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How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Finnish Lapland

From the northern lights to the legendary sauna culture, this arctic destination has it all. Here's what you won't want to miss.

Milamai / Getty Images

Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, is the place to go to check more than a few once-in-a-lifetime experiences off your list — like seeing the northern lights and experiencing the midnight sun. The arctic destination has stunning nighttime skies, wide-open landscapes, and air so fresh it can make you happier. Here’s how to plan a trip to Finnish Lapland that you’ll never forget. 

When to Go to Finnish Lapland

Here’s the good news about Lapland: It’s always beautiful out — well, depending on how you define “beautiful.” The region's peak travel season falls between December and February thanks to a natural phenomenon we’ll get to in a moment. During this period, the region’s average temperature ranges from 3 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, though it can get down to as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit with added wind chill. 

By contrast, temperatures in the summer can be much milder, usually ranging from 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a prime time to visit the area for hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor adventures.

How to See the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland

Many visitors travel to Finnish Lapland to take in a few breathtaking natural occurrences — including the aurora borealis, or northern lights. You can see this phenomenon any time between August and April, though it occurs more frequently around the equinoxes in late September and late March. Visit then and look to the sky on clear nights for a chance to witness this incredible celestial light show.

Those looking for a more curated experience can ask their hotel for recommendations, or they can book a guided trip like a  three-hour aurora borealis picnic  in Rovaniemi, which includes a short hike to an outpost with warm drinks and food. You can also take  a snowmobile tour or, the most adventurous of all, an aurora ice floating experience in Rovaniemi . It's just as it sounds — guests don dry suits and set out on a frozen lake to lie back and blissfully gaze up into the night sky.

How to See the Midnight Sun in Finnish Lapland 

Giles Clarke / Getty Images

If you’re not much of a night owl, that’s okay because Finnish Lapland offers another spectacular show: the midnight sun. From late May until early August, the tilt of the Earth means the sky never gets dark. Make the most of the near-constant daylight by taking a hike, going fishing, or even playing a round of golf when you'd normally be asleep. 

What Else to Do in Finnish Lapland

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Go for a hike.

Finnish Lapland is chock full of  stellar hiking trails  fit for all levels. The Arctic Circle and Inari hiking areas offer everything from one-hour hikes to all-day wilderness adventures, as well as restrooms and visitor centers. 

Hit the sauna.

Sauna culture has long been an integral part of Finnish life , and there’s no better spot to experience it than in  Tampere , the sauna capital of the world. Come for the public spas, but stay for the arts, culture, and attractions like the Tampere Market Hall, the largest indoor market in Scandinavia. 

Paddle your way through the region.

Explore Finnish Lapland from a different perspective by taking to its rivers for a canoeing adventure. During the warmer months, you can take in the amazing views as you meander along calming waterways. Try this six-hour canoe trip  down the River Kapsajoki, which includes a campfire lunch and opportunities for fishing. 

Visit Santa Claus.

Fun fact: Santa lives in Finland. And you can visit him any time of year at the  Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. Kris Kringle and his elves open their famous home and workshop all 365 days of the year. Meet the man himself, cross the Arctic Circle (which passes through the theme park), embark on a snowmobile safari adventure in the Lapland wilderness, and dine in a restaurant made of snow while you're there.

Where to Stay in Finnish Lapland 

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Arctic TreeHouse Hotel

At the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel in Rovaniemi, guests can enjoy a host of creature comforts in a nature-centric setting. Every room comes with fur throws and floor-to-ceiling windows, while some even have soaking tubs, fireplaces, and decks from which to take in the surrounding forest. Book the chic two-bedroom Arctic GlassHouse  to enjoy all the bells and whistles.

Seaside Glass Villas

Need more of a view? Spend a few nights at  Seaside Glass Villas , a collection of box-shaped bungalows in the waterfront town of Kemi. Each one has a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Bothnian Bay, as well as a glass roof through which you can enjoy incredible views of the northern lights while lying in bed.

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort

You might recognize Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort's gorgeous glass-domed igloos from your Instagram feed, but even the best photos can't capture the magic of actually staying in one. Book the kelo-glass igloo to combine the privacy of a log chalet with the wow factor of the northern lights dancing over your bed.

Those seeking to stay in the lap of luxury need look no further than  Octola , an exclusive five-star hideaway with just 12 rooms and two chalets. Guests can book a single room or buy out the entire space if they want to bring along family and friends. 

What to Pack 

Packing for a summer trip to Finnish Lapland is relatively easy. Just bring whatever you normally would for any other summer getaway — shorts, T-shirts, a bathing suit, pants, and a light jacket for cooler nights. 

If you plan to visit in winter, you'll need to bust out the big checked bag and pack it with cozy thermal underwear, insulated snow boots with a grip, an insulated jacket, waterproof or snowproof pants , a few wool sweaters, warm gloves and socks, a hat, a scarf, and some instant heat packs to throw in your gloves and boots. Don’t forget your camera, and make sure to pack extra batteries — they will drain quickly in the cold weather. 

How to Get There 

Despite being located in Finland's far north, getting to Lapland isn’t nearly as difficult as you may think. First, fly into Helsinki, then, depending on your final destination, continue to either Kemi or Rovaniemi by regional flight. Finnair and Norwegian Air each offer a 90-minute nonstop to Rovaniemi, or you can board a one-stop Finnair flight to Kemi via Kokkola-Jakobstad Airport in Kronoby.

If you've got the time, a scenic seven-hour train ride will get you from Helsinki to Kemi (the ride to Rovaniemi takes 8.5 hours). You can also travel between Rovaniemi and Kemi by train for a 90-minute intra-Lapland adventure.

Are you ready to explore Finnish Lapland?

Welcome to the official travel website for Finnish Lapland, the home of Santa Claus , the last wilderness in Europe, and part of the Sámi homeland. Lapland is a destination above ordinary, full of contrasts and unique natural phenomena: Midnight Sun , Polar Nights, autumn colors, Northern Lights , and Arctic cites nestled among Ice Age fells.

Virtual Lapland is your gateway to an Arctic experience unlike any other. Explore Finnish Lapland anywhere, anytime, watch a dazzling Northern Lights show, explore how the seasons and wilderness intertwine and meet the wildlife of the North!

If you’re looking for the frosty bite of a reindeer sleigh ride or the soft heat of a traditional sauna, you might be ready. If you want to explore the wilderness during a white summer night and meet Santa any time of year, you might be ready.

If you’re done with the ordinary, you might just be ready for Finnish Lapland.

Find out more below, or follow the stories on our  Facebook and Instagram .

About Lapland

Mythical and magical – pristine nature and breath-taking phenomena make Lapland something else.

Things to do

How to make the most of your time in Lapland – meet locals and find out what northern life is all about.

Plan Your Stay

How to get to Lapland, where to go once here and more useful travel information.

Travel Responsibly

Find out below how we have become one of the most sustainable tourism destinations, and how you can have a positive impact on the environment, economy and culture of Lapland and the whole world.

Sound of Lapland

There are no blaring car alarms, buzzing metro lines or wheezing air vents here.

Do the social

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The Ultimate 2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

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Planning out the perfect 2, 3 or 4 days in Lapland itinerary can be a magical, if not overwhelming, experience when you consider all there is to see and do in this unique region of far northern Europe.

There are few more quintessential winter destinations and experiences than Finnish Lapland. Lapland is the northernmost region of Finland and is the pinnacle and epitome of a winter fairytale. From snow-covered boreal forests, dancing Northern Lights, energetic huskies and reindeer to the monumental moment of crossing into the Arctic circle, you’ll be hard-pressed not to have the experience of a lifetime.

Whether you’re interested in sipping hot chocolate during the winter polar night or forest hiking in the midnight sun, Lapland is the perfect destination for any travel seeker. Read this article to help plan your Finnish Lapland itinerary.

Table of Contents

How Many Days in Lapland?

Lapland is a unique destination, and this can make it a bit harder when planning the duration of your trip. This is why many potential visitors wonder how many days to spend in Lapland.

To begin with, Finnish Lapland is far from a budget-friendly destination and the prices in Finland , in general, are high. With the costs of just about everything being higher than elsewhere in Europe, keep this in mind when you plan a trip to this area.

Taking this into consideration, I’d say that the minimum recommended amount of time to spend in Lapland is 2 full days. With 2 days in Lapland, you’ll be able to briefly experience the magic of the Arctic and do a few activities without taking too big of a chunk out of your budget. 

The next best amount of time to spend in Lapland is 3 days, as you’ll experience everything you’d manage in 2 days but feel a lot less rushed, also with the opportunity to head to another part of the region.

Finally, in my opinion, 4 days in Lapland are ideal. If you’re able to spend 4 days in Lapland, you’re in for a real adventure. A trip of 4 days does the Finnish Lapland region justice as you’ll be able to visit multiple places and soak in what extraordinary Arctic life is like in the northernmost part of Finland.

Getting To & Around Lapland

Getting to lapland.

The most popular, affordable, and convenient option for getting to Finnish Lapland is by taking a flight into the capital city of Rovaniemi. By passenger numbers, Rovaniemi Airport is the third-busiest airport in Finland and is the main airport to fly into for a Lapland trip and Itinerary.

While there are other options for airports in Lapland such as Ivalo Airport in Northern Lapland, this itinerary begins in Rovaniemi so will be the focal point to start your trip. 

Rovaniemi Airport serves direct routes from Helsinki year-round and seasonal winter routes from several European destinations, making it a pretty straightforward trip, especially for a winter getaway. 

Another popular option to reach Rovaniemi is to take a 12-hour overnight train from Helsinki, whisking you away from the busy city, through snow-dusted forests, Finnish towns and straight into the heart of Arctic Lapland.

There is a noticeable difference in price and journey, but it’s completely worth it if you can afford it and have the time to spare for a long train journey. 

Car rental is also another viable transportation option if you’re flying into Helsinki and would like to drive to Lapland. Summer is a great time to embark on a Finnish/Lapland road trip as you don’t need to worry about tough weather conditions and you will save money on transportation with a car rental in comparison to other methods.

If you’d like to rent a car to drive to Lapland in winter , make sure you feel confident in case of difficult weather and road conditions, and have the proper gear fitted to your car. You can browse car rental options here.

Getting Around Lapland

As for getting around Finnish Lapland, in my opinion, the best mode of transport is by car. Like any other rural and wild part of the world, renting a car gives you the most flexibility for your trip without having to worry about bus times and time crunches.

Lapland is vast and boundless with many different spots and sites being distant from each other, and although there is a great bus system within the region, you’ll have the utmost freedom this way. For example, one of the prime goals for many people visiting Lapland is to get the chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

While seeing the Northern Lights in most parts of Lapland is possible, your chances are higher the further away from light pollution and busy tourist areas. You can take a tour that will take you Northern Light hunting, but they can be expensive and give you just one chance. With your own car, you can search extensively to experience the enchanting Northern Lights. 

If for whatever reason, renting a car isn’t an option for you, it’s still possible to have a thrilling Lapland adventure. With public transportation, you can get around Finland and Finnish Lapland in particular quite easily.

You’ll find a few different bus companies such as ExpressBus and Matkahuolto , both with frequent routes connecting different parts of the Lapland region. Prices differ depending on departure and arrival destinations but are generally quite affordable.

Most destinations on this itinerary have bus transport options available, either by the local bus system or by private bus/shuttle companies. 

2, 3 or 4 Days in Lapland Itinerary

This Finnish Lapland itinerary will take you through Rovaniemi, the heart and capital of Lapland, through the magical timeless world of Santa Claus village, and to the Northern part of Lapland to further enjoy your fairytale – either by hitting the slopes or mingling with furry and friendly locals.

There are countless winter activities to enjoy on a trip to Finnish Lapland from husky safaris to ice fishing to warming up in a Finnish sauna and this is the perfect region to experience these things.

Day 1 – Lapland Capital, Rovaniemi

Explore the city of rovaniemi.

This itinerary for Lapland begins with 2 nights in the capital city of Rovaniemi. While Rovaniemi is a small city in comparison to other larger cities in Finland, there’s still much to do and discover.

Spending your first day in Lapland exploring the city of Rovaniemi is the perfect way to ease into Lappish life as well as arctic Lappish temperatures. This is also the perfect opportunity to find appropriate Arctic clothing for the rest of your trip if you weren’t already prepared.

If you’re visiting outside of the winter months, regular winter or spring/autumn clothing is acceptable but in the winter months you’ll want warm thermal clothing and boots to protect you from the bitter Arctic air.

If you take part in activities through any of the companies in Rovaniemi, you’ll have winter outerwear included for the duration of your stay. Otherwise, you can rent the same clothing from these companies for a pretty decent price.

Arktikum 

If you’re looking to explore and learn more about Finland’s Arctic culture, science, and history, the Arktikum Museum is the perfect place to educate yourself on Lapland while also getting a break from the cold.

The museum is located on the northern end of Rovaniemi and is about a 15-minute walk from the center point of the city. Arktikum is open every day except Mondays from 10 AM – 6 PM with an adult admission cost of €18 and reduced ticket options available.

Arctic Sunset & Eat a Traditional Lappish Meal

Whether you’re visiting during the winter or the summer, one of the most beautiful experiences of a Rovaniemi itinerary is to walk by the River Kemijoki during “sunset”. The colours that you’ll witness are truly remarkable, as if they were a painting, and are only just the beginning of a fairytale trip to Finland. 

Afterwards, I suggest heading to Nili Restaurant, in the heart of Rovaniemi city to experience delicious, traditional Lapland cuisine. If you want the full experience, I challenge you to try the reindeer, as it’s harder to try this Lapland classic food once you’ve met the adorable reindeer themselves. 

Where to Stay in Rovaniemi

Arctic Light Hotel – This boutique hotel makes for the perfect base in Rovaniemi. They have a number of lovely rooms available and countless amenities like free parking, an airport shuttle and an on-site restaurant/bar. Click here to see their availability

Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle – If you want a unique accommodation option in Rovaniemi then these igloos can be an interesting choice. There are a number of different glass igloos to choose from (some including saunas!) and there are also plenty of other amenities for guests to enjoy. Click here to see their availability

Hostel Cafe Koti – Those trying to save a bit of cash while visiting Rovaniemi will love this hip hostel. There are both dorms and private rooms on offer along with a kitchen, a sauna and breakfast included for guests. Click here to see their availability

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Rovaniemi hotels!

Day 2 – Santa Claus Village or Exploring Rovaniemi Nature 

Day 2 of this Rovaniemi itinerary will either be spent wandering the famous Santa Claus Village or exploring the incredible nature of the region. If you’re visiting in the winter, I’d undoubtedly recommend heading to Santa Claus Village.

More than just Santa and Christmas activities for children, it’s truly a winter wonderland village with plenty of space, nature, log cabins and activities to explore with something for everyone.

In the summer months, it’s still quite fun and unique to visit Santa Claus Village, cross the Arctic Circle Line, and enjoy the area without the winter visitor numbers. Otherwise, there’s plenty to explore in Rovaniemi under the midnight sun. 

Santa Claus Village

If you have a car to drive on your trip to Lapland, Santa Claus Village is just a quick 10-minute drive from Rovaniemi city center. Otherwise, you can catch the Santa Express or local bus 8 from Rovaniemi city center with the journey being about 20 minutes.

It is also possible to take a guided tour that includes a visit to the village as well as a visit to a reindeer and husky farm.

Once you reach Santa Claus Village there’s so much to do and enjoy on a day trip here. There’s no cost to enter the village, with costs only for individual activities.

If you’re keen on doing a husky sled ride or reindeer sleigh ride, prices are less than half the cost of tour companies operating outside of Rovaniemi. The ride is a lot shorter, but it’s a special experience to wander through the snow-covered forests under a warm blanket while led by Lapland’s mascots; huskies and reindeer. 

If you prefer to book tours in advance some options include this husky safari or this reindeer farm visit that includes a sleigh ride.

Visiting Santa’s Post Office and taking a picture with Santa is free, with the post office truly being like something out of a Christmas movie – a dream for both children and adults alike. 

The entirety of the Village is a large area consisting not just of the concrete buildings and “town” part of the village but also a wide expanse of forest. Even just getting lost in the snowy forest, making snow angels, and warming up at one of the village’s many fires throughout the area is truly a special experience. 

Once your appetite has opened and you’re ready for some warming food, there are plenty of options at the village; whether you’re looking for more cafeteria-style food or classic Lappish food in a traditional Arctic-style hut.

Rovaniemi Nature 

If you’re in Rovaniemi during the warmer months and prefer to skip Santa Claus Village, there’s still plenty to do and explore and I recommend taking advantage of the extraordinary nature of Rovaniemi Lapland. 

Rovaniemi is a dream world for nature lovers and my suggestion is to spend a day on the trails, hiking throughout the Arctic Circle while experiencing the ethereal midnight sun. If you don’t want to walk, you can organise a snowmobile adventure through the forest as an alternative.

A great place to start to plan your time in Rovaniemi nature is at the Finnish National Park authority, where you’ll find ideal hiking trails and paths to take in Finnish Lapland.

There’s no better way to watch the midnight sun than in the lush Finnish forest, with a picnic and a cold drink either by yourself or with close friends/family.

Day 3 – Northern Lapland, Levi  & Samiland Exhibition

In this itinerary, with a 3-day trip to Lapland or 4 days in Lapland, you’ll head out of Rovaniemi and Southern Lapland to Northern Lapland. While Rovaniemi is all about Santa and Christmas joy, Levi , the main resort city in Northern Lapland is all about nature, the Northern Lights, and indigenous Sami culture.

If you’re driving during your Lapland itinerary, the drive from Rovaniemi to Levi is just over 2 hours and is an exquisitely stunning drive. Much of the drive is through Lapland nature and it’s hard to regret making the journey north.

If you don’t have a car, there are a few bus companies with direct transport from Rovaniemi to Levi. OmniBus is a great option as services are frequent, the buses are comfortable and can be pretty affordable for Finland prices. 

Levi is the ski resort in the area and is the biggest ski resort town in Finland. The village that Levi is located in is Sirkka , and there aren’t a lack of things to do, places to stay, things to see, or food to eat.

If you like to be in the center of the action on your travels, I suggest staying in the center of Sirkka. Otherwise, it’s worth spending a little more to stay outside of the town to sleep amongst the magical Lapland wilderness.

Samiland Exhibition 

If you want to learn more about Sami, the local indigenous culture then make sure to visit the Samiland Exhibition.

The Sami are the descendants of the nomadic people of Northern Scandinavia traced back thousands of years ago and Sami culture is rich in history, mythology, and folklore. The perfect place to learn more about this integral part of Lapland and Finnish culture is to head to the Samiland Exhibition in Levi.

The exhibition does a wonderful and interesting job educating on Sami culture, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits in both winter and summer seasons. Samiland is open every day of the winter from 10 AM – 8 PM, most days of the summer (check hours in advance), and admission tickets for adults cost €13 with reduced ticket options available. 

Northern Light Safari

Other than slope seekers and ski aficionados, the main pull for visitors coming to Levi is easily the famous conquest for the Northern Lights. During the Aurora season, you’re almost guaranteed to see the Northern Lights if you’re visiting Levi.

If you have a car, you’ll have a lot more freedom to follow more remote and forecasted Aurora areas with less light pollution, although it is possible and common to see the dancing Northern Lights in the town itself. With your own transportation, you can come and go as you choose and watch from your car to stay warm! 

The best spots to seek the Northern Lights in/outside of Levi are at the top of Kätkä Fell, Tonttula (Elves Village), and quite honestly, anywhere further from town lights with large areas of open land.

If you don’t have a car, I suggest taking part in a Northern Light safari tour out of Levi. Costs for these are cheaper than in Rovaniemi, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see the Aurora if you’re visiting during the Aurora season.

These tours typically pick you up from your hotel/accommodation and bring you to Aurora hot spots either by snowmobile or bus/car transportation. You’ll spend time learning about the area and Lapland with a local guide, while drinking hot chocolate or grilling sausages, and keeping warm by a hot, open fire.

Hopefully, before you know it, you’ll soon witness the out-of-this-world experience and natural phenomenon of the colorful, elegant Northern Lights dancing above your eyes. 

Where to Stay in Levi

Break Sokos Hotel Levi – This hotel is an excellent base for exploring Levi and the surrounding area. They have a range of bright, clean and comfortable rooms to choose from, they’re pet-friendly and there is even a restaurant and cafe/bar on site for guests to enjoy. Click here to see their availability

Northern Lights Village Levi – For those after a unique and unforgettable stay in Levi, this hotel is a great option. They have a number of rooms on offer – all with windows over the bed for some cosy Aurora viewings. Rooms are also equipped with fireplaces, breakfast is available and there is an on-site bar. Click here to see their availability

Levi Suites Levi Gold – If you want your own space while exploring Lapland, then these suites in Levi are a good option. They have a number of flats available, all fully furnished with everything you may need. Click here to see their availability

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Levi hotels!

Day 4 – Skiing or Winter Activities

On the 4th and last day of your time in Lapland, you’ll have two different options for enjoying the last day of your Finnish Lapland adventure; skiing the slopes of Levi or taking the time to enjoy more winter activities that you may not have already done in Rovaniemi. Some options include this husky sled ride or a snowmobile safari.

Skiing in Levi

Being the biggest ski resort in Finland, Levi is a great spot to either practice and enjoy as a novice skier or try your hand on the slopes for the first time – under the arctic sky.

Levi has mostly intermediate slopes, with 28 lifts and 48 slopes as well as just about 4 hours of sunshine during the winter. Luckily, the slopes are kept open late giving you enough time to enjoy either an old or newfound activity.

Skiing under the beautifully pink pastel polar night sky is something you’ll likely never experience out of Finnish Lapland, and it truly deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.

Apres-Ski/Dinner at Tuikku

There’s no better way to end your trip to Lapland and day on the slopes than at Tuikku, Levi’s oldest restaurant as well as where you’ll find the most extraordinary slope side and Lapland views. In the winter, there’s live music and DJ, offering the perfect closing to a magical trip.

Prices are pretty affordable, whether you’re interested in having a cocktail, hot chocolate, or a long day of skiing and adventuring that has left you hungry for their delicious buffet meals. 

It’s safe to say that Lapland is one of the most magical destinations in the world. Whether you’re an adult or a child, this enchanting Finnish region is undoubtedly going to touch your heart and sprinkle fairy-tale magic into your trip to make it one of the most unforgettable adventures of a lifetime.

Are you planning to visit Finnish Lapland? Have any questions about this itinerary? Let us know in the comments!

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Is Finland Expensive? A Finland Trip Cost Guide

Helsinki vs Stockholm: Which Nordic Capital to Visit?

The Perfect 5 to 7 Days in Finland Itinerary (Winter or Summer)

About Olivia Ellis

Olivia is a writer for The World Was Here First. Originally from Michigan, USA, she is currently living in Athens, Greece exploring Europe and filmmaking. When she’s not travelling or writing, Olivia can be found cooking delicious new recipes from around the world, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Is everything open during 24th to 31st December??

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Home » Blog » Unique Day Trips and Experiences in Lapland

Unique Day Trips and Experiences in Lapland

28 Oct 2022

8 Minute Read

There’s a reason why a trip to Lapland is firmly on the bucket list for so many of our travellers. This stunning northern region of Finland is one of Europe’s last true wildernesses, and is home to an incredible variety of unique day trips and experiences rooted in the magical, winter landscape.

Whether it’s an active excursion exploring the open fells and quiet pine forests, a Christmas adventure to remember for the kids in the official home of Santa, or an glimpse into the authentic culture of the Sami people, Lapland offers truly memorable experiences for all.

To help get you inspired for your next journey to this winter wonderland, we have put together a few of our favourite day trips in Lapland, so that you can get a flavour of what a holiday in Lapland might look like.

Active Day Trips in Lapland

With such a huge amount of pristine, untouched natural land, Lapland lends itself automatically to outdoor adventures. Whether it’s the snow-covered pine forest, the frozen lakes and rivers, or the vast fells, there is so much to explore here, and there are few places on earth you can feel as removed from civilisation so easily.

1.      Snowshoeing Day Trip

Clearly, moving about a landscape that’s carpeted in waste deep snow is a logistical challenge in itself. And it’s all the more difficult if you’re a part of a nomadic tribe hoping to hunt, or carry your belongings with you.

This challenge led the resourceful Sami people to develop snowshoes, spreading their bodyweight in order to walk on top of the snow, rather than through it, and this method is still the easiest way to walk through the parts of Lapland still untouched by human activity.

On a snowshoeing excursion with a local guide, you’ll be able to experience that true off the beaten track sensation, as you leave the human world behind and head to areas where you can reconnect with the natural world.

2.      Husky Safaris in Lapland Day Trip

To get a little further off the beaten track and even deeper into the wilderness, it helps if you have a little extra energy to give you a helping hand. For millennia, the locals have used huskies and sleds to cover vast distances with ease, and now you too can experience the thrilling, and surprisingly physical activity of exploring Lapland’s wilderness behind a team of these beautiful dogs.

With boundless energy and friendly characters, you’ll probably find the huskies a touch loud and impatient to get going, but once moving, the sensation of gliding across snowdrifts and out into the wilderness is truly one to remember.

You’ll also have a chance to get up close and personal with the huskies, throwing in a little cuteness-factor into an active adventure that also provides a little insight into native life.

3.      Snowmobile Safari Day Trip

One for the adrenaline junkies now. In terms of the modern world, husky sledding has been very much overtaken by snowmobiles as the main way to get around.

On a snowmobile safari, you’ll get to enjoy the excitement of speeding through the magnificent landscape, drinking in the endless views of snow-covered trees from your saddle.

By the time you return from this most essential of Lapland day trips, you’ll feel satisfyingly windswept having enjoyed a bit of a thrill for those who find the idea of a spa day just a little too slow for them.

Popular Lapland Day Trips

Northern Lights with Snowshoes

10km Husky Safari

Searching For Santa

Northern Lights by Heated Sleigh

Northern lights adventures in lapland.

One advantage of this vast wilderness and lack of human development that Lapland boasts is a distinct lack of light pollution. Throw in the ideal latitude in the Arctic Circle and just a few hours of daylight in the winter months, and no matter where you stay in Lapland , you have the perfect conditions for spotting the Northern Lights .

1.      Northern Lights by Heated Sleigh

Whilst many of our travellers in Lapland are content to view the Northern Lights from the comfort of their glass-roofed cabin, some prefer to strike out into the wilderness to escape any light pollution whatsoever, and view the otherworldly aurora from a more spectacular spot.

One of the most comfortable ways of getting out of resort is by heated sleigh. Wrap up warm and jump into your toasty ride, leaving the cabins behind and heading for an idyllic spot in the wild, complete with a campfire were your guide will help you set your cameras to the optimum mode for capturing the lights, whilst telling stories and myths of the landscape.

By the time you return to your cabin, you can be smug in the knowledge that you have seen the Northern Lights at their very best, in one of the best aurora hunting locations on earth.

2.      Hunting for the Northern Lights on Snowshoes

For those intrepid explorers, you can always set off into the deep, dark wilderness by torchlight and on foot, led by a local guide who you will follow to a cosy hut where hot drinks and traditional Lappish snack await you to warm your bones whilst you wait for the lights to appear.

This excursion is a great way to feel truly connected to nature on your Lapland Northern Lights holiday , as you wind your way through the forest just as people have done for generations, the snow reflecting the light from the moon and stars.

As you sit out with a view over the wild landscape, the Northern Lights drifting overhead, you’ll find yourself entranced by the sheer isolation and beauty of your surroundings. No matter where you choose to see the Northern Lights in Lapland , by getting away from any man-made light pollution, your chances of a quality aurora experience increases enormously.

Christmas Experiences in Lapland

It should be obvious by now that Lapland is a region that has a magical feeling about it. This reputation is only furthered by the fact that Lapland is of course the official home of Father Christmas. There is no better location on the planet for anyone on the hunt for a Christmas holiday than Lapland .

1.      Searching for Santa Claus

For those with children who are still at believing age, this is a truly magical day trip through a winter wonderland that will last long in the memory.

Enjoy a gingerbread baking experience with one of Santa’s elves, before setting off into the woods in search of Santa’s cabin, relaxing in a heated sleigh as the trees drift past. You’ll also get a chance to meet some of his reindeer, although you will have to make do with being pulled, rather than flying on your sled behind.

On arrival at the cabin, Santa Claus will invite you in and deliver some presents for the children, rounding off a day of Christmas magic that will entrance anyone who has a love for this most festive time of year.

Here at Not In The Guidebooks , we work hard to bring our customers experiences and holidays that get them to the heart of a destination. In Lapland, all our experiences are rooted in the fact that the local, indigenous people have been practising these activities out of a sense of necessity for generations.

Whether its ice fishing, a husky safari or a reindeer experience, these activities give you a glimpse into a lifestyle that is totally removed from our own, and an appreciation for a new culture and people, which we believe is the most rewarding part of travel.

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The ultimate Lapland travel guide: How to travel & what to do in Lapland Finland

Located in the north of Finland, Lapland is very close to the North Pole, so there are 200 days of cold winter a year. Any visitor, whether a child or an adult, wishes to have a trip to this place to meet Santa Claus, along with the reindeers. Moreover, this place is also an extremely attractive destination with a lot of interesting experiences. Lapland Finland (Finnish Lapland) is world famous as “the Official Hometown of Santa Claus”. In addition to the above nickname, is there anything else that attracts tourists from all over the world? Let’s experience Finnish Lapland through the sharing below. So, what country is Lapland in, what to do in Lapland, how to travel to Lapland Finland and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Lapland for the first-time? Let’s check out our Lapland travel blog (Lapland blog) with the fullest Lapland travel guide (Lapland guide) from how to get to Lapland Finland, best time to come, where to stay, what to see in Lapland Finland, things to do in Lapland Finland as well as what to do in Rovaniemi to find out the answer!

Lapland travel blog: Where is Lapland Finland and what country is Lapland in?

Finnish Lapland is a very large region with an area of ​​about 100,367 square kilometers of which 92,667 square kilometers is land, 6,316 square kilometers is freshwater and 1,383 square kilometers is sea. Lapland stretching through 4 countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia’s Kola Peninsula with an area equivalent to 3 countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland combined.

In which the Lapland region in Finland (Finnish Lapland, Lapland Finland) occupies one third of the country’s area and the capital of the entire Lapland – the city of Rovaniemi is also located here. This is the official hometown of Santa Claus, so it is often said that Finnish Lapland (or Rovaniemi Finland) is the hometown of  Santa Claus .

Some interesting things about Finnish Lapland:

• Although this entire Lapland region spans 4 countries, the official name is widely known in 2 countries Sweden and Finland. Therefore, when it comes to the place of Lapland, you should often add the country name, so that people can clearly distinguish which region you are talking about.
• The population of Finnish Lapland is over 180,000 people, mainly concentrated in 4 big cities (Rovaniemi, Tornio, Kemi and Kemijärvi), the population density is about 1.98 people/km2 – the lowest in Europe and less than number of reindeer here (200,000).
• Reindeer here are popularly raised as a meat producing animal in other countries. Near the village of Santa Claus, there is an Artic Circle – marking the arctic circle of the earth. Therefore, there is a phenomenon of 2 months in the summer when the sun never sets (lighting all day and night).
• Lapland Finland is also a very large region rather than a specific city or place. So when someone talks about Finnish Lapland tourism, you should understand that they mention to traveling to Rovaniemi city – the capital of the whole Lapland Finland region, where the village of Santa Claus and some remote surrounding areas is upper it, where you can hunting aurora (the Northern Lights) and other winter activities.
• Rovaniemi was almost destroyed 90% in World War II, but then the great Finnish architect Alvar Aalto redesigned the whole city as it have the appearance as we see today. There is currently a top 2 Finnish university named after his name, Aalto University – the top 7th school in the world in art and design section.

Lapland travel blog: When should you visit Lapland Finland?

Tourists often come to Finnish Lapland with the desire to experience aurora borealis hunting and take part in some winter activities. That’s why I think the most suitable time and best time to travel to Finnish Lapland is in the period from November to March. Because this is the time when you have the highest opportunity to seeing the Northern Lights along with this place is completely covered with white snow creating a magical scene comes along with a special and vibrant Christmas atmosphere.

Personally, I would recommend going from the beginning of November to mid-December because at this time there will be also a Christmas atmosphere here and it is not as crowded as December. Meanwhile, January and February are the peak winter months, the temperature is usually in the range of -20 to -40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, for those who are not used to extreme cold temperatures, coming here in this season is no different from being tortured :). In addition, the aurora often appears when it is cold and clear. If there is too much snow, the opportunity of seeing it is also lower than other times. There are times from September to November when it is very cold but without snow, it is easy to see the aurora borealis.

Lapland travel guide: How to get and how to travel to Lapland Finland (How to get to Rovaniemi)?

How to travel to lapland finland from other finland’s cities.

To get to Rovaniemi Lapland, you usually need to get to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Then from here, you can take the train, onnibus or plane to getting here. The distance from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is about 700-800km.

• Onnibus:  Usually you will need to transfer in Oulu city. Total travel time is about 12 hours (8 hours to Oulu and 3 hours to 4 hours from Oulu to Rovaniemi). Ticket price is around €18-35.
• VR train  (the Finland’s national railway company) often runs 2 trips a day from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Travel time: 8 to 12 hours. Ticket price: €40-90/way. The fare of €40 usually only appears in the summer, when the travel demand to Lapland is less than other seasons.
• Airplane:  Finnair (the Finland’s flag carrier and largest airline) often has quite a few direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Ticket price is about €70-100/way.

If you depart from some countries with lot of demands for travel to Finnish Lapland such as the UK, the Netherlands, there are also direct flights from these countries to Rovaniemi. As far as I know, there are currently 7 airlines flying directly to Rovaniemi from 5 European countries which are the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine in which the UK is the country with the largest number of tourists to Lapland Finland.

Lapland guide: Getting around Finnish Lapland

If you simply visit Rovaniemi, I think the most suitable means of transport is the public bus. Ticket price is €3.2/way and you can catch a bus from Rovaniemi center to Santa Claus village in 15 minutes.

However, if you want to participate in more winter activities, perhaps renting a self-drive car will be more appropriate. Because Lapland is a very large and extremely sparsely populated region, it will be quite difficult for you to participate in winter activities such as aurora hunting in the north, ice lake fishing, etc. without active means of transport.

Lapland travel blog: Where to stay in Lapland Finland?

Because Lapland is very large and the attractions are not gather in a single cluster like in other cities, finding a room here is not simple at all. Not only that, Lapland is also famous for various types of accommodation that are rarely found anywhere in the world. So, I will write a detailed article to guide you how to choose a hotel in Lapland later.

In general, in my travel experience, you should find a room and book it as soon as possible. Quality rooms in Lapland often sell out very quickly because here are few people, the hotel is not too abundant, but the number visitors flocking here from China, Japan, Germany, and Britain is quite a lot… Last time my friend searched for a room 4 months in advance but she still couldn’t find a good place to stay.

However, if you want to stay in upscale hotels, close to Santa Village, you can book hotels right in Santa Claus Village ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com ).

You can also refer to the two other luxury hotels:  Arctic TreeHouse Hotel  ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com ) built in a high hill, offer panoramic windows with beautiful nothern lights view.

Or  Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort  ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com ). This is a hotel that is extremely suitable for visitors to see and admire the Northern Lights.

At first glance, the Kaklauttanen looks like it just step out of a sci-fi movie. The hotel consists of many rooms like turtles located next to each other. “Tortoise shell” is made of glass, does not absorb water vapor no matter how cold it is, guaranteed, guests can see the Northern Lights anytime it appears. Each room has a comfortable bed and a comfortable bathroom.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Santa Claus Holiday Village ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )
• Arctic Light Hotel ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )
• Scandic Rovaniemi City ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )
• Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )
• Arctic City Hotel ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )
• Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Rovaniemi ( Agoda.com  or  Booking.com )

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Lapland travel blog — the ultimate lapland travel guide: how to travel & what to do in lapland finland.

Located in the north of Finland, Lapland is very close to the North Pole, so there are 200 days of cold winter a year. Any visitor, whether a child or an adult, wishes to have a trip to this place to meet Santa Claus , along with the reindeers. Moreover, this place is also an extremely attractive destination with a lot of interesting experiences. Lapland Finland (Finnish Lapland) is world famous as “the Official Hometown of Santa Claus”. In addition to the above nickname, is there anything else that attracts tourists from all over the world? Let’s experience Finnish Lapland through the sharing below. So, what country is Lapland in, what to do in Lapland, how to travel to Lapland Finland and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Lapland for the first-time? Let’s check out our Lapland travel blog (Lapland blog) with the fullest Lapland travel guide (Lapland guide) from how to get to Lapland Finland, best time to come, where to stay, what to see in Lapland Finland, things to do in Lapland Finland as well as what to do in Rovaniemi to find out the answer!

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Lapland travel blog: Where is Lapland Finland and what country is Lapland in?

Finnish Lapland is a very large region with an area of ​​about 100,367 square kilometers of which 92,667 square kilometers is land, 6,316 square kilometers is freshwater and 1,383 square kilometers is sea. Lapland stretching through 4 countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia’s Kola Peninsula with an area equivalent to 3 countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland combined.

In which the Lapland region in Finland (Finnish Lapland, Lapland Finland) occupies one third of the country’s area and the capital of the entire Lapland – the city of Rovaniemi is also located here. This is the official hometown of Santa Claus, so it is often said that Finnish Lapland (or Rovaniemi Finland) is the hometown of Santa Claus .

Some interesting things about Finnish Lapland:

• Although this entire Lapland region spans 4 countries, the official name is widely known in 2 countries Sweden and Finland. Therefore, when it comes to the place of Lapland, you should often add the country name, so that people can clearly distinguish which region you are talking about.
• The population of Finnish Lapland is over 180,000 people, mainly concentrated in 4 big cities (Rovaniemi, Tornio, Kemi and Kemijärvi), the population density is about 1.98 people/km2 – the lowest in Europe and less than number of reindeer here (200,000).
• Reindeer here are popularly raised as a meat producing animal in other countries. Near the village of Santa Claus, there is an Artic Circle – marking the arctic circle of the earth. Therefore, there is a phenomenon of 2 months in the summer when the sun never sets (lighting all day and night).
• Lapland Finland is also a very large region rather than a specific city or place. So when someone talks about Finnish Lapland tourism, you should understand that they mention to traveling to Rovaniemi city – the capital of the whole Lapland Finland region, where the village of Santa Claus and some remote surrounding areas is upper it, where you can hunting aurora (the Northern Lights) and other winter activities.
• Rovaniemi was almost destroyed 90% in World War II, but then the great Finnish architect Alvar Aalto redesigned the whole city as it have the appearance as we see today. There is currently a top 2 Finnish university named after his name, Aalto University – the top 7th school in the world in art and design section.

Lapland travel blog: When should you visit Lapland Finland?

Tourists often come to Finnish Lapland with the desire to experience aurora borealis hunting and take part in some winter activities. That’s why I think the most suitable time and best time to travel to Finnish Lapland is in the period from November to March. Because this is the time when you have the highest opportunity to seeing the Northern Lights along with this place is completely covered with white snow creating a magical scene comes along with a special and vibrant Christmas atmosphere.

Personally, I would recommend going from the beginning of November to mid-December because at this time there will be also a Christmas atmosphere here and it is not as crowded as December. Meanwhile, January and February are the peak winter months, the temperature is usually in the range of -20 to -40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, for those who are not used to extreme cold temperatures, coming here in this season is no different from being tortured :). In addition, the aurora often appears when it is cold and clear. If there is too much snow, the opportunity of seeing it is also lower than other times. There are times from September to November when it is very cold but without snow, it is easy to see the aurora borealis.

Lapland travel guide: How to get and how to travel to Lapland Finland (How to get to Rovaniemi)?

How to travel to lapland finland from other finland’s cities.

To get to Rovaniemi Lapland, you usually need to get to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Then from here, you can take the train, onnibus or plane to getting here. The distance from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is about 700-800km.

• Onnibus: Usually you will need to transfer in Oulu city. Total travel time is about 12 hours (8 hours to Oulu and 3 hours to 4 hours from Oulu to Rovaniemi). Ticket price is around €18-35.
• VR train (the Finland’s national railway company) often runs 2 trips a day from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Travel time: 8 to 12 hours. Ticket price: €40-90/way. The fare of €40 usually only appears in the summer, when the travel demand to Lapland is less than other seasons.
• Airplane: Finnair (the Finland’s flag carrier and largest airline) often has quite a few direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Ticket price is about €70-100/way.

If you depart from some countries with lot of demands for travel to Finnish Lapland such as the UK, the Netherlands, there are also direct flights from these countries to Rovaniemi. As far as I know, there are currently 7 airlines flying directly to Rovaniemi from 5 European countries which are the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine in which the UK is the country with the largest number of tourists to Lapland Finland.

Lapland guide: Getting around Finnish Lapland

If you simply visit Rovaniemi, I think the most suitable means of transport is the public bus. Ticket price is €3.2/way and you can catch a bus from Rovaniemi center to Santa Claus village in 15 minutes.

However, if you want to participate in more winter activities, perhaps renting a self-drive car will be more appropriate. Because Lapland is a very large and extremely sparsely populated region, it will be quite difficult for you to participate in winter activities such as aurora hunting in the north, ice lake fishing, etc. without active means of transport.

Lapland travel blog: Where to stay in Lapland Finland?

Because Lapland is very large and the attractions are not gather in a single cluster like in other cities, finding a room here is not simple at all. Not only that, Lapland is also famous for various types of accommodation that are rarely found anywhere in the world. So, I will write a detailed article to guide you how to choose a hotel in Lapland later.

In general, in my travel experience, you should find a room and book it as soon as possible. Quality rooms in Lapland often sell out very quickly because here are few people, the hotel is not too abundant, but the number visitors flocking here from China, Japan, Germany, and Britain is quite a lot… Last time my friend searched for a room 4 months in advance but she still couldn’t find a good place to stay.

However, if you want to stay in upscale hotels, close to Santa Village, you can book hotels right in Santa Claus Village ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ).

You can also refer to the two other luxury hotels: Arctic TreeHouse Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ) built in a high hill, offer panoramic windows with beautiful nothern lights view.

Or Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort ( Agoda.com or Booking.com ). This is a hotel that is extremely suitable for visitors to see and admire the Northern Lights.

At first glance, the Kaklauttanen looks like it just step out of a sci-fi movie. The hotel consists of many rooms like turtles located next to each other. “Tortoise shell” is made of glass, does not absorb water vapor no matter how cold it is, guaranteed, guests can see the Northern Lights anytime it appears. Each room has a comfortable bed and a comfortable bathroom.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Santa Claus Holiday Village ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
• Arctic Light Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
• Scandic Rovaniemi City ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
• Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
• Arctic City Hotel ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )
• Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Rovaniemi ( Agoda.com or Booking.com )

Check out more top and best hotels in Rovaniemi on Agoda.com or Booking.com .

Lapland travel guide: Things to do in Lapland Finland, what to see and what to do in Lapland Finland

What to do in rovaniemi.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland which is considered the official hometown of Santa Claus . This place is famous for its Santa’s village and many other interesting winter activities such as reindeer riding, husky sledding, skiing, visiting museums…

Some indispensable places, things to do in Rovaniemi Lapland:

Santa Claus Village

Located about 8 km from the center of Rovaniemi city, Santa Claus Village is open all year round regardless of winter or summer. Here you will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus, visit the post office where Santa works, send letters to people all over the world…

There are 3 most attractive places in this village are Santa Claus Office, Santa Claus Main Post Office and Arctic Circle. Ticket price: free. However, there are some other activities that still cost money. There is also a service to stamp your passport to certify that you have gone through the Arctic Circle for €1, and a service to take pictures with Santa Claus for €20-40. So, fun and interesting!

Arktikum Museum

The museum displays artifacts, provides information about people, animals and plants that have lived in the Arctic Circle of the earth during typical historical periods, such as during the World War II and the period that Finland was invaded and took part of the territory by Russia (1939-1940).

Address: Pohjoisranta 4, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland Hours: 10AM–5PM/Monday: Closed Ticket price: €9

SantaPark – the Home Cavern of Santa Claus

As an amusement park built in an underground cave with many recreational activities, especially suitable for families with young children.

Address: Tarvantie 1, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland Ticket price: €34.

Visit Raitola Reindeer & Husky Farm, experience reindeer riding and husky sledding

Near Santa’s village there is Raitola Reindeer & Husky Farm (Address: Välttikankaantie 11, 96900 Rovaniemi, Finland) that offers tours of reindeer sleigh riding sleds or husky safari sledding with various tour packages. Ride a reindeer-drawn sleigh like a horse-drawn carriage, while exprience a husky sledding like a thrilling game.

Driving in Lapland Finland needs to be careful because the reindeer often roam on the roads. Sometimes if you’re driving and see a couple of them suddenly crossing the road, don’t be surprised. Because the number of reindeers much more than residents living here.

Ounasvaaran Hiihtokeskus Ski Resort

You can come here to ski or hire a guide if you still don’t know how to ski. Ticket price €20 for 1 hour or day ticket of €40. Hire a guide costs about €30-50.

In addition, if you have children, you can go to the Science Centre Pilke museum (Address: Ounasjoentie 6, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland) and the Angry Birds Playground (Address: Valtakatu 4, 96100 Rovaniemi, Finland).

Some other activities when traveling to Finnish Lapland

Explore the beautiful lakes and ice fishing.

Lapland is a place full of beautiful lakes. In which, the most beautiful and famous lake is Inari. This is also the largest lake in Lapland with an area of over 1,000 square kilometers. If you come to Lapland on cold winter days, you will see that the surface of Lake Inari is completely frozen to form a giant mirror. You can experience ice fishing.

In winter when the lake freezes, locals often have a hobby of walking on the ice, skating on the lake or punching holes in the ice for fishing. This is probably an experience that requires extremely high patience for tourists.

Hunting Aurora (Northern Lights)

According to an old legend, an arctic fox whipped its tail and sent twinkling lights into the sky, creating the aurora borealis. Lapland is located in the Arctic region, so you will have a higher chance of seeing this natural phenomenon than anywhere else. However, Rovaniemi is a city with a dense population and is “polluted” by lights, so it’s best to go to the very remote hills, the darker and less inhabited the better.

In fact, hunting the aurora is a very bad luck. You will have a hard time guessing exactly whether that time will have the aurora or not. Usually the forecast is only accurate within 1 week. If you wait until that date to book tickets for travel and accommodation, I guarantee that the possibility of staying in a “thousand-star hotel” is very high or else the cost will be sky-high.

In fact, hotel rooms in resorts and convenient locations in Lapland usually need to be booked at least 6 months in advance. So, when traveling to Lapland Finland, if you see the aurora borealis, you are lucky, if not, just unlucky :).

The more you traveling to the north, the clearer the visibility and the higher the chance, so many visitors flocking here because of that. However, there are also many days when the aurora is very visible, so you can see it right in the city of Rovaniemi or even in the southern provinces of Finland. Well, if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights right in Rovaniemi, you should go to the Artikum Science Museum. This is the best spot to see the aurora borealis in the city. You download the “Aurora” app to monitor the possibility of aurora in specific locations.

Personally, I would not recommend you booking aurora hunting tour, the aurora appears or not depends mainly on the weather, not on people. If you book a tour but there is no aurora on that day, that’s okay. Instead, always monitor the weather and go up as close to the north as possible, especially in forests with less light pollution, the chances of seeing it will be high. Remember to prepare warm clothes, sleeping bags, food and water. It takes a lot of effort to hunt this “super picky girl”.

Camping in the forest

This activity is quite popular with nature lovers like Finnish. You should camp in national parks where firewood is available, free kitchens for grilling food, and tents near the lake. Camping in the winter is also quite interesting, but it is necessary to carefully prepare warm clothes, fully equipment as well as find out the places where camping and fire are allowed first.

As I mentioned in previous posts, sauna is a Finnish initiative and sauna bathing has become an indispensable part of their lives. Winter is probably the best time to try this experience. If possible, you should rent a hotel room with a sauna room, so that after every day of going out to explore the experience, when you return, you will be able to enjoy a body sauna for comfort and relief.

In fact, when bathing in a sauna, Finns often go nude and after each interval they will jump into the icy lakes outside or take a cold shower. You should try this feeling :D. An indispensable experience when traveling to Finland.

Besides activities such as skiing, husky sledding, reindeer riding… You can try the feeling of snowmobile in the forest or surrounding areas. Usually, tourists will go on a tour, but if you have experience driving this and are not afraid of getting lost, you can rent it. The price is around €150/basic package and €25 extra per hour you rent. You can refer at this progearmoto website . Regarding tours you can refer to Arctic Circle Snowmobile for €55 per person for 30 minutes — 1 hour with a driver. This is one of the experiences that many thrill-seeking travelers enjoy when traveling to Finnish Lapland on their own.

If you are interested in learning about Sámi culture, you should drive 4 hours from Rovaniemi to Inari. The winter nature here is also very impressive with many interesting sites such as The Sámi Cultural Center Sajos (Address: Menesjärventie 2A, 99870 Inari, Finland), Karhu souvenir shop. The Sámi is an ethnic minority of Finland and residents live in Lapland mainly are Sámi people.

Lapland travel tips

If you go with a few people but still want to experience all kinds of winter activities without spending too much, join the tour group of ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organized by the Finnish schools. Most of the people going are exchange students coming to study in Finland, so you will have the opportunity to meet many people, participate in many recreational activities at a very affordable price. The tour package usually includes accommodation with sauna, transportation, activities such as husky ride, snowmobile… are all included. You can choose to go with ESN with any school in Helsinki . In Helsinki, there are a number of schools such as Laurea, Haaga-Helia, Aalto, University of Helsinki, Arcada, Metropolia… Tour prices are around €340 for 7 days. The referal link at Timetravels .

What to do in Lapland: Shopping

Coming to Lapland, visitors will be fascinated to see very high quality products that are famous throughout the Nordic region and throughout Europe. All brands are manufactured according to Nordic standards for safety, accuracy, durability over the years, high applicability and smart and traditional designs such as Finnish Knives (Puukkos), Wooden handmade Kuksa Cups, Taigakoru jewelry, Marimekko fashion, Arabia porcelain,…

How to travel to Lapland Finland: Suggested Lapland itinerary 5 days 4 nights

• Day 1: Go to Rovaniemi and walk around the city
• Day 2: Visit Santa’s village, visit husky dog ​​farm, experience reindeer riding, husky safari…
• Day 3: Visit Santa park, Arkitum museum, aurora hunting
• Day 4: Snowmobile, ski resort
• Day 5: Bonfire camping, ice fishing, aurora hunting

Lapland travel blog: What to eat?

• Reindeer meat: The most popular livestock in Lapland. People in Lapland will often raise a lot of reindeer for fur and meat. Therefore, reindeer meat is a specialty that you must try!
• Smoked salmon
• Muikku fish

These are famous local dishes in Lapland. In addition, you should combine going to the supermarket in Rovaniemi if you want to have a cheap self-sufficient trip.

Lapland blog: Traveling cost

The cost of a self-sufficient travel, I think it largely depends on each individual. There are many factors that affect the trip costs such as where to stay, whether you rent a car, whether you participate in activities such as husky sledding, reindeer riding… I give a few basic costs below:

• Meals: €12/meal. If you buy food from the supermarket to cook, you can comfortably spend about €20 a day.
• Hotel: The lowest price is about €30 per person. The highest is about €300-400.
• Traveling: €12/day. If you rent a car, it will increase to €40-50/person/day. Participate in other activities: Each activity costs about €30-40.

I think for comfort, the traveling cost is about €150 a day, all inclusive. Of course, this cost is higher than in the capital Helsinki or other European countries but still lower than Norway, Switzerland…

Lapland travel guide: Some tips before you go

• The most commonly spoken languages ​​in Finnish Lapland are Swedish and Finnish. However, most people living in the city will speak English fluently. So, you can rest assured!
• You should exchange money at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. It is best to exchange at legitimate counters for the best and safe exchange rates.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Lapland you can refer to

• Lapland 2 Day Tour from Rovaniemi
• Highlights of Rovaniemi Day Tour
• The Frozen Waterfalls of Korouoma Day Tour from Rovaniemi
• [DISCONTINUED] Lapland Wellness and Relaxation Tour
• Aurora Borealis Small Group Tour with Free Photos from Rovaniemi
• Rovaniemi: Lapland Northern Lights Tour with BBQ
• Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village and Arctic Circle
• Rovaniemi: Snowman World Entrance Ticket
• Lapland: Husky Carriage Ride Under the Northern Lights
• Rovaniemi: Apukka Husky Adventure

Read more Trip review to the fairy tale Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi, Lapland – Finland , Where to stay in Lapland Findland and Finland travel guide here .

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The Perfect Itinerary For 5 Days In Lapland, Finland

Lapland makes up about a third of Finland’s total area, and it’s a region, not a country. It covers northern Sweden, Finland, Norway and part of Russia’s Kola Peninsula. To put it into perspective, Lapland is as big as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland all put together. We visited Finnish Lapland for 5 days just before Christmas 2022 and have put together ‘The Perfect Itinerary for 5 days in Lapland, Finland’ to help others have as amazing a trip as we did.

Day 1 – Travel Day

Day 1 was a travel day for us. We flew from London Stanstead to Rovaniemi Airport with Ryanair. It took around 3 hours. Rovaniemi Airport is quite small so it’s very easy to navigate on arrival. We had hired a car for our visit so Dave headed to the Rental Cars while I collected the luggage.

We hired a car with Green Motion and it was a smooth process. We had expected the car to be in a car park away from the snow, but it wasn’t! It was in an outdoor car park covered in snow. But that turned out to be ok as there was a brush in the car for the snow, it was actually easier to clear it than the ice in England!

By this time it was quite late so we drove straight to the SantaSport Apart Hotel just outside of Rovaniemi, it took about 15 minutes and driving in the snow was fine, it was a short but scenic drive!

Day 2 – Santa Claus Village

Our priority on day 2 was to go to Santa Claus Village , which was about 10 minutes away from our hotel. So we got up, had breakfast (which was included in our stay) and headed to visit the home of Santa Claus. It’s hard to describe the sparkling magic of Santa’s Village as you approach it and we were all excited to explore the snow-covered landscape. Santa Claus Village is a very popular place to visit, so we felt the best time to arrive was early with the aim of beating the tour groups. This meant we walked straight in to see Father Christmas with no queue.

Something that did surprise me at Santa Claus Village is that there were two places to see Santa. One in the main house on arrival and one by the Arctic Circle crossing. We went to the one by the main entrance and he was great, the meeting was brief but for our family only and he was lovely with the girls. The visit didn’t cost but you can’t take photos so are incentivised to buy the official photo which cost 40 euros for a medium-sized picture. However, I have to be honest and say that the whole ‘feel’ of visiting him wasn’t any more special than some of the very good ones we’ve done in England. However, the look of him was far better than any other Santas we’ve seen – he was extremely authentic.

But Santa really is just a fraction of what there is to do at Santa’s Village. Sledges are dotted around the village which you can pick up for free. The kids thought this was brilliant and loved finding a slope to slide down. We actually found the sledges the easiest way to get the girls around the village, as it is pretty big and the snow can be a bit tricky to walk on. Plus it’s fun!

My personal highlight of Santa’s village was the reindeer sleigh ride. A bucket list item, these run all day every day so there is no option to pre-book. However, I would advise you to get there in the early morning to avoid queues. We got there at 11 am and had to wait 45 minutes for our turn. You get the choice of a 400m, 1000m or 3km ride and we went for the 1000m option. This lasted about 20 minutes and whilst it was a relatively short trip, it felt about right. The scenery was like a winter wonderland, it was utterly stunning. It cost us 106 euros for the 4 of us.

Tour groups have pre-booked slots and skip the queue so avoiding these times (which are written on the ticket booth) is a wise idea.

After our Reindeer ride, we went for some lunch at the Burger and Pizza restaurant. This was a simple fast-food place but for 55 euros we got two decent size pizzas, two french fries, and 4 drinks. Plenty to keep us going for the rest of the day! There are other places to eat but price-wise this was the best option.

Of course, it can’t be forgotten that you can cross the Arctic Circle at Santa’s Village, which was really amazing. And don’t forget to wave at the YouTube Arctic Circle live stream!

The temperature was around -14c and after a while, you want to head indoors to warm up so we headed back to the hotel. The girls and Dave went for a swim (included in the price of the hotel) and we spent the evening relaxing.

Day 3 – Apukka Resort Husky Safari

Today we headed to our pre-booked Husky Safari at Apukka Resort.

Apukka Resort is a popular place for activites such as huskies, reindeer safari and ice fishing. You can also book to stay in their unique accommodation with the chance to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern lights). They also do Northern lights tours which can be a good way to track down the elusive northern lights as you’ll be with one of their expert tour guides.

The Apukka Resort was about 20 minutes from our hotel. You can arrange to be picked up from various places around Rovaniemi but as we had a car we drove there. The initial bit of the experience felt a bit disorganised, which I think was because a lot of trips started at the same time so there was a lot going on. One thing I would bear in mind is that even if children are dressed for cold weather the guides will still insist that they wear the (included in the price) Arctic overalls. It would have been good if this had been made clear beforehand. However, the girls were toasty warm and cosy for the whole experience.

Once organised we were off on a 20-minute walk to the Huskies. Again, if you have mobility issues you’d probably appreciate having this information in advance. One of the people in our small group had a very bad back so couldn’t do the walk. They swiftly arranged for a snowmobile to take him.

Once we arrived at the Huskies it was incredible. We were given a talk about how to drive the sledge and then shown to our huskies. The sledges are long so the adult sits at the back with children in front of them. The driver (in our case, Dave) stands at the back and controls the brakes and steering. Once the rope was released we were off.

The ride was mostly on a frozen lake and it was utterly unbelievable, the snow-laden landscape rushing past as the dogs ran and ran. We all had a great time and the husky ride was over in a flash (I think it actually lasted about an hour). Back at the base we had time to stroke and meet our huskies, who were really friendly. We then had warmed berry juice and cookies whilst the expert guide gave us some information about the husky farm. Fun Fact – our husky guide owned 28 of the huskies herself!

The weather conditions were perfect for our ride, but if it’s snowing then goggles would be a good idea. The natural beauty of the whole afternoon was really amazing, and we felt it was the perfect place to have done our husky tour.

Once we got back to the Apukka Resort we picked up our car and decided to head into Rovaniemi for some lunch. Rovaniemi is the Capital City of Finnish Lapland and is pretty small with just 64,000 residents. It is quite a unique experience to see a City Centre under a blanket of snow. We found a car park and took a short walk to explore. We didn’t find it easy to find somewhere to eat so decided to go for Chinese food in the end (which was delicious!). It can be quite limiting finding vegetarian food in some Countries and we did find it a challenge in Lapland. However, you can always find pizza and chips or somewhere like a Chinese that will have vegetarian options.

After that we went back to the hotel and Dave and the girls went swimming again. That evening we spent about an hour in the huge soft play in the hotel, this cost us 5 euros per child.

Day 4 – Santa Park

*SantaPark kindly gifted us tickets for our visit – all opinions are our own*

On our very snowy fourth day, we drove around 20 minutes from the hotel to Santa Park . Santa Park is a Christmas-themed indoor park with lots of all kinds of fun christmassy things to do with elves. As it is indoors there is a large cloakroom to put your winter clothing in before you enter.

Included in the ticket are loads of amazing things to do such as:

🎄 Meeting with Santa Claus in his office. We didn’t do this as we’d seen him at Santa’s village but it looked brilliant.

🎄 Gingerbread decoration. We loved doing this and were pleased that we all got one to decorate. They were really tasty too.

🎄 Visit to the Gingerbread Bakery – as with everything in Santa Park the bakery looked so festive and beautifully decorated.

🎄 Visit to the Elves’ Post Office

🎄 Elf School Experience, where you get your own Elf School Diploma and Elf Trainee Hat

🎄 SantaPark’s Exciting Show (performed 3 times a day). We watched this as we ate our cookies which was perfect. However, the show is in the main cafe area so a lot of people ate their lunch as they watched.

🎄 Magic Train Ride. The girls loved this and wanted to do it over and over again.

🎄 Virtual Christmas Sleigh Ride around the world

🎄 Handicrafts in Elf Workshop

🎄 Crossing the Arctic Circle underground was one of my favourite parts of the day. Santa Park is the only place you can do it.

🎄 Visit to Ice Gallery and Ice Bar. You get given a special coat here to keep you warm.

🎄 Two Gaming Arenas

🎄 Toy Factory Shopping Area. I really liked the shopping areas and spent some time picking out some decorations to take home with me.

🎄 Santa’s Corner Shop

I really liked that once you’re in Santa Park nothing is an additional cost. We spent about 5 hours exploring before heading out into the snow! And it hadn’t stopped!

Back at the hotel we rented Sledges for 5 euros per sledge and went to a nearby hill to play. This was one of the best places we found for sledging but the girls also enjoy just exploring the leisure complex where we were staying too. I would think the girls might say this was the highlight of their whole trip and it really was a lot of fun.

Day 5 – Travel Day

This was our last day and we had to head to the airport for our flight home. It was the most beautiful morning and we enjoyed the 15-minute drive to the airport.

A quick word on our accommodation. We stayed at the SantaSport Apartment hotel which was about 2 miles outside of Rovaniemi. It was the perfect base for us for our 4-night stay. It is an aparthotel which means you get an apartment with some of the perks of a normal hotel. Our apartment was a 1 double bedroom, 1 single bedroom and a double sofa bed. It had a kitchen, dining area, bathroom (with shower, toilet and private sauna!) and a separate toilet. There was also a decent-sized balcony. As SantaSport is part of a leisure complex, you can use their facilities at an extra cost (the swimming pool is free). We did swimming, soft play and sledges but you can also do bowling and cross-country skiing and more.

And just like that our trip was over! We felt that having 4 nights and 3 full days in Lapland was just about right, making it a 5 day trip including travel days. I hope this has helped you if you are planning The Perfect Itinerary For 5 Days In Lapland, Finland.

If you’d like to read more about our travels, how about Dubai? Read more here.

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How to visit Lapland in one day

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Dreaming of a white Christmas? Good news: Santa's snowy Lapland home is an easy day trip from the UK. Cathy Toogood takes her family to Finland to meet Father Christmas, ride in a reindeer sleigh, and witness the magic of the Northern Lights – and still make it back to their own beds at the end of their adventure.

Being picked up from the airport in a sleigh and whizzing through the snow-covered landscape of Enontekiö is certainly an exhilarating way to start a family adventure in Finnish Lapland. We zip past pine trees dusted in snow and emerge into a dazzling white clearing. “Mummy, we’re on top of a frozen lake,” my six-year-old gasps, wide-eyed. And then he squeals delightedly as a chunk of snow is dislodged from the front of our sleigh, spraying us in the face. 

My family and I are on an Enchanting Lapland day trip with Canterbury Travel. The trip departs from more than 10 UK airports, so I travel from Newcastle with my nine-year-old daughter May, six-year-old son Zac and my husband. Having just turned nine, this felt like the last opportunity to get our savvy daughter to fully embrace the magic of Santa’s home.  

READ MORE: The UK's most magical Christmas experiences

Early birds 

We make it our mission to see Father Christmas as early in the day as we can, so we go through passport control and are kitted out in snowsuits, boots and balaclavas as quickly as is possible with two children in tow. Our eagerness is rewarded when we’re greeted by an elf as soon as we step off our sleigh and are ushered straight towards Father Christmas’s chalet.

One adult in every party is given a badge with a number on, which allows Santa Claus and his helpers to identify your group and greet the children with a personalised hello. My kids are impressed when Father Christmas beckons them in by name and makes a pun about our surname – “I hear you’re not only on the good list this year, you’re on the too-good list!” 

He doesn’t bat an eyelid when reading out Zac’s handwritten request for a carbon dating machine – thanks Santa! – and breezily answers sceptical May’s questions about why he’s currently living in Lapland, not the North Pole. “The North Pole is not a nice place to live really, May,” he says. “It’s just a story that I live there all of the time.”  

We leave Santa’s cabin clutching gifts and full of excitement to explore the Narnia-like landscape we find ourselves in. “Head straight to the huskies”, advises a friendly elf. “They are popular, so may be busy later.” 

This proves to be the best advice on our trip, as we are the first family to make it to the dog depot, where a pack of huskies are wrapped up snugly in hot pink and sunflower yellow jackets. Their handler has icicles hanging from his beard. We get a full introduction to the dogs, many of whom are named after biscuits (hello, Hobnob) and stroke them before helping to remove their jackets. 

Undressing them transforms what seemed like a friendly group of dogs eager for a cuddle into a restless pack, barking loudly and ready for a run. Their enthusiasm and speed make our short journey with them feel special. And while hurtling across the snow being pulled by huskies was our favourite way to travel in Lapland, there are plenty of other transport methods available on a day trip, from reindeer sleigh rides and kick-sledges to snowmobiles. 

Small things 

While you are largely left to take the day at your own pace (we arrive at Enontekiö at around 1.30pm and leave at 7pm), there are enthusiastic elves dotted around making sure that families are having fun. One called ‘Quack-Quack’ is energetically somersaulting in the snow as we pass and asks the children to help her make a snowman, while another spots their presents and gushes about how long they took her to wrap and why she chose the glittery paper. 

READ MORE: Europe's best Christmas markets

It’s this level of detail, accompanied by the winter wonderland setting, that will make even the most Scrooge of parents feel just as Christmassy as their children. From carols on the plane on our way out, to the cabin lights being dimmed on the return journey so we could see the green arc of the Northern Lights, we are kept constantly entertained. 

“That was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on”, sighs May on the way home. “And Santa’s beard was definitely real” adds Zac. 

READ MORE: The world's most beautiful winter scenes

How to do Lapland in a day   

Lapland trips are popular and tend to sell out far in advance, so book early to guarantee the exact trip and departure that your family requires. 

Day trips tend to be the cheapest option to see Lapland, but they are long days – you leave the UK between 7am and 8am and land home at around 10pm. Plus, day trips only give you a taster of each activity so if you’d like to try an activity such as husky sledding in more depth, consider a longer trip. 

Pack spare pairs of gloves and hats for each child. They won’t be able to resist throwing a snowball or building a snowman and, once they are wet, they’ll get cold. 

Wear thermals with warm clothes on top underneath your snowsuit. Do check what clothing your company will provide on arrival so you don’t double up. 

Try to see Father Christmas early in the day. You’ll usually be able to arrange a slot on arrival. 

Look at the activities on offer and head to your top choice first, so you can check it off your wishlist. You’ll probably have time to do some activities twice. 

Remember that during winter, there are limited daylight hours this far north – it was dark by 2pm on our trip – so take plenty of photographs early on. 

Don’t forget to regularly eat and drink to keep your energy levels and temperatures up on a long day. Hot berry juice is a must! 

Getting there  

The starting price for Canterbury’s 2023 Enchanting Lapland day trips is £2,668 for a family of four (UK departures). This includes flights, a two-course hot lunch, in-flight meals, snow suits and boots, snowmobile and sleigh transfer from the airport, unlimited husky and reindeer sleigh rides, tobogganing, adult and children’s snowmobiles, an ice igloo, elves and a private meeting with Santa Claus. Departures from a variety of regional UK airports. 

Visit canterburytravel.com for more information.

READ MORE: 31 unexplored destinations you'll want to visit this winter

Main image: Canterbury Travel 

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DIY Lapland Trip: 8 Top Tips To Book Lapland On A Budget

There is no doubt that Finnish Lapland is the ultimate place to see Santa . It is his official home after all! This experience can come at a cost though.

The price of Lapland package holidays can be extortionate and for many people, they are just too expensive. The good news, however, is that you can still visit Lapland by arranging a DIY Lapland trip which will be cheaper than a package deal.

For many people, a DIY Lapland holiday is the most affordable way to visit Lapland.

If you find the idea of booking your own Lapland holiday a little daunting, we hope that this detailed guide will help. It is PACKED with information on how to arrange a DIY Lapland trip that will work out cheaper than package holidays .

Our comprehensive DIY Lapland guide will explain how to book Lapland on a budget, covering the main areas where you can save money with answers to some Lapland FAQs at the end.

But before we get into the hows and whys of booking your own DIY Lapland trip – we need to point out some important information .

This post contains affiliate links. If you book something using one, we may earn a small commission but this is at no extra cost to you.

• This post is written from the point of how to research and book cheap Lapland holidays . It is a diary of the steps we took to book our own Lapland holiday. We have now been to Lapland and you’ll find advice on the best places to stay in Lapland or the best excursions to book in Lapland in our Finland family travel section. This is purely to help give you some guidance to book your own DIY Lapland holiday.
• You need to be aware that booking a DIY Lapland trip may be cheaper than booking a package holiday to  Lapland, but it does not come with the same protection that you will get with a package holiday . You need to make sure that you are fully aware of the cancellation policies for the flights and accommodation and make sure that you have insurance in place.
• Most importantly – have don’t forget to organise your Lapland Boarding Pass , Lapland Reveal ,  Lapland invite from Father Christmas or your personalised Lapland hoodie !

Why we booked a DIY Lapland trip vs a Lapland package holiday

We fully intended to book a package holiday for extra security in case of cancellations – but with holidays from 2020 being carried over to 2021, there just wasn’t much availability.

It also seemed that the prices had been increased greatly by the tour operators so we had no option but to book our own budget Lapland holidays.

We wanted to go before Christmas to be able to see Santa which is the most popular (= expensive) time to go. Note that you can see Santa year round in most places but we felt that it was better for the kids to see him before Christmas.

I couldn’t price up a comparable holiday because there was no availability on the dates we booked (close to Christmas).

What I found was a 3 night holiday to Saariselkä (with transfers and a few taster excursions and a Santa visit) was £6300 with Santa’s Lapland flying on 1st December. The difference is quite staggering,

8 Tips for booking a DIY Lapland trip

Here are 8 ways you can make savings when booking a DIY Lapland trip.

1. Choose which Lapland resort you want to visit

You may be wondering which is the best resort in Lapland? But what you should be asking is where is the best place to see Santa in Lapland? or which is the best ski resort in Lapland?

Choosing a resort in Lapland is an entirely personal choice and the resort you choose will depend on what you want to get out of your trip. You may also be swayed by the flight prices (see #2 on how to book cheap Lapland flights).

These are the main resorts in Lapland and each of them offer something slightly different:

• Rovaniemi – the capital of Lapland and a large, lively resort with lots of bars and restaurants. Home to Santa Claus Village .
• Levi – the best ski resort in Finland. See here for more information on the ski resorts in Finland. We also wrote a guide to skiing in Levi with kids and family-friendly restaurants in Levi .
• Saariselka – the northernmost Lapland resort with a better chance of snow. Good for beginner skiers.
• Yllas – a traditional Lappish village with good skiing and home to the Snow Village if you want to stay in a snow hotel.
• Luosto – a small traditional village next to the Pyhä-Luoston national park .
• Ruka – a small traditional village – see Santa at his cottage about 30 minutes away from Ruka

The resort you choose depends what you are looking to get out of your DIY Lapland holidays. We wanted to combine a visit to Santa with some skiing in Lapland and a decent sized town so we ended up choosing Levi.

As you are arranging everything yourself, you might want to consider the resort you choose based on proximity to the airport. We chose Levi also because it is only 15 minutes from Kittilä airport meaning a quick (and cheaper) transfer.

See #5 for links to the tourist offices for each resort where you will find more information on each resort.

2. How to book cheap Lapland flights

Now that you have chosen your Lapland resort, you can choose your flights. We have some really helpful information in our (bumper) guide to finding and booking cheap flights including which are the best days to book your flights.

The main airports in Lapland are:

Rovaniemi (for Rovaniemi, Luosto) – Rovaniemi airport is 8 minutes from Rovaniemi and 90 minutes from Luosto. Kittilä (for Levi and Yllas) – Kittilä airport is 15 minutes from Levi and less than 60 minutes from Yllas. Ivalo (for Saariselkä) – Ivalo airport is 25 minutes from Saariselkä. Kuusamo (for Ruka) – Kuusamo airport is 10 minutes from Ruka.

Direct flights to Lapland from the UK are the most convenient but can also be more expensive than indirect flights.

You can fly direct to Lapland from the UK with Easyjet flights and Ryanair (to Rovaniemi) or TUI (to Kittilä, Ivalo or Kuusamo).

The key to grabbing cheap flights to Lapland is to book as soon as the flights are released. Easyjet don’t have a set schedule of release dates now so the best thing is to sign up to Easyjet flights to get email alerts. You can grab flights to Lapland for under £100 per person.

**22/23 Easyjet Lapland flights are being released on 3rd March 2022**

There was absolutely no availability on TUI to fly direct to Kittilä (for Levi) on the days we wanted and we noticed that Easyjet flights to Rovaniemi were £3500 for a family of 4 so we decided to book indirect flights.

If you need to book indirect flights, the best way to do this is on Skyscanner . If you have any flexibility on dates, choose the WHOLE MONTH option which will pull up the fares for each day of the month and you can then pick the most suitable.

It is not straightforward to find the whole month option so here’s how to do it. First, put your flight details in and search for flights. On the results page, you will see ‘Show whole month’ in the top right (circled in pink below).

Choose the month in which you wish to travel and it will show you the cheapest days of the month (highlighted blue).

You can even book a multi-city flight and have a stopover in another European city. There is bound to be a beautiful European Christmas market to pop into.

Here is an example of the flights we booked but there are so many different options from London to Lapland with airlines like Lufthansa, Air France and KLM.

KLM were offering the best value flights and at good times so we booked through Skyscanner :

LONDON – AMSTERDAM – HELSINKI – AMSTERDAM – LONDON

We had one night in Amsterdam on the way out and on the way home we just had a quick connection in Amsterdam.

We separately booked Finnair flights from Helsinki to Lapland (Kittilä) on Skyscanner . Even the most basic (cheapest) class allows us to change our flights up to 72 hours before departure (although are non-refundable).

If you are finding that the internal flights to Rovaniemi are quite expensive, you can try looking at the overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi (the Santa Claus Express night train or on VR Matkalla ).

3. Lapland accommodation

There is a large choice of accommodation in Lapland ranging from budget to blow-the-budget. We suggest booking your accommodation on Booking.com for two reasons.

We found this was quite a bit cheaper than booking directly with the hotel and often they have a better cancellation policy than the hotel.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite with sauna in the Levi Panorama because it is ideally placed for people who want to ski. We also stayed in an igloo in the Northern Lights Village . You can read our review of the Northern Lights Village in Levi here .

We splashed out because of the once in a lifetime experience argument, but there are some lovely self-catering options on Booking.com for a fraction of the price. This is really where you can make some big savings.

An example of the savings we made on a 2 bedroom suite with sauna at the Hotel Levi Panorama for 5 nights:

Direct booking with the hotel = €407 per night (£1750 for 5 nights with NO breakfast)

On Booking.com = £1455 for 5 nights including breakfast. You can read all about our stay at the Hotel Levi Panorama here .

4. Book self-catering accommodation

If you are really looking to do Lapland on a budget, we would suggest booking a self-catering apartment or log cabin and take some supplies with you.

This was one of our money saving tips we used in Iceland where it was very expensive to eat out.

You can book self-catering accommodation through Booking.com which is a great travel resource for cheap holidays to Lapland.

5. Book your excursions through the local tourist office

There is usually a big price difference between the tours offered by the tour companies and those offered by smaller independent tour operators.

Take a look on the tourist information sites for recommended tours and then look on Tripadvisor for reviews to confirm.

You can either contact the local tourist information office to help with booking or you can wait until you get there to book (unless you are going peak season).

The main Lapland tourist boards are:

Lapland Safaris also have a good reputation and cover activities in all resorts.

6. Choose your Lapland activities wisely

Our kids love fishing and I imagine they would LOVE ice fishing – but after doing some research, it seems that nobody ever in the history of Lapland has caught a fish while ice fishing. OK, they may still love the experience, but they would probably love a bit of free sledging just as much.

The top activities in Lapland with kids and the ones we have booked are:

• Husky safari (5km should be enough with young kids)
• Santa visit
• Northern Lights hunting

Knowing how happy our boys were with all the free things to do in Iceland including playing with snow and ice, we are pretty confident that we don’t need to book any other activities in advance.

Just a note on booking activities, remember that in December there are very few sunlight hours and in mid-December you may not even see the sun.

The days are like a permanent dusk with the lightest part of the day being around noon.

Here are some top rated Lapland activities you might want to take a look at. Most of these tours have flexible cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.

Levi: Lapland Reindeer and Husky safari .

Rovaniemi: Snowmobile reindeer and husky safari .

Rovaniemi: Snowmobile tour to see reindeers, huskies and Santa Village .

Rovaniemi: 3 hour family snowmobile tour .

Rovaniemi: family friendly snowmobile tour and artic animal adventure .

Rovaniemi: Ice Breaker cruise with lunch and ice floating .

Levi: Snow Castle guided tour .

7. Do you need to see Santa before Christmas?

If you are not that bothered when or even if you see Santa, you can save a lot of money just by avoiding the pre-Christmas frenzy.

January and February are better times to visit Lapland because of slightly longer daylight hours and better snow and the prices for flights and accommodation will come down significantly.

8. Book a ski package

If you have the time and like to ski or are interested in learning to ski, why not book a ski trip? There is some great skiiing in Lapland for beginners and intermediates.

A package ski trip to Finland is often cheaper than a package Lapland holiday to see Santa. Have a look at Crystal Ski or Inghams . The Lapland ski holidays are often 7 days as opposed to 3 or 4 days for the Santa breaks.

You can then book local excursions separately (see #5) and it will still be cheaper than the packaged Santa break.

FAQs on your DIY Lapland trip

FAQs on your DIY Lapland trip that we thought you may find useful:

Where is Lapland?

Lapland is in the Arctic Circle but did you know that Lapland spans Finland and Sweden? When people talk about visiting Santa in Lapland, they are talking about Finnish Lapland. If you are looking for a Lapland experience without visiting Santa, then you can also look at Swedish Lapland .

Where is the best place to see Santa in Lapland?

If you are basing your DIY Lapland trip around seeing Santa, you want to choose the best place to visit Santa in Lapland but this choice is still quite subjective.

We hve only been to Levi and we have not tried all of these experiences so we cannot vouch for them. This is simply to pull the information together to save you time with your research on Santa Claus trips in Lapland.

Here are the main places to see Santa in the Lapland resorts:

Rovaniemi is the official hometown of Santa Claus and where you will find the famous Santa Claus Village (and Santa Park ).

Levi –  Northern Lights Village or Santa’s Secret Cabin.

Saariselka –   Northern Lights Village or Kakslauttanen Resort.

Luosto – the nearest place to see Santa is in Rovaniemi (see above).

Ruka – Santa Claus at Ruka Village or at Santa’s Cottage (about 30 minutes from Ruka).

Yllas – the Secret Cabin or you can arrange for Santa to visit you in your cabin .

What to wear in Lapland?

If you are wondering what to wear in Lapland in December, make sure to read our guide to what to pack for Lapland .  Temperatures can range from 0 to minus 20 Celsius (and more).

In terms of what to wear in Lapland – it is all about layers. Good base layers / thermals, fleeces and a good quality (warm and waterproof) gloves. Good quality socks like Smartwool also make a big difference and the right footwear is crucial.

If you are booking DIY Lapland holidays, you won’t have the snow suits provided by the travel company so you will either need to hire them yourself.

If you are doing some snow activities, you should be able to hire snow suits from the company operating the activity (included in the price of the activity) or you can hire snow suits for the duration of your stay if you prefer.

If you have skiwear already, you should bring that, especially if you are planning on skiing.

Here are the items we take:

Warm waterproof  jacket 

We took our ski jackets with us which worked well.

We use these jackets:

• Mountain Warehouse jacket for men .
• Columbia women’s insulated ski jacket (possibly the warmest jacket I have ever owned).
• Spyder boy’s ski jacket .

You can find cheaper alternatives at Decathlon or Mountain Warehouse . Mountain Warehouse does good jacket and ski trouser sets for kids.

Waterproof trousers

We use our ski trousers. You can get good, affordable trousers from Mountain Warehouse.

Thermal socks

They are pricey but we LOVE Smartwool socks as they actually work! For a decent, cheaper alternative, we also use Mountain Warehouse thermal socks.

• Kid’s merino wool socks.
• Men’s merino wool socks.
• Women’s merino wool socks.

Thermal layers (top and bottom)

We recommend merino wool thermal layers. You should not use anything with cotton because cotton will retain sweat and cool you down.

We use Mountain Warehouse Merino Wool thermals . What I love about the Mountain Warehouse thermals is that the kids age 13 will fit me (5’5″ – size 10). These dino print thermals are really cute.

We also love Decathlon for thermal layers (not merino). See here for tops and bottoms for kids.

See here for women’s merino wool thermal layers from Mountain Warehouse and men’s thermals .

For a cheaper alternative, you can try the Mountain Warehouse Isotherm thermals ( Men ) and ( Women ).

Fleece tops

It is great to layer and fleece tops are warm, lightweight and dry quickly if you need to wash them.

Good quality snowboots are essential, especially if you want to be out at night searching for the Northern Lights.

We use these snowboots:

• Sorel kid’s snowboots.
• Sorel women’s snowboots.
• Sorel men’s snowboots.

Hat and gloves

You will want waterproof gloves for the kids as they may insist on playing with the ice and snow! We use Decathlon waterproof gloves for the kids.

Winter clothing rental locations Levi and Winterent Rovaniemi and Winterent Saariselkä Luosto Ruka Ylläs and Winterent

You can also rent your clothing from  Lapland Safaris which is present in all of the main resorts except Ruka.

Where are the glass igloos in Lapland?

There is a great article on the different types of Lapland glass igloos and where to find them. There are even some budget glass igloo options.

Can you do a cheap day trip to Lapland?

All of the above information is assuming that you want to spend a few days in Lapland but what if you want to do a day trip to Lapland?

In 2019, I saw an advert on Facebook for incredibly cheap Lapland day trips. The catch was, they were departing the following day.

I don’t have experience in this but would hazard a guess that it is pretty hard to organise your own day trip and for it to be successful and cheaper than the package deal.

You would need direct flights. It wouldn’t be possible to taking a connecting flight. You would need to have everything organised in a military style to be able to get everything done and if it is your first time, this could just all be a bit too much.

Your best option would be to wait until close to your time of departure and see if any of the tour operators are offering last minute holidays to Lapland.

When does it snow in Lapland?

The temperature in Lapland in December varies. There have been reports of very little snow at the beginning of December. This is not ideal at all if you are looking to do all of the winter activities on offer. There is obviously no guarantee of snow, but the later you go in December, the better usually.

The best snow conditions in Lapland are from January to March.

Still not sure about booking DIY Lapland holidays?

If you are really not sure about booking a DIY Lapland trip, then our top tip for booking a Lapland holiday with a travel agent would be to book late. Last minute Lapland holidays can be so  much cheaper IF you are prepared to risk with availability and don’t mind where you stay.

Tour operators start releasing their deals for any unsold holidays around 8 weeks before your intended holiday date and there can be big savings. There are unlikely to be many deals in 2021 because everyone who had a holiday booked for 2020 has been moved to 2021 and there is very little availability.

Here are some of the main Lapland tour operators offering holidays to Lapland – some are dedicated Santa holidays and others are just Lapland holidays:

• Santa’s Lapland
• Canterbury Travel Lapland
• Crystal Ski

More information on Lapland

VisitLapland is a great source of information for booking your DIY Lapland trip and if you are looking to speak to people who have been for unbiased opinions, we would suggest joining Lapland Budget DIY Trips or the Lapland Holiday Chat groups on Facebook.

There is a lot of invaluable advice on there which may help you narrow down your choice of resort and anything you’re not sure about, you can ask.

Can’t wait to get to Lapland? Check out these Lapland webcams for Levi , Yllas and Rovaniemi .

Map of Lapland

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Some great tips here, thanks! We are planning our own trip to Lapland over Christmas 2021, we have opted for Rovaniemi. So far we have only booked accommodation, but plan on flying to Helsinki and getting a night train from there. It should be a lot cheaper than a direct flight and will be a bit of an adventure for the kids! We have an Airbnb booked about 40 minutes from Rovaniemi and will hire a car. We are hoping the Northern Lights will be visible from out cabin. Will check out the tourist info site to get some activities booked soon. Thanks again for the tips! Keith (bullsgoglobal.com)

Hi Keith – glad you found it useful. Fingers crossed we’re able to travel in 2021!

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Winter Wonderland

Search for santa on a lapland day trip.

•  > Winter Wonderland

Tour Details

Thermal suits and boots

From £599

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Lapland? In a day? And back in time for supper?

Exceptionality is the basis of all adventures. Journeying to a new place and living the stories to be told is all part of the fun - and a Winter Wonderland day trip to Lapland is certainly exceptional: it’s a family adventure for the festive period.

From the moment the early morning alarm clock rings, there is great anticipation: a trip to Lapland to visit the REAL Father Christmas is no ordinary day! After descending from the clouds and seeing the sprawling snow-capped vastness of Lapland below, the excitement continues to build. This is a land of jolly snowball fights, perfect snow angels, and spritely tobogganing – and who can wait to get going?!

Of course, no trip to Lapland would be complete without calling in on Santa himself – you’ve travelled a long way to see him. Don’t forget to bring a letter, he’d love to know what’s on your Christmas wish list! But it’s not time to head home yet, not without trying your hand at the winter experiences that Lapland is famous for: husky sledding, snowmobiling, and a reindeer sleigh ride are all waiting to be sampled!

What an adventure! What memories! What fun!

For overnight stays in Lapland during the countdown to Christmas, you may like to consider our Snow is Falling holiday, or our Wonderful Christmas Time holiday for stays during the festive period itself.

What's Included

• Return flights with hot meals onboard
• Private family meeting with Santa
• Small gift for children from Santa
• Taster husky experience
• Taster snowmobile adventure
• Taster reindeer sleigh ride
• Warming lunch
• Loan of thermal suit and boots
• Government air passenger duty

What we love

• Fitting so many winter activities into one day!
• Seeing the children’s faces when they meet the REAL Santa
• Spending quality family time surrounded by the magical Arctic wilderness

Departing From

Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Teesside International, Exeter, Glasgow, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich

Suitable For

Families, Groups

Included Activities

Our one-day Winter Wonderland trips run throughout December until Christmas Eve, with convenient departures from regional airports across the UK, from as far north as Aberdeen, to as far south as Exeter – making Lapland easily accessible to all.

Upon arrival in Lapland, you’ll be taken to collect your all-in-one thermal snow suits and winter boots – essential to keep warm in the Arctic climate, where temperatures can drop to a chilly -30C! And then, into the crisp snowscapes which Lapland is famed for.

All of our Winter Wonderland day trips take place in uncommercial, wilderness locations, unspoiled by mass-market tourism or crowds of Santa pilgrims. It’s an outdoors day, filled with Lapland’s favourite activities: snowmobiling, husky sledding, and a reindeer sleigh ride. Activities take place around a frozen river or a frozen lake – your base from which to set off on a search for Santa!

A warming lunch is included, and provides much needed energy for more playing in the snow. Hot inflight meals on both flights are also included, usually a breakfast on the outbound flight and a dinner on the return to the UK.

Family Meeting With Santa

Duration: Variable

You’ve travelled a long way to see him! Every family has a private meting with Santa, where you can tell him of your Christmas wish list!

• Snowmobiling

Duration: Taster Session

Dash through the snow on a snowmobile – propelled by engine and excitement! A driving licence is required for drivers; children are pulled in a sled.

• Husky Sledding

Glide through the snow on a sled pulled by an eager team of huskies. Each family shares a sled, led by your newest four-legged friends!

Reindeer Sleigh Ride

A gentle, peaceful ride, meandering through crunched paths of pristine snow in a sleigh led by Santa’s faithful reindeer!

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone. We have had an epic experience with so may memories made.

- Peter Smith

Went to Lapland on Christmas Eve, and got the truly magical day we were hoping for.

- Fleur Tedstill

Well done to the whole team for a truly magical experience and making our Christmas extra special.

- Wendy Hodge

Winter Wonderland was fantastic! The food, the snow, the husky rides, Santa, the reindeer.... Everything you could wish for to get you into the Christmas spirit. We all had the best time and made some...

Winter Wonderland was fantastic! The food, the snow, the husky rides, Santa, the reindeer.... Everything you could wish for to get you into the Christmas spirit. We all had the best time and made some wonderful memories. I would highly recommend this experience.

- Alexandra Readman

Frequently asked questions, what is the deposit.

To confirm the holiday, the deposit is £200 per person. The final balance is due ten weeks before departure, though these terms may differ if you have booked through a travel agent.

Is the day trip suitable for infants?

The majority of the day is spent outdoors in the snow and temperatures can plummet to -40c. Given the extremely cold weather conditions, we generally do not recommend the day trip for infants under the age of 2 since children feel the cold most.

What happens if there is a delay on the flight?

If there is a delay leaving the UK on the outbound flight, we will endeavour to delay the return inbound flight by the same duration, so you do not lose time in resort. A delay of the return flight is at the discretion of the operating captain and cannot always be guaranteed. If the delay to the outbound flight is likely to exceed three hours, it may be necessary to cancel the departure since we may not be able to provide a full day’s activities in resort, but such an occurrence is very rare.

What currency should I take?

The currency in Finland is the Euro. Many establishments in Nordic countries will not accept cash and only accept payment by debit or credit card. Please note that additional drinks throughout the day are not included.

What should I wear?

Temperatures can reach as low as -40c in the winter and so it is imperative that you bring adequate clothing for the weather. We provide a thermal all-in-one snow suit and snow boots on arrival in Lapland, but you should wear multiple under layers and bring hats, scarves and gloves (and plenty of pairs of socks!) We give further details of what to wear in our brochure and in the pre-departure booklet in the My Booking section of our website.

WE CAN HELP YOU START PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP

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* Please note: All snowmobile activities carry a €980.00 damage deposit which is payable locally. The driver of the snowmobile must be at least 18 years old and be in possession of a valid driving licence.

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• Festive Lights 3 or 4 nights from £1059
• Aurora Hunter 7 nights from £1439
• Snowmobile Voyager 3 or 4 nights from £1239
• Santa's On His Way 3 or 4 nights from £1199
• Winter Wonderland Daybreak from £599
• Sleigh Bells Ringing 3 or 4 nights from £1399
• Snow is Falling 2, 3 or 4 nights from £1099
• Dashing Through the Snow 3 or 4 nights from £1299
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11 of the best things to do in Lapland

T he modern-day home of Santa Claus, a popular skiing destination and one of the best places to see the Northern Lights , Lapland is at the top of plenty of travellers’ wishlists for a reason.

Many who visit will stop by in the Finnish Lapland capital, Rovaniemi, take to the pistes in Levi or Yllas and save some time for classic activities like husky sledding or snowmobiling.

But this region, which extends through parts of Finland , Norway and Sweden , has a host of other wonders to explore, from vast hiking trails to cultural centres and unique accommodation options.

And although the winter wonders are well-documented here, the sometimes overlooked summer months provide amazing opportunities to see incredible scenery and enjoy outdoor activities, all while basking in the never-ending light of the midnight sun.

Whether you visit for Christmas or in the middle of summer, Lapland will provide an excellent variety of things to do. Below, we’ve collated a list of some of the best.

See the Northern Lights

This area of the Artic Circle is the best place in the world to see the Northern Lights , with towns and cities in all three countries providing a great chance of seeing the aurora if you stay for long enough.

In Norway, the city of Tromso and the more remote Lofoten Islands are the best place to go, while in Finland Saariselka is perhaps the most popular light-spotting destination (though they can be seen throughout, including in Levi, Inari and Rovaniemi).

The top bucket-list destination for seeing the Northern Lights would probably be Abisko, a small village in the north of Sweden. It is home to the Aurora Sky Station, sat at an impressive 900m above sea level, which is self-styled as the ‘best place in the world to see the Northern Lights ’ due to low precipitation rates and its location within the so-called ‘aurora oval’.

This area, surrounded by snow-capped hills and placid lakes, sees the aurora so often that the tourist board website confidently states that anyone staying for four or more nights between September and April is “almost certain” to see the Lights.

Read more on Europe travel :

• Best European holiday destinations to visit by train from London
• The best winter holiday destinations
• Europe’s best road trips to try in your lifetime

Visit Santa Claus

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland – a city of around 60,000 people that is worth visiting for the excellent Arktikum Museum, which explores Lapland’s culture and history, and the plethora of classic Lapland-related activities such as Northern Lights excursions. One particular draw of Rovaniemi is the Santa Claus Village, the official home of the man himself.

If you’ve brought the kids along (and even if you haven’t), you’ll enjoy the magical setting of wooden, Alpine-style buildings adorned with twinkling lights and surrounded by deep snow. Kids can meet Santa Claus, visit his work stations and meet a range of Lappish wildlife, including reindeer and alpacas.

Unsurprisingly for a territory covered in snow, Lapland is home to a handful of popular ski resorts . The main ones are found in Finland , and include Yllas, Levi and Saariselka (most of which are offered as destinations by UK-based ski tour operators such as Crystal Ski and Inghams).

Skiing here is on fells rather than mountains, and overall is more low-key – and far more quiet – than the rest of Europe, with fewer pistes and parties than the Alps or the Dolomites. However, the near-guarantee of a blanket of deep snow, the incredible scenery and a range of activities away from the slopes make Lapland a popular skiing destination. It caters to different abilities too, being a great place for learners, while the presence of floodlit slopes and World Cup runs means more advanced skiers should still be happy enough.

Discover Sami culture in Inari

Inari is a large, remote region that lies around 40 miles from Saariselka, in the north of Finland. While renowned for its magnificent natural beauty, the beautiful Lake inari and a high likelihood of witnessing the Northern Lights (the town lies further north than aforementioned Abisko), it is mainly known as the capital of the indigenous culture of the Sami people.

In the village, Sajos is the people’s cultural and administrative centre, housing the Sami Parliament and promoting and preserving Sami culture, history and tradition. Though primarily for use by Sami people, visitors can attend guided tours that give a respectful introduction to Sami culture.

Husky or reindeer sledding

Husky sledding, reindeer sledding and visits to reindeer farms are all activities that can be done in the majority of Lappish destinations, and are often included in holiday packages if visiting at the right time (usually between November and March).

For reindeer visits and sledding, the obvious destination is Rovaniemi, home to plenty of Santa’s favourite animals and providing the perfect flat, snow-covered plains for an extended, fast-paced journey through the Lappish wilderness. For dog lovers, the town of Kiruna, around one hour south of Abisko, is the centre of husky sledding, where a vast frozen tundra and sections of pine forest provide the ideal terrain for a multi-day trip or a couple-of-hours excursion.

Stay in the Icehotel

Igloos, as well as other unique accommodation such as glass-ceilinged pods, are prevalent throughout Lapland, offering chances to see the Northern Lights and experience a once-in-a-lifetime overnight stay. But the most remarkable Lapland accommodation is Sweden’s Icehotel, located in Jukkasjarvi (around 20 minutes from husky sledding capital Kiruna).

Operating for just over three decades, this unique hotel is built anew every winter with ice blocks from the nearby Torne River, with each part providing captivating, fleeting beauty before melting in spring. The rooms, all individual and elaborately designed and carved by ice artists, provide a truly memorable stay in the Arctic wilderness.

Snowshoeing or snowmobiling

Snowshoeing and snowmobiling are another set of activities that are common in most popular Lappish destinations. Many places offer trips combined with Northern Lights tours for the ultimate evening snowmobile or snowshoe experience, but there are plenty of other ways to try out two of Lapland’s most sought-after activities.

Snowshoeing, essentially hiking using special boots to make walking in the snow easier, is popular around the fells and canyons of areas such as Inari and Kainuu, and in national parks like Urho Kekkonen and Salla. The same is true for snowmobiling – as any area of open plains, and many forest areas, are suitable, these excursions are popular from Rovaniemi and Inari to Pyha and Luosto.

Visit Norwegian Lapland

The Norwegian part of Lapland may be less thought of than its Finnish and Swedish counterparts, but this part of the country offers some of the most striking landscapes in all of Norway.

Tromso is the main city in the region, itself a popular Northern Lights spotting destination and a thriving destination that showcases Norwegian culture, history and tradition alongside dramatic fjord scenery and snow-capped mountains. The Lofoten Islands are the other oft-visited location, providing some of the most dramatic landscapes in Europe, with their rugged mountains, steep cliffs and serpentine fjords, as well as opportunities to see the aurora and the midnight sun while visiting the many charming fishing villages throughout the archipelago.

Explore a national park

There are a host of national parks in Lapland, but a few stand out for their raw natural beauty, extensive wilderness areas and opportunities for much-loved activities like hiking, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Some 95 per cent of Sweden’s national park area is found in Swedish Lapland. The Abisko park is most renowned due to its Northern Lights activity, though Unesco-listed Laponia boasts high mountains, primeval forests, vast marshes, beautiful lakes and well-preserved river systems that showcase ongoing geological processes and the ancestral Sami way of life.

Lapland’s most-visited national parks are concentrated in Finland. Urho Kekkonen, Pyha-Luosto and Pallas-Yllastunturi are three of the most popular, replete with snowy hiking trails, dense areas of forest, towering fells and a palpable sense of remoteness.

Discover the region in summer

While the default choice for many coming to Lapland would be to visit for the snowy conditions, the warmer months hold many highlights that are hidden in the winter weather. The midnight sun is perhaps the most striking phenomenon during the summer, with parts of Lapland seeing 24 hours of sunlight from May to August.

Archipelagos like Lulea and Lofoten offer vast spaces for kayaking alongside otters and even whales, while beaches like that at Lake Livojarvi become the epicentre of Lappish leisure in summer.

There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails to explore too, with one of the most famed being the 270-mile Kungsleden trail that runs through the highlights of the Swedish wilderness, taking walkers across rivers, valleys, lakes and the highest peak in the country. In Finland, the Karhunkierros is a legendary 50-mile route through the Oulanka national park, while there are dozens of shorter hikes too, such as the popular five mile route up and down Saana fell.

Drive Sweden’s Wilderness Road

Known in Swedish as the Vildmarksvagen, the 230-mile Wilderness Road is one of Lapland’s longest and loneliest stretches. It runs between the towns of Stromsund and Vilhelmina, and is best driven between June and October, before the snow begins to cover the majority (and leave you even more at the mercy of the elements).

This route contains some of the most striking scenery in Lapland, from the peaks of the Marsfjallen mountains and waterfalls like Hallingsafallet, to sections of undisturbed birch forest and even Sweden’s longest canyon. The area is sparsely populated and home to few accommodation options or petrol stations, so be sure to plan ahead. And look out for Sweden’s largest bear population, who call this region their home.

Read our reviews of the best hotels in Europe

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Santa Experience Lapland Day Trip 2022

Price includes: Exclusive chartered return flights direct to Pajala, in Swedish Lapland Return transfers from the airport to Santa's village In-flight catering Warm and cosy thermal clothing Hot berry juice drink A 'Search for Santa' experience A private family meeting with Father Christmas A token Christmas gift for every child An exhilarating snowmobile ride A traditional reindeer sleigh ride Husky sledding through the snowy countryside A two-course lunch of hot soup and Swedish meatballs

Join us for the most exciting and fun-filled day ever. Fly to the still, white wilderness of Lapland where, as every child knows, a Very Special Person lives among snowy forests, husky dogs and reindeer. With all activities included, it's an exclusive festive day trip that your family will remember forever.

children 2-15 Deposit £150 per person.

Your Itinerary

Fly direct to Pajala on a specially chartered flight to Swedish Lapland. This will be the only 'Santa' flight to Pajala on this day and numbers are strictly limited, which means you'll have plenty of time to enjoy all the activities on offer throughout the magical day.

Your Lapp hosts will meet you, dressed in traditional Sami costume, before you take a short, warm and comfortable coach journey to Santa's Home.

After a quick change into the cosy, thermal garments provided, you'll head out into the snow. Enjoy a magical ride in a traditional reindeer-drawn sleigh, a trip through the countryside on a dog-sled pulled by real huskies and a thrilling ride on a snowmobile. Between the organised activities, you'll have time to enjoy the snow, with toboggan rides, snowman building and snowball fights!

Once you've worked up an appetite, head into the welcoming warmth of the main building, and tuck in to a delicious two-course lunch. Warming hot berry juice and biscuits will also be available throughout the day.

But the highlight of the day will surely come as you set foot on the 'secret path' through the forest, and follow the twinkling lanterns to Santa's log cabin home. Father Christmas will be waiting there to greet you personally; the perfect end to a perfect, magical day.

Holders of full driving licences can take the controls. For children under 15, there will be the chance to be pulled along in a sleigh.

Temperatures rarely rises above freezing, and can get as low as -35C. Thermal wear for all sizes is provided at Santa's Village, but we recommend that you bring a suitable hat, gloves and outerwear (preferably layers) for travel between the aircraft and the village. Footwear is also available if you do not have your own boots.

Hot meals will be served on both outbound and inbound flights. Lunch at the village will consist of soup followed by traditional Swedish meatballs or a vegetarian option. Hot berry juice will be available throughout the day. Due to the remoteness of the location we are unable to fulfil any special dietary requirements. We'd, therefore, ask that any customers who suffer from allergies provide their own food for the day. You may also like to bring treats for your children to snack on during the day. Due to airport security, liquids must be purchased after you have passed through Passport Control.

There are no cash machines in Lapland, but British pounds may be used to purchase drinks, snacks and souvenirs. Valid credit/debit cards will be accepted.

**Holidays Are Subject To Availability And Price Changes.

RESERVATION ENQUIRIES

Please fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Departure Date: SOLD OUT FOR 2022

Child's Ages:* - We require all children's ages to find the best price for your party:

Additional Requests:

This is a no obligation form, however any bookings made as a result of submitting this form will be bound by our operators terms and conditions.

The Ultimate Lapland Holiday

• Price Match Promise
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• All airports
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• All durations
• 2 night trips
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• Santa's Magic
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Choose your Santa’s Lapland experience

Both of our lapland holiday packages include a reindeer ride, sledging with huskies, tobogganing, lots of snowy activities like snow hockey and mini skidoos, and a private visit with santa., on our santa’s aurora package, your activity centre is exclusive to our santa’s aurora families and you’ll have an additional wilderness dinner, a visit to santa's elves workshop, a longer husky ride and a snowmobile safari..

• SANTA s MAGIC Your choice of four hotels with everything you've dreamed of for a magical Lapland adventure. Explore Santa’s Magic

• Believe your eyes, this is an experience your family will cherish forever. From £1169 per adult See what's included
• SANTA S AURORA Enjoy the ultimate Christmas in Lapland with a little extra Aurora magic sprinkled on top. Explore Santa's Aurora

• The ultimate Lapland experience for your family, even the elves get jealous. From £1549 per adult See what’s included

Get Inspired

Santa and his elves can't wait for your arrival, but before your trip begins, get inspired! Unlock the magic of Lapland with our Santa's Chronicles, learn how to wrap up warm in Lapland or call our Christmas helpers to book your magical getaway.

Don't Miss Out On This Limited-Time Magic

Tick-tock. The magic's on the clock. We're giving the gift of incredible savings with HALF PRICE child places on our  Santa’s Magic package for selected dates in November and December 2024 & 2025.

No one knows how to make Christmas more magical

Flights, transfers, half-board accommodation, a fun-filled activity trip and snowsuits are all included.

A remote spot in the far north of Finland, 200km above the Arctic Circle among the snowy trees of Saariselkä.

If you are yet to book, and you find your Santa’s Lapland holiday cheaper elsewhere, we’ll price match it.

Everything about the holiday was magical. Amazing staff, hotel, organisation of the search for Santa day, the support of the company in the lead up to the trip. Can't recommend this trip and company enough. SANTA'S HOTEL TUNTURI - CHRISTOPHER December 2022

Amazing holiday. Reps were amazing. Programme was well thought through. I loved it as much as the kids. STAR ARCTIC HOTEL - REBECCA January 2022

A once in lifetime trip, magical and full of fun for children and adults. Accomodation practical with everything you needed, staff attentive and organised and the food suited everyone's needs. The adventures were unforgettable and breathtaking! SANTA'S HOTEL TUNTURI - MARY December 2022

We had a truly magical experience enhanced by the enthusiasm of the staff. Our boys 6 and 7 were taken aback by the whole experience and Santa was the icing on the cake. A family trip and memories that we will treasure forever! SANTA'S HOLIDAY CLUB - ALISON December 2021

Fancy more snow fun?

Keep the magic going with an extra day for adventure - the choice is yours. sledding on the toboggan run, the thrill of husky sledding, cruising through the snow by snowmobile or hunting for the northern lights..

• An extra day for family time in the snow. Husky and reindeer rides, thrilling snowmobiles, a spot of skiing, or a hunt for the Northern Lights. The choice is yours. Optional Adventures

• Explore a little more, make magical memories in this other-worldly wilderness. You're spoilt for choice. See for yourself

WAYS TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY TO LAPLAND

It's time to book your trip to Lapland and we can't wait for your arrival. Whether you're booking online or giving our Christmas helpers a call on 01483 791 945 , we're just as excited as you are for your magical journey to begin!

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Flight schedule to Lapland

No flights available

Families looking for a fantastic winter trip can book now to fly from Teesside International Airport to Lapland for an unforgettable Christmas experience.

We offer stunning day trips to both Swedish and Finnish Lapland. They both offer unique experiences which are perfect for you and your family this Christmas. Whether you want to have a private family meeting with Santa, have a ride on the snowmobiles or go sledding with Huskey’s, Lapland has it all for you!

Swedish Lapland – Newmarket

2024  Thursday 12 December 2024

Finnish Lapland – Transun

2024 Saturday 14th December 2024

Lapland Destinations

Swedish lapland.

Flights with Newmarket Holidays will operate in to Pajala…Swedish Lapland.

We have exciting Lapland Holidays on offer Christmas 2024. Newmarket Holidays’ day trip will take off on  Thursday 12th December 2024.

The trip includes return flights including meals, a reindeer sleigh ride, a meeting with Santa plus a gift, husky and snowmobile experiences, lunch and a loan of thermal suits and boots.

Finnish Lapland

Still looking for that perfect Winter getaway? Enontekio, Finland offers the ultimate Lapland experience for all of the family.

Flight are available to Enontekio Airport, Finland with Transun.

Exciting Lapland holidays are on offer for Christmas 2024. Transuns daytrip will take off on Saturday 14th December 2024

Finland and back in just one day! Don’t worry though, you will still have plenty of time to take part in your favourite Lapland activities such as husky sledding, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh riding, and much more!

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Lapland Holidays

Why Lapland

What better way to enjoy the magic of Christmas and make your child’s dreams come true than a trip to see  Santa on a Lapland holiday?  Think crisp white snow, reindeers, huskies and elves – it’s a place where childhood dreams can become reality. Father Christmas has put some time aside in his busy December schedule to welcome you into his hideaway Lapland home, with the elves on hand to join in the fun – all you need to do is wrap up warm and bring your Christmas list! Experience the thrill of Husky Sledding, Tobogganing or take a ride through the stunning landscape on a magical Reindeer Sleigh. And at the end of the day look out for nature’s very own light show, the Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights. We can offer Lapland Day Trips throughout the month of December - flying out early morning and returning late at night. Extend your stay on a 2, 3 or 4 night break staying in 3 or 4 star hotels in various resorts, including Saariselka and Rovaniemi, both a short transfer from the airport.

Whether you’re looking for an affordable last minute Lapland break or a luxury Lapland holiday , you’ll find your perfect snowy escape with Hays Travel. To book yours, chat to one of our travel experts today. Alternatively, take a look at some of our other winter holidays . 

Want to know more about our Lapland holidays? Browse our FAQs below to learn more about Santa’s magical home. 

You’ll find Lapland in the northernmost region of Finland, bordering Norway and Sweden. The Arctic Circle crosses into Lapland too, which is why Lapland holidays are known for their magical wintery settings. 

The flight time from the UK to Lapland is approximately 3 hours. Its short flight time is why Lapland day trips and mini breaks are so popular!

Yes! A chance to spot the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, is just one of the things that make Lapland holidays so special. 

A day trip to Lapland for a family of 3 usually costs around £1660. At Hays Travel, we offer low deposits and pay monthly options on all our Lapland holidays to help make your trip as affordable as possible. 

To book your Lapland holiday, chat to a member of Hays Travel now.