I visited Finland September 2018, to wrap up my epic 10-week Euro Trip. My reason for wanting to visit Finland was to hopefully catch a glimpse of The Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis. I flew with Finn Air from Lisbon, Portugal. They were fantastic to fly with. I had to head north to get the best chance I could at seeing the lights, so I flew into Rovaniemi, via Helsinki.
Rovaniemi is located in the centre of Lapland. It is right on the Arctic Circle and is more commonly known as The Official Hometown of Santa Claus. The city is quite popular with University students, and becoming more and more popular for tourists, especially families as there is so much to offer for the whole family, particularly during winter. Rovaniemi is actually one of the largest towns in Europe.
Currency:
Finland uses the Euro. This makes it nice and easy for those who have already been travelling around. For money, I carried cash and I also carried my Citibank Everyday card. I have used this throughout Europe, Africa, America , Asia and even at home and I will never travel without it again! It's an everyday card where you put Australian dollars onto it, and then wherever you are, when you draw out the money, it comes out in the local currency. Citibank offers a much better exchange rate than the big banks, and you do not get charged a withdrawal fee or an international transaction fee. I will attach the link below if you would like to sign up for one.
Whilst I used the Citibank card for the majority of the time, I did always have some cash on me, especially for public transport. From memory, the bus does accept card, but it is always best to be prepared in case!
Language:
The two official languages spoken are Finnish and Swedish. Majority of people speak Finnish, with only a small percentage speaking Swedish. In Lapland, Sami is spoken as well. I did not struggle with the language barrier at all when I was visiting. Everyone I met spoke perfect English. If you were to venture a bit out of town , this is where you may find some language barriers.
Getting There:
As I briefly mentioned, I flew into Rovaniemi from Lisbon, Portugal. There were no direct flights from Lisbon, so I had to fly direct to Helsinki, and then get another small flight to Rovaniemi. Flight time from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is only 1hr 15 minutes and there are several direct flights daily from Helsinki with Finn Air and other airlines. If you are already in Finland, or one of the neighboring Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden, you can utilise public transport, such as bus and train, or you can drive, however it is a known fact that some roads may be closed during Winter months because of heavy snow.
I knew that Finland wouldn’t be cheap. I had already experienced Denmark, Norway and Sweden at the start of my trip. I did plenty of research before I arrived and tried to make budget choices where I could. There is an airport shuttle that cost 7 euro per person. It drops off at many of the hostels and hotels in Rovaniemi City Centre. The shuttle will be waiting after every Finn Air and Norwegian Air flight, ready to take passengers into town. The shuttle also goes from the city centre, back to the airport, and leaves 1hr 20 minutes before the departure of the next flight. It is suggested to book your seat on the return shuttle from the city back to the airport. For more information and the booking form, use the below link.
Accommodation:
The first 2 nights in Rovaniemi, I stayed in the heart of the city centre, at a Hostel names Hostel Café Koti. The city centre is only a 10-minute drive from the airport. I stayed in one of the 3 dorm rooms they have available. They also have private rooms and a private apartment for those travelling with partners or families, or simply wanting their own space. The dorms are all 10 bed and you can choose from Mixed Dorm or Female only. When I travel, I try and stay in female only dorms where I can, for my own safety and security. The beds at this hotel were extremely comfortable, which each bed including a reading light and charging ports. Each room also has a lockable storage space, which is a bonus for me when travelling! Whilst the room does not have a bathroom, there are toilets and showers located in the hallway. The hostel is extremely safe, with a key card entry to get into each area of the hostel. There was also a small kitchenette and lounge area available upstairs which I found handy to cook myself breakfast and dinner.
Downstairs, as per the hostels name, is actually a coffee shop. They do amazing food all day and barista coffee which was sooo nice to be able to have a dirty chai after 10 weeks. You check into your rooms at the café, and the staff are all super helpful and can offer many suggestions for things to do during your stay. This space is super chilled out, and even though I visited at the end of September/ early October, the café was always busy.
Now I’m not a huge partier myself, in fact I’d say those days are over haha, so if you were into partying, I wouldn’t really suggest this hostel, as I didn’t get the vibe at all. When I travelled, it was not busy in Rovaniemi, in fact there were only 3 other people in my dorm. There were also a lot of older people staying in the hostel, probably because Finland is still expensive, and this is a cheap alternative in a good, safe location.
Around the hostel, you are only a short walk to the main street, there’s a supermarket, a subway, some restaurants, cafe's and a shopping centre with some little boutiques. You also have all the tourist information required and companies to book your day trips and Northern Lights Tours through, ill touch on that shortly.
From the hostel, it is only a short walk to the bus stop that takes you to Santa Claus Village. The bus is even called the Santa Claus Express and there is a timetable located at the bus stop for departures. Note that the times do change during the seasons and on weekends. The bus takes both cash and card which is great. Tickets are 3.50 euro one way or 6.60 euro return for adults, and children (4-14) are cheaper again. The return ticket is only valid on the Santa Claus Express. I was able to use this bus to get to my next hotel in Rovaniemi, Arctic Treehouse Hotel.
Now I mentioned above, that I am a budget traveller, and I am. I stay in hostels; I book places that have breakfast included and kitchens so I can shop at the supermarkets and cook my own dinner. I bring Tupperware containers to take food on the go and will always try and snag a bargain where I can, but I decided to splurge and treat myself for the last 2 nights of my holiday before heading back to Australia.
I’d seen this hotel on Instagram and knew that if I could, I would have to stay here, I booked this hotel well in advance, for one night originally, so I was able to get it at a ‘’cheap’’ price. I think from memory it was $170aus for the night (breakfast included lol). I don’t know why I decided to book another night (maybe a bonus from work) but when I added another night onto my stay, still booking well in advance, it cost $250aus for the night. My advice is that if you are planning in advance, I strongly recommend booking this gorgeous place well in advance. I had a friend look at booking about 6 weeks out and it was over $800aus per night!! I’ve recently found out that The Kardashians have stayed here, which would’ve boosted the hotel’s fame significantly.
Anyway, back to it, The Arctic Treehouse Hotel is made up of ‘’treehouses’’ which is your own little safe haven. You check into the beautiful front desk where it flows into the dining area and bar. It is super cosy and warm. You can opt in to receive an ‘Northern Lights Alert’ text message for the months that it is visible from the room. You can also text them on Whats App if you would like them to pick you up from your room and take you to the restaurant or to deliver room service. They even have a buggy that drops you off to your room and picks you up!
The breakfast was absolutely incredible, a full buffet style with so many delicious choices. There’s yoghurts and muesli, pancakes, hot food like bacon, eggs, sausages, omelettes, hash browns, loads of fruit, juices and coffee and tea. Budget trip 101 is to stock up and have a big breakky so you can have a light lunch and save money that way. I did also eat dinner here one night, because there is no-where else to eat nearby, and uber eats does not exist. The food was overpriced in my opinion for what it was, I had a chicken wrap that came with some chips and a glass of wine and from memory set me back around $40aus. The rooms only have a kettle in them, which unfortunately does not leave much besides two-minute noodles for a snack. There is also a bar fridge so you could go into town and stock up on snacks to get by also. My first night, I sat on my bed in the fancy robe and slippers, put Grey's Anatomy on my laptop and ate two-minute noodles and felt like a queen!
Now, the room itself. I haven’t stayed in fancy place before, so I had no idea what to expect, but holy freaking moly this place exceeded all of my expectations. I walked into the room with the most magnificent view, the bed was placed right in the centre with looking out to the forest. I could’ve laid in that bed all day just staring out that window, in-fact I did do just that for one day, I wanted to make the most of my luxurious stay in that room. The architecture layout and design in that room was just to die for, there was a huge wardrobe that came with fluffy slippers and the comfiest robe ever. There was a very small kitchenette with a kettle and bar fridge, some tea and coffee and welcome book. The bathroom had a big beautiful shower with the best smelling shampoo and conditioner. The bed was an enormous king size that was so freaking comfy and soft, and to lay there and watch the sunrise and sunset. When the Northern Lights are strong, you would be able to see these from the room too. The room also had an amazing sound system as well as flat screen TV for those lazy afternoons. This was just a dream come true and I loved every second of my stay. The staff went above and beyond for any and every request, and were so helpful with offering support and guidance on the little things like bus timetables, directions to town and Santa Claus Village. They also recommended and helped organise any Northern Lights tours you may wish to do!
If you are new to Air BnB and would like money off your stay, click on the below link:
If you prefer to book through through Booking.com, click on the link below for a discount:
Things to do in Rovaniemi:
If you're staying at the Arctic Treehouse or nearby hotels- good news! you are actually within walking distance to Santa Claus Village!! This is something that can be FREE to do in Rovaniemi. Santa Claus Village is made up of little business's so be sure to check out the opening times for each when planning your day! Entry is free, as it is more or less an open air museum/amusement park. You can visit the reindeer, meet Santa, Cross the Arctic Circle, visit the Husky Parks and take a sled, grab a bite to eat and even visit Santa Claus Post Office to get your official stamp!
- Cross the Arctic Circle!
The Arctic Circle is a circle of latitude that runs 66°33′45.9″ north of the Equator. It marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can stay continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours – these phenomena are known as the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Polar Night (“Kaamos”) in the winter. In Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle runs through Santa Claus Village. You can even get a certificate to say that you've crossed the Arctic Circle. Really it's just a line you can walk,jump,skip over- You can even do it with Santa. It's really a novelty but a good one at that! Not every day you can say that you've crossed the Arctic Circle! There's even a live webcam you can watch that shows the main square of Santa Claus Village with the Arctic Circle line crossing through- https://santaclausvillage.info/arctic-circle-live-video-webcam-rovaniemi/
- Visit the Reindeer's!
This was a huge pinch me moment and something i'll never forget! When i visited Rovaniemi at the end of September, it wasn't very busy, so when i went to Santa Claus Village and saw the option to feed the Reindeer's - i was honestly like a kid in a candy store! Because it was a quiet time of year, i was lucky to get a personalised guided tour of the Reindeer park with just me and the Reindeer Keeper. It was so incredible to see these animals up close and personal, to be able to feed them, pat them and learn about them. I didn't know that Reindeer lose their antlers once a year! They just drop off ! The antlers have traditionally been used in Lapland for a long time, for things such as knives, and in cooking. but they have also been made into practical things such as bottle openers and mantle decor. In the deer family, the only females that have antlers are Reindeer! Reindeer antlers are also the fastest growing antler in the world, it can grow 2cm per day! Entry into the reindeer farm cost me 5 euro's, and i wasn't rushed at all. The lady who walked around with me was so informative and had a passion for animals. She took photo's and videos and answered my questions, but also just let me stand there in awe of these beautiful creatures. I would 100% recommend visiting this area when you're at Santa Claus Village.
- Husky Park
The Husky Park is another area located within Santa Claus Village. For 10€, you can go inside the open enclosure, and get up close and personal with the huskies. There are some that are walking around that you can go and pat and get your photo taken with. It's very casual in here and there's no waiting for your turn, animal show times etc, you just walk around at your own pace and do as you please. When i was there i was lucky enough to see some puppies that had only been born 3 weeks prior and they were so bloody cute and cheeky! If you're up for it, you can do Husky Sledding. There are different tracks that you can choose from, different lengths and different prices. You can do the Jenga track that is just 500m and cost 30€. You can do longer tracks, and even go hiking with the husky's. There are plenty of options. I just sat and watched the sledding, because it wasn't snowing when i was there, i personally didn't want to do this because i want the full experience. But nonetheless it looked like an incredible experience. Even if sledding doesn't interest you, it's still lovely to walk around and learn about the huskies and their purpose whilst living in Lapland.
- Write a letter to Santa or send a letter from the North Pole- Great for the kids!
This was something that i thought was amazing for the kids, at Santa Claus Village, you can visit the Post Office, where you're able to send letters to Santa, send wish list's etc and can also send postcards/letters to friends and family. You can buy special stamps and use their mailing system, they have an actual legit post office so you know it's real. I posted myself a letter sealed with a special stamp and received it not long after i returned back to Australia.
Santa Claus Village is all in all, a fantastic day out for everyone! There's so many fun things you can do, and they have a fantastic gift shop, where you can buy plush toys, magnets, reindeer bottle openers, blueberry tea, hunting knifes, mugs, you name it and it's there! They also have great food options, where you can even try the local cuisine- Reindeer! But remember you are able to bring your own snacks and meals and use their barbecue area inside the park, which i think is a great idea, especially for people looking to save some money.
Northern Lights Tour with Beyond Arctic- Take 1!
My main reason for visiting Rovaniemi, to catch a glimpse of The Northern Lights. All my life, all i'd wanted to do was to go somewhere to see the lights. I have a passion for photography ( as you've probably noticed now from my blogs and Instagram ) and am just completely amazed that the sky can light up like it does and dance through the night sky with bright green and purple and blue hues. This is what lead me to Rovaniemi. I did my research, i knew that it was early-ish to the season. In Northern Finland (Lapland) they say that the best time is late September/October and then again in February /March . Rovaniemi is also known as one of the best places to see the lights, as it is located in Northern Finland.
I knew that i would pay what it took to have the best chance at seeing The Northern Lights. I had put money aside, and researched local companies in the area. Sometimes, the lights are so bright that you can actually see them if you walk about 10 minutes out of Rovaniemi city centre. And i think that's why people choose to go Rovaniemi because you can visit and if you time your trip right, you might not even have to pay to do a tour because you can see them from the city centre!
My first night that i arrived in Rovaniemi, i booked a Photography Tour. As i had my Sony Alpha A6000 Mirror-less Digital Camera with me, i was eager to do a tour that involved a professional guide with photography knowledge and skills, to show me exactly what settings were needed to be able to get the shot, as the lights have to be quite strong to see with the naked eye, they're not easily able to be captured on an iPhone or point and shoot camera. Often a tripod is required and a camera with manual settings so you can do longer exposures.
Travelling for 10 weeks, i didn't carry a tripod with me for obvious reasons, so it was important when choosing a tour, that the option of camera equipment was included or able to be hired. The company i went with on my first night was called Beyond Arctic. Their main office/meeting point was conveniently located right next to the hostel i was staying at in the city centre. The main reason i chose this tour company, was because they had a professional photographer with you, and they would 'chase' the lights up to 100kms away from Rovaniemi if that's what it took to see them! This tour company takes you to 2-3 places in search for the lights. They also provide you with warm blueberry tea in a thermo mug and will make you a fire to keep warm. They are experts in knowing the areas best for seeing the lights, and even if you don't get to see them, they will still show you some cool photography tips.
We left Rovaniemi around 10:30pm from memory, once it was really dark, and started on our adventure. There were 3 other people on the tour, plus the guide. One man was a journalist for a travel company back in the UK, and was writing an article about Rovaniemi after partnering with airline Easy Jet. A low cost carrier airline who were about to start offering direct flights from the UK to Rovaniemi. He was a photographer also and was writing about the tour to add to his article. The other two were a couple from Canada who were just on holidays and also had an interest in Photography. Our Photographer/Guide Markus was really down to earth, had a lot of patience and was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. He took us well into the dark, away from the city lights, to our first stop. Unfortunately this is where we realized it was quite cloudy and probably not going to be the best night to see the lights. My heart definitely sunk, as i had spent a lot of money to be here, and to do the tour, but i wasn't willing to give up that easy. We drove to a lake for our second stop where Markus made a fire and we sat around drinking Blueberry Tea learning about one another. He also took some photos here of us on our own, and a lovely group photo! He also used this time to teach us what settings our cameras need to be on in order to capture the lights and also how to take amazing photo's at night. We returned back to the hotel at 1:30am. Pick Up and Drop Off to your hotel was also included in the price which was great, as some of the hotels are located outside of the city centre and getting transport at that time of night just wouldn't be possible.
You will have the opportunity to have your photo's taken, and then shared via one drive about 1 week after the tour. For us, we unfortunately didn't see the Northern Lights that night. We thought we did for a faint second, but it just wasn't the right night for them. There was lots of cloud cover and of course they hide behind the clouds. Ideally it needs to be a clear starry night, and that's why there are certain times of the year the suggest coming to Rovaniemi/Northern Lapland in search for The Northern Lights.
Total cost was 125 euro's. It was free to hire the tripod and they also provided you with a backpack that included warm beverages, head torch, equipment for BBQ and winter clothing as needed. You can also rent a DSLR Camera and Equipment for just an extra 50 euro which i thought was great! It was FREEZING! i had not prepared for it to be as cold as it was, especially coming from a hot euro summer around Turkey and Italy, Portugal and Morocco. I had bought some gloves from a local department store in the city centre, and stupidly had my jeans on. I did have layers up top and a puffer jacket, as well as a beanie and scarf, but it was still absolutely freezing, so my advice is to be prepared and pack some thermals. The ground is also wet due to the condensation late at night/early morning so pack some thick socks or some decent shoes that can get wet, cut out ankle boots whilst cute, were not ideal...
All in All, although we didn't see the sky light up, it was still a fantastic tour and i would highly recommend. I can imagine if you went out on a night where they were showing it would be phenomenal and an unbelievable experience! Plus, you would have amazing photo's to show for it !! The main reason i would recommend this tour is because they have over 50 different places where they can take you, to get the best chance at seeing the lights, and they are willing to travel 100kms away if it gives a better chance of seeing them! That was probably the biggest selling point for me! You can book in advance online or pop into the store and book over the counter, if they have any spots available!! Here is the link below if you would like to have a look at their website.
Northern Lights Tours with Unique Nordic Travels- Take 2
My second night in Rovaniemi, i didn't go out on any tours, there was more cloud cover than the night before and the weather reports, aurora alerts and locals said the chances of seeing them were slim. The third night in Rovaniemi, i booked another tour, this time with Unique Nordic Travels. I found them online but ended up going into the city centre and booking in with them over the counter. This company offer so many different Northern Light experiences, from sauna experiences, sleigh riding, hiking and BBQ experiences, you can even put on a floating suit and do ice floating in the forest lake! This company has loads of experiences, for the whole family too! and their prices are very reasonable and they offer more 'budget options' with some tours just starting from 69€ for adults and 35€ for children.
Again, i chose the Photography Tour, as i wanted the best chance of being able to capture the lights. I had my fingers and toes crossed, it was my second last night in Finland before i flew to Paris to fly home to Australia. I knew i'd be so upset if i didn't get to see them, and that's why i booked the second tour. The photography tour option was 110€. I was picked up from Arctic Treehouse Hotel by their company van. The maximum amount of people per tour was 8, which was nice as i personally didn't want to be on a tour with loads of people. Pick up time for the tour can be anywhere from 8pm to 10pm, depending on the time of year. I think from memory we were picked up around 9pm. Tour duration is 3-4 Hours and includes Snow Clothing, return transfers to your hotel, BBQ snacks such a Reindeer sausages and Blueberry tea and professional photo's emailed to you after the tour. The tour guide spoke perfect English, however you could request French, Chinese, Italian, German , Dutch prior to booking. I did also hire a tripod from them and i remember that it was an option to hire other camera gear if required, much like the first tour i did.
I remember getting into the mini van and honestly nearly squealing when the tour guide said that our chances were extremely high of seeing the lights because it was a nice clear night. I had prepared myself clothing wise- rocking tights under the jeans, and joggers instead of boots, not a fashionable choice but a sensible choice at that. This company drives up to 50kms away if required to chase the lights and again, get away from the city lights, although we really didn't need to travel that far away to get out of the town's lights and street lights. We parked in a dirt car park and were told to put our headlights on. We had about a 5-10 minute walk through the bush to get to the lake, this was supposedly our best spot to see them. Not going to lie, walking through the bush at night in the pitch black dark, i was freaking out a bear or a reindeer was going to come out and attack, but the guide was with us the whole way and made sure we stayed together. When we arrived on the edge of the lake, there was another small tour group there too.
The guide helped everyone set up their cameras and tripods and showed us what settings and programs to use with the night sky. It didn't take long before WE FREAKING SAW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS!!!! i could not believe it, i remember crying, and then laughing at how lame i was to be crying over something like this. Honestly i had so many amazing experiences throughout my Europe trip, swimming in Positano, Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia, Camel Riding through the Sahara Desert to sleep under the stars, but hands down this was the most incredible experience being able to witness this! They were quite weak to start off with, and weren't able to be seen with the naked eye, but the photo's below is what i managed to shoot and i am so happy that i chose a photography tour and had someone who could help set my camera up how it needed to be in order to take photos like i did. They did get stronger as we continued to shoot away, and they even danced through the sky, what a bloody pinch me moment!! I was just in complete awe with what i was seeing and couldn't contain my excitement. I was like a little kid who had just drank a whole bottle of red fizzy drink. I wanted to take as many photos as i could. The photographer/guide was also great and took his own photo's of us with his camera too!
I did feel sorry for people who were there with their phones, as the camera qualities just did not cut it and wasn't really able to pick the colours up as much as a DSLR. Maybe now things would be a bit different, with new technologies etc, however i would strongly recommend bringing your own camera or even hiring one if you dont have one if you choose to do this tour. Once we had all taken our photos and calmed down a bit, the guide started a fire for us and we sat around on tree stumps and cooked Reindeer Sausages. They did also have normal pork sausages if you weren't keen on trying the reindeer. They also provided blueberry tea, which was delicious and warm- a very popular drink in Finland! Below is a dark photo but shows everyone sat around the fire keeping warm and cooking their sausages and enjoying each others company.
This video below is not real. It is something that i made on my phone to best show what The Northern Lights look like as they dance through the sky. As i mentioned above, it wasn't possible to capture anything on my Iphone, and was also difficult on the camera as it was starting to get windy. But this is exactly what it looked like as it flickered and danced it's way over us.
The colours changed from light green to Fluorescent green, with lilacs and deep purples thrown around also. There are many colours that can be seen with the lights, such as aqua blue, oranges, yellows and pinks. Funnily enough, a week after i returned home, they posted photos of intense Aurora Borealis, that was seen even from the town centre. I remember on my last night in Rovaniemi, i was still on such a high and had heard they would be even brighter that night, and i was so tempted to book yet another tour. I'm glad that i didn't. Seeing this was truly a once in a lifetime experience that i am still pinching myself that i got to witness, and i can really sit back and appreciate how lucky i was to be able to visit this beautiful city and to do what i did. I would highly recommend Unique Nordic Travels for people looking to visit and do tours, they also offer so many other tour options aside from the Northern Light Tours. The link is below for their website where you can see everything they have to offer!
ONE HAPPY GIRL
It's no secret that Lapland is expensive, all the tours, accommodation, food and drink prices eating out etc, you could easily blow your budget whilst holidaying here, however if you make the more 'Budget Friendly' options like buying snack food from the supermarket, eating a big breakfast- especially if it's included in your room fee! and making sandwiches, easy and cheaper dinners and maybe only eating out a few times, you'll be able to use that money you've saved on an experience such as a Northern Lights Tour or Husky Sledding or Snow Mobile. Me personally, i am a huuuggeee believer in Experiences > Everything! I would much rather stay in a shared hostel dorm room , eat 2 minute noodles, walk instead of uber/public transport where possible and buy snacks from the supermarket if it meant that i could do an experience. Especially travelling all that way from Australia, it's not just as easy as a 2-4hr flight like most of Europe. Most of my trips are 6 weeks minimum and i want to be able to do everything i can when i'm there, i work hard and save hard before a trip, and my travels have never been luxurious. I often stay in hostels, so i can meet like minded travelers. I buy food from the local supermarkets, so i can also try the local snacks and it's again a cheaper option. I don't mind catching the red eye flight , can sometimes even save a nights accommodation! This travel lifestyle isn't for everyone, i know that, and i respect other traveler's lifestyle and travel preferences . Hopefully this blog shows you that it's still possible to travel to luxurious places like Rovaniemi and Lapland on a budget!
Em x