Planning a trip to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland? I’ve got two beautiful accommodation recommendations for you, one in the city and one out in the wilderness with aurora viewing opportunities!
Rovaniemi, in northern Finland, has been on my personal bucket list for yearsssss after seeing igloo hotels with auroras in the sky in the early days of viral travel photos. On my third Europe train adventure it was finally time to tick it off!
I spend around three months in Europe each year travelling by train as much as possible, and for my third trip I included three weeks in Scandinavia which was perfect for tacking on a week in Finland (not technically Scandinavia if you didn’t already know that). With convenient night trains from both Turku and Helsinki, Rovaniemi was an easy first stop during my time in Finland.
I have to be honest and say that visiting Rovaniemi in late September certainly didn’t show me the best of the city. It’s best known for being a winter wonderland, and the home of Santa Claus, so seeing it without any snow was a bit jarring compared to the stunning snowy photos I’ve seen before.
September is the low season which means many activities weren’t running (no husky safaris, no snowmobiling) and many restaurants had limited hours or weren’t open at all, BUT the benefits are much lower prices for accommodation/rental car/flights if you’re flying, beautiful autumn colours and incredible Northern Lights opportunities.
All in all I’m glad I went, and my trip was made even better by staying at two gorgeous accommodation options during my visit. One was the iconic Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle, and the other was one of their sister hotels, Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus in the city centre.
This was a collaboration which means I was hosted at the hotels in exchange for coverage on my channels, but they have no editorial control of what I write and, as always, everything is based on my personal experience. Here’s my detailed and honest review of Santa’s Igloos and Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus!
All about Santa’s Igloos
What are Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle?
Stylish and cosy glass-ceiling igloo-shaped cabins located right on the edge of the Arctic Circle, facing north for peak aurora viewing. The ultimate Lapland glamping experience!
Where are Santa’s Igloos?
A short 10 minute drive from Rovaniemi, and just a minute away from the famous Santa Claus Village. There are quite a few igloo hotels in Lapland but Santa’s Igloos is one of the closest (or maybe THE closest) to Rovaniemi’s city centre.
If you don’t have a rental car they can arrange a transfer for you, or you can catch the 8 minute bus from Rovaniemi to Santa Claus Village, and then walk 10 minutes to reach the igloos.
What are the igloos like?
They are surprisingly spacious! A dreamy bed, cosy living area with a chair, a wheeled shelf thing that I used as a desk, a TV, a mini fridge and a kettle. There’s an entrance way for storing your bags so they don’t take up space in the bedroom, and a simple bathroom. It honestly has everything you’d expect of a hotel room, no need to give up any comforts!
There are privacy curtains on the lower windows but the glass ceiling is totally see-through, ideal for aurora viewing if you’re lucky.
There are some igloos with an extra alcove to fit two more people, though it’s super small so best for kids or adults who don’t mind being very close to each other!
There are also some igloos that have a private sauna, and my one had a private hot tub. Robes and slippers are in each igloo too.
There’s heating and air con in every igloo so you’ll stay toasty warm even in the middle of winter.
What are the facilities like?
The igloo hotel has a big building where you’ll find the reception, the Arctic Eye restaurant and breakfast room, a bar and a nice little chill out/waiting area.
What is the food like?
The buffet breakfast is available from 7.30am-10.30am and includes a variety of hot and cold food. Expect things like smoked salmon, deli meats, typical hot dishes like eggs and hash browns, fresh bread, spreads, cheeses, granola, DIY waffles and fresh fruit.
The Arctic Eye restaurant unfortunately wasn’t open when I was there as I was staying in the low season, but it has a rating of 4.6/5 from 21 reviews on a Finnish restaurant review website (generally I’d use Google to see reviews but it doesn’t have its own Google page). It’s open from 5pm-9pm from October to mid-April.
The restaurant focuses on traditional Lapland dishes with an international twist, serving up things like whitefish roe, pumpkin soup, beef tenderloin with Lappish potatoes, lobster tail, scampi risotto and blueberry pie. The menu changes seasonally, and there’s a Chef Special Menu available too if you want to treat yourself to a full culinary experience.
Can you see the Northern Lights at Santa’s Igloos?
You absolutely can! There’s minimal light pollution out at Santa’s Igloos which makes it the perfect place to witness the aurora, and each igloo has a tablet with an aurora alert which will go off if the lights are active (and you can turn it off if you don’t want to be disturbed or woken up).
Of course nature is never 100%, and the weather conditions need to be on your side, but if there’s a clear enough sky and the aurora is active you’ll definitely be able to see it from the igloos.
My first night at Santa’s Igloos was super cloudy so I couldn’t see anything, but the next night had clearer skies and I was able to see the green swirl around the sky from my hot tub and from my bed.
What is there to do at Santa’s Igloos?
At the igloos themselves there aren’t really any activities, but nearby you can visit husky farms (ethical ones of course) or go on a husky safari, meet Santa at Santa Claus Village, visit a reindeer farm, go hiking, snowshoeing or canoeing, or book a guided excursion like a Northern Lights tour (Wonderlapland is my top pick!).
What was great about Santa’s Igloos?
Some of the things I loved about the igloos:
✅ Unobstructed Northern Lights viewing 😍
✅ Very friendly staff, this is something I always notice as a solo traveller because sometimes hotel staff are the only humans I speak to that day haha and it makes a real impact if they’re nice!
✅ Reeeeally comfortable beds
✅ Great buffet breakfast with lots of variety
✅ Perfect location with easy access to the city, train station and attractions if you have a car
✅ Mini fridge, Finland is expensiiiiive and I was buying supermarket snacks for lunch and dinner that needed to be refrigerated
What was not-so-great about Santa’s Igloos?
Honestly I struggle to find any issues that aren’t related to the time of the year I chose!
Without the snow the igloos (and the rest of Rovaniemi haha) doesn’t look as magical as you might expect from the photos you’ve seen, so if you’re wanting the true Rovaniemi experience then you’ll need to travel in the colder months where there are more people and higher prices.
I’m gutted that I couldn’t try the Arctic Eye restaurant but again, that’s my fault for visiting in September, it wouldn’t be sustainable for them to open the restaurant for a small number of guests.
Igloo-wise I have no negatives!
Practical details for Santa’s Igloos
When is it open: September to April
How much does it cost: Igloos start from €356 in September, €481 in October and €739 from November to February. Book early if you’re visiting in the busy season though as the cheaper igloos will get booked up, and the sauna/hot tub ones are more expensive.
Book your stay at Santa’s Igloos here >>
All about Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus
What is Santa’s Hotel?
Santa’s Hotel is a modern hotel offering your typical hotel amenities in a great city centre location.
Where is Santa’s Hotel?
It’s right in the heart of Rovaniemi, with shops, restaurants and attractions an easy walk away. It’s ideal if you don’t have a rental car, but if you are driving there’s parking available around the hotel.
What are the rooms like?
In 2024 the hotel is currently undergoing a renovation, so there are two types of rooms to choose from.
The renovated rooms are beautifully designed, with plush beds, comfortable furnishings, a desk and loads of space, and my suite even had its own private sauna!
The rooms that haven’t been renovated yet are offered at a cheaper price so they’re ideal if you just need somewhere affordable to stay, the design is dated but they’re still more than acceptable for resting your head between Lapland daytime adventures.
What is the food like?
Lappish Restaurant Gaissa serves up a buffet breakfast from 7-10am on weekdays and 7-11am on weekends, with the same dishes on offer as the igloo breakfast.
Gaissa also offers dinner daily from 5-9pm with a good mix of Finnish cuisine and international dishes, but with a focus on local ingredients. I had the burrata (I can never say no to burrata!), grilled chicken salad and a delicious cloudberry and chocolate dessert, but there are things like reindeer pâté, panko crab cakes, salmon pastrami, sauteed reindeer, roasted venison and salmon soup.
There’s also a cafe & bar called Zoomit, open 4-10pm Tuesdays to Thursdays and 4pm-3am on Fridays and Saturdays (closed on Sundays) known for its fancy cocktails and super chill vibe.
Can you see the Northern Lights from Santa’s Hotel?
The Northern Lights aren’t so easy to see from Rovaniemi city centre because of light pollution, if you want to see the aurora from your accommodation then I’d really recommend booking an igloo stay.
If you are staying in the city but are desperate to see the lights then your best bet is to join a Northern Lights chase, I loved mine with Wonderlapland!
They have a shorter tour that’s five hours (a typical chase) orrrr if you’re willing to give up sleep, they also offer an epic Aurora Hunt where they’ll drive you pretty much as far as they need to in order to find the perfect light conditions for viewing and photography, anywhere between 8 and 12 hours.
I opted for that one and we drove 4.5 hours north of Rovaniemi to escape the pesky cloud cover, but it was SO WORTH IT. We got back to the city at 4.30am after an 11 hour round trip!
What is there to do at Santa’s Hotel?
The hotel itself doesn’t have any particular attractions, but it’s literally right in the city so it’s got easy access to everything on offer in Rovaniemi.
What was great about Santa’s Hotel?
✅ Very friendly staff again, let me have a late checkout after my 4.30am arrival from my Northern Lights tour 🙃
✅ Massive renovated rooms
✅ In-room sauna was an absolute treat
✅ Great location for access to the city
What was not-so-great about Santa’s Hotel?
👎🏼 I wasn’t suuuper impressed with the restaurant, there was only one staff member taking orders, serving food, making drinks and taking payment and there were two big groups eating at the same time as me, so it took a long time for me to order, get my food and pay. I’m sure this was a low season problem, but something to be aware of if you’re travelling in September like I was.
👎🏼 My room didn’t have a mini fridge, there was space for one and it was listed as an amenity for that room, but where the mini fridge is meant to go was just an empty hole.
Practical travel details for Santa’s Hotel
When is it open: Year-round
How much does it cost: Rooms start from about €120 in the quieter months and from about €200 for the winter period
Book your stay at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus here >>
If you’re heading to the Nordic countries you might also like to read my three week Scandinavia itinerary!
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