Christmas in Scandinavia

In 2024, we took a two-week Christmas trip to Denmark, Finland, and Norway—that accidentally ruined Christmas forever (in the best way). This was (and still is) one of the most magical adventures, but it was also the longest and most aggressive trip we’ve ever taken as a family that required an entire year (yes, 12 months) of meticulous planning. While it was hands-down one of the most magical trips we’ve experienced, I’ll be honest: this kind of travel is not for the faint of heart. Below is our unfiltered experience so you can decide if it’s right for your family—and plan accordingly.

I know Christmas is a long time away, but if you’re even slightly interested in this adventure, you’ll want to book at least a year in advance—because it does book quickly. Rovaniemi is a small town, and it gave me the impression that it doesn’t quite have the infrastructure to support the number of visitors it receives during this time of year.

Below, I break down our full adventure so you can plan with confidence. The good news? Google Maps works well in Denmark and it is accurate (which isn’t always the case for every destination, so this was a big win for us).

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Denmark: Our inspiration to visit Copenhagen came from my husband, who is part Danish and wanted to visit his ancestral country. We were also drawn to iconic sights like Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid statue, and Rosenborg Castle.

Finland: This stop was inspired by a National Geographic documentary that introduced us to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, located within the Arctic Circle. We were also drawn to Finland for the chance to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and experience the Arctic Snow Hotel.

Norway: Our inspiration for Norway came from my favorite Christmas movie, Klaus, which introduced us to Sámi culture. That led us to Tromsø, where there is an active Sámi reindeer farm that also educates visitors about their traditions and way of life. We also planned time in Oslo to see a well-preserved Viking stave church, see Edvard Munch’s The Scream, and ring in the New Year while enjoying the city.

This magical adventure lasted 15 days and took 8 flights from start to finish. And trust me—traveling this way can feel like an extreme sport, much like scaling mountains or doing other high-adrenaline activities. It’s all about how you choose to travel.

Here’s our breakdown by city and flights:

December 20: Austin, Texas → London, England
December 21: London, England → Copenhagen, Denmark
December 23: Copenhagen, Denmark → Helsinki, Finland → Rovaniemi, Finland
Note: At the time, there were no direct flights to Rovaniemi—every option included a layover in Helsinki.
December 26: Rovaniemi, Finland → Tromsø, Norway
December 29: Tromsø, Norway → Oslo, Norway
January 3: Oslo, Norway → London, England → Austin, Texas

As I’ve mentioned before, I prefer direct flights whenever possible, but sometimes that is not an option. The itinerary above was the most direct plan that worked for us at that time.

Helpful Tips: 

• Pack small, nutritious snacks. Essential when traveling with kids—and keeps everyone from getting hangry.
• Stay hydrated. Water and electrolytes are your best friends. Seriously.
• Dress comfortably. Layers that compress easily in your backpack make a huge difference.
• Prepare for delays. Download movies, podcasts, books, and anything else that can help pass the time.

Copenhagen, Denmark – December 22:

10 AM – Rosenborg Castle. We booked our tickets online to save money and to avoid long lines at the ticket office. It was a 30-minute walk from our hotel, Villa Copenhagen, to this beautiful castle. This castle houses the Danish Crown Jewels for the Danish royal family as well as priceless paintings and reliquaries. We were among the first people to enter the castle, but by the time we left, there were long lines waiting to get in.

11 AM – We walked another 30 minutes to The Little Mermaid statue. There were lots of people at the statue, so I recommend getting there early to avoid crowds.

12 PM – We took a Taxi to Nyhavn or “New Harbor” (Uber did not operate in Denmark at the time of our trip). This location is picturesque; there are no bad pictures. The harbor has colorful homes from the 17th and 18th centuries with a notorious history. It also has Hans Christian Andersen’s home along the harbor. We walked through the crowds on a Saturday, so the crowd included locals and tourists doing some shopping at the Christmas market.

Relaxed at the hotel until dinner.

5:30 PM-7:30 PM – Dinner at Restaurant Karla which offers classic Danish food. Reservations are required because the restaurant is small. Do not get there early, you will not be seated until your exact reservation time. We loved the food! I had homemade potato-leek soup with bacon and chives. My husband had a shrimp cocktail with homemade dressing. The kid’s menu was also good, our kid had chicken nuggets with fries. We both had the plank salmon with baked mashed potatoes, herb butter and baked tomato.

I forgot to get a picture of the soup. The plank salmon is underneath the baked mashed potatoes you see.

After dinner we walked around before returning to the hotel to pack for our early flight.

Rovaniemi, Finland – December 23: 

Flights: Copenhagen → Helsinki → Rovaniemi
We flew with Finnair and had a smooth journey with no issues. The plane from Helsinki to Rovaniemi featured Santa Claus Village branding, and the flight attendants handed out Santa’s Village stickers to all the kids—a small touch that made the experience extra magical.

2:00 PM – Arrival in Rovaniemi. We landed in Rovaniemi and took an Uber from the airport to our hotel, Scandic Rovaniemi City. The 10-minute drive took us through snow-covered trees and rolling hills—a truly magical first glimpse of Lapland.

The hotel is conveniently located in downtown Rovaniemi, within walking distance to restaurants and the city bus that goes to and from Santa Claus Village.

We had originally planned to stay at the hotel in Santa’s Village, but it was fully booked when I tried to reserve in mid-February. Staying at Scandic Rovaniemi City turned out to be the next best option and it was a great stay—centrally located, with restaurants nearby, and it even provided free sleds for outdoor fun. Plus, the hotel was just a 10-minute drive to Santa’s Village, making it easy to visit.

4:00 PM – First Visit to Santa’s Village. After checking in and getting settled, we took an Uber to Santa’s Village. We were not prepared for the crowds and traffic winding through snow-covered hills—it was utter chaos! Still, we were determined to walk around and get the lay of the land.

There were long lines everywhere. We queued at Santa’s Post Office to buy postcards to mail to our families and friends, each stamped with the official Santa’s Village logo. Then we explored the attractions—husky sled rides, reindeer sled rides, and more—while taking note of opening times and costs to plan our visit for the next day.

5:00 PM – Dinner at Arctic Restaurant. We returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner at Arctic Restaurant, within walking distance from our hotel. I chose this spot because it offers locally sourced Arctic cuisine, according to their website. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during peak tourism season—almost all restaurants in Rovaniemi are fully booked. We kept seeing people walk in only to be turned away, so booking ahead is essential.

7:00 PM – Evening Planning & Postcards. Back at the hotel, we wrote postcards for all our family and friends, ready to be delivered at Santa’s Post Office the next day. We also spent some time strategizing our plan to make the most of Santa’s Village the following day.

Link to opening hours for all attractions in Santa’s Village: https://santaclausvillage.info/info-and-tips/opening-hours-and-dates/

NOTE: hours change by season, for example, in winter, they open later. Be sure to check before you go. 

8:00 PM – Northern Lights. We took the Northern Lights Wilderness Small-Group Tour from Rovaniemi, and it was absolutely incredible—one of my favorite experiences of the trip. The picture on our website was taken just outside Rovaniemi during this tour. The quiet of the surrounding forest and hills was utterly peaceful, and we could even hear the Northern Lights crackling across the sky. Another bucket-list item checked off! No photo can truly capture the awe of this natural phenomenon—it’s something you have to experience in person.

December 24 – The Strategy for Santa’s Village

9 AM – Christmas House Santa Claus – This is where you can take pictures with Santa Clause. The line begins early and is insanely long if you get there after opening. We got there 30 minutes before opening and still had a long line of waiting. It was totally worth it. Here is our picture with Santa.

9:30 AM – Santa Claus’ Main Post Office opens at 9 AM but pictures with Santa takes a while. After pictures with Santa, we ran to drop off the postcards then we ran to the reindeer sleds.

10 AM – Santa Claus Reindeer opens. We were among the first to buy tickets (can only buy tickets in person). I was so excited to do this, it was a bucket list item for me. We paid for a 10–15-minute sled ride, but there was a longer option that was more expensive. We had so much more to do in Santa’s Village that we opted for the short ride.

11 AM – Santa’s Pets opens. This can be booked online so we did that, which saves us the line and hassle. This was such a cool experience, we got to feed reindeer. There were other animals as well, like a rabbit with bangs.

NOTE: the feeding is only for the reindeer and not the other animals. There are signs everywhere so please follow them. We saw people feeding the other animals the food that was for the reindeer.

12 PM – Lunch at Santa’s Pizza & Burger. This was is a first-come-first serve venue, so divide and conquer. Have someone get in line to order/get the food and another person to find and hold a table because it got a bit wild in there. Alternatively, you can make reservations at the restaurants onsite, however, all were fully booked when we went.

1:30 PM – Arctic Circle Husky Park. Watching these dogs pull that sled was incredible. They are faster than I imagined just zooming past like a jet. We got to go to the Husky kennels and play with them. It was quite nice.

2 PM – We walked into the shops and Mrs. Santa Claus Christmas Cottage.

3 PM – We were done and heading back to the hotel to relax.

December 25 – Christmas Day in Rovaniemi. We spent the day relaxing, taking leisurely walks around the area, and      enjoying some sledding outside in the snow.

6:30 PM – Snow Hotel Tour. In the evening, we joined this GetYourGuide tour: Rovaniemi: Snow Hotel Tour with Food and Transfers. It was a cozy, magical experience—perfect for celebrating Christmas in Lapland.

Tromsø, Norway – December 26: 

Flights: Rovaniemi, Finland → Tromsø, Norway

Our flight was schedule to be early in the morning. But there was a 12-hour delay. This was the worst part of our trip. Not only did we lose a day of precious vacation time, we were miserable in the tiny airport. Luckily, Finnair diverted a plane from Helsinki to Rovaniemi before heading to Tromsø, which finally got us on our way. The flight to Tromsø was very turbulent especially as we were landing. The person sitting in front of us vomited due to the rough turbulence. Once we landed, our luggage took a while to get. Then we caught an Uber (yes, Norway has Uber, so I guess that’s a win) that was too small for our luggage bags, so we drove with an open trunk all the way to the hotel. The streets in Tromsø were either slush ice or completely frozen, making it very slippery.

We stayed at Clarion Collection Hotel With. Yes, that is the full name of the hotel. It offered lunch and dinner, which was very delicious and fresh. The menu was different the few days we were there. It also had beautiful views.

This was the view from our room’s window:

December 27 – Reindeer Feeding & Sámi Culture. We joined the Viator tour: Reindeer Feeding and Sámi Culture, Including Lunch—a perfect day trip from Tromsø to a Sámi reindeer farm to the north. The experience was incredible, giving us a firsthand look at Sámi traditions and reindeer care. The lunch provided on the tour was delicious, making this a truly memorable day.

December 28 – Tromsø Exploration. We spent the day walking around town and shopping for trinkets. We had reindeer hotdogs for lunch and some local pastries.

Oslo, Norway – December 29 – January 3: 

Flights: Tromsø, Norway → Oslo, Norway

Oslo was an incredible city with so much to see, do, and eat. Our favorite experiences included visiting a Viking stave church, a fort, The National Museum of Oslo, the Nobel Peace Center, the Natural History Museum, and enjoying a leisurely afternoon tea—a perfect mix of history and relaxation.

Here is Oslo in a nutshell:

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This 15-day adventure through Denmark, Finland, and Norway was one of the most magical trips we’ve ever taken—but also one of the most intense. From exploring Copenhagen’s historic landmarks to visiting Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, witnessing the Northern Lights, experiencing Sámi culture in Tromsø, and soaking in the history and charm of Oslo, every moment was unforgettable.

Travel like this takes meticulous planning, flexibility, and a sense of adventure, but the memories made along the way are priceless. Whether it’s your first trip to Scandinavia or a return visit, we hope our experience helps you plan confidently and embrace every moment of your own Arctic adventure.

 Wishing you a WanderFull adventure!✨