Arctic Circle Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Arctic Circle. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Arctic Delight - Visit to Santa's Village and Snowmobiling to Reindeer Farm

• Rovaniemi Santa Claus Village Husky Reindeer Farm Arctic Museum

• Northern Lights Snowmobile Driving Safari

• Snowmobile Safari on the Tundra

• Husky and Reindeer Experience With Snowmobiling

Visiting the Arctic Circle from one of the most popular departure points, Rovaniemi, Finland, costs from about US$75 for a shared horse-drawn sleigh ride to around US$1,000 for a 3-day adventure. Rovaniemi is not a cheap destination: Expect to pay US$200 (minimum) for nightly accommodations in high season.

You can visit the Arctic Circle anytime. Summer brings warmer temperatures, endless sun, and mosquitoes. The popular Santa Claus Village and reindeer sleighs make for a magical Christmas vacation, but you'll get better value, warmer temperatures, and more daylight in late November or March.

Within Scandinavia, Finnish Lapland, Norwegian Lapland, and Norway’s Svalbard islands all contain starting points for visiting the Arctic Circle. For Svalbard, start in Longyearbyen; for Norwegian Lapland, start in Tromsø; for Finnish Lapland, begin in Rovaniemi, accessible by a night train from Helsinki.

Night is the best time to explore the Arctic Circle if you’re hunting the northern lights, which are generally visible from November to March. Daytime is great for skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and husky sledding. Around Christmas, expect two hours of daylight in Rovaniemi, while in April, you’ll get 13–17 hours.

Yes, the Arctic Circle can be great with kids. Santa Claus Village and a reindeer sleigh ride are magical for little ones. However, Rovaniemi temperatures regularly drop to 5°F (-15°C) in the holiday season. You can rent Arctic-proof outer layers, but be sure to bring warm inner layers.