12 Tips for Visiting Rovaniemi on a Budget (Local’s Guide)

Are you looking for ways to save money in Rovaniemi on your upcoming Lapland trip? I live here, but before I did, I visited the area… A LOT. And these are my tips for traveling to Rovaniemi on a budget.

Some of these Rovaniemi budget tips will be useful once you’re here and some of them are helpful during the planning phase of your trip. I will list the planning tips first and then move into the ‘you’re already in Rovaniemi’ recommendations second.

I plan to add a sister guide to this about the actual cost of visiting Rovaniemi.

I have a similar guide outlining the cost of a trip to Tromsø, but it is a little trickier here as Rovaniemi has a lot of packaged tourism, and there is a huge disparity in costs of tours (sometimes at the expense of the animals, to be honest). But, for now, these are my best Rovaniemi budget hacks!

If you have any questions or you have a money-saving tip yourself, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Tips for Visiting Rovaniemi on a Budget

1. Be flexible with your travel dates.

There are plenty of reasons to be flexible with your travel dates when visiting Rovaniemi, but so many people want to visit in December when things are at their most festive for the holidays. Honestly? Don’t. I think it is the worst time to come unless this is the sole reason you’re coming here.

First of all, it is the most crowded period, snow is not guaranteed (I initially wrote this guide in December and we had pretty much no snow on the ground then!), and it is pretty cloudy (meaning the northern lights are not as easy to see).

It is also the most expensive time to visit Rovaniemi. I plan a lot of staycations around Lapland and even I don’t mess around with that in December. It is so expensive!

Instead, visit at another time! If you’re coming for the snow, head here in February or March. There is a lot of snow then, and no activities are being canceled. Hotels are usually cheaper and March is the best month of the year for the northern lights.

If you want to visit for the northern lights and hiking, come in late September or early October. Our trees are so beautiful, and the northern lights are really good around this time!

2. Book hotels and hostels far in advance.

This goes pretty much without saying in most places, but it is especially true here. Secure the places you want to stay so you can get a room or bed there as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you may end up in a place that is outside your budget (or bouncing around).

There are a few hostels in Rovaniemi that may be worth considering for your trip, like Hostel Cafe Koti or Ibed City Capsule Hostel.

Hostel Cafe Koti is located in the city center and Ibed City Capsule Hostel is located closer to Santa Claus Village. Ibed City is the world’s northernmost capsule hotel!

Airbnbs may be a cheap option in certain circumstances but I do not recommend them in Rovaniemi as it is starting to create a huge issue with locals being able to afford to rent or buy places here.

3. Stay in your dream hotel one night and elsewhere the other nights.

I know a lot of people visiting Lapland want to stay in a glass igloo or an ice hotel and I totally get it! But it is so expensive during the high season.

I have an entire guide dedicated to tips for staying in a glass igloo in Finland, but one of my biggest tips for those visiting on a budget is to stay there one night and somewhere more affordable the others.

My favorite place nearby is Apukka Resort. They have glass igloos and the complex has several tours, a restaurant, and other activities. You can book an igloo stay for one night and then come back several times throughout your trip (even if you’re not staying there) for tours with them.

For a glass igloo during December and January, you’re easily looking at $400+ a night (this is on the low end, too). A hotel or serviced apartment in the city center is around $250-300 a night. Perhaps cheaper.

4. Rent winter clothing when you get here.

A lot of travelers visit Rovaniemi from India and Australia and I can’t imagine for a second that any of them have a closet of winter parkas to choose from like our Canadian travelers!

If you’re just coming for a few days and don’t want to invest in heavy winter gear that will also require paying for a suitcase, rent some when you arrive.

Those visiting for a longer duration of time may not find this the cheapest option, but if you are coming for 4 days (or even a week), it may be the most practical and it is also sustainable compared to buying clothes you may never need again.

Winterent has a shop I pass daily in Rovaniemi city center, and it is a popular place to rent from. They have winter jackets, pants, snow boots, mittens, and more. They do not rent out base layers, though, so I would bring those.

You can rent out items individually or the entire set! I would highly advise booking these rentals in advance to ensure they don’t sell out close to your trip.

Keep in mind that I have never done this. I live here and have plenty of winter clothing to choose from. This may not even be the cheapest option for you if you’re able to borrow clothing from a friend… but this is an alternative to consider and when you run the numbers, it may be the cheapest option! Click here to check Winterent’s clothing rental packages.

5. Use GetYourGuide to find the cheapest tours in Rovaniemi.

I have used GetYourGuide for years, both as a traveler and a partner and I love that you can compare prices from different companies directly on their site. The Berlin-based company is an aggregator and presents options and is not a tour operator itself. It is kind of like Skyscanner but for tours.

One thing I will say is that you get what you pay for here. If you book a northern lights tour for $80-90 or so, it may not be as high-quality as one double the price (meaning you may be in larger groups, won’t get photos taken of you, and won’t drive to as many spots).

Another thing to consider is that a lot of the cheaper animal tours are not always ethical, in my opinion. Dog-sledding tours need to be a few hours long. The 1-kilometer rides that are offered are NOT good for the dogs. There is only one exception, and that is this budget-friendly tour by Bearhill Husky at SCV that is short. They use their older pups to do it and it is good exercise for them.

A few companies are offering these short rides, especially around Santa Claus Village. One dog-sledding tour to avoid is this one, as the company has been outed lately for canceling the tours of people during the high season and doubling the price.

You will also want to book your tour as soon as you book your flights. If you’re interested, I have an entire guide dedicated to the cheapest tours in Rovaniemi!

Tours do fill up quickly here, especially dog-sledding ones, so it is best to secure them as soon as possible to ensure availability. Otherwise, you may have to extend outside of your budget to cover them if you have fewer options.

6. Consider taking the train to Rovaniemi from Helsinki.

This may or may not be a more expensive option, but it is one to check to consider the cheapest way to reach Rovaniemi.

The Santa Claus Express runs between Rovaniemi and Helsinki with several stops along the way. The train duration can range from 8-11 hours and you can book a sleeper cabin or a seat on it. Needless to say, the seats are the cheapest option.

Prices can be all over the place depending on the season. I find it is cheaper for me to fly to Helsinki usually, but every so often, I will find the train cheaper if my dates are not flexible.

Below is a screenshot of ticket prices for early December on a random date. Even last minute, you can find seats at a somewhat affordable price. Finnish trains are incredibly nice, so even a seat is not so bad as you can maneuver about (and to the onboard restaurant) as you wish.

Here is another screenshot of Finnish train prices from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in March. Now you can see why I recommend a March trip here!

If you are considering booking a train ticket, try to do so on the official Finnish train website, VR. Other companies can add extra costs.

Trains may also save you on luggage prices, even though Finnair has some of the cheapest checked luggage prices in Europe.

7. Use public transportation in Rovaniemi.

We have pretty good public transportation here, even if I complain that it doesn’t go to my house after 5pm on weekends.

Frequent buses run between places throughout the day and tickets are €3.60 for a single in Zone A (where the city center and Santa Claus Village are). A day ticket is €9. You can see more information on their official website Linkkari.

The app I use for public transportation here is Waltti Mobile (tickets are slightly cheaper if you buy them there instead of in person). You can also plan your trip on the app to see where you need to go to take a bus. Click here to download it for Android or iOS.

During the winter months, the Airport Express also runs the Santa’s Airport Express, which can take you between the city center and Santa Claus Village (as well as SantaPark and the Airport). You can view those timetables here.

If you do find yourself needing to take a taxi when here (after hours or for other reasons), it is affordable, in my opinion.

I use the Finnish company, Meneva (they have an app) but Uber and Bolt also work here. Expect to pay €20-35 per ride around all the areas of Rovaniemi.

8. Eat at the lunch buffets in Rovaniemi.

One of the best value-for-money tricks in Rovaniemi is to take advantage of the local lunch buffets.

At many of the restaurants in Rovaniemi, you will find discounted lunch deals where you can get an all-you-can-eat appetizer buffet paired with a hot main dish.

Sometimes there are just buffets with hot food and no main dish. It also tends to include coffee and a small dessert. These are such great value for money and I am often taking advantage of them myself! Lunch buffets can run anywhere from €11-15ish.

Some of my favorite lunch buffets in the city are:

• Arktikum: located at the museum’s cafe and is a buffet
• Gustav: appetizer buffet with a main dish included (shuts down for a bit during high season, so check the website to see if it is available during your stay)
• Monte Rosa: buffet with no main dish (only open in wintertime)
• Thaibaan: used to be my favorite, but they have now removed the tom yum soup, which makes it less exciting
• Saigon Noodle Bar: has an appetizer buffet with a main dish
• Cafe Koti: has a really good breakfast and lunch buffet
• Robert’s Coffee: this just opened but they have a buffet with no main dish (I will try it out soon)
• Feenix Buffet & Bistro (located in the Rinteenkulma shopping center)

And while not all places have lunch buffets, food sometimes does tend to be cheaper during lunch! Yuca and Santa’s Kebab have lunch specials on weekdays.

One thing to note about these lunch specials and buffets is that they are usually only available on weekdays.

9. Take advantage of the free things to do in Rovaniemi.

There is plenty to do here and it can end up costing an arm and a leg if you’re not careful. This includes the many tours offered. However, we do have some free things to do in Rovaniemi, as well as some budget-friendly ones.

Some of what I am listing here is better visited with a car (as I know many people traveling outside of the high season are renting a car or driving up with their own):

✅ Arctic Circle Hiking Area: This place has tons of trail networks and is one of my favorite places – about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Rovaniemi.

✅ Grill a sausage in the forest: We have a lot of fireplaces and lavvus around Finland and you can use them for free. If you have your own wood… great! The wood that is supplied is for locals, so I would recommend bringing your own if you can.

You will also need to bring your own food, lighter/match, and anything else that helps you start a fire if you’re not a master at it yet (I bring firestarter blocks or I peel off pieces of birch bark on the wood I use).

✅ Walk around Santa Claus Village: Many people are surprised to find out that it is free to walk around SCV. Purchasing food, souvenirs, or partaking in activities will cost you. It is also free to visit Santa Claus (photos must be purchased, though).

✅ See the northern lights: While I highly recommend booking a tour if it is your first time, you don’t need to if you know what you’re looking for. You can head to Arktikum’s riverfront spot in the city center to view if the skies are clear (you will not be alone) or drive out of the city if you have a car.

✅ Go sledding: There are small hills throughout the city (and in Ounasvaara) and buying a sled in the shopping center (can do it at any grocery store or in Clas Ohlson in the shopping mall) is cheap! When done, place it near a trash can in the center and someone else can use it later.

10. Enjoy the ever-present filtered black coffee of Finland.

Coffee here is as ubiquitous as water, and I LOVE it. You can find filtered black coffee everywhere and it is cheap. And you can also get free refills in a few places.

Finns drink more coffee than any other nation on the planet per person and it shows. Coffee is included in every lunch buffet I mentioned above. And if you’re heading to any of the cafes in Rovaniemi, you can also ask if they have refills discounted or for free.

I usually work from Espresso House since I don’t mind taking up a table there as opposed to an independent cafe, and they offer one free refill with a filtered black coffee purchase. And, their large coffee is massive!

11. Water is free everywhere.

I used to live in the US and Norway, so this comes as no surprise to me and I don’t think water should be something that is paid for (if accessible)… and then I moved to Germany.

Tap water is rarely free at a restaurant and if you order water to accompany your meal, it can be €7 in some establishments. It was painful. That is not the case here in Finland.

When you order something to eat at a restaurant in Rovaniemi, water is always included. And the water up here is so good! If you’re visiting from abroad, bring your reusable water bottle because you can fill it up anywhere and always stay hydrated… for free.

12. Shop for food in the grocery stores.

I realized that nearly every ‘budget’ tip I have for when you’re in the city pertains to food! But another Rovaniemi budget trick is to shop in the grocery stores!

If you’re on a budget visiting the Nordics, I almost always recommend having one meal out a day and grabbing ingredients to make sandwiches for the rest of the meals. Finland is no different.

You can buy crispbreads or fresh bread at the grocery store, along with different toppings. It is cheap, filling, and will save you a lot of money over the days!

We also have a good selection of ramen noodles here (Shin ramen, Mama Thai, etc), so you can pick up a pack for a little over a Euro in most grocery stores in the city.

There is a 24-hour Sale (name of the grocery store) at Lordi Square in the city center and a large K-Market at the bottom of the shopping mall Rinteenkulma. Grocery stores in Rovaniemi are open on Sundays.

Do you have any questions about visiting Rovaniemi on a budget? Let me know in the comments!

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