Every year, somewhere around Boxing Day, our phones start buzzing with the same message from friends of friends: we land on the 27th, what do we actually book? The days between Christmas and New Year are a strange, lovely pocket in Rovaniemi. Santa's busiest night is over, the fireworks have not started yet, and the town is full of families and couples who suddenly have four or five days and no plan.

We live here: Joona is a Finn who spent years working in Lapland tourism, and Alla still stops on the bridge to stare at the blue light at two in the afternoon. This is how we would spend 27 to 30 December 2026 if we were visiting ourselves, with honest notes on what to book first, what can wait and what we would skip.

What the days between Christmas and New Year feel like

The 27th always feels like the morning after a big party. Christmas Eve is the real celebration in Finland, the 25th is quiet and family-centred, and by the 26th the town starts to move again. From the 27th onwards Rovaniemi fills with a different crowd: families who did Christmas at home and flew in straight after, couples escaping in-laws, groups of friends who want to see the New Year in somewhere snowy.

The light is the thing nobody quite believes until they see it. This is the darkest stretch of the year, so daylight is short, low and often more blue than gold. Instead of fighting it, we plan around it: animals and anything outdoors in the late morning and early afternoon, then the long dark evening for the sky. The snow usually reflects every bit of light there is, so it rarely feels gloomy. It feels like the whole day is set to dusk.

The other thing to know is that this is not a quiet week for tour operators. It is one of the busiest stretches of the whole season, so the question is less "what is open?" and more "what will still have space for my dates?"

Why this week books up differently from Christmas itself

Christmas week itself is dominated by Santa: private Santa visits, Santa Claus Village, everything with a red hat on it. Between Christmas and New Year, demand shifts to the classic Lapland list: huskies, reindeer, snowmobiles and the northern lights. That shift is why the slots that disappear first in this window are not the Santa ones, but morning husky rides and small-group aurora evenings, where group sizes are capped and every seat counts.

Our honest advice: decide which single experience would make the trip for you, and book that first. Everything else can be fitted around it. If your heart is set on driving your own sled, lock in the husky morning. If it is the sky, lock in the aurora night on your first or second evening, so you still have a fallback night if you want to try again.

The Christmas week guide covers the 22nd to the 26th in detail. This post picks up where it ends.

Mornings: the husky ride we would put first

If there is one thing visitors talk about for years afterwards, it is the first ten seconds after the brake comes off and the dogs go silent and simply run. Before that moment the farm is pure noise, dozens of huskies howling because they want to go. After it, the only sounds are runners on snow and your own breathing.

The Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is our default recommendation for this week. It starts at 09:30 daily and lasts about four hours, it includes a 5 km sleigh ride that you drive yourself after detailed instructions, and thermal overalls, boots and gloves are provided, which matters when you have flown in with city coats. It is rated easy, so you do not need to be sporty, but you do need to listen to the guide and hold on.

Book this if: you want the iconic Lapland moment and you are happy to be up early. Skip this if: you have children under 3, because the tour is not suitable for them, or anyone in your group dislikes dogs up close. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult paying the full price.

One honest trade-off: in bad weather, the guides can switch the ride to a shortened guide-driven version for safety. It does not happen often, but it is worth knowing so it does not feel like a surprise.

A gentler day: reindeer in the forest

We always suggest one slower day in the middle of a short winter trip, and reindeer are perfect for it. Where huskies are adrenaline, reindeer are a long exhale. They pull the sleigh at their own pace, they stop when they feel like it, and the forest goes so quiet that you hear the snow sliding off the branches.

The Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 starts at 11:30 daily, takes about three hours in total and includes a 2–3 km sleigh safari in the forest, plus time to learn about reindeer herding and how the farm works. It is rated very easy, which makes it the one activity we recommend to almost everybody, from toddlers who are at least three to grandparents. Cookies and juice are included, and so is winter clothing.

Two practical notes. The tour needs at least two people to run, and if conditions do not allow a sleigh ride, it becomes a reindeer walk instead. Because it starts at 11:30, it does not combine with the 09:30 husky morning on the same day, so give it its own date.

Evenings: hunting the northern lights in the darkest week

Long nights give you more hours of potential aurora, but they do not guarantee clear skies. That is the part many first-timers miss. The lights depend on solar activity and, just as much, on cloud. Some evenings the sky over the city is grey while forty minutes away it is perfectly clear, and that is exactly why we prefer a hunt over standing in one spot.

The Professional Small Group Northern Lights Hunting Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is our pick for this week. It is from €199 per adult, the group is 2–8 people, and a professional guide and photographer chooses where to drive based on that night's forecasts. The start time varies between 17:00 and 21:00 and is confirmed by email by 14:00, and the whole evening typically runs somewhere between four and ten hours, depending on conditions. Winter clothing is included, and so are professional photos.

The detail that makes it work for a short holiday: if no northern lights photos are captured during the tour, you get a 100% refund. For a bigger family or a tighter budget, the guaranteed aurora hunting tour by bus5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is from €109 and runs on the same refund idea. Our bus vs small-group vs private comparison goes into the trade-offs in more depth.

Book this if: the northern lights are the reason you came and you want the best chance in a few nights. Skip this if: you have small children who will not manage a late night, in which case the bus tour or an earlier activity makes more sense.

A sample plan for 27–30 December 2026

Here is roughly how we would map four days if friends asked us. It is not a timetable to follow to the minute, just a shape that balances adrenaline, rest and sky.

27 December, arrival day. Land, check in, walk along the river at the blue hour and eat early. Do not book anything tightly timed on the day you fly in; flights in this week can run late.

28 December, huskies and the first aurora attempt. The Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the morning, a long lunch and a nap, then the small-group aurora hunt in the evening. It is a big day, but it puts your two biggest experiences early, which leaves room to repeat anything that did not work.

29 December, slow day with reindeer. The reindeer safari at 11:30, then an unhurried afternoon in town. If the forecast looks strong and the first hunt was cloudy, this is your second chance in the evening.

30 December, sauna and a quiet evening. Keep this day for the upgrade in the next section, and save your energy for New Year's Eve.

If you are staying into the 31st, our New Year's in Rovaniemi guide covers the night itself. Remember that HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 works on each of these bookings separately, so the 5% adds up across a four-day plan.

The upgrade: a private sauna and ice swim to close the year

If there is one experience we would add to make this week feel properly Finnish, it is sauna. Finns go to sauna to end the year, to warm up, to talk, to not talk. And nothing resets a body after days in the cold like heat, steam and one ridiculous, wonderful plunge into a hole in the ice.

The Private Wooden Heated Sauna and Ice Swimming5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 gives you a traditional wood-heated sauna to yourselves, a hand-cut ice hole, instructions on how to do the cold plunge safely, towels, and a light local snack and drinks. Sessions start at 10:00, 14:00 and 19:00 and last about four hours. It needs at least two people, and the live price for a pair shows in the booking window. A hot tub can be added as an extra.

Book this if: you want one evening that feels slow and very local. Skip this if: anyone in your group has a heart condition or has been told to avoid extreme temperature changes; in that case enjoy the sauna and leave the ice hole to someone else.

For a bigger splurge, the Lapland Bucketlist Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 packs huskies, reindeer and snowmobiles into one six-hour day with a salmon soup lunch and a photographer included. It is from €449 per adult, and it is a smart choice if you only have one full day between flights.

Frequently asked questions

Do tours run between Christmas and New Year in Rovaniemi?
Yes, this is one of the busiest stretches of the season and most winter tours keep running. Exact departures change day to day, so open the live calendar for your dates rather than assuming every slot exists.

How far ahead should we book for 27–30 December?
As early as you can. Small-group aurora hunts and morning husky rides are the first things we see fill in this week. If your dates are fixed, book the experience you care about most first and build around it.

Can we do huskies and northern lights on the same day?
Yes. The Nulkki Husky Adventure starts at 09:30 and lasts about four hours, and the small-group aurora hunt starts somewhere between 17:00 and 21:00, so there is room for a rest and an early dinner in between.

What if there are no northern lights on our aurora night?
The guaranteed small-group hunt refunds 100% if no northern lights photos are captured during the tour, which takes a lot of the pressure off a short trip.

Are pick-ups included in this week?
Pick-ups within about 10 km of Rovaniemi city centre are included on the tours we mention here. Between 1 December and 10 January some tours drop off only at selected central locations, so read the note in the booking window.

Does the HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 code work over the holidays?
Yes. HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 gives 5% off every StayLapland tour, with no expiry and no blackout week, including 27–30 December.

Our final pick for 27–30 December

If we could only choose two things for friends visiting between Christmas and New Year, it would be a husky morning and a small-group aurora hunt, booked on the same day early in the trip. The Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 gives you the moment people fly to Lapland for, and the aurora hunt gives you the best realistic shot at the sky, with a refund if the photos do not happen.

Book the one you care about most today, because this is the week where waiting costs you choice rather than money. Then add reindeer and sauna around it as time and budget allow. Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout on every booking for 5% off. We hope the dogs run fast and the sky stays clear for you.