If you're planning 3 days in Rovaniemi and wondering how to fit everything in, this itinerary is for you.
After three DIY trips to Finnish Lapland, including two visits to Rovaniemi, we've learnt that you don't need a week to experience the magic of Lapland. With a little planning, three days is enough to meet Santa, cross the Arctic Circle, hunt for the Northern Lights, visit an ice restaurant, enjoy a husky safari and experience some of the very best attractions Rovaniemi has to offer.
This is the itinerary we'd recommend to friends and family visiting for the first time. It's based on our own trips, uses public transport where possible and includes honest advice on what's worth your time and money.
Whether you're travelling as a couple, with friends or as a family, this guide will show you exactly how to spend three unforgettable days in Rovaniemi, including where to stay, how to get around, optional activities and ways to keep costs down.
This wasn't a family trip. It was a long weekend away with one of my friends, planned to prove that Lapland isn't just for children and meeting Santa. We split every cost 50/50, travelled with hand luggage only and planned everything ourselves.
From DIY itineraries and Northern Lights tips to budgeting advice, destination guides and honest reviews of the places we've visited, you'll find everything together in our Lapland Travel Guide Hub.
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Day 1: Arrive in Rovaniemi • Arctic SnowHotel • Guided SnowHotel tour • Northern Lights hunt
Day 2: Snow Sauna • Snowman World • Arctic Penthouse • Evening snowmobile safari
Day 3: Husky ride • Reindeer sleigh • Santa's Main Post Office • Arctic Circle • Fly home
We paid just £48 per person return for our direct flights from Liverpool to Rovaniemi, and it's one of the reasons I'm such a fan of planning DIY Lapland trips. If you'd like to do the same, don't miss my Flights to Lapland guide, where I've covered direct routes from UK and Ireland airports, when flights operate and how we consistently find return fares for under £100 per person.
Another way we kept the cost down was by travelling hand luggage only, just as we have on all three of our Lapland trips. We wore our snow boots and winter jackets on the flight to save valuable suitcase space, then packed the rest of our clothing using a simple layering system. If you're wondering what to pack, I've put together a complete Lapland packing list and what to wear in Lapland guide, covering everything we took, how we stayed warm and the items we wouldn't travel without.
For a three-day trip, I'd recommend staying either in Rovaniemi city centre or Santa Claus Village depending on the type of holiday you're looking for.
We’ve stayed in Rovaniemi twice and found the city centre to be the best base for a short DIY break. It's easy to reach from the airport by public bus or taxi, you'll have plenty of restaurants within walking distance and most organised tours offer hotel pick-up from central accommodation.
If you're travelling with children and want to be surrounded by Christmas magic from the moment you arrive, staying in Santa Claus Village is another excellent option. You'll be able to walk to Santa's Main Post Office, cross the Arctic Circle whenever you like and enjoy the village after many day visitors have left.
For something truly memorable, consider spending one night at the Arctic SnowHotel before returning to the city centre. That's exactly what we did on this 3 day trip, and it gave us the chance to experience the SnowHotel and Snow Sauna without needing to stay there for the whole holiday.
Wherever you choose to stay, there's no need to hire a car. We planned our entire itinerary using airport buses, local buses, organised transfers and walking, making it easy to explore Rovaniemi independently.
One of the biggest misconceptions about planning a DIY trip to Rovaniemi is that you need to hire a car. After multiple visits, we've found that's simply not the case.
For this itinerary, we used a mixture of taxis, the Arctic SnowHotel shuttle bus and organised activity transfers. It was straightforward, reliable and meant we could enjoy the trip without worrying about driving in snowy conditions.
If you're staying in the city centre, many Northern Lights tours, husky safaris and snowmobile experiences include hotel pick-up, making it even easier to get around.
Local buses also connect Rovaniemi Airport, Santa Claus Village and the city centre, making them a good budget-friendly option if you're travelling with hand luggage.
For shorter journeys, we found taxis reasonably priced when the cost was shared. We used the Menevä Taksi app throughout our trip and every taxi arrived within a few minutes of booking.
Unless you're planning to explore places such as Levi, Ranua, Pyhä or Luosto, I'd save the cost of a hire car and put that money towards another Lapland experience instead.
One of the biggest questions people ask is how much a DIY trip to Lapland actually costs.
Although we found £48 return flights from Liverpool and travelled hand luggage only, this wasn't a budget trip overall. We chose to include some of Lapland's more unique experiences, including a night at the Arctic SnowHotel, the Snow Sauna Experience and an evening snowmobile safari, so I'd describe this itinerary as mid-range rather than budget.
Even so, the total cost came to £646 per person, including flights, accommodation, activities, food and transport around Rovaniemi.
If you're looking for an even cheaper option, we've since returned to Lapland with my teenage daughter for her birthday. That trip was planned very differently, so if you'd like another real-life example, take a look at our 2-Day Lapland Itinerary, where I break down exactly what we spent and how we kept the costs lower.
Our flight landed at Rovaniemi Airport at around 8pm, so rather than staying in the city centre first, we headed straight to the Arctic SnowHotel, around 35km away. It meant we could make the most of our stay without needing to travel back out there later in the trip.
After checking in, we joined the hotel's guided tour, which is included with your stay. This gives you the chance to explore every room before guests settle in for the night, and it's one of the highlights of the experience.
Every room has a completely different theme, with intricate carvings made entirely from snow and ice. As we'd already eaten on the flight, we spent the rest of the evening wandering around the hotel grounds, visiting the reindeer and warming up inside the traditional kota before eventually heading to our ice room for the night. Sleeping in a room made entirely from snow and ice was definitely a unique experience and one we'll never forget.
At around 1.30am we were woken by an aurora alert and headed outside hoping to see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, they didn't appear that night, but it was still exciting knowing there was always a chance during our stay.
If you're thinking of staying there too, I've written a full review of the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, covering the rooms, facilities, food, transport and whether it's worth the cost.
We were up early at 6am and ready for breakfast by 7am. After a surprisingly good buffet (I think I managed three plates!), we spent a little time exploring the Arctic SnowHotel in daylight. We'd only seen it lit up the night before, so it was nice to wander around properly and, of course, make the most of the free snow tubing before checking out.
At 10.30am we had booked the hotel's famous Snow Sauna Experience, something we'd been looking forward to for months. You don't need to stay at the Arctic SnowHotel to enjoy it, as it's also open to day visitors.
The experience starts with a traditional Finnish sauna before moving into the world's only snow sauna, where you're somehow sitting in a sauna built entirely from snow and ice. It sounds completely mad, but it really works.
We finished by relaxing in the outdoor hot tub overlooking the snowy forest, which was the perfect way to warm up after spending the night in the SnowHotel.
At 1pm we caught the Arctic SnowHotel shuttle to Santa Claus Village, where we spent the afternoon at Snowman World.
Located near the entrance to the village, Snowman World is one of the newest attractions in Rovaniemi and combines an ice restaurant, ice bar, ice skating rink, giant snow slides, an ice maze and plenty of snow and ice sculptures, all within one ticket. I've written a full Snowman World guide covering everything that's included, ticket prices, opening times and whether I think it's worth visiting.
One thing we really liked was that your ticket is valid all day, so you can come and go as you please. It meant we could explore at our own pace before continuing with the rest of our day.
Another feature worth knowing about is the free left luggage storage. If you've already checked out of your accommodation and have a late flight home, it's a great place to leave your bags while you enjoy a few more hours in Santa Claus Village.
After a couple of hours exploring Snowman World, we left Santa Claus Village and took a taxi into Rovaniemi city centre, where we checked into our apartment.
We chose to stay at the Arctic Penthouse for our second night's stay.
The apartment cost £176 for the night, so £88 each, but it could sleep up to six people across four bedrooms. If you filled it to maximum occupancy, it would work out at around £30 per person per night, making it an excellent budget-friendly alternative to staying at the Arctic SnowHotel.
Inside, it was far more spacious than we'd expected, with a large open-plan kitchen and dining area, two bathrooms, a washing and drying room, and even a private indoor Finnish sauna. If you're travelling as a family or group of friends, it's the sort of place that can make a DIY Lapland trip much more affordable without sacrificing comfort.
At 8pm we were picked up from Rovaniemi city centre by Pure Lapland and driven around 18km to Hotel Metsähirvas, away from the lights of Rovaniemi and right on the edge of the frozen Lake Kemijoki.
After a safety briefing, we were kitted out with helmets, visors and balaclavas before heading out onto the ice. Our route took us around 30km across the frozen lake and through the surrounding forests, making it one of the most exciting experiences we've ever had in Lapland.
Unfortunately, heavy snowfall meant there was no chance of seeing the Northern Lights that evening, but honestly, it didn't matter. Riding a snowmobile across a frozen lake in complete darkness was an unforgettable experience on its own.
About halfway through the tour, we stopped at a traditional wooden barbecue hut where our guide lit a fire and served hot berry juice while we toasted marshmallows, sausages and sweetcorn. After warming up, we climbed back onto the snowmobiles for the journey back across the lake.
We arrived back in Rovaniemi around midnight, tired but absolutely buzzing.
Although this was the most expensive activity of our trip, it was also one of the best value. The tour lasted several hours and remains one of our favourite experiences from all three of our trips to Lapland.
Top tip: Pack disposable hand and foot warmers. Once you're out on the frozen lake at speed, it feels much colder than the air temperature, and they make a huge difference.
Despite getting back around midnight, we were surprisingly up early, packed and ready to leave our apartment by the 10am checkout. We took a taxi straight to Santa Claus Village, where we paid €5 to leave our backpacks in the luggage storage so we could enjoy our final day hands free
Our first booking of the day was at HuskyPark, where we had booked the 2km husky ride. The ride itself lasted around 15 minutes, but our ticket also included entry to the park, giving us plenty of time to meet the dogs and wander around before our slot.
It was a brilliant first husky experience and, for us, the perfect length. If you're looking for something longer, there are several different rides available, but we felt this was a great introduction without taking up too much of the day.
Next, we headed over to the reindeer enclosure for a traditional reindeer sleigh ride. Unlike many activities in Lapland, there's no need to book these in advance. You simply choose your preferred route and pay on the day.
We opted for the 1km Forest Path, which lasted around 15 minutes and felt like the perfect length. It was a much slower, more relaxing experience than the huskies and gave us chance to enjoy the peaceful surroundings while learning a little more about Lapland's most famous residents.
By this point we'd skipped breakfast and were definitely ready for something to eat. We stopped at Santa's Burgers & Pizza, one of the more affordable restaurants in Santa Claus Village.
The portions were huge. We both ordered a pizza, fries and a drink, and in hindsight one meal would easily have been enough for one adult and one child to share.
No visit to Santa Claus Village feels complete without stepping inside Santa's Main Post Office. It's a fully working post office where letters to Santa arrive from all over the world, and seeing them displayed by country was surprisingly magical.
You can also send postcards home with the official Arctic Circle postmark or post Christmas cards that will be delivered closer to December.
Before leaving, we crossed the Arctic Circle, picked up a few souvenirs and had one final stop at the nearby Shell garage before taking a taxi to Rovaniemi Airport for our flight home.
Looking back, this was one of our favourite DIY trips. We managed to experience an incredible mix of activities, including sleeping in an ice hotel, relaxing in the world's only Snow Sauna, visiting Santa Claus Village, snowmobiling across a frozen lake, meeting huskies and reindeer, all without booking an expensive package holiday.
If you're travelling on a tighter budget, there are a few easy ways to reduce the cost. You could stay in Rovaniemi city centre instead of the SnowHotel, choose shorter reindeer or husky rides, or skip the evening snowmobile safari.
Even with a few tweaks, I think this itinerary gives first-time visitors a brilliant introduction to Finnish Lapland without needing to book an expensive package holiday.
If you're planning a Lapland trip but don't want to pay package holiday prices, you might enjoy our Build a Break Travel Club.
Every autumn and winter, I search for cheap flights from airports across the UK and Ireland, then combine them with accommodation to create DIY Lapland breaks. Members also receive Christmas market deals, city breaks and other hand-picked European trips throughout the year.
Membership costs just £12 per year (around £1 a month) and includes weekly deal emails, early access to our best finds and plenty of inspiration for planning your next trip.
If you'd like to see the kinds of Lapland deals we share, you can find out more about the Build a Break Travel Club here.
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