Registration for pre-Congress excursions is now closed. Please contact Joel Erkkonen for more details.

Both excursions start from the city center in the front of Hotel Santa Claus at 9:00 (address: Korkalonkatu 29). There will be two clearly marked buses and the excursion hosts will be waiting for you. Please, try to be there at least 10 mins before the departure.

Please note, that the weather conditions might be challenging at this time of year, so bring warm water-resistant clothes, a hat, gloves and outdoor shoes. Preliminary weather forecast for Monday, Oct 8th

Rovaniemi -3C, cloudy, light breeze, 3 m/s from south-southwest (àhttps://www.yr.no/place/Finland/Laponia/Rovaniemi/long.html)
Pyhätunturi à -5C, cloudy, light breeze, 2 m/s from south-southwest (àhttps://www.yr.no/place/Finland/Laponia/Pyh%C3%A4tunturi~640394/long.html)

Not able to make it for an excursion on October 8? Rovaniemi has lots of great options for those who are staying longer. Check out VisitRovaniemi and consult their autumn 2018 activities list for all kinds of fun activities you can plan independently.

Full day guided excursion to Pyhä-Luosto National Park

Topics: Biodiversity of coniferous old-growth forests (e.g. Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit), sacred places of the Sámi people, nature conservation and tourism and great views.
Actions: Short walk in Luosto forest to Rykimäkero fireplace (1 km). Coffee w snack. Hike to the Great Gorge of Pyhätunturi and the holy places of Sami people (5 km). Optional hike round the Pyhätunturi fell (3 km). Lunch and coffee at Pyhä-Luosto Visitor and Culture Centre Naava. Exhibition of local nature and culture in Naava and Pyhätunturi tourist resort. For all excursions, please bring warm water-resistant clothes, a hat, gloves and outdoor shoes.

Time: Mon. October 8, 9:00-18:00
Travel: By bus, 3 hours Rovaniemi-Luosto-Pyhä-Kemijärvi-Rovaniemi.
Price: 50 €/person, incl. bus travel, coffee and lunch.
Limits: Min 10 persons, max 50 persons
Links: Pyhä-Luosto NP

Full-day excursion, forestry trip to Jäkäläselkä Forest Area and Arctic Circle hiking area

Topics: Ecological network in forestry areas and connectivity. Protecting cultural history in forestry areas. Habitat based and climate-smart forestry. New forestry planning methods. Inclusive planning and reconciliation of livelihoods (forestry, reindeer husbandry, tourism). Eco-effective logging and logistics.
Actions: Harvesting area with harvester and forwarder in operation. Forestry planner at work. Reindeer herding and corral site in forestry areas. Short hike in forest with nature- and cultural heritage sites. Hike (1 km) in prepared nature trail in Arctic Circle Hiking area. For all excursions, please bring warm water-resistant clothes, a hat, gloves and outdoor shoes.

Time: Mon. October 8, 9:00-16:00
Travel: By bus, NE Rovaniemi
Price: 0 €/person, incl. bus travel, coffee and lunch
Limits: Min 10 persons, max 100 persons
Links: Arctic Circle

Getting here and around

By air

Rovaniemi Airport is the fifth-biggest airport in Finland by annual number of passengers and is located about 10 kilometres north of Rovaniemi city centre. The Arctic Circle crosses the runway closer to its northern end.

Daily flights between Rovaniemi and Helsinki are operated by Finnair and Norwegian throughout the year.

For details on the airport, please visit the Rovaniemi Airport website.

Train

Finnish railroads are operated by state company VR.

Rovaniemi is easy to reach by rail from many Finnish towns, with several trains running to and from Helsinki every day. Trains run year round, despite harsh weather at times.

Coach buses

The coach services by Matkahuolto cover a great deal of Finland’s road network.

They’re not only an option for reaching Rovaniemi from the south, but also the only means of public transport that connect the town with the northern parts of Lapland.

Another coach company, Onnibus, offers services in most of Finland, Rovaniemi being one of their northernmost stops.

Road connections

Rovaniemi is easy to get to by car from all directions.

If you plan on travelling around Lapland by car, be sure to allocate enough time for the long distances and changing weather conditions, particularly in the winter.

Up-to-date information on road conditions is published by the Finnish Transport Agency.

Airport taxi shuttle service

Fares for the Airport Taxi shuttle service start from 7€/person.

The route is:

Central Bus Station – Hotel Scandic – City Hotel – Hotel Cumulus – Hotel Santa Claus – Hotel Vaakuna – Hotel Pohjanhovi – airport.

The shuttle bus leaves the central bus station 1 h and 10 min before the departure of the next flight.

After each arrival, the shuttle bus departs from the airport to the town centre. On the way, it stops at hotels when necessary. Stops at private addresses are possible on request.

Local buses

Buses are the only form of public transport in Rovaniemi. For routes, timetable and tickets, please see here.

Taxi

Finnish taxis are reliable and use a standardised kilometre-based pricing system.

The following taxi companies operate in Rovaniemi:

Taxi Rovaniemi, tel: +358 16 106 410; email: info [AT] taxirovaniemi [DOT] fi

Rovaniemi Taxi Service, tel: +358 60 030 030 / +358 29 009 1090; email: info [AT] rovaniementaksipalvelu [DOT] fi

Visa requirements

A visa is a permit to enter the country for a short-term or temporary period.

Information on Finnish visa application, period of validity and visa fees can be found on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Find out what travel documents you need to enter Finland.

You may apply for a visa outside Finland from a Finnish embassy operating under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Finnish embassies make decisions on the granting of visas.

Please contact the Congress Secretariat if you need an official letter of participation at the Arctic Biodiversity Congress. Such a letter may be of help in your preparations to obtain visa documents.

Congress Venues

The Congress will be held across three venues all within walking distance of each other:

Plenaries and streaming services

The Tieva plenary room in Lappia Hall seats just under 400 people. There will over 450 Congress participants in attendance. Therefore, plenary sessions will be streamed live in Kero (capacity of 70), and in Valtuustostali (capacity 223).

Participants may be directed to an overflow room. Please respect the directions of the ushers and those assisting with seating and organization. Please note that Tieva’s doors will close early on October 9 for security purposes. Congress participants should arrive early to ensure proceedings can start promptly.

Congress Accommodation

Congress participants must book their own accommodation. Availability is based on a first come first served basis. Please contact the accommodation directly.

Photo: Visit Rovaniemi Santa's Hotel Santa Claus Korkalonkatu 29, Rovaniemi Book online via hotel registration system Tel. +358 16 321 3227	Photo: Visit Rovaniemi Scandic Rovaniemi Koskikatu 23, Rovaniemi Book online via hotel registration system Tel. +358 16 460 6000
Photo: Visit Rovaniemi Cumulus Pohjanhovi Pohjanpuistikko 2, Rovaniemi pohjanhovi [DOT] rantasipi [AT] restel [DOT] fi Tel. +358 200-48135	Photo: Visit Rovaniemi Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Koskikatu 4, Rovaniemi Book via online registration system Tel. +358 (0)20 1234 695
Photo: Visit Rovaniemi City Hotel Pekankatu 9, Rovaniemi sales [AT] cityhotel [DOT] fi Tel. + 358 16 3300 111	Photo: Visit Rovaniemi Arctic Light Hotel Valtakatu 18, Rovaniemi sales [AT] arcticlighthotel [DOT] fi Tel. +358 20 171 0100