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Complete Guide to Santa Park Rovaniemi Lapland

Santapark Rovaniemi Finland – On our second full day during our Lapland Holiday, we visited Santa park which is located 7 km from the centre of Rovaniemi. The Santa-inspired theme parks is the official home of Santa Claus and is completely underground. Which makes it a great option if you are visiting and it is really cold. It is not unusual for Rovaniemi to get down to the minus 30s in the winter. So unsurprisingly it is a popular choice with most families during the holiday season. A number that we met during our stay decided to visit. Even those on package deals. So what did we think?

How do you get to Santa Park?

We decided to get a taxi to Santa Park as we were staying outside of central Rovaniemi so it would mean having to catch a bus into Rovaniemi and then a bus back out to Santa Park. A taxi from Santasport Apartment Hotel cost us 28€. It took around fifteen minutes by car. If you would like to drive then there is free parking available.

Alternatively, if you are staying in the centre then you are able to get the Santa Claus Bus to Santa Park. The santa express bus leaves from Rovaniemi train station and will also stop at Santa Claus Village. You can find out more information on the Santa Claus Bus on their website. You can purchase tickets on th bus in either cash or cards. It costs 4€ per adult one way or 7€ return and 2€ per child one way or 3€ return. Alternatively, the number 8 bus also calls at both locations. More about the Linkkari bus can be found on the Rovaniemi transport website.

How much does it cost to go to Santa Park?

Tickets can be booked online before you visit and this is recommended if you want to visit on a particular day during peak time. Ticket numbers are capped, but it may be still possible to buy tickets on the day which can be done at the entrance. An adult ticket costs 42€ and a child 36€ aged 3-12 wth under 2s gaining free entry. The tickets are valid for two consecutive days. Which I think is a nice touch as it means if it all gets too much for the kids you can head back the next day.

When we booked our tickets online you also have the chance to book lunch. Which we did although again you can pay on the day. There is more information on the food options below. You do not get an electronic ticket. Instead, you get an email confirming your order number and this is what you need to give the elf at reception. Then you are given a wristband each which gives you entry to the attraction

There is a VEP experience which costs 360€ for four people. This includes the buffet lunch as well as many other things including a printed photo wth Santa, gifts for all the family from Santa, diploma for crossing the article circle, a drink in the ice bar and much more. If you want you can also pay an additional 300€ to have your own elf show you around for two hours.

When is Santa Park Rovaniemi open?

Santa Park Finland is open every day from the 20th of November to the 7th of January in 2022. Opening times are 10 am to 5 pm in November and to 6 pm in December.

Are there lockers at Santa Park?

Because Santa Park Finland is all inside you do not need to wear your snow gear or thermal suits while going around. However, depending on how you reach Santa Park Rovaniemi there is a good chance you will have them with you.

After exchanging your booking number for a wristband at the kiosk you will be in a circular room. Around the outside of this room, there are cloakrooms to hang your snow gear and outside clothes. There are no lockers so we took our backpack which had all our gloves and hats etc with us. Although you could hide it under the coats. There are a couple of benches which you can use but there is not a lot of room to undress.

Buggies are allowed into Santas Park so you do not need to leave these in the cloakroom.

What is there to do at Santa Park?

There is a lot to do at Santa Park we tried everything apart from seeing Santa. As we had visited Santa the night before on a private experience with Santa Claus Secret Forest Joulukka. As an extension of Santa Park I was especially pleased to see that some of the terminology used was repeated in the acting we found at Santa Park. Such as how many elves there are, how old Santa is and how long elves need to go to school.

All of the different activities are placed around the outside of santa’s secret cavern which is circular in nature. In the middle, there is the main stage and a restaurant area. Due to its layout is it very easy to navigate.

Post Office

This was our first stop. If you want to send a postcard home as an alternative Christmas card then there is an additional cost to do this. Postcards cost around 2€ each and you will also need to pay for stamps. The boys wanted to send a thank you card to Santa and I also send two postcards one to each of them for the 2023 season. This cost around 15€ including postage.

Underground Crossing The Arctic Circle

This is a similarity with santa’s village although you are not left guessing as to where it is! As there is a lovely archway which clearly shows where you cross over. We managed a photo but if you would like you can also buy a diploma from the Ice Princess for prosperity. It is the only place in the world where you can cross over the arctic circle underground.

Ice Gallery & Ice Bar

Right next to the crossing is the ice gallery. When we visited the ice bar was not open. But this did not detract from the amazing ice sculptures which lined the walls and floor. The boys particularly liked the large glass igloo and huge chair. There are white ponchos which you can place over your clothing to keep some of the cold out. We didn’t realise this initially and went in without.

Virtual Christmas Sleigh Ride

This is extremely popular. Located on the mezzanine floor you reach it via the staircase next to the buffet restaurant. There are some old snowmobiles for kids to sit on to keep them entertained during the wait. The ride will take a maximum of eight people or two families at a time. So a queue can form quite quickly. In the VR experience, you take a ride on Santas sleigh over some of the most famous cities in the world including London and New York. The ride lasts around 10-15 minutes. The story is available in English.

Mrs Gingerbread Bakery

This is where you get to decorate gingerbread cookies. One cookie per person is included in the price of your ticket. Which surprised me as I was expecting to have to pay. The cookies are large heart-shaped ones and we found that one was plenty. Although you can buy additional cookies for 3€ each. There is also the option to buy a hot or cold drink so it makes a good pit stop during your visit. We tried out some of the Golgi which is similar to mulled wine for 11.50€ a glass.

Elf School

This was my favourite activity at Santa Park Finland. This lasted around 20-25 minutes. It runs at various times of the day and can be very popular. If you sit on the floor in the first room towards the lectern then you will be able to go into the classroom at the front and therefore choose where you would like to sit. In the classroom, the elf professor gives you a rundown on the key things you need to learn to become an elf. At the end, you are given an elf diploma and hat as a graduation present.

Elf Workshop

There are elves workshops running throughout the day. The activity area is inside a log cabin. When we visited the children could make pictures out of red felt, cotton wool and bark disks. All of the walls were covered in little pieces of art which gave others plenty of inspiration.

Santa Office

If you would like to visit Santa while visiting Rovaniemi then you can do so here. It is easy to spot as there is a small queue outside. In fact, the queue was nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be. We had already visited Santa and so decided not to do this again. I really liked the fact that his office is tucked a little out of the way and so although there is a sign up it is easy to steer the children past him if needed. I do not think the boys even twigged we could visit Santa again. You can take as many additional photos of Santa as you would like.

Magic Train

These cute little rides take me back to my own childhood. The little wooden carriage ride takes you through various different scenes. Including a snowy countryside with animals and the elves workshop. Where you can see some merry elves preparing for Christmas.

Santapark Show

Three times a day while the buffet is running the show is a big highlight and one not to be missed. It is a good place to be able to sit and eat while enjoying the acrobatic show. The show lasts around twenty minutes and is quite a spectacle. Including trampolining elves, wall walking and roller skating. This really needs to be on your list for when you visit. The shows were at 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm when we visited.

As well as all these things there are also souvenir shops and playing arenas at Santa Park Finland.

How long do you need at Santa Park Finland?

We visited on the 20th of December and arrived when it opened at 10 am. There was a short queue at the entrance. Even if you have booked tickets online. We were very lucky as there were not many queues for any of the attractions. A very helpful elf at the post office suggested doing the virtual Christmas sleigh ride early in our visit as it is popular. The queues can get long as it can not take many people at one time.

We did all of the attractions other than seeing Santa. Santa easily had the longest queue when we were there and even that was not too long.

Including eating lunch we finished around 2.30 pm, meaning we were at Santa Park Finland for about 4.5 hours We didn’t rush and took our time including a bit of souvenir shopping. You are of course free to spend as much time as you want at Santa Park Arctic World.

Is visiting Santa Park worth it?

Yes, the boys really loved it and there is something for the whole family. Although there are similarities with Santa Claus Village, Santa Park Finland it is very different. We visited both and did not feel that we were duplicating in any way. Being inside it also means that if the weather is particularly harsh when you visit you get a rest bite from the cold. It is one of the best experiences we had during our trip to th city of Rovaniemi and would recommend a visit.

Food options at Santa Park

When you book your tickets online you can also book lunch. Which is what we did. Lunch costs 18.90€ for adults and 12.90€ for children. It includes water and berry juice. There was a starter station of various salads. Then the main course of chips or mash potato with meatballs or chicken thighs. There was also vegetarian lasagne. There is one big queue so you can not go up and get a starter and then a main. It all needs to go on one plate. It is possible to purchase the buffet on the day.

As well as the buffet there is also a cafe selling hot drinks, cakes, sandwiches and snacks. This is located directly next to the buffet and you can sit around the same round tables set up for the elf shows. You can also pick up hot and cold drinks along with sweet treats in the bakery.

Top Tips for visiting Santa Park

If you are driving or arriving by taxi then you can leave your snowsuits at the hotel. Unless of course, you are planning to go on elsewhere after.
Book your tickets for Santa Park Rovaniemi online in advance to ensure you get the day you want. There are no time slots your ticket is valid for the whole day.
The earlier in the day you can arrive the better when we got there at 10 am it was almost empty.
Take a photo of the times that the elf show and elf school are on so that you can factor these into your day. You will find details of these at the entrance and also at the ticket booth.
Head to both Santa and the VR experience early in your visit before they tend to get too busy.
The toy provided by Santa is a small grey and white husky soft toy you can pre-order this in advance when you book your entrance tickets online.
The buffet works out good value in comparison to the price of other meals we have seen while there and it’s typically traditional Lapish food. Although you can only go up once for food.
Take a small rucksack to store hats, gloves, and snoods which you can carry around easily with you.
If the kids get tired then your ticket is also valid for the next day.
Santa Park is only 2km from Rovaniemi airport. As you do not need your snow gear it could be well placed for a stop either on the way to or way from the airport.

Complete Guide to Santa Park Rovaniemi Lapland

Have you visited a private Santa experience? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. And please let me know if you are planning on visiting Rovaniemi and have any questions on any aspect of our trip.

See our Instagram Story Lapland Highlight here.