I’ve long had this one wish: to see the Northern Lights. If, like us, you’re tied to the school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia and want to see a wonderful snowy landscape in addition to the lights, the Christmas holidays are usually the only option. So, this summer, my husband and I decided that Santa should bring us all a short trip to Lapland as a family gift. We read everywhere that the Northern Lights were more active this year than they had been in a long time – so it seemed like the right time to go!
So, early in the New Year, we took a direct flight from Düsseldorf to the Finnish town of Rovaniemi, Santa Claus’s hometown. After starting in Germany at +5°C, we landed after just 2.5 hours at -15°C. We quickly put on our ski underwear at the airport before driving our rental car to the Santa Claus Village, a five-minute drive away. This very touristy, but also very cute Santa Claus Village is open year-round and is located right on the Arctic Circle. Here you can meet Santa Claus and his wife in person, send a letter from his post office, or stop by one of the many restaurants and warm up with a hot drink. From here, you can also start various tours into the surrounding area with reindeer, huskies, or snowmobiles. The Santa Claus Hotel and its bungalows are also right next door. For the first day, we decided to take a short walk through the village and enjoy a hot cocoa with Mrs. Santa Claus.
Then we drove 15 minutes further to the Ounasvaara district, where we had booked a small chalet in the middle of the snowy forest through Airbnb. Thanks to our accommodating host, Mari, we felt very comfortable from the very first moment. Quiet yet centrally located, we were able to take lovely walks and take beautiful photos from the viewpoint, which is just 5 minutes away. The center of Rovaniemi itself is only a 5-minute drive away, and the nearest supermarket, pharmacy, and gas station are just 2 minutes away.
Feeling the early arrival, we quickly ran the most necessary errands at the supermarket for the next few days and spent the afternoon and evening surrounded by snow. It’s pitch black at this time of year by 2:30 p.m. anyway, as the sun rises around 11:00 a.m. and sets again around 2:00 p.m. The darkness and the freezing temperatures didn’t stop our two younger kids from occasionally going for a sledding session in front of the house. When else do you as a Rhinelander have the opportunity to do this!
The next day, after breakfast, we explored Rovaniemi’s city center. Here, you’ll find everything you need for your daily needs, your culinary needs, and a little or no shopping spree. We walked to the shore of the frozen Kemijoki River and marveled at the magnificent view of the snow and ice.
Our first Northern Lights tour began in the evening. We had chosen a tour that guaranteed a view of the Northern Lights. The tour could have lasted eight hours and the driving distance could easily have been 600 km. But as is the case with any natural phenomenon, sightings cannot be guaranteed. In our case, this meant that our tour operator, Arctic GM, contacted us that morning to inform us that the chances of seeing the Northern Lights that evening were only 50-60% due to thick cloud cover. We were given the option of canceling the tour or participating anyway at our own risk. Almost all tour operators offer this option, which we found to be very fair and transparent. We decided on the tour and were picked up from our chalet promptly at the agreed time, equipped with warm overalls at the tour operator’s office, and set off on our adventure towards Sweden. There, the sky was supposed to be clear – at least temporarily. After all, hunting for the Northern Lights is ultimately nothing more than hunting for a cloudless patch of sky. The Northern Lights are at least 100 km high, so driving around within a 500 km radius always results in the same view of the Northern Lights. After a good three hours and over 250 km of driving, we were lucky and caught a faint green glow on the horizon. Equipped with professional camera equipment, our guide Baiba still took fantastic photos of us and the Northern Lights. After less than 30 minutes, however, the sky darkened over us, and with heavy hearts, we had to begin the three-hour journey back. At 3:30 in the morning, we all fell into bed, dog-tired but happy. I received the professionally edited photos a short time later.
The next morning, we set off on a husky tour with the same operator, this time with Jayde. We drove for about an hour into the Finnish forests and were treated to a six-kilometer ride in our own husky sled through the stunning Lapland landscape. Quite frozen, but impressed by the beautiful scenery, we arrived at a kota (a traditional Finnish tent or hut) somewhere in the middle of nowhere and were able to warm up a bit with a warm berry juice and a hot dog.
Later back at the chalet, we had to pack our things because we were heading to the Arctic SnowHotel just outside Rovaniemi for the next night. The hotel is made entirely of ice and snow, has 20 rooms of varying sizes, a bar, and a restaurant. The grounds also include two heated restaurants and bars, as well as 20 glass igloos. We were all very excited about this adventure! Arriving at reception, we received a warm welcome and even spotted the Northern Lights directly above us on our way to the (heated) restaurant. What a natural spectacle at -32°C outside!
After dinner, we were given a tour of the ice hotel and then, armed with thick, special sleeping bags, moved into our family room at -8°C. It was all quite exciting! And actually, none of us was cold! If you don’t feel 100% comfortable with the cold, the sleeping bag, or the surroundings, you can always go to the warm common room and sleep in one of the bunk beds. Our night was relatively uneventful, apart from one terrifying moment when the youngest child somehow got lost in the foot end of the much too large sleeping bag and couldn’t get his face to the opening on his own. However, in the morning after a much too short night, the five of us agreed that we are definitely not sleeping bag sleepers and would prefer to return to conventional hotel beds in the future. After a warm tea, which was brought directly to our room during the wake-up call, we went to the heated restaurant for a hearty breakfast and from there back to our chalet.
After a quick nap, we spent the afternoon exploring the Snowman World, located right next to Santa Claus Village. As an overnight guest at the Arctic Hotel, a day ticket is included in the price. Regular admission is €29 per person. Here, you can ice skate, sled down various tracks on an inflatable tube, walk through the ice labyrinth, or try a drink from a glass of ice at the bar. It’s a cool experience—especially for families.
For our last evening, we had another (short) Northern Lights tour planned. This time, Joey from Nordic Unique Travels picked us up and took us to a frozen lake in the middle of the forest, 30 minutes away. The clear advantage here, compared to the last tour, was that we could retreat to a warm building at any time. Therefore, I can definitely recommend this tour, especially with smaller children! While Joey kept an eye on the sky for us outside, we were able to drink a warm cup of tea inside. The cloud cover was once again our biggest problem. But at least for a short time, the weather was kind to us, and we were able to take some really great pictures of and with the Northern Lights, which, like on the first tour, were sent to us shortly afterwards.
The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed to the airport and returned home via Copenhagen. And so our first trip to the wintery Arctic Circle ended with beautiful pictures and amazing experiences!
All that’s left to say: Hyvästi!
Helpful Links:
www.nordictravels.eu
www.arcticsnowhotel.fi