Rovaniemi to Saariselkä Bus Guide 2026: Airport & City Transfers

Your Essential Guide: Rovaniemi to Saariselkä by Bus in Finland

If you're dreaming of a magical winter escape to Finland, then Rovaniemi and Saariselkä are two destinations you absolutely cannot miss.

The enchanting Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi paired with the thrilling winter activities of Saariselkä creates an unbeatable combination for an unforgettable adventure.

On my last trip, I landed at Rovaniemi Airport and headed straight to Saariselkä for a three-night stay, before circling back for one night in Rovaniemi. Like many travelers, figuring out the best way to get between these spots was my biggest question, so I'm excited to share my firsthand experience with you.

In this guide, I'll walk you through how to get from Rovaniemi Airport to the city center, and then from Rovaniemi city to Saariselkä.

Getting from Rovaniemi Airport to the City Center

Rovaniemi Airport is quite small, with essentially just one exit. Once you step outside, head to your right, and you'll find where the buses typically stop. It's not super well-marked, so I had to ask an airport staff member for directions.

There isn't a proper bus station building, just a spot along the roadside. It can get chilly waiting, and without a clear timetable, I wasn't sure when the next bus would arrive.

The staff member simply mentioned buses come "every 25 minutes," which wasn't very reassuring. Since I had a pre-booked bus to Saariselkä, I didn't want to risk delays, so I ended up calling an Uber.

The airport bus ticket costs about ~$9 (8 Euros) per person.

When I checked Uber, a ride to the Rovaniemi Bus Station, my next stop, was about ~$21 (19 Euros).

Since there were two of us, the difference was minimal (around ~$18 for two bus tickets vs. ~$21 for Uber), so we decided to go with Uber. Even then, the Uber wasn't instantaneous, but by the time it arrived and we got in, the airport bus still hadn't shown up.

The Uber ride from the airport to the bus station took precisely 12 minutes!

Airport Shuttle & Santa Bus Timetable (2026 Update)

On my last day, when I was heading back to the airport, I discovered the official website for public transport:

Timetableswww.airportbus.fi

There are two main public transport options between the airport and the city:

The Airport Shuttle or the Santa Bus. The Airport Shuttle runs directly between the airport and the city center, while the Santa Bus connects the city, Santa Claus Village, and the airport.

The Airport Shuttle typically operates every 25 minutes without a fixed schedule, whereas the Santa Bus has a published timetable.

I ended up taking the Santa Bus back to the airport on my departure day. (The fare from Rovaniemi city center to the airport is about ~$4 (4 Euros) per person.)

You can find detailed stop information and schedules on the website linked above.

How to Get from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä

The best way to travel from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä is by bus. You can book your tickets through the following website:

While you can typically buy tickets from the bus driver on the spot, we opted to purchase ours online via their website (online sales close 10 minutes before departure). We were a bit worried about potential flight delays into Rovaniemi Airport, so we waited until our Uber ride to the bus station was confirmed before booking our Saariselkä bus tickets. (A quick note: American Express wasn't accepted for payment).

There are usually five buses a day from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä.

We caught the 5:20 PM bus, and it departed right on schedule.

Starting your journey from the Rovaniemi Bus Station has its perks: you can wait indoors, buses depart promptly, and you have a better chance of securing your preferred seat since it's the starting point. Just so you know, the bus I took didn't have Wi-Fi or a restroom on board.

Beyond the main bus station, the bus also makes other stops. Notably, you can also board the bus at Santa Claus Village.

If you're planning to go directly from Rovaniemi Airport to Saariselkä, I'd recommend heading to the Santa Claus Village stop (search for "Arctic Circle") instead of making the extra trip to the Rovaniemi Bus Station like I did.

Santa Claus Village is quite close to the airport, only about 1.8 miles (a 35-40 minute walk). While there are two direct airport-to-Saariselkä buses daily, their schedule didn't align with my flight. I realized my mistake when I saw the bus stop at Santa Claus Village – an Uber from the airport to Santa Claus Village is currently about ~$12 (11 Euros). It would have saved both time and money!

However, during peak season weekends, popular departure times from the city center might mean fewer available seats if you board further along the route. Still, when I traveled in late November on a weekday 5:00 PM bus, it was very uncrowded.

The bus itself was a standard coach with no unusual features. When you purchase your ticket online, you won't receive a QR code. Instead, just tell the driver your destination and name, and they'll look up your reservation on their tablet to confirm your boarding.

For luggage like suitcases or large backpacks, the driver will open the cargo compartment for you to load your bags.

Mid-journey, the bus makes a 10-minute stop for a restroom break, though most passengers on my bus didn't get off. We arrived in Saariselkä right on schedule, and I disembarked at the Holiday Club stop.

For the return trip from Saariselkä to Rovaniemi, I booked through the same website. We aimed for the earliest bus, arriving about 10 minutes before departure, only to find we were the last ones there! Looks like everyone else had the same idea! Haha. Wishing you all a fantastic trip!

Finland Rovaniemi Saariselkä Travel Essentials: My Post-Trip Reviewblog.naver.com