RVRovaniemiTrip decisions before booking
Christmas Eve and Day

What actually stays open in Rovaniemi on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

24 December is the main family holiday in Finland, and it changes Rovaniemi more than any other date on the calendar. Most city shops close early, many city-centre restaurants close or work on reservation only, and 26 December is a public holiday too. Santa Claus Village and the Santa Claus Office run on a different schedule, and this guide sets out what actually stays open.

Reviewed2026-09-03
Sources checked2026-09-03
UseBooking guide
Snowman at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi during the December Christmas season
Key numbers

The facts that decide this trip

24 December
Main Finnish family holiday; most city shops close early
25 and 26 December
Both are public holidays in Finland
Santa Claus Office
Open 08:00 to 20:00 on 24, 25 and 31 December
Santa Claus Village businesses
Keep extended hours through the holiday
City-centre restaurants
Many close or work on reservation only on 24 and 25 December
Daylight on 24 December
Sunrise 10:58, sunset 13:34

Why 24 December changes Rovaniemi

24 December is the main family holiday in Finland, closer in weight to Christmas Day in other countries than to a normal Tuesday. Most city shops close early so staff can get home, and the city centre empties out earlier than on any other day in December.

Santa Claus Village is built for visitors rather than for a local family holiday, so its businesses keep their own extended hours instead of closing early like many shops in the centre.

Local families spend the day together at home, much as many other countries treat 25 December, which is why central Rovaniemi feels quieter from the afternoon of 24 December onward, even while the Christmas season around Santa Claus Village is at its busiest point of the year.

What stays open: the Santa Claus Office and the village

The Santa Claus Office keeps its peak-season hours, 08:00 to 20:00, on 24, 25 and 31 December, the same as every other day between 30 November and 3 January. Meeting Santa is free on all three dates.

Santa Claus Village businesses set their own hours and keep them extended through the holiday period, which makes the village the most reliable place to plan a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day visit around.

  • Santa Claus Office: open 08:00 to 20:00 on 24, 25 and 31 December.
  • Santa Claus Village: open every day of the year, entry free.
  • Village shops and restaurants: extended hours, set individually by each business.
Where to stay

Where to stay over Christmas Eve and Day

A base inside Santa Claus Village keeps the two most unpredictable city-centre variables, shop hours and restaurant availability, out of the plan. Compare the live total for 24 and 25 December before you book.

Affiliate disclosure: the Stay22 comparison link is commercial. If you book through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost. Providers control prices, payment, changes and refunds; the picks stay editorial.

  • Santa Claus VillageSanta Claus Holiday VillageCabins and suites inside the village, close to the Santa Claus Office on both 24 and 25 December.
  • Santa Claus VillageNova Skyland HotelHotel rooms near the Santa Claus Office, useful for a family visiting on both days of the holiday.
  • City centreOriginal Sokos Hotel VaakunaCentral hotel with a sauna, a practical choice for a family who wants a hotel dinner booked ahead.
  • City centreScandic Rovaniemi CityCentral chain hotel with family rooms, useful if the wider trip is based in the city rather than the village.
Stay22 · live value comparisonFind best-value stays around RovaniemiCompare live totals, map position and cancellation terms for the exact dates.
Check live prices

What closes or changes in the city centre

Most city shops close early on 24 December, and many city-centre restaurants either close for the day or run on reservation only on 24 and 25 December. 26 December is also a public holiday in Finland, so do not assume city-centre hours return to normal immediately afterward.

This guide does not list specific restaurant names or hours, since they change every year and by business. Confirm directly with your hotel or the restaurant before you plan an evening around it.

Because all three dates, 24, 25 and 26 December, carry holiday or reduced hours in the city centre, a family basing the trip there should treat the whole stretch as a single planning problem rather than checking each day on its own.

Tours and daylight on the two days

Tours generally continue to operate through the Christmas holidays, but pickup times can shift around the dates, so check the product page or your confirmation close to 24 and 25 December rather than assuming the usual schedule.

Daylight on 24 December runs from about 10:58 to 13:34, close to the shortest days of the year, so any outdoor plan for either day fits inside a similar late-morning to early-afternoon window.

A walk along the Arctic Circle line or a photograph at the sign works best inside that same late-morning to early-afternoon window, rather than left until later, since the light fades quickly once the afternoon closes in.

A sensible Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

A working plan for 24 December leans on Santa Claus Village, which is open and reliable all day: a morning or early-afternoon visit to the Santa Claus Office, lunch in or near the village, and a dinner booked ahead, either at the hotel or inside the village, rather than a walk-in plan for the city centre.

25 December can run the same way. The office is open 08:00 to 20:00, the village keeps its extended hours, and a booked dinner removes the one part of the day that city closures make unpredictable.

Neither day needs an elaborate plan. The Santa Claus Office within its 08:00 to 20:00 hours and a dinner booked in advance are enough to build a full 24 or 25 December around, with the rest of the village filling the time in between.

What to confirm before 24 December

Three things are worth checking again closer to the date: the current opening hours for any specific city-centre restaurant or shop, the pickup time on any tour booked for 24 or 25 December, and whether your hotel needs a dinner reservation made in advance rather than on arrival.

  • Restaurant and shop hours: confirm directly, since these are not fixed years in advance.
  • Tour pickup times: check the product page or your booking confirmation.
  • Hotel or village dinner: reserve ahead for both 24 and 25 December.
Experiences

Tours to book around the holiday

Both reviewed products generally run through 24 and 25 December. Check the pickup time on your confirmation, since it can shift around the holiday dates.

Affiliate disclosure: GetYourGuide and Viator links are commercial. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost. Providers control prices, operator terms, changes and refunds.

GetYourGuideNorthern Lights huntAn aurora-focused tour; confirm pickup, duration, cloud policy, inclusions, and cancellation terms.
Check on GetYourGuide
GetYourGuideSanta Claus VillageA packaged Santa Village day; confirm transfers, included activities, child pacing, and meal timing.
Check on GetYourGuide
Practical questions

Questions travelers ask before booking

Answers use the sources listed below. Re-check live hours, weather and operator terms close to the travel date.

Is Santa Claus Village open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

Yes. The Santa Claus Office keeps its peak hours, 08:00 to 20:00, on both 24 and 25 December, and Santa Claus Village businesses keep their own extended hours through the holiday period.

Are restaurants open in Rovaniemi city centre on Christmas Eve?

Many city-centre restaurants close for the day or work on reservation only on 24 and 25 December, since 24 December is the main family holiday in Finland. Book a hotel or village dinner ahead rather than planning to find a table on the day.

Is 26 December also a public holiday in Finland?

Yes. Both 25 and 26 December are public holidays in Finland, so city-centre hours may not return to a normal pattern immediately after Christmas Day.

Do the aurora and Santa Claus Village tours still run on 24 and 25 December?

Tours generally continue to operate through the Christmas holidays, but pickup times can shift, so check the product page or your booking confirmation close to the date.

How much daylight is there in Rovaniemi on Christmas Eve?

The sun rises at about 10:58 and sets at about 13:34 on 24 December, giving roughly the same short daylight window as the rest of the peak Christmas season.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

Checked 2026-09-03. These sources support hours, distances, transport and climate facts; they do not guarantee prices, availability or operator terms.

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