Rovaniemi Day from Kemi

Rovaniemi day from Kemi is an all day trip to the capital of Lapland and the most interesting attractions there. The guide picks you up at 9 A.M.

First we drive to the Arctic Circle that is situated some 120 km north from Kemi city. On the way you will see many typical Lapland villages and beautiful views by river Kemijoki.

The Arctic Circle is a line visible on the map, north of which the sun can be seen above the horizon even at midnight during the summertime. Contrastingly, during the winter the sun stays below the horizon for a certain time. As a unique memory everybody gets the official Arctic Circle crossing certificate. It is available in many languages.

The Santa Claus Village is a unique meeting place where hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world come to meet Santa Claus on every day of the year. A place where the fairytale becomes true. Did you know that humans can only see elves when the elves want to be seen?

Welcome to the colourful Christmas world of beautiful cards, stamps and unique gifts. Sit by the fireplace and write to your friends all over the world. The cheerful Postal Elves will post your greetings for you, whether it’s Christmas or the middle of summer.

Make friends and relatives happy by ordering a Santa Claus Letter, which will be sent by Santa Claus before Christmas. All post will be stamped by hand using the special postmark of the Santa Claus Post Office.

P.S. The secret behind the red post box; all letters put through here will be sent for Christmas.

In the Christmas House, the unique and nostalgic Christmas Exhibition presents a display of Christmas habits and traditions in different parts of the world. Historical Christmas films and rare Christmas decorations get you in the Christmas Spirit and take you on a journey through childhood memories from Lapland, Finland, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, France, Austria, Spain, Poland and USA. Entrance fee to Christmas House’s exhibition is not included.

During midwinter or the twilight period, light is provided by the moon and stars in addition to the magical Northern Lights and clean, bright cover of glistening snow. The Arctic Circle is also known as the border of hastiness, where regular time changes into the magic time of elves and reindeer.

The stores of the Santa Claus Village are open every day. The range of products includes local handicrafts from artisans that have been working for decades in Rovaniemi. Affordable giftware for international shoppers and top Finnish design products can be found from dozens of different giftware boutiques.

The postal service of the Santa Claus Main Post Office will send items for you when you want them to be sent, perhaps for Christmas?

It is also possible to have a lunch there, but it is not included. You can easily find several restaurants in the village.

The day continues with visiting Arktikum museum which introduces to life in Lapland and Sámi culture. Admission fees in Arktikum are included. The Arktikum in Rovaniemi provides a unique insight into the way of life, culture and history of the North. It is a museum, science centre, conference house as well as an architectural sight in its own right.

In the Provincial Museum’s permanent exhibition THE NORTHERN WAYS you will find out about the life and mothology e.g. of the moose and bear and you will also hear the sounds of the Lappish animals. The exhibition presents Sámi culture, with its costumes and languages, and small-scale models of Rovaniemi from 1939 and 1944 with the stories behind the buildings. In terms of time, the exhibition traverses from prehistory to the present day.

THE ARCTIC IN CHANGE exhibition by the Arctic Centre offers the visitors a journey through the Arctic world today. The exhibition promotes the natural beauty and the cultural richness of the Arctic, while it informs the visitors about the ongoing rapid social and environmental changes occurring in the fragile Arctic. In the exhibition, the visitors can also experience the coldness in a stylish cold room and lay down in the northern lights theatre.

After Arktikum there is a sight seeing in the city of Rovaniemi. See the theatre and library designed by the most famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. See also the main church in Lapland, the biggest river in Lapland etc…