Santa’s Pajakylä Finland First visit
First visit to Santa’s village in Finland for Gaynor Scott and family from the mild warmth of the Channel Island of Jersey.
When our Finnair plane landed, it was snowing heavily in Helsinki.
Finland is ready! Equipped with numerous and large snow plows that sweep into action to meet this daily need of the Finnish winter time.
Beautiful airport too! Very clean and beautifully designed with very efficient and fast passport control.
Before our meeting with Mr. Santa in Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, we had decided to spend the day and night getting to know some of Helsinki.
The trip took about 20 minutes by taxi from the airport to our central hotel.
When we entered Hotel Kamp, we immediately felt as if we were stepping into timeless luxury.
This historic hotel is located right in the heart of the city Helsinki in a busy shopping area. Finnish design shops, the Christmas market area and many top-class global brands.
Helsinki Here We Come
We were given a suite so we could check in early. It even had its own terrace where we could build a snowman. Perfect!
Breakfast was enjoyed in the Brasserie restaurant, which overlooks the beautiful Esplanadi park. Now covered with fresh blankets of snow.
The primary goal then was the search for a carrot for our snowman’s nose. We were lucky, less than 5 minutes walk from the supermarket.
Walking through the busy streets of Helsinki, with fresh snow falling on us, we felt completely safe. There is always something new and interesting around the corner and plenty of cafes where you can warm up and watch the trams go by.
We found a great Italian restaurant called La Famiglia which you should book in advance as it was packed, always a good sign!
We warmed up the hot mulled wine with a local Nordic version called “Glogg”. When we looked at the dinner menu.
In the morning we go back to Helsinki airport for a short flight to Rovaniemi.
The Helsinki Finnair Lounge is a great oasis away from the busy terminal with delicious complimentary hot and cold food and drinks and the perfect place to enjoy a glass of champagne or hot chocolate while admiring the snow-laden runways.
Flying to Santa’s Workshop
Even without lounge access, the rest of the airport has a lot to offer too, with a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants.
After our short 1h 30 flight, we landed at the very small but efficient Rovaniemi airport. Less than 10 minutes away, the car took us to our hotel Nova Skyland Hotel.
We chose it because of the good reviews and its perfect location in Santa’s Pajakylä.
Inspection of our beautiful Nordic cabin with a view of the reindeer in the forest. Included is a warming fireplace and a sauna, which is essential in these climates.
Dressed in our warmest snowsuits, we trudged through the snow for about five minutes on the short journey to Santa’s village.
Such a magical experience for a family coming from the mild Channel Islands.
There is no entrance fee to the village, you pay for each individual experience you choose.
Everything is nearby in the village and it doesn’t take long to experience or see what is on offer.
There are countless activities and gift shops. There is a selection of authentic Lapland handicrafts and Finnish souvenirs, as well as plenty of restaurants and bars.
The official post office of Santa Claus
Our first must-do activity was a reindeer sleigh ride with Santa’s trusted and famous reindeer.
We bought our tickets and waited in line for less than 10 minutes by the roaring fire until it was our turn.
Our reindeer herder gave the signal and we set off. Cuddled up in our wooden sleigh listening to the ringing of reindeer bells and admiring the surrounding wonderful nature in the snowy pine forest. Amazing!
Santa’s post was our next stop, Santa’s “official” post in Finland!
Letters from all over the world are received and delivered to Santa Claus here. We mailed cards to our family home and one to ourselves, with the official Santa’s Arctic Circle stamp.
If you want to meet Santa Claus at the official Santa Claus office, the lines can be very long.
Depending on what time you go. However, children will love the winding path through the caves and meeting the elves.
My tip for the best time… is right when it opens or closer to closing time.
There are several restaurants and bars where you can warm up. All of them were quite overpriced in our opinion. But understandable due to the unique location.
The Three Elves seemed to offer the best food and drink options, what did we think?
10 km Husky Safari
We also booked a Husky safari through our hotel. There are many activities to choose from such as snowmobiling, northern lights and more.
When you book these tours, they provide all the winter clothing you need. At -26 degrees you need them.
As soon as we met the beautiful herd of huskies, we fully understood why they are one of the most beloved animals in the North.
We spent a lot of time petting them and posing with them. Before we jumped into the sled and made a 10 kilometer long journey.
The dogs were so excited and couldn’t wait to get going. And I really loved pulling the sled and running the forest trails.
It felt majestic and exciting while tearing through the snowy arctic forests with the icy wind in our faces.
Back, we warmed up in a traditional Lapland cottage, or Kota.
Make fierce friends in Finland
A hot drink by the fireplace before saying goodbye to our new furry friends.
Definitely a truly unforgettable experience, and my favorite experience in all of Lapland.
On our trip in December, when the days were very short, the sun rose around 10:30 and set around 13:00!
It is also worth noting that after 19:00 everything is closed in Santa’s village.
Although it’s still lovely to walk around with the village and the many beautiful lights on the trees.
Back to the hotel once again for a welcome warm-up by the fireplace in our cabin, followed by building a fresh snowman and packing the carrot into place before dinner at the hotel.
Happy magical family memories for life.