A dream visit to Arctic Circle and Lapland (in Finland) – The official Home Town of Santa Claus

A dream visit to Arctic Circle and Lapland ( in Finland ) – The official Home Town of Santa Claus

While I was working with Nokia in Espoo – Finland, I got a chance to visit Lapland in December 2011. 

Hello! I traveled here, a long time ago. Never in my wildest dreams, did I think that someday I’d be a travel blogger! Apologies for the quality of the contents (AND/OR) pictures might not meet your expectations.  I assure you detailed contents / pictures in the latest and the upcoming blogs. Hope you can understand. Enjoy reading and stay connected!

Santa Claus Village: We spent 2 days at Santa Claus Village; it’s around 8-10kms from Rovaniemi. There are many activities available at Santa Claus Village such as husky/reindeer safaris, Arctic Circle Visit, visit Santa Claus , visit Santa Claus Main Post Office and so on. You will hear Christmas carols and music as soon as you enter the Village. Entry to Santa Claus Village is free. You can meet Santa Claus at no additional charges. 

We took an overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi Station. We had booked the Train Berths very early to avoid the peak time rush. 

Santa was so nice, we were lucky to have a chat for few minutes. Cameras are not allowed at the Santa Claus Village. But the officials there will take your picture in their camera and you can buy it at the exit counter. For us, they charged around 25 Euros. 

Husky Ride was a great experience. 

We stayed at “LUOSTOTUNTURI”. They arrange different adventure trips like early morning trekking and so on. 

Pine forests fully covered with snow is a visual treat. 

You can also try “Rein Deer meat” along with mashed potato, I personally did not like it though. 

You can also stay in an Igloo and watch Northern Lights, once you are here. Personally, I couldn’t do this. Don’t miss the visit to Arctic Husky Farm.

A snowmobile ride was another attraction. Plenty of locals use snowmobiles as their main mode of transportation in winter, which I found pretty cool. 

Temperature was around -20. 

You also get a chance to cross the Arctic Circle here. They even punch the Arctic circle seal on your passport (Some Charges involved) 

Kudos to these guys, who ensure that the roads are good enough for a safe ride. 

Please check these links for more details:
https://www.santaclausreindeer.fi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland_(Finland)

One-line Summary : Visiting Lapland in Finland is and shall remain one of my all-time favourite travel experience. If you are in Finland during December (or infact any time of the year), please don’t miss this fantastic place. Its indeed a Life time experience.