After spending the previous night enjoying the Northern Lights, I couldn’t sleep as the visuals of the Northern Lights were playing continuously in my head. It was Christmas Eve and our destination for today and tomorrow was none other than Santa Claus Village. After breakfast, we set out to Santa Claus Village which was 2 hours ride from the hotel. The village was already flowing with tourists from all around the world and there was already a long queue to take pictures with Santa.
We were lucky to catch Santa when he was taking a break. I took a quick selfie before he went inside.
As part of the package, there were optional activities to choose from like a Reindeer Sledge ride, Husky ride, snowmobile ride and ice go-karting. I had opted for the Snowmobile which was scheduled for the next day. I had lots of time to explore the village.
The temperature was down to -15°C with a real feel of -20°C. Sun was about to rise (around 10 am) and set in another 1 hour. Sky was covered in orange and pink hues and it was white as long as your eyes can see.
Snow-covered trees in the distance formed a great scenery.
After having a light lunch, it was time for people to part ways for the optional activities. We decided to meet at Santa’s post office after an hour. Others just explored the village and I crossed the Arctic Circle line otherwise known as Napapiiri.
There is a live webcam feed on YouTube at this pillar which runs 24/7X365. As the exploration came to an end, we decided to head to Rovaniemi City to explore the old town and the cathedral. Travellers can utilize the city shuttle bus, which runs between Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi City.
It was pretty dark by 4pm and we started exploring the city. After a brief walk, we reached the cathedral.
There was a special Christmas Eve mass and it was quiet and peaceful inside the cathedral. We sat there for 30 minutes, though we didn’t understand what the high priest was referring to. Once the prayer was over, we headed back to the village to meet up with others. It was the second Northern Lights chase and the ones not enrolled were taken to the Hotel. I went back to the hotel and had a good night’s sleep.
Christmas 2022
After an early breakfast, it was the second day in Santa Claus village. As I had already explored the village the previous day, I decided to use the day to get some souvenirs and try out the authentic Finnish Reindeer food. After lunch, it was time for the snowmobile ride. I teamed up with Daniel, who is into an adventure. Everyone who opted for a snowmobile ride was briefed about the technicalities of the snowmobile and the rules and regulations. Once, after the briefing, everyone was provided with gear to beat the weather and a safety helmet. Both of us were excited to experience the snowmobile. It was a 1-hour ride up and down the snowmobile route, which in general is a normal road for residents to get from one city to another. The routes are sometimes controlled by the police as well.
The landscape was out of this world and no wonder people choose the Northern Lights chase with snowmobiles. After the ride, it was time to head to the last Northern Lights chase and we had a 2-hour ride in front of us to reach a remote location. I set up my tripod and camera and could see a faint green light in the distance. Quickly set the required settings and the green light became clearer through the camera.
After waiting for an hour, the sky lit up with Aurora lights for a minute or so.
It was only after returning I knew that I was standing on top of a frozen lake all this time. It was scary to just visualize. We returned to the hostel around one in the morning and our tour guide informed everyone that we had only seven hours to rest before getting on the road to the next city- Turku.
