Rovaniemi sits directly on the Arctic Circle and takes its Santa responsibilities with Finnish seriousness: the man himself receives visitors daily in his village office, and the meeting — unhurried, multilingual, faintly magical — holds up even for sceptical eight-year-olds. Go in early December before the peak-week crush and prices, and book the Santa meeting photo package but skip the pricier extras. Reindeer sleigh rides and the Ranua wildlife park fill the daylight hours.
Featured in Ten winter-magic trips for families who love the cold · Family