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Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, a region of Finland, and in winter it makes a good base for days outdoors. From the city, small groups walk through the forest on snowshoes, try ice fishing on a lake, go out after dark to look for the northern lights or spend a morning with the animals of Ranua Wildlife Park.
Rovaniemi is both a city and a municipality, and at the end of 2023 it had 65,286 inhabitants. The city lies on the Kemijoki, a river of Lapland that rises at Kemihaara, in Savukoski, and empties into the Bothnian Bay. The Ounasjoki, which comes down from the lake Ounasjärvi at Hetta, in Enontekiö, belongs to the same Kemijoki basin.
Over the Kemijoki runs Jätkänkynttilä, a road bridge held up by cables, named after the Swedish torch.
On the bank of the Ounasjoki, Arktikum is a science centre that houses the regional museum of Lapland and the Arctic Centre, a research institute of the University of Lapland. The town church was designed by the architect Bertel Liljequist and is listed among the cultural heritage sites of national significance in Finland.
Santa Claus Village, a park built around the figure of Santa Claus, stands in Napapiiri, a district of Rovaniemi whose name refers to the Arctic Circle.
At the end of 2025, the whole region of Lapland had 176,215 inhabitants. Ranua, a neighbouring municipality of Rovaniemi, is home to Ranua Wildlife Park. Posio, which also borders Rovaniemi, has Riisitunturi National Park, Riisitunturin kansallispuisto in Finnish, a protected area of about 76 square kilometres created in 1981.
The guided snowshoe walk takes a small group to a forest outside the city, where you learn to move on snowshoes without any previous experience. Halfway, around the campfire, the guide shows how to light a fire with flint and steel, and grilled sausages and hot drinks are served; the walk is rated easy. On the ice fishing outing, a guide shows you how to drill a hole in the ice of a frozen lake near Rovaniemi and how to fish the traditional way, and the day ends by a fire with grilled salmon, Finnish bread and hot drinks. The fishing gear is provided, but your own winter clothing and boots are not.
After dark, the northern lights tour takes a small group by minivan away from the city lights. The guide follows the aurora and weather forecasts and changes viewpoint as the sky changes, with warm drinks while you wait. Nobody can guarantee a sighting.
For families, the guided visit to Ranua Wildlife Park includes the entrance ticket and a walk along the paths of a park that keeps many Arctic species, from the polar bear to the Arctic fox and the wolverine; what you see can vary with the season. Couples can book a private ice skating session in a park in Rovaniemi, with skates provided, help for beginners and a professional photographer whose pictures you receive digitally. For a full day out, the winter hike in Riisitunturi National Park follows an easy marked trail among snow-laden spruces in Posio, with a photographer on the way and a campfire break with hot chocolate, sausages and a lesson in chopping firewood and lighting a fire in the snow.
More trips from the city are listed on the Rovaniemi destination page.
Nobody can promise it. The lights depend on solar activity and on a clear sky, so the guide follows the forecasts and moves between viewpoints to improve your chances.
No. The guides explain the technique at the start and provide the snowshoes or the fishing gear.
Warm layers, insulated waterproof boots, a hat and gloves. Winter clothing is not always included, so check what each tour provides before you book.
Yes. The guided visit is designed for families and welcomes all ages, and you are taken there and back from your accommodation.
Sources: Wikidata (CC0).
