[Nordic 15-Day Independent Trip] Day 5: Rovaniemi | Husky Sledding, Rovaniemi City & Aurora Night 2

Table of Contents Itinerary Overview Trip Preparation One-Day Tour of Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi City Center Husky Sled Experience Santa Claus Post Office & Sending Postcards Rovaniemi City Center & Accommodation Aurora Chasing, Night Two Itinerary Summary & Other Nordic Travel Notes 1. Itinerary Overview We successfully caught the aurora last night, and this morning we're still immersed in that magnificent spectacle. After breakfast, we headed once again to Santa Claus Village, ready to experience the husky sled ride and send postcards from the Santa Claus Post Office. In the afternoon, we returned to Rovaniemi city center, checked into our new apartment and rested for a while, then spent the afternoon strolling around downtown. In the evening, we headed to Kemijoki Riverside, an aurora-viewing spot recommended by locals, hoping to once again witness the magical moment of the Northern Lights. II. Trip Preparation Transportation Santa Claus Village ⇄ Rovaniemi city center: Express bus, one-way €4 Aurora viewing spot: Walk to Kemijoki Riverside, about 20 minutes Accommodation House of Saana Apartment (booking) Fully equipped, a 10-minute walk from the train station, very convenient transportation. The downside is that it lacks the cozy warmth of a cabin. €280 per night (about 10,780 TWD), pretty good value for money.

Aurora Viewing When the KP index reaches 2 or above and the weather is clear, you'll have a very high chance of seeing the aurora Best viewing spot: Along the Kemijoki River behind the Aurora Museum, away from light pollution with an open horizon View larger map 3. One-day tour of Santa Claus Village and Rovaniemi city center Husky Sledding Experience With reluctance, we bid farewell to the cozy cabin and return to Santa Claus Village to head to the husky sledding camp, which offers complimentary luggage storage.

While in the waiting area, our team of seven husky sled dogs was already primed and ready to sprint! Interestingly, one of the huskies clearly didn't feel like working and needed the trainer to calm it down — the scene was absolutely hilarious.

As soon as the musher gives the command, the dogs immediately dash off at full speed—much faster than a reindeer sleigh! Braving the icy Arctic wind, we weave our way through the snow-covered forest, and it's absolutely thrilling. The only downside is that the huskies tend to relieve themselves while running, so you can't quite avoid catching a not-so-pleasant smell along the way 😂.

Experience duration: about 10 minutes Refreshments after the activity: return to the rest cabin and enjoy hot tea and cinnamon cookies Experience impressions Husky sledding is more dynamic than reindeer sledding, making it perfect for travelers who love speed and excitement. That said, the highly symbolic reindeer sled ride in Santa Claus Village is still well worth trying — after all, coming all this way without riding a reindeer would somehow feel like something's missing. Santa Claus Post Office & Postcard Mailing After finishing the sledding experience, we headed to the Santa Claus Post Office to send off the postcards we had carefully prepared the day before. 📬 There are two mailing options: Regular mailbox: sent immediately Christmas mailbox: will be sent on Christmas Day itself We chose the Christmas mailbox, looking forward to receiving blessings from the Arctic Circle a few months from now!

Rovaniemi City Center & Accommodation After taking the bus back to the city center, we tried to contact tonight's host to ask if we could drop off our luggage early. Most accommodations in the Nordic region have a check-in time of 16:00, and the host initially replied that early check-in wasn't possible — but later let us know that we could actually check in at 13:00, giving us a chance to rest indoors for a while. Compared to last night's cabin, tonight's apartment feels a bit less cozy, but it's spacious and well-equipped, which is more than enough for a short stay. We had originally planned to visit the Arctic Museum (Aurora Museum), but no one was really that interested, so we switched to a city walk & grocery shopping instead. There aren't that many sights in Rovaniemi's city center, but the supermarket selection here is much better than yesterday's!

There are Santa Claus meet-and-greet places in the city too, but they're not getting any customers. When the Santa saw us looking, he even came out to drum up business😂 Aurora Chasing Night 2 20:00 We checked the aurora forecast and found the KP index rising, so we decided to head out! This time we came to Kami River, which was recommended by a friend - this is a local's secret aurora viewing spot. After arriving, we found quite a few people already gathered. Many locals even had snowboards and were sliding on the glacier - the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. Why is this place so popular? ✅ Open view with no light pollution ✅ The glacier is frozen, so you can enjoy snowboarding to pass the time

Aurora appears! At 21:00, the aurora stretched from east to west, slightly dimmer than last night but lasting longer.

21:30: The second wave of aurora eruption! Growing like fern plants, eventually forming a swirling, curling dynamic aurora

Unlike yesterday, when we could easily enjoy the aurora right at the cabin door, this time the low temperature outside left our hands and feet numb with cold, so at 10 o'clock everyone decided to head back. After returning to the apartment, we happily celebrated successfully capturing the aurora again tonight! Some people went off to use the sauna, while I chose to go to bed early to save up energy for tomorrow's exploration of Inari. Trip Summary & Other Nordic Travel Notes Today's itinerary opened with the speed and thrill of husky sledding, followed by leaving precious memories at Santa Claus's Post Office.Although the second night of aurora chasing was cold, we once again successfully witnessed this magnificent dance of light. Explore more travel journals of the free-and-easy trip through the four Nordic countries The Nordic region isn't just about auroras and ice and snow — it also has urban elegance, polar mystery, and cultural depth. This journey across Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden will take you to discover the charm of Europe's most pristine corner! 🇩🇰 Denmark Free-and-Easy Trip 📍Day 2: A Day Trip in Copenhagen｜📍Day 3: Exploring the Free City, Flying to Finland 🇫🇮 Finland Polar Journey 📍Day 4: Helsinki City Tour & Overnight Sleeper Train｜📍Day 5: Santa Claus Village and First Aurora Experience 📍Day 6: Rovaniemi Husky Sledding & City Exploration｜📍Day 7: Lake Inari and the Secret Aurora Spot 🇳🇴 Norway Cruise Voyage & Aurora Exploration 📍Day 8: Crossing the Border from Inari into Kirkenes to Board the Cruise｜📍Day 9: Stopping at Hammerfest and Life Onboard 📍Day 10: Tromsø Museum and the Cable Car Snow Scenery | 📍Day 11: Transportation Disrupted, Stranded in Tromsø 🇸🇪 A Stroll Through Swedish Culture and a Perfect Finale 📍Day 12: Flying to Stockholm, Surprised by the Aurora from Above | 📍Day 13: City Hall & the Vasa Shipwreck Museum 📍Day 14: Deep Wandering Through the Old Town and Swedish Culture