Santa’s Official Post Office* in Rovaniemi, Finland, the only official Santa Claus’ post office worldwide, is expected to receive over 30,000 letters daily from children and adults globally this year. In a bid to attract novice elves, Santa Claus’ Cabin has been listed on Airbnb for guests — free of charge — to roll up their sleeves, lend a hand with the backlog of letters and experience the joy of the holiday season from the Arctic Circle.
Katja, chief elf of Santa Claus’ Main Post Office and Airbnb Host, said: “The elves have been working around the clock to transform Santa Claus’ Cabin into a winter wonderland. We want this to be a magical and immersive experience for a family in search of the ultimate yuletide experience. Not only will guests sleep in Santa Claus’ Cabin, they’ll also get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the world’s official Santa Claus’ Post Office during our liveliest time of the year.”
About the stay
Guests will be invited to roll up their sleeves and become fully fledged elves for a day at Santa Claus’ Post Office. Guests will be given a crash course in ‘elfing’ by Chief Elf and Host Katja and will work with her team to help sort through the letters from children and adults all around the world — cross-referencing with Santa Claus’ naughty and nice list.
Guests will also participate in all kinds of tasks such as emptying mailboxes and helping the elves to stamp the post with the special Arctic Circle postmark before it goes to Santa Claus and learn about the day-to-day workings of the Post Office. After tending to their elf duties, guests will be treated to traditional Finnish meals, a snowmobile activity, a trip to see the northern lights and — the most Finnish experience of all — a traditional sauna.
About Santa Claus’ Cabin
Guests will stay in Santa Claus’ Cabin, just a hop, skip and a jump away from Santa Claus’ Post Office.
The room in the cabin has been given a yuletide makeover complete with traditional Lapland decorations, a wardrobe of elf-wear and all the accessories you could ever expect from a cozy elven bolthole in the depths of the Arctic circle. The stay at Santa Claus’ Cabin will be free of charge.
Guest rules
- Please ask Santa nicely before taking an elfie with him.
- Boots off in Santa Claus’ Cabin — yule be sorry if you trample snow into the handwoven Lapland rugs.
- Roasting chestnuts by the open fire is permitted.
- An elf is always an elf: A felt hat with a jingling bell paired with a freshly ironed tunic is the preferred attire in the Santa Claus Village.
How to book
The exclusive stay in Finland will be available for three nights from 18 to 21 December 2023. Guests can request to book this stay on Monday, December 11 at 12pm EET/December 11 at 6m PHT at airbnb.com/santa. Guests will receive complimentary return flights to Rovaniemi from London Heathrow Airport via Finnair, thanks to Visit Finland. The stay is suitable for up to two adults and two children, and will be free of charge with breakfast and dinner included.
Amanda Cupples, general manager of Northern Europe at Airbnb, said, “Staying in Santa Claus’ Cabin in the Arctic Circle, amid the magic of Finland, is not just a holiday, it’s a journey to the heart of the holiday spirit. We’re thrilled that the Chief Elf has decided to share their space on Airbnb and invite a family to experience this unique festive stay, where they’ll help sort through Christmas letters from children worldwide and participate in unforgettable adventures like snowmobile excursions, northern lights sightings and traditional saunas, creating memories that will last a lifetime along the way.”
Heli Jimenez, senior director, international marketing at Business Finland, said, “There is nothing more magical than visiting Finland during the festive Christmas period — from taking in the wonder of the northern lights, strolling the festive streets to enjoying the snowy white scenery. We’re delighted this family will get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as they work alongside Santa’s Chief Elf in her official post office.”
To bring awareness to children with special needs, Airbnb will make a one-time donation to Special Children’s Omaiset ELO, a peer support association aimed at Lappish children and young people with special needs and their loved ones.
For those who are not able to book this exclusive stay, check out Airbnb’s Arctic Category, a new filter that makes it easy to discover igloos, cabins and more in the Arctic Circle.
*Santa Claus Main Post Office in Rovaniemi, Finland, is the world’s official post office for Santa Claus. Since the 1950s, there has been postal activity in the area, and Santa Claus’ Main Post Office has been operating since the 1980s. It is the only official Santa Claus’ Post Office in the world and is operated by the Finnish postal services. Constructed from natural stone and pine trees, it is open year-round and welcomes about half a million visitors from around the world each year. In Santa Claus’ Main Post Office, visitors are greeted by festively attired postal elves.
