About Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and one of the easiest Arctic destinations to reach. It gives you restaurants, museums, Santa Claus Village and a proper city centre, while forests and winter landscapes begin just beyond the built-up areas.
For us, the key is being realistic about the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi is a city, and city lights are not your friend when you are trying to see the Aurora. Displays can certainly be visible from the area, but when the Northern Lights are the main reason for travelling, darker and more rural destinations give you a better starting point.
That does not make Rovaniemi a poor choice. Quite the opposite. It makes it particularly good as one part of a wider Lapland holiday, giving you the city experience first before heading somewhere quieter for the wilderness and dark skies.
Our current Rovaniemi stay is at the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, set on a wooded hillside on the outskirts of the city. Its location gives you a more natural setting than a central hotel, while keeping Rovaniemi’s main attractions within easy reach
City by Day, Darker Skies by Night
Rovaniemi works particularly well for travellers who want more than a remote wilderness stay.
Days can include museums, restaurants, Santa Claus Village, reindeer experiences, huskies and snowmobiling, while the city itself gives you far more freedom to explore independently than most of our smaller Finnish destinations.
After dark, the approach changes. Good Northern Lights experiences take you away from the strongest city lights and into the surrounding countryside, where darker skies give you a much better chance of seeing a display clearly. That distinction is important: being in Rovaniemi and going Aurora hunting from Rovaniemi are not quite the same thing.
If the Aurora is high on your wish list, our favourite solution is often to combine the best of both worlds.
Rovaniemi and Pyhä
Pyhä is around 90 minutes from Rovaniemi and gives you a much more immersive wilderness setting beside Pyhä-Luosto National Park. Northern Lights Village Pyhä sits around 5 km from the ski resort, surrounded by forest and close to frozen Lake Pyhäjärvi, with dark skies and a choice of glass-roofed accommodation.
It is an excellent combination if you want Rovaniemi’s attractions and accessibility followed by a proper Arctic stay focused on activities, wilderness and the Northern Lights.
Rovaniemi and Ranua
For families in particular, Ranua is another very strong option.
Ranua is around an hour from Rovaniemi and combines snowy wilderness with its Arctic wildlife park, huskies and family-friendly winter activities. Once you move outside the small village, the surrounding countryside also offers much darker skies than central Rovaniemi.
That makes it a good pairing if you want to enjoy Rovaniemi but would rather spend the majority of your holiday somewhere quieter, with more nature immediately outside the door.
Where to Stay in Rovaniemi
Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
The Arctic TreeHouse Hotel is our current Rovaniemi choice and gives the city a much more Arctic feel.
Set on a wooded hillside on the outskirts of Rovaniemi, its suites are raised amongst the trees and feature wide panoramic windows looking out towards the snowy forest. You remain close to the attractions Rovaniemi is known for, but the setting feels considerably more removed from the city centre.
The hotel also gives food and accommodation a bigger role in the experience, with Rakas Restaurant and a choice of TreeHouse Suites, Arctic Glass Houses and Executive Suites.
For us, Arctic TreeHouse Hotel works best for travellers who want Rovaniemi itself to be part of the holiday, rather than simply using the city as somewhere to sleep before an Aurora hunt.
Best for: couples, special occasions, first-time visitors, design-led accommodation and travellers who want Rovaniemi’s attractions within easy reach.
