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Santa Claus in Oulu: where to meet him

A chair carousel lit with rows of bulbs at night, beside a decorated Christmas tree

Illustration photo: an outdoor carousel at night, not Santa's indoor carousel at Nallikari.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

For small children, book the hour at Nallikari: it is in the city, it is a personal meeting with glögi, gingerbread and a ride on Santa's indoor carousel, and it costs far less than the day trip. Book the day to Rovaniemi only if the family wants the whole Santa Claus Village and the Arctic Circle as well, and can sit in a car for most of the day.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Nallikari SafarisRefreshingNorth
Price €75 – the lower price per person €199
Priced per Person Person
Length 1 h 10 h
Travel Your own way to Nallikari 2.5–3 h each way, collected in Oulu
Dates Not stated Not stated

Highlighted figures are the best in that row: the lower price per person. Only price is marked. The day trip costs more because most of it is the drive, not because the meeting is longer.

Where these figures come from
  • Nallikari Safaris: An hour in the city with Santa, glögi and gingerbread, and a ride on his indoor reindeer carousel.
  • RefreshingNorth: A day by car or minibus to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, with the Arctic Circle certificate and the post office.

Santa can be met in Oulu itself or on a day trip to Rovaniemi, and the drive is most of the difference.

At Nallikari

Nallikari Safaris sells an hour with Santa at the Vauhtipuisto amusement park by Nallikari beach: a personal meeting, glögi and gingerbread, and a ride on Santa’s reindeer carousel indoors. Photos and video with your own camera are welcome at no charge.1 The listing prints no dates, so check that the programme is running in the week you are there.

A day in Rovaniemi

RefreshingNorth collects you from your accommodation in Oulu and drives two and a half to three hours each way to Santa Claus Village, where the day includes meeting Santa, crossing the Arctic Circle with a certificate and the post office. Reindeer and husky rides there cost extra.2 What the village itself offers is covered in meeting Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.

Choosing

For a family with small children, the hour at Nallikari is the easy choice: it is in the city and ends before anyone tires. The Rovaniemi day is worth its length only if the village and the Arctic Circle are part of what the family came for.

Tours you can book

Questions people ask

How do we get to Nallikari without a car?

The Nallikari listing points to city bus number 15 from the centre of Oulu, and to the city parking spaces at Nallikari if you drive. The meeting is in front of the main entrance of the Huvilinna building, at the seaside entrance of the Vauhtipuisto amusement park, so allow a few minutes to find it with children in tow.

Can we take our own photos?

At Nallikari, yes: the listing says photos and video with your own camera or phone are welcome at no extra charge. On the Rovaniemi day, the listing includes the meeting with Santa but says nothing about photos, so ask the company before you go whether a picture with Santa is part of the price or bought on the spot, and budget for it if it is not.

Is lunch included on the Rovaniemi day?

The listing is not consistent. Its list of what is included names a buffet lunch at a restaurant in the village, while the description calls lunch optional and says the guide can help book one. Ask the company to confirm in writing when you book, especially with children whose lunch cannot wait for a reservation.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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