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Best Things to Do
Top 10 Best Things to Do in Lapland [2025]
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Santa Claus Village
4.5
/5
298 reviews
7.6
Based on 4,711 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +358163562096
Address: 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 1 day
Featured in 2025 Europe 50 - Family-Friendly Attractions
Highlights:
Postcards with Santa's special postmark
Buy Lapland tents & antler souvenirs
Saved by 767 users118 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Santa Claus Village is a must-visit for those looking to immerse themselves in a winter wonderland and enjoy an authentic Christmas experience. However, it’s also a very touristy spot, and it can be expensive, so it may not be for everyone.
A visit here was amazing. To stand on the Arctic Circle line was brilliant. There is so much to see and do here. We visited in September and it was still magical minus the snow. We found a few hidden geocaches and when we saw Santa he knew all about them.
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The SnowCastle of Kemi
4.3
/5
3 reviews
5.1
Based on 270 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +35816258878
Address: Lumilinnankatu 15, 94100 Kemi, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Verified user reviews
The Snow Castle is a large-scale snow and ice art project in Kemi, Finland. It is also the world's largest fortress-shaped building made of snow and ice. The Snow Castle was first built in 1996 and immediately attracted 300,000 tourists. Since then, the Snow Castle has been built every winter in Kemi, and it has become one of the most famous winter tourist attractions in Finland. The Snow Castle is set with a different theme every year, with a total construction area of about 13,000 to 20,000 square meters. The raw materials of the Snow Castle are taken from the frozen seawater on the Kemi Bay.
I went there in November.
The inside of Lumilinna wasn't that big, but there were various ice sculptures and it was beautiful.
There was also an ice slide that you could slide down.
There were also souvenir shops and a place where you could book tours.
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Icebreaker Sampo check-in
4.7
/5
36 reviews
4.9
>100 km from downtown
Phone +35816258878
Address: Lumilinnankatu 15A, 94100 Kemi, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 4-5 hours
Highlights:
Ice-breaking boat tour: 4 hours
Icebreaker shatters 26-foot ice
49% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Kemi Icebreaker. Icebreaker trip on the Arctic Circle
The Sampu icebreaker, founded in 1960, is no longer used by scientific expedition teams, but is now used by tourists for sightseeing. The experience of an icebreaker moving on the Arctic Circle is truly unforgettable. If you come to Rovaniemi, you must come to Kemi to experience the icebreaker. The whole trip takes about 4 hours. It is best to join in the morning. If you join in the afternoon, it may be darker when you return. You must feel the moment when the ice breaks at the bow.
The Sampu is a passenger icebreaker that is docked in Kemi, an important seaport city in the Finnish Lapland administrative region. It specializes in tourist cruises. As of 2013, the Sampu, as Finland's most distinctive "excellent tourism product", has received nearly 200,000 tourists from more than 50 countries around the world. The Sampu cruise starts from the port of Ajos in Kemi and the entire voyage takes about 4 hours. The operation time of the Sampu icebreaker tourist cruise is roughly from mid-December to early May of the following year.
Every winter from December to May of the following year, a layer of sea ice several feet thick will form in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, located on the west side of Finland. According to the historical meteorological records of the Finnish Meteorological Institute [2], the average ice period at the port of Ajos in Kemi is 177 days per year; and in the past 20 years, despite the challenge of global warming, the annual ice period at the port of Ajos has remained between 140 and 196 days.
Facing the frozen ocean, icebreakers have become an indispensable means of transportation. The "Sampo" icebreaker has been sailing on the ice sea of the Gulf of Bothnia since 1961. In 1987, the Sampo became the world's first professional icebreaker dedicated to tourist cruises.
No.
4
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Arctic Circle Snowmobile park
4.3
/5
99 reviews
4.8
Based on 423 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +358504720023
Address: Joulumaantie 5, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
Highlights:
Perfect for colorful night photos
Midnight sun in the Arctic
26% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
The Arctic Circle is marked at 66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude. The 66°33' North Pole line connecting Santa Claus' office and Santa Claus Village Post Office is covered by snow. But don't be disappointed, there is also a 66°33' 07" white North Pole line indoors, where you can take photos in winter.
The Arctic Circle of Santa Claus Village in Finland can only be seen from the lobby of the main entrance of the visitor center in winter, and the outdoor area is covered with snow. Stepping into the Arctic Circle means that you can see the Northern Lights under certain conditions.
No.
5
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Ranua Zoo
4.1
/5
20 reviews
4.5
From PHP 2068.97
Based on 815 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +358164692050
Address: Rovaniementie 29, 97700 Ranua, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
No. 2 of Family-Friendly Attractions in Lapland
Highlights:
Night safari with a guide
See Nordic wildlife & hike
Verified user reviews
The wildlife park is about an hour's drive from Rovaniemi city. It is a good place to see small animals in winter. There are representative animals such as polar bears and elks, as well as owls and so on?
It’s not the usual boring touristy zoo - highly recommended to check out this wildlife safari with arctic animals. You wouldn’t even see a zookeeper in sight. A totally different feel in winter with the snow! Watch polar bear, arctic fox and reindeers in action. Can easily spend about 2-3hours here. Just a short 45mins bus ride from Rovaniemi.
No.
6
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Santa Claus Office
4.0
/5
43 reviews
4.4
Based on 1,858 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Phone +35820799999
Address: Joulumaantie 1, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
Highlights:
Meet Santa Claus up close
Santa Claus Village experience
33% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Coming to the Christmas Village to take a photo with Santa Claus was supposed to be a meaningful game, but ended up spending most of the day waiting in line (too many people, December 25th). From getting a number to queuing up to enter the venue, I waited for more than three hours in the (outdoor) snowy and (indoor) crowded space... In the end, I missed the last bus back to the city (closed at 17:18), so I had to take a taxi 🚕 It took half an hour to wait for the bus and 30 euros to get back to the hotel (Note: The distance from the Christmas Village to the hotel is less than 6 kilometers)
The place is fun but I have always wanted it to be a little bigger to offer a full day experience. Currently it’s suit for half a day only including visiting Santa. The food options are somewhat limited but pizza and burgers are available. The location just next to the main road 4 (E75) not far from Rovaniemi city is perfect.
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