa’s trusted and famous reindeers.

We bought our tickets and queued for less than 10 minutes next to a crackling log fire until it was our turn.

Reindeer in the Santa Village Finland.

Our reindeer herder gave the signal and we were off.  Snuggled in our wooden sleigh listening to the jingling reindeer bells and marvelling at the stunning nature around us in the snowy pine tree forest. Amazing!

Santa’s post office was our next stop, the “Official” post office of Santa Claus in Finland!

The official Post Office at the Santa Claus Village in Finland.

It’s here that  letters from all over the world are received and delivered to Santa. We posted cards to our family back home and one to ourselves, with an official Santa Claus Arctic Circle stamp.

If you want to meet Santa Claus at the official Santa Office, the queues can be very long.

Depending on what time you go. However, the children love the winding pathway through caves and meeting the Elves.

Santa Claus Village in Finland.

My tip for the best time to go… is as soon as it opens or nearer to closing time.

There are several restaurants, and bars to warm up in, all of which we thought were rather overpriced.  But understandable due to the unique location.

The Three Elves seemed to offer the best food and drinks choices we thought.

10 Kilometer Husky Safari

Through our hotel we also booked a Husky safari. There are lots of activities to choose from such as Snowmobiling, Northern Lights and much more.

When you book these tours, they will provide all the necessary Winter clothing you need. At -26 degrees you do need them.

Husky fun in Finland.

As soon as we met the beautiful pack of Huskies, we totally understood why they are one of the most beloved animals of the North.

We spent lots of time petting them and posing with them.  Before we jumped aboard the sled and took a 10-kilometer-long ride.

The dogs got so excited and couldn’t wait to get going and absolutely loved pulling the sled and running through the forest’s trails.

It felt majestic and thrilling at the same time tearing through the snowy Arctic forests with the ice cool wind on our faces.

Once back we warmed up inside a traditional Lappish cabin or ‘Kota.

Make Fury Friends In Finland

A hot drink by the fire before saying goodbye to our new furry friends.

Furry friends in Finland.

Certainly, a truly unforgettable experience, and my favourite part of the whole Lapland experience.

During our December trip when the days were very short, the sun came up around 10:30am and by about 1pm it was sundown!

It’s also worth pointing out that after 7pm everything is closed in Santa Claus village.

Although it’s still lovely to walk around with the numerous illuminations of pretty lights strung around the village and in the trees.

Back once again to the hotel for yet another welcome warmup by the log fire in our cottage followed by fresh snowman building and popping that carrot into place before dinner at the hotel.

Happy magical family memories made for life.