Experience a Free 3-Night Stay at Santa’s Cabin This Holiday Season

While reaching the North Pole might be a stretch this winter, there’s a wonderfully accessible spot in Finnish Lapland where the spirit of Christmas lingers year-round. Nestled along the Arctic Circle, the town of Rovaniemi has long established itself as the official hometown of Joulupukki (“Yule Goat”), as Santa is affectionately known in Finnish. This snowy region of Finland—approximately 440 miles north of Helsinki—houses the Santa Claus Village, an amusement park where visitors can enjoy reindeer rides and visit Santa Claus’s Post Office, which handles around 30,000 letters each day.

Today, Airbnb revealed that it will be offering an immersive three-night stay at both the post office and Santa’s cabin for free. However, your family will have some responsibilities: Chief Elf and Airbnb Host Katja will assign tasks such as sorting through letters to Santa, emptying mailboxes, and stamping envelopes with the official Arctic Circle postmark.

With plenty of work comes plenty of fun, as this experience also includes opportunities to explore the enchanting winter landscape. Enjoy traditional Finnish cuisine, go for a snowmobile adventure, witness the northern lights, and indulge in a visit to a traditional sauna. When it’s time to cozy up for a long winter’s nap, your family will retire to the cabin of Santa and Mrs. Claus, beautifully adorned with traditional Lapland decor, complete with bunk beds for the children and a wardrobe full of elf attire.

As part of the playful guest guidelines you’ll need to adhere to: remember to ask Santa politely before snapping an “elfie” with him, and kindly remove your boots upon entering the cabin to keep the handwoven Lappish rugs snow-free. Roasting chestnuts over the open flame? Absolutely allowed!

In conjunction with this promotion, Airbnb will be making a donation to Special Children’s Omaiset ELO, a peer-support group dedicated to assisting Lappish children with special needs and their families.

How to Spend the Night in Santa Claus’s Cabin

Families can apply to book this complimentary stay on Monday, December 11, at 12 p.m. EET (Eastern European Time, Finland’s time zone) by visiting airbnb.com/santa. (That translates to 5 a.m. ET or 2 a.m. PT—so be sure to set your alarms!)

The three-night stay is scheduled for December 18–21 and is tailored for two adults and two children, including breakfast and dinner. Visit Finland is providing round-trip flights on Finnair from London Heathrow to Rovaniemi, so if you're traveling from the United States, you'll need to arrange your own flights to London or directly to Finland.

If you’re not among the one fortunate family to receive an invitation to Santa this year, take a look at our latest selection of cozy winter cabins available on Airbnb, which features a contemporary ski chalet located even further north in Finnish Lapland. Alternatively, you can explore other enchanting winter retreats by using Airbnb’s new Arctic category filter, making it simpler to find igloos, cabins, container homes, and more situated north of the Arctic Circle.