Ever wanted to see Arctic animals up close? We visited Ranua Resort in Lapland hoping to see a polar bear for ourselves
**We were extremely fortunate to be gifted free entry to Ranua Zoo, along with transfers, meals and an overnight stay in one of their woodland villas, in exchange for promotion through this website and our social media channels. All opinions expressed below remain our own.
Introduction
Specialising in Arctic animals that are especially suited to an extreme cold environment, the Arctic Wildlife Park at Ranua Resort is a zoo like no other. Located in a beautiful woodland setting in the far north of Finland, where in winter temperatures can regularly drop to as low as -40°C, these animals have to be able to put up with a lot!
It was with great excitement that as a family with 4 young children, we arrived at Ranua Resort. It was to be one of the stages of our magical 7 day winter itinerary for visiting Lapland with kids. Here is a review of our experiences of staying overnight at Ranua Resort, as well as some advice for visiting with kids.
At the front of our minds… would we be lucky enough to see Venus, the famous polar bear?
What is Ranua Resort?
Ranua Resort is a large zoo and wildlife park complex which is home to a large range of Arctic animals. Many of the animals have either been rescued from captivity or abandonment, or are injured in a way that would prevent them being able to survive on their own in the wild.
In addition to housing all these animals, the resort also welcomes visitors to stay and to eat at their tourist accommodation and restaurants.
Various tours, safaris and other activities can also be arranged for visiting the local area, dependent on the season.
Where is Ranua Resort?
Ranua Resort is located in Lapland, in the north of Finland, around 80km southeast of the major city of Rovaniemi.
How to get to Ranua Resort?
Ranua Resort can be reached in approximately a 1 hour drive from Rovaniemi. There is the possibility of requesting a transfer to take you from the city to the resort.
To reach Rovaniemi and Lapland in general, Rovaniemi has its own airport with direct flights to a limited selection of European destinations. More flights operate in and out of Finland’s capital, Helsinki.
From Helsinki it is possible to take an overnight train directly to Rovaniemi and beyond, cutely called the ‘Santa Claus Express‘. This is how we chose to travel to Lapland.
What animals are there at the Ranua Resort wildlife park?
The zoo at Ranua Resort is home to around 50 species of northern and Arctic animals, with around 150 individual animals in total.
You can expect to see wolves, lynxes, wolverines, brown bears, arctic fox, owls, moose, reindeer, otters and much more! The animals have spacious enclosures in the middle of the forest, which resemble their natural habitat.
That is not forgetting the zoo’s most famous resident, Finland’s only polar bear, called Venus.
What are the opening hours of Ranua Wildlife Park?
Ranua Resort is open daily all year round. The zoo is open from 10:00 – 16:00 every day.
Tickets can be bought either at the gate or in advance online for a reduced rate. It is also possible to hire a guide to give a more detailed tour of the zoo.
How long do you need to visit Ranua Resort wildlife park?
How long you need for visiting Ranua Wildlife Park will likely be very much dependent on the season.
We visited in winter and there is no escaping the fact that it was very cold. There are a few indoor exhibits but the majority of the animals can only be viewed from outside. This means that after 1-2 hours you will more than likely be wanting to get back inside to warm up, especially if visiting with small children.
We managed to just about complete a circuit of all of the zoo in this time (never stopping anywhere for too long).
In the warmer seasons, there are picnic areas and children’s playgrounds that can be used distributed around the zoo. It would therefore be easy to fill several hours or more enjoying both the animals and the general setting and amenities of the wildlife park.
What other activities are there at Ranua Resort?
The mystical woodland environment that surrounds Ranua Resort makes for a beautiful secluded retreat. There is much to explore and many activities at Ranua Resort, depending on the season of visiting.
Besides the zoo and its many animals, in winter the resort also offers snowmobile or husky safaris through the surrounding woodland, as well as santa themed activities at Christmas.
In summer, guided walking, biking, canoeing or fishing trips are all available. You can even celebrate the endless sunlight with a unique midnight sun horse and carriage ride experience.
Tips for visiting Ranua Resort with Kids in winter
While kids are sure to enjoy a visit to Ranua Resort at any time of year, there are some things you should specifically remember if visiting in winter:
- Don’t plan on visiting the park for too long – you will get too cold. Plan a route that is realistic for you. Some of the larger animals are located at the far side of the park so make sure you leave enough time to see them.
- Wear appropriate and warm clothing. Do not underestimate how cold it can get when you are outside for a sustained period.
- Use disposable hand warmers in gloves and boots. It is always hands and feet that are the first to get freezing cold.
- Remember daylight hours are short. Aim to visit around midday to experience the best light conditions for viewing.
- If you can, try to have an overnight stay in one of the beautiful on-site villas. Then you can enjoy the winter wonderland from the warmth and comfort of your fireside seat!
Can you stay overnight at Ranua Resort?
Yes, absolutely you can stay overnight at Ranua Resort. From our experience, we’d really recommend it.
The resort has a range of guest accommodation. For breathtaking views of the night sky and if you’re lucky, the Northern Lights, nothing beats a stay in a glass igloo. For families looking for a little more space, the woodland lodge villas offer modern comfort mixed with traditional charm, where you can relax in front of your own roaring fire.
Each woodland villa is named, badged and decorated after a different animal from the zoo. We spent the night in one named after ‘Suzy’ the wolf.
For those travelling through, the resort also has 2 campsites for campers and caravaners that are open all year round, complete with saunas to keep you warm on those winter nights. One is located at the resort and one is approximately 6km away, where the glass igloos are also located.
Are there restaurants at Ranua Resort?
The primary restaurant at Ranua Resort is a self-service buffet restaurant operating at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It serves a good range of food, including local dishes.
There is also a pizza and burger restaurant located next to Ranua Resort, called Cafe & Bistro BUBO.
Those staying in the glass igloos also have access to a restaurant at the location of the igloos. This serves a 3 course evening meal daily.
Our experiences of visiting Ranua Resort
The wildlife park
We honestly had a great time visiting the wildlife park. The woodland setting in winter was truly beautiful. Just exploring the walking paths around the zoo would be a scenic activity, even if there were no animals!
The animals are of course the main attractions though. We liked the fact that the enclosures were large and constructed in a natural way, yet you could still get up quite close to many of the animals. While it is always a bit sad to see animals, particularly birds and large mammals, in cages, the fact that they seemed well cared for and it was explained that many could not survive on their own, made this easier to accept.
Favourite animals of ours included the wolves and the owls. But, were we lucky enough to see the elusive polar bear that usually hides inside in winter? On this occasion we were! And she didn’t disappoint. I suppose if we hadn’t we might have left disappointed though, so you should know that it is definitely not guarenteed to see the polar bear.
After racing around the wildlife park as quick as we could, my children were starting to get cold, particularly my youngest. So, if you want to try and see everthing during your visit, don’t hang around.
Our accommodation
The accommodation on offer is all of a high standard. We stayed overnight in one of the woodland lodge villas. While it may not have been as quirky as our stay at the Arctic Snow Hotel with kids, it was without doubt the most comfortable place that we stayed anywhere in Lapland.
While built in a traditional style, don’t be fooled, inside the villas are modern, meaning they are well insulated and warm. The addition of a roaring fire place adds to this relaxing environment. All of the beds were comfortable and we were able to easily accommodate our large family of 6 inside our villa.
The villas are in a peaceful woodland setting a short walk from the resort reception. Plastic sledges are provided to help with moving luggage (and children!) across the snow.
In Summary
Ranua Resort is an interesting and beautiful visitor attraction. It should definitely be on your itinerary for any visit to Lapland. We really enjoyed escaping the tourist buzz that is centred around all things Santa Claus in Rovaniemi, to somewhere offering more peace, tranquility and a chance to appreciate more of the nature on offer.
The zoo itself has a unique collection of animals that you would be unlikely to see all together anywhere else in the world. Most memorable for us was being lucky enough to see the polar bear up close.
If planning a visit, don’t miss the chance to enjoy the dark night skies of winter or endless sun of summer with a stay overnight in one of the luxury woodland villas or glass igloos.
Whatever season you decide to visit, you can be sure of a warm welcome and fun family day out at Ranua Resort.
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