Rovaniemi is lovely.
It’s iconic.
It’s Santa’s “official” hometown.
It’s also… completely flooded from November to early January.

Families, buses, long lines, sold-out activities, €450 reindeer rides, and prices that make reindeer reconsider their life choices.

If you're dreaming of Christmas magic without the stampede, Scandinavia is full of places that feel just as magical — sometimes more.

We’ve spent winters all over the Arctic — Kiruna, Abisko, Luleå, Alta, Tromsø, Svalbard, and Finnish Lapland (outside Rovaniemi) — and there are SO many places where the Christmas vibes are strong, the Northern Lights are bright, and the prices are (slightly) less terrifying.

And if your kids are begging for Santa, we’ve included a bonus a bit further away… but definitely off the beaten path!

Here are the best Rovaniemi alternatives, and what makes each special.

Alta is the kind of Arctic destination that sneaks up on you. One minute you’re staring at a map thinking, Why go that far north?
Then you get here, step into the silence, watch a curtain of green auroras fall over the fjord, and suddenly everything makes sense.

But here’s the thing: Alta in winter is cold. Really cold.
And the magic hits even harder when you can end the night in a steamy sauna, thawing your eyelashes while the snow quietly piles up outside. If you’re brave, you can even go for a dip in the frozen water or roll in the snow. That’s our favorite thing to do, and we can’t imagine a Nordic stay without it!

So we made your life easy — here are the best hotels with sauna in Alta, all perfect bases for northern lights hunters, winter road trippers, and anyone who believes warmth is half the adventure.