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Would totally recommend - Lapland Travel

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Would totally recommend

We went to Akaslompolo with Lapland Travel in January 2020. Everything was perfectly taken care of. Every activity was organised and even the extra activities fitted the travelscheme perfectly. The travelguides were pleasant people and always down for a chat and most importantly, always there to answer your questions. I would totally recommend to travel with Lapland Travel! I might even go to Lapland again, someday!

Thank you for your great review, Maguy! We're happy you've enjoyed your stay with us.

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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

Andrey-Kobylko / Getty Images

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 

Lingxiao Xie / Getty Images

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.

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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!

• Lapland Finland hotels review — 10 best place to stay in Lapland Finland
• What to buy in Finland? — 21+ Top things to buy in Finland & best souvenirs from Finland
• Helsinki travel blog — The ultimate Helsinki travel guide for first-timers
• Trip review to the fairy tale Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi, Lapland – Finland

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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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9 of the best Lapland tours

Get the inside scoop on the best lapland holidays, from snowy trips to see santa to full-on adventures into the high arctic wilderness.

L apland is often billed as “once in a lifetime”, but once the Arctic bug bites, you’ll be back. The pull of the north is strongest in the dark, Narnia-like depths of winter, when the snow falls thick and fast on the remote fells and forests of Finland , Norway and Lapland . And boy is it cold, with temperatures dipping as low as -30C (making the Alps feel positively tropical by comparison).

You might have come all this way to whisper your Christmas wish list in Santa’s attentive ear, but the festive sparkle of big-hitting resorts such as Rovaniemi really is just the tip of the iceberg. Stray away from the crowds on snowshoes or cross-country skis through the silent white night as northern lights flash overhead, embrace the spirit of Sami reindeer herders with legends told around a hissing fire in a lavvu tent, or feel weightless as huskies pull you on a sleigh ride across the frozen tundra.

Read on for our pick of the holiday companies that wing you straight to the heart of Lapland’s winter action.

Main photo: People on a reindeer sleigh in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland (Getty Images)

1. Finnish Lapland in winter, Intrepid

Best for active couples Diving straight in at the Arctic deep end in Finnish Lapland, this winter classic gives you a whole gleeful week to play in the snow. You’ll kick off with a couple of culture-packed days in the capital Helsinki, before boarding the overnight Santa Claus Express to Rovaniemi, HQ of Father Christmas and his grotto-dwelling elves, in the Arctic Circle. From here, things take a dramatic turn for the wilder, as you’re whisked to a family-run guesthouse snuggled deep in remote forest — your base for the next few nights.

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The outdoor action centres around the 718m fell of Yllas, a wondrous place to ski on uncrowded slopes, with pristine and abundant powder. There are 1,001 ways to go full-on winter wonderland here and you’ll be trying out several: husky rides, northern lights gazing and hanging out with Sami reindeer herders at a 19th-century farm. There’s a free day in the mix, where you can perhaps slip on snowshoes, go ice fishing or sizzle in the sauna. The seven-night trip includes accommodation (twin share), breakfast, transport and most activities. Dates run from December to March.

Group size 1-12 Price ££

2. Lapland for adults, Untold Story

Best for luxe-loving grown-ups Who says Lapland holidays are only for kids? Upping the luxury ante, this bespoke tour of the Arctic is strictly for grown-ups, revealing a side to Finnish Lapland beyond the Santa hype. Breathing in the crystal-clear air as you make virgin tracks through ice-sculpted forests, standing in quiet wonder as the northern lights put on a private show and listening to the stories of Sami reindeer herders while huddled around an open fire in the middle of nowhere are moments you will be raving about long after you return.

Each day brings fresh adventures: reindeer and husky sleigh rides into the great white wilderness, say, or bombing across a frozen lake on a snowmobile. The final night is pure magic, as you trek into the frozen hush of the forest with Icelandic horses, dine at the Aurora Sky Restaurant and spend the night in a glass igloo on the slopes of a fell. A six-night sample itinerary includes accommodation, breakfast, private guide, activities and transport. Travel between November and March to see the region at its winter-wonderland best.

Group size private tour Price £££

untoldstorytravel.com

3. Cross-country skiing in Lapland, Exodus

Best for off-the-radar adventure Scientists have proven that the world’s cleanest air is found in the fells, high tundra and old-growth taiga forests of Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, which unfurls in all its wild, peaceful glory close to the Norwegian border in western Finnish Lapland. In summer, Sami reindeer graze these wild lands, while in the blue-pink light of winter, the landscape is a readymade Christmas card, with trees bent heavy with snow and the northern lights blazing in night skies.

On this week-long Lapland trip, you can glide and skate along tracks at your own pace, with 190 miles of signposted trails to explore (25 miles of which are floodlit). You’ll often find yourself alone with nature, with little sign of civilisation, bar the odd kota hut where you can refuel over pulla (sticky cardamom bread) and hot blueberry juice before carving an onward path through the glistening snow. Slip on snowshoes to pad through forest and over fell and frozen lake in quiet exhilaration, returning to the village of Akaslompolo as the aurora lights up the horizon. Fancy a change? Visit the nearby Snow Village, sculpted afresh each winter, or take a cable car to float to the top of Yllas for arresting views and dinner at Finland’s highest restaurant. The eight-day tour including accommodation, use of cross-country ski trails, transfers and all breakfasts and evening meals; ski hire and tuition are available for an extra fee.

Group size 2-30 Price £

4. Lapland wilderness week, Exodus

Best for solitude seekers Shining a light on a spectacularly unsung, thrillingly forgotten corner of Swedish Lapland, this week-long escapade delivers the big wilderness it promises. At about 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle, you might expect biting cold, waist-deep snow, phenomenal displays of northern lights and off-the-charts scenery. And you’d be right. But what really grabs you is the silence. The kind of silence that only comes in a village such as Rajamaa (population: seven), plonked on a remote island in the Muonio River and gazing wistfully across the white beauty of Sweden and Finland. Hole up in a wooden cabin and let your hosts, the Malmstrom family, organise the rest.

This trip wholly embraces nature and Sami culture, with days spent dogsledding, snowshoeing, forest skiing, learning about reindeer-herding traditions, and slipping into dark nights warmed by saunas, campfires and stirring views of the aurora dancing high above. The holiday ends on an Arctic high, with a two-day forest skiing expedition over pine-stippled hill and frozen lake, and a night in a back-of-beyond logger’s cabin. As you ski back to Rajamaa, keeping an eye out for reindeer, moose and the tracks of wolverine and lynx, you might just want to press the pause button so the moment never ends. The six-night trip including accommodation with shared facilities, all meals, transport, tour leaders and equipment.

Group size 6-16 Price ££

5. A polar night, Off the Map

Best for would-be Arctic explorers Turning up the Arctic adventure several notches, this expedition-style trip to the great white wilderness of Svalbard is one you’ll never forget. At 78 degrees north, midway between Norway and the North Pole, this archipelago is a place of bone-chilling cold and soul-reviving beauty, with its dramatic icescapes, pearl-white mountains and wildlife (cue reindeer, snow-white Arctic foxes, walruses lolling on icebergs, whales and, of course, polar bears).

This trip has all the thrill of a mighty expedition, albeit with minimal effort. Kicking off with a night in Oslo, you’ll fly to Spitsbergen and spend a night at Funken Lodge on Longyearbyen, where you can jump on a snowcat for the first flickers of the aurora. A dog sled will then whisk you over the frozen tundra to the new Juva Lodge. With front-row views of ice and rock, this slickly Scandi cabin adds a blast of luxury to the Arctic experience, with comfortable beds, a fireplace and barrel sauna. It’s so remote and dark that the northern lights don’t dance here, they rave. Visit during the polar night in January, when the sun never rises, and you double your chances of seeing them. Spot wild reindeer as you fly across the snow on a husky-drawn sled back to Longyearbyen for a gourmet dinner — and perhaps another light show — before flying home. Departures are from January to May. Tours are generally four nights, including accommodation, private transfers, all activities and meals.

offthemap.travel

6. Senja — island auroras, Aurora Zone

Best for aurora hunters Everyone raves about the Lofoten Islands, but the dramatically mountainous, fjord-woven, surf-smashed island of Senja, just north, is just as ravishing yet far less busy. This trip is a rare and special one. You’ll stay in a tiny, lighthouse-topped hamlet right by the water’s edge, with optimum conditions for seeing the northern lights cascade in dark night skies. By day, a wildlife boat safari will take you out to spot seals, sea eagles and perhaps even a whale. And you’ll have plentiful chances to glimpse the northern lights — whether snowshoeing through the white wilderness or bubbling in a hot tub. Prices include four nights’ accommodation, meals, transfers, guided activities and cold-weather gear.

Group size private tour Price ££

theaurorazone.com

7. See the northern lights in Finland, Aurora Zone

Best for bucket-list Lapland The northern lights hold you in their thrall on this eight-night trip to Finnish Lapland. But a well-aimed snowball throw from Sweden, Harriniva, high above the Arctic Circle, is your woody base for the first four days. The family-run hotel is brilliantly placed for snow fun. Civilisation seems far away as you dogsled and snowmobile into the wilderness, or crunch through a frozen forest on snowshoes into Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park. Stop for a lakeside sauna and — if you dare — a heart-stopping Finnish-style dip in an avanto (ice hole) in subzero temperatures. As darkness falls, all the focus is on the heavens and the northern lights.

The lights also shimmer on thenext leg of your trip at the northern lights Village in Levi. And as you’ll be staying in a glass-roofed Aurora Cabin open to the skies, you don’t even have to get out of bed to see them. By day you can hit the village’s ski and cross-country slopes, dash through snowy woods on a reindeer sleigh and discover more about Sami culture, while by night it’s back out into the darkness in search of the aurora’s wizard-wand flashes. Prices include flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.

8. Christmas sparkle, Canterbury Travel

Best for families There’s nothing like a massive dump of snow, reindeer and a visit to see Santa in his twinkly, elf-filled grotto to put you in the festive spirit — and Canterbury Travel’s Lapland trips are a kid’s Christmas dream . This three-day break packs in a heck of a lot: reindeer sleigh rides, dogsledding and the chance to sit on Santa’s knee (gift included) in a private family session with the jolly red-robed dude. Children are in heaven at Elf School and visiting Santa’s magic post office (manned by more elves).

The backdrop of frozen fells and forests is pure winter wonderland stuff, and you’ll be staying in a log cabin or lodge in the rustic ski resort of Suomu or Ruka Valley near the Arctic Circle. But what sets this Lapland trip apart is ease of access, with regional departures from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin. The price is for two nights including flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, activities and cold-weather clothing.

Group size private tour Price £

canterburytravel.com

9. Icehotel break, Discover the World

Best for ice magic Nothing says Lapland like snuggling under a reindeer hide on a bed of ice in a chamber of ethereal blue, with the northern lights dancing in the chill night skies outside. The Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi in Swedish Lapland was the first of its kind when it opened in 1989 and it hasn’t lost a jot of its frosty magic. Every year, some of the world’s top ice artists are enlisted to build it from scratch using ice hauled from the Torne River, unleashing their creativity in a fantasy of glittering ice sculptures and chandeliers.

The Icehotel is your bewitching base on this three-night Arctic adventure, where you’ll get to spend a night on ice (as well as two others in warmer digs). Hot lingonberry juice and a pre-breakfast sauna fire you up for a flurry of optional activities, from ice sculpting to husky rides, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. By night the aurora will shine if you’re lucky. Departures are from November to March and it’s well worth booking your activities in advance. The standard tour is for three nights, including accommodation, breakfast, morning sauna and cold-weather clothing.

discover-the-world.com

• Staying at the Icehotel: everything you need to know

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Home » Blog » The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Lapland, Finland in Winter

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Lapland, Finland in Winter

Lapland, Finland is the ultimate winter travel destination! This dreamy part of the world has it all… think reindeer sleigh rides, dog sledding, northern lights, amazing hotels, authentic saunas, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and much, much more!

In this blog post, I’m sharing all the insider tips on everything you need to know for planning your own trip to Lapland, Finland. Including how to get there, which regions to visit, the best things to do, and recommended places to stay.

This trip was in collaboration with Visit Finland. As always, all opinions and reviews are completely my own and truthful. We had such a great time in Finland and I’m excited to share what we got up to!

Lapland Travel Basics

Best time to go: Dec to March Visit time: 5 to 7 days Getting around: rental car Currency: euro

Getting to Lapland

It’s fairly easy to get to Lapland, Finland. The first step is to fly into Helsinki , which has daily flights to/from many major cities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

My husband and I flew with Finnair from Seattle to Helsinki, with a stopover in NYC. We opted to stay one night in Helsinki so we could explore a little of the city and get a feel of southern Finnish culture. In just one afternoon we managed to walk a few miles around the city, seeing places like Market Square, the Helsinki Cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral, and some of the picturesque residential streets.

We spent the night at Hotel St. George Helsinki , which was conveniently located alongside City Park and a short walk from the train station. Their rooms and customer service were impeccable – would highly recommend it! During your stay in Helsinki, I would also suggest eating at Pizzeria Via Tribunali . A reader recommended it to us and we had the most delicious and authentic pizza… which was not necessarily our expectation for a Nordic trip!

To get from Helsinki to Lapland you can either drive or catch a domestic flight from Helsinki Airport. The flights are fairly affordable with Finnair, so I would recommend that option over driving long hours on potentially icy winter roads.

During winter there are regular flights to destinations such as Kittila, Ivalo, Kuusamo, Kemi, and Rovaniemi. We opted to fly into Ivalo to begin our journey (more information below on how to choose the best Lapland destinations!)

Which region to visit

The Lapland region of Finland is made up of numerous municipalities and towns. Each destination offers different sights, activities, and hotels. Listed below are some of the main winter destinations and what they are best known for. Note that there are more locations than these, but I tried to keep things reasonably condensed!

• Levi: skiing, northern lights, beautiful hotels, reindeer excursions, husky safaris, snowshoeing
• Inari / Ivalo:  northern lights, reindeer excursions, husky safaris, snowmobiling, Sámi museums and cultural experiences
• Saariselkä: skiing, northern lights, snowshoeing, reindeer excursions, husky safaris
• Ruka / Kuusamo: skiing, snowshoeing, reindeer excursions, husky safaris
• Ylläs: skiing, snowshoeing, northern lights
• Kemi: sea icebreaker tours, arctic swimming in the Baltic Sea
• Kilpisjärvi: northern lights, snowshoeing, solitude
• Rovaniemi: Santa Claus and all things Christmas!

We opted to split our week-long trip into the following destinations and I think it was the perfect mix! I also felt like a week was a good amount of time to explore Lapland, though a couple more days would have been happily welcomed!

• 1 night in Helsinki
• 2 nights in Inari
• 1 night in Saariselkä
• 3 nights in Levi

This gave us some nice variation and a chance to explore multiple areas. You could also certainly stay one week in a single destination – either option would work and it depends on how you like to travel! The Visit Finland website has some great information about each destination if you want to delve further into the specifics. I will also be posting destination-specific blog posts within the coming weeks – so watch this space!

Where to stay

We’ve all seen those incredible photos featuring the aurora cabins and tree-houses of Lapland, right?! My husband and I were lucky enough to stay in a few bucket-list-worthy hotels during our trip BUT do keep in mind that they aren’t the only options available. There are a variety of lodging options to choose from in Lapland – ranging from more affordable to more pricey.

Traveling as a family or in a group ? You are probably best to rent a large cabin that has multiple rooms, a kitchen, communal areas, etc. This will help keep costs down and allow for more flexibility around meals and travel. In Levi, we stayed 2 nights in one of Polar Star Travel’s beautiful log cabins, which was even fitted with a private sauna!

You can still experience Lapland, Finland on a budget ! In saying that, I am not going to pretend it’s a super affordable place to travel during the winter months. Some more budget-friendly lodging options can be found on Airbnb , ranging from shared accommodation, private rooms, and even entire cabins/homes. You could also look into options such as couch-surfing and house-sitting/swaps.

Best things to do

Lapland, Finland is one of the world’s best destinations for unique winter adventures and activities. I mean, how many places can you take a sunrise husky sledding tour, a midday sauna experience, a sunset snowshoe, and finish the day with a northern lights snowmobiling tour?!

There are countless options of tours and self-guided adventures to take during the winter months in Lapland. I have listed some of the most common below and will go into more depth in my upcoming blog posts!

• Visit a reindeer farm and take a sleigh ride/safari
• Take a husky dog sledding adventure
• Try out skiing or snowboarding down a Finnish “fell” (mountain)
• Go on a snowshoe hiking adventure
• Enjoy an arctic hammock relaxation tour in the forest
• Have an authentic sauna and hot tub experience
• Watch the northern lights on a dedicated tour or from an aurora cabin
• Take a snowmobiling adventure on a frozen lake
• Walk through a man-made ice and snow gallery
• Toboggan down a fell under the northern lights
• Learn about and immerse yourself in the local Sámi culture
• Take a photography tour on capturing Lapland’s unique beauty
• Sample Lappish food and learn about local culinary culture
• Try out ice fishing on a frozen lake
• Take an arctic swim in the Baltic Sea
• Experience an icebreaker sea excursion
• Visit the home of Santa Claus

I would say my favorite activities of the trip were experiencing the northern lights, snowshoeing up a fell to watch the sunset, taking a reindeer sleigh ride, and being treated to an authentic Finnish sauna… but I LOVED everything we did!

One thing to keep in mind is that it can be quite cold when doing these activities.

For example, we had a cold snap during our visit and it was -35C the morning we took a reindeer sleigh ride and also in the evenings when we were viewing the northern lights. Having adequate winter clothing and gear is imperative – find out what to pack for a trip to the Arctic in this blog post !

I hope this blog post was a nice starting place for your Lapland, Finland trip planning. As previously mentioned, I will be publishing more blog posts on this topic (destination specific guides, how to best experience the northern lights and more) – watch this space! Let me know in the comments if there is something specific you would like me to share.

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16 comments

Great article about Finnish Lapland, thank you! If you are planning to revisit the Ruka area or if Finland is on your bucket list, welcome to our modern and spacious villa at Ruka 🙂

Wow 😲, really a great resources for visiting Lapland.

Hej renee, after reading your article,I have commented that Lapland is in my bucket list, finally I made Dog-sledding trip in Lapland. HUHU

Thank you! I am just beginning to look at planning a winter trip to Lapland for next year. Can you discuss how you traveled between the Lapland cities you visited? Is it possible to do this without a rental car or is it best to rent a car once you arrive in Lapland?

Hi Renee, thanks for an amazing post, actually I was thinking about to travel to Scandinavia, And this article is really helpful for me to find something special from there.

Amazing post Renee and comprehensive description. Lapland is in my bucket list too but I want to combine with Swedish and Finnish at once.

We’re planning. What a wonderful synopsis. We’re also going to be leaving out of Seattle.

Makes me wanna go there asap! 😍 I can’t wait for your more detailed lapland travel guide. 😍😍😍

This is my absolute dream!!!!

Greetings from Kuusamo! Nice blogpost! Next time visit Ruka, Kuusamo??

Thank you 🙂 We would love to next time!

I’m planning a trip to Finland for Winter next year and found this blog post very informative! Thanks Renee 🙂

Did you drive from Saariselka to Levi? How were the road conditions? Your photos from this trip are gorgeous!

I love Lapland!

This looks like an incredible trip! Finland is definitely on my bucket list, and the more I think about it the more I want to visit in winter.

Another wonderful blogpost Renee. I’m certainly putting Finland on my bucket list now I’ve seen all your stunning photos. Looking forward to your more detailed posts.

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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 Tips

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Without a doubt, Lapland is a destination that offers among the best winter vacations in Europe and the world. But what should you know before setting off on such an adventure? Here are some frequently asked questions on tours of Lapland.

What is Lapland Famous For?

There's no denying it, when it comes to Lapland trips, everyone chooses this destination for the unique nature and fun winter activities. This northern region boasts impeccable natural beauty with many corners still untouched by man. Although rather chilly, there are numerous opportunities for leisure in Lapland, including snowmobiling, meeting reindeer, the local Sami people, and, of course, searching for the Northern Lights . Topping it all, Santa's official residence is set in Finland's Rovaniemi , making Lapland a famous destination for travel.

How Far in Advance Should You Book Lapland Travel Packages?

We’ll share a secret with you, planning a trip to Lapland on your own is challenging, time-consuming, and most likely turns out to be more costly than when booking your trip with professional tour operators. ​In any case, when it comes to booking tours to Lapland , the main rule is the earlier, the better. This destination has taken its place on many travelers’ bucket lists; thus, evidently, the demand is clearly above average.

​​Although the territory of northern Scandinavia is very vast, the options for accommodation, transport, and other key travel elements (such as spots on guided tours and activities) are limited by capacity. Therefore, to avoid skyrocket prices, none or poor accommodation options, and sold out activities which you simply can’t miss out on, do yourself a favor and start your tour preparation process well in advance.

For instance, if you wish to visit Santa Claus in Rovaniemi, Finland, consider contacting ​a specialist about 6 to 8 months prior to your supposed departure date. This is the smartest and most budget-saving option, trust us, especially when Lapland Christmas packages are the case in point.

What to Pack for Lapland Winter Holidays?

If you’re planning to visit Lapland in winter, packing warm clothes is something that’s more than obvious. To be fair, no matter which time of the year you go to northern Scandinavia, you must be prepared for the cold weather conditions of that area.

Those going in winter should pack warm thermal clothing, coats, thick socks, hats, gloves, scarves, as well as comfortable and warm shoes or boots. It is best that your outerwear is long, has a hood, is wind and water-resistant, and capable of warming you up in freezing temperatures. Warm pants that are waterproof are a must, for example, flannel ones for skiing are a good choice. Some people even prefer to put on warm thick​leggings underneath them when planning to spend a lot of time outside in winter Lapland. ​You won’t go wrong by taking extra sweaters, especially wool ones, as more layers of clothes will help keep you warm.

​Don’t forget to take special adaptors for your electronic appliances as the sockets in Norway , Sweden , Finland , and Iceland use plugs of the European standard for 220 volts. If you use the plugs of a different standard, keep in mind that it will be impossible to charge your phone and other devices without an adapter. Power banks are also a good solution as devices tend to run down faster when used in low outside temperatures.

As you can see, planning a trip to Lapland can be rather challenging as there are a lot of things you need to keep in mind. But don't worry, out travel experts organized hundreds of vacation to Scandinavia over the years. They know what pitfalls to avoid, so your vacation would bring you nothing but happy memories. If you need any help with planning your holiday or have any questions left, don't hesitate to reach out to us, we will be happy to help!

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Lapland Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable Lapland tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in Lapland and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 103570 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of Lapland travel companies & tour operators with 103570 reviews

Nordic Unique Travels

• Good - 26 reviews for Lapland tours

Our experience with Nordic Unique was great. As a little older group some tours did not appeal to us and they were great about rearranging the itinerary. There could have been a little more communication prior to the trip. I would also suggest some kayaks at the lake. Our guide Matthias (Niales) was awesome!! He was patient, kind, knowledgeable and a great cook.

We booked the Husky ‘tour’ which took exactly 2 minutes for 322 euro’s. With dropoff and everything it took 45 minutes. On the website it says 2,5 hours. It was extremely dissapointing. If I could give it - 5 stars, I would do that. Don’t book it with Unique Travel, book it somewhere else.

Timetravels

• Excellent - 82 reviews for Lapland tours

This trip was wonderful and empowering. The scenery was magical. The activities were fun and memorable. Elo and our drivers were excellent. I met some wonderful people. Christmas in Lapland was truly an experience I will cherish for a lifetime.

The Grand Lapland tour I can recommend for anyone wanting to see Lapland. We stayed in cosy shared cottages in Finish and Swedish Lapland. We made lots of new friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Our tour guide, Elo was fantastic and very knowledgeable. Our bus driver, Saki was very friendly and funny. The Lapland winter scenery is really that of a magical winter wonderland. The excursions were great, we were not bored for one moment.

Intrepid Travel

• Excellent - 11,701 reviews for Lapland tours

Excellent trip in the wonderful outdoors!

Great trip. Unique experiences

Receptivo Aborigen Tours

• Good - 92 reviews for Lapland tours
• This operator has no Lapland reviews

Agate Travel

• Excellent - 280 reviews for Lapland tours

Tolle und eindrückliche Reise

• Excellent - 26 reviews for Lapland tours

Wonderful experience! The organization made us do a lot of different activities, making the trip perfect in every aspect: the activities were various, the price was the best you can find and they are ready to help in every situation. Even in difficult moments they are able to find the best solution keep the travel amazing as they promised. The guides are also super friendly!! Super suggested experience

I had a wonderful time on my trip to Sweden and really enjoyed all the activities!

Carisa Travel Group

• Excellent - 4 reviews for Lapland tours

The itinerary in Rovaniemi had several inconsistencies with the real bookings, making difficult for me to trust what was correct and create stress during vacation. My check out of the Igloo hotel was at 8am, but actually was no needed to be so early since the real time booking for Husky adventure was at noon instead of the morning, At same time i learn that the hotel in the city was reserved also for the same night as the Igloo hotel, makes me wonder if that night was double charged. The New years dinner was very confusing, because was reserved under Clarisa travel agency and was not clear the names of the persons also that we were not actually together, so the service start late because they were waiting for everyone to arrived.

I had a wonderful time on my Lapland Winter Adventure, as arranged by Arif, out of Carisa Travel. He was organized, and made things very clear to me, which I appreciated because I was traveling alone.,

Pihka Outdoors

On The Go Tours

• Excellent - 2,952 reviews for Lapland tours

I have no complaint except for one incident, which was taken care of. The reason I'm sharing it is so it doesn't happen to the next customer. We were scheduled for a 2h husky safari from 14:00-16:30. From your office we we're scheduled for a transfer at 16:45 to Arctic Snow Hotel. Their wasn't enough time between so we were without a transfer to our hotel. We called ahead but they didn't wait. Our sweet tour guide drove us to the hotel and helped us arrange a new dinner reservations for a later time. Other then that everything was great.

The activities were great, but the transportation had definite issues.

• Excellent - 74,884 reviews for Lapland tours

V.O.S – Vision of Scandinav…

• Excellent - 78 reviews for Lapland tours

Good trip! The dogsledding, reindeer farm and king crab excursion were all fun, although I wish we would have had more time at each activity since you get around 10 minutes of actual time sledding with the animals or "fishing" for the king crab. The arctic zoo was amazing! Nice time in Helsinki. The optional activities were not worth it at all: the snow hotel was a waste of $50, we walked around on our own and most of the hotel was closed for construction. And we didn't see the northern lights on that excursion (which I understand happens), but they didn't offer much else other than sitting around a fire and show-shoeing on our own, which is a lot for $150 each. We saw the northern lights on our own at the hotel in Inari. Also, the last day in Inari was kind of pointless since there's not much to see or do there. Great guide in Per!

Overall the tour was good. we paid to update our room as we wanted a view of the river. The hotel was very good, meals were excellent. We booked an ENGLISH speaking tour. Aurora our guide did speak english but because there were 34 of the 36 people in our group did not. there were 18 spanish and 17 french speaking only! So had no opportunity to converse with others on our tour. At times we felt left out and lonely. we were very disappointed with this aspect of the tour. Especially when it came to instructions with snow mobile, didn't get to hear any english, so my confidence was low and ended up stopping after a short while , and not driving snow mobile, but got in sleigh pulled by Instructor. The husky and reindeer rides were fantastic , the highlight of our trip. The farms were interesting and well kept. The 5 hrs dropped off at Santa Village was too long . we ended up finding our bus and sitting there for an hour or so. Would have nice to be given option of a shorted time. The thermal clothing at Safartica was poor. The items were very used and not at all comfortable. I only ended up using the overalls, and my own boots, balaclava, socks, scarf and mittens. I would not recommend them. Over all we had a great time , but unsure if we would recommend the tour with others.

Bucket List Group Travel LL…

• Excellent - 15 reviews for Lapland tours

Jill Travel

Exodus Travels

• Excellent - 13,240 reviews for Lapland tours

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8 of the best Lapland holidays, tours and all-inclusive packages for a magical winter break

Whether meeting santa, taking part in exhilarating snow sports or chasing the northern lights, there’s a lapland holiday for everyone, article bookmarked.

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As the summer holidays approach and temperatures rise, those who aren’t jet-setting for sandy toes and tan lines should look ahead to winter trips and the enchanting spell of the Northern Lights .

If a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Lapland is at the top of your Christmas list, now’s the time to book – the sell-out spot is at its most popular during the December festivities as children flock to meet Santa and grown-ups soak up midday sauna sessions.

From Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village to the warm aura of Kiruna, winter sunlight hours may be short during the polar night with temperatures often dipping below -9C, but Lapland days remain packed with unique activities and novel stays in ice palaces, glass igloos and tree houses.

With so many all-inclusive stays, snow sports tours and holiday options in the Santa-centric land, here’s  The Independent’s  pick of packages to transport you to the magic of the Arctic Circle this Christmas season.

Read more on Europe travel :

• Beauty advent calendars 2021: Our guide to this year’s top treats
• 13 best tech gifts to spoil a gadget geek this Christmas
• 10 best luxury Christmas crackers for dressing up your dining table
• How to have the perfect family holiday in Lapland
• Best kids club resorts in Europe 2023: Where to stay for family-friendly fun
• Sweden travel guide: Everything you need to know

Best for: Luxury breaks

Swedish lapland experience.

Lapland crosses the utmost northern borders of Finland , Norway and Sweden’s dense forests, but the rural Scandinavian landscape is not without its luxuries. Tailored tours, wood-fired hot tubs and private chefs bring home comforts to the wilderness for travellers willing to splash the cash stress-free on a Christmas fairytale holiday.

Off the Map Travel  provides a four-night Swedish Lapland Experience for a unique luxury stay in the heart of Arctic Sweden, including accommodation in the Icehotel and Treehotel, transfers, excursions and half-board meals. From £1,699pp guests can enjoy ice sculpting or husky sledging in Kiruna and Lulea, and spend the night in a cosy Aurora Hideaway – the perfect vantage point to see the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights while indulging in traditional Swedish dishes.

Best for: Northern Lights hunters

Arctic aurora activity holiday in finnish lapland.

Viewing the Northern Lights is one of the most popular adventures to top a travel bucket list – after all, the natural world puts on few more spectacular shows. Travellers can hunt the aurora in chilling temperatures from paths off the beaten track, in the sky on a hot air balloon ride or from the comfort of a glass igloo and a lucky few will witness the clear and colourful skies during their Arctic adventure.

Discover the romance of the aurora borealis with  Aurora Zone  on a four-night Arctic Activity Holiday in Inari, Finnish Lapland. Trip excursions such as a snowmobile safari, dog sledding and shoeshoeing fill days in the Sámi culture’s capital, with nights spent searching for the vibrant hues of the Northern Lights. The holiday package costs £2,025pp, including return flights from London , transfers, accommodation, meals, all activities and cold-weather clothing for the duration of your Lapland stay.

Best for: Christmas festivities

Santa’s magic.

Santa’s holiday home, Lapland, is where you’ll find the picture-perfect scenes of Christmas cards; reindeer, igloos and snow-dusted trees. Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi even boasts Santa Claus’ Post Office, a husky park and boutiques ideal for last-minute present shopping right in the heart of the Arctic Circle.

Santa Claus Trips ’ Santa’s Magic holiday in the vibrant ski town of Saariselkä, priced from £1,239 per adult, includes return flights from the UK, half-board meals and accommodation in Tunturi Hotel for two nights. Festive highlights such as a private meeting with Santa, elves, igloos and reindeer sleigh rides dot the snowy break’s itinerary as the magic of Christmas takes hold of little and big ones alike.

Best for: Snowsports

Icehotel break.

What could be more exhilarating than taking to the ice by day and sleeping on it by night? Lapland’s snowsports offerings, from skiing to ice skating and (slightly tamer) sleigh riding behind reindeer or huskies, come in abundance so the winter fun doesn’t have to stop at Santa and accommodation doesn’t need to be boring.

Discover the World  offers a three-night stay at the  Icehotel  in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, from £733pp. Here, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and husky sledging excursions meet evenings spent eating and drinking in the Icebar, inside the hotel crafted each year using ice from the frozen River Torne. Return flights from London to Kiruna start from £204 in December.

Best for: Family fun

Santa breaks in yllas.

Santa trips, skiing holidays and nights spent seeking the bewitching Northern Lights are the perfect ingredients for a family winter holiday regardless of the Arctic temperatures. Kids of all ages will love the unique magic of the dynamic landscape and its snow-based activities, and visits to Father Christmas are bound to be a hit – even with the non-believers – so long as you wrap up warm and let imaginations run wild.

Inghams  provides a four-night holiday for two adults and two children from £1,059pp when travelling in November. The package includes return flights from Manchester and a half-board stay at the family-friendly Akäs (Snow Elf) Hotel & Alp Apartments. The hub of the Santa programme in Ylläs, all excursions depart from the hotel and the colourful village centre is just a five-minute walk away.

Best for: All-inclusive packages

New year lapland arctic adventure.

Over the Christmas holidays demand for Lapland holidays is high, and it gets the price tag to match. While it’s unlikely to find a truly budget break to the snowy scenery in winter, all-inclusive packages often slash the cost of high-paced activity days, and are well worth it to see the magic and charm of the secluded spot for yourself.

Canterbury Holidays  New Year Lapland Arctic Adventure is the ultimate seven-day activity holiday to Lapland. From £1,740pp, extend the magic of Christmas and experience the winter wonderland of Finnish Lapland – return flights, excursions, B&B accommodation and a New Year’s Eve dinner and party are all included in the stay. Visits to Europe’s only amethyst mine and a “white hike” through the frozen forests and fells also fill days of post-Christmas bliss on this NYE adventure.

Best for: Off-grid explorers

Finnish lapland in winter.

Enjoying the solitude of nature while coping with extreme temperatures is all part of being a Finn. To live like the locals, going off-grid on a Lapland holiday on snowshoe walks to remote farms and fighting the cold with a glass of salmari gets you even closer to the heart of the Sami culture.

Intrepid Travel  offers a journey through Finnish Lapland in winter from £2,745pp, so strap on your hiking boots and crunch through snow-dusted woodlands as you travel from Helsinki to Rovaniemi across the pristine landscape. Dog sledging, reindeer herding and the famous “Santa Claus Express” overnight train are all highlights. Breakfasts, transport, accommodation and activities are included in the cost of this eight-day holiday. 

Best for: Romantic retreats

Finnish lapland and the arctic circle.

There’s a romance to the campfire cabins and snow-topped saunas of Lapland. Think charming traditions, pastel-hued skies and authentic natural landscapes in secluded woodlands – best enjoyed while riding a snowmobile for two, or a sligh pulled by reindeer – as a backdrop to long weekends for lovebirds.

Untold Story Travel  offers six-night private tours of Finnish Lapland and the Arctic Circle. Accommodation options include wilderness cabins and Arctic treehouses, and the holiday is tailored to every couple’s requirements. Potential holiday highlights include a personal host to monitor Northern Lights activity, enchanting reindeer sleigh rides and snowmobiling across a frozen lake before spending your final night in a private glass igloo.

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I've written this review to help people understand the holiday you get. We went to Luosto on the 'Magical Interlude' trip in December 2021 and stayed in a log cabin.

Overall, we enjoyed our holiday to Lapland with Canterbury Travel and we have some great memories. But there were just too many negatives and areas they need to improve - particularly given the premium price you pay. So I would advise going with a different travel operator to Lapland. We went with Canterbury Travel based on recommendations from people who had been a few years ago and it sounds like our experience was different to theirs, so whether Canterbury Travel have cut costs and/or their package has declined, I don't know. I've summarised some pro's and cons below, and I'm happy to answer any questions:

- The elves and other characters are really good when you see them (which isn't that much).

- Singing the elf song and doing the actions was great fun when we did it.

- The way you meet Santa is really well organised and Santa himself is fantastic.

- Out little one really enjoyed playing in the snow in her snow suit.

- The reindeer sleigh ride and the husky ride are both very good.

- The food in the evening at the red fox restaurant (which was allocated for our section of cabins) was really good.

- At the snow mobiles, the parents go together for the experience and the elves look after the children in a small area by the coach. However, after about 40 minutes of queuing we saw a different snow mobile excursion (presumably made up of first time and amateur drivers) drive straight at the group of children. The elves weren't controlling the children very well and the children were spread out on the road/track. The person leading the excursion kept driving at the group of children, until one of the elves seemed to realise and sprinted across to stop them, then huddle the children to the side. This was really poor and we were very surprised at the lack of care - one mistake by any of those amateur drivers and a child could have been seriously injured.

- For the snow mobiles, we only got about 2 minutes driving around a basic figure of eight at a very slow speed. It was a simple 'taster session' and not an experience by any stretch of the imagination. When I asked to go around a second time I was told that I couldn't. This was awful value to say we queued about 60 mins to go on these and given the cost of the holiday.

- On the 4th (last) day, we had to give back our snow suits and have our bags picked up at 10:20am. We were then given 'free time' until 1:30pm, but couldn't do anything outside (e.g. play in the snow or sledge) because we didn't have our snow suits. We just had to kill time in a cafe before going to the airport - so the last day was really just a waste of time.

- The day trips start at 8:30am, but the coach dropped us off at 3:30pm / 4pm on both days. This felt quite short and I understand that the days were longer a few years ago.

- There was not enough singing and 'Christmas joy' on the coach. I think we only sang the elf song about 5 times each day - the rest of the time we were left to stare out of the window. This may have just been down to our tour guide, but they could have made more effort to make it more magical. Some more carols and singing would have made a real difference.

- The food at lunch was really poor - it was very cheap and basic.

- When booking, we were advised that the walk from the cabins to the centre of Luosto was 15 minutes, but this isn't true. There was quite a hill - on the way down it was more like 20/25 mins, and on the way up about 30 mins. This made a big difference when deciding what to do between the time we were dropped off and waiting for dinner in the evenings. Note: we pulled our little one on a sledge, so those times are for adults walking.

Thanks for getting back. There's not too much recent info so good to hear abt your experience.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Your Lapland Travel Agency

Visit the Arctic Circle with Nordic Visitor for the chance to see the northern lights and enjoy magical winter landscapes. As a Lapland travel agency and tour operator, our knowledgeable experts take care of arranging your special trip for you, providing personal service and 24/7 support.

Top Lapland Travel Ideas

Discover the best way to explore and experience Lapland.

Cool Nights in Ice hotels

Stay the night in the famed SnowCastle and ICEHOTEL.

Feel the festive cheer when meeting Father Christmas.

Sleep Under The Stars

Look out for the aurora and stargaze from a glass igloo.

Chase the Northern Lights

Find and experience the aurora borealis.

Most Popular Lapland Tours

Travel to Lapland with these highly rated and best-selling tours. Created by our travel specialists with you in mind, these packages will give you an amazing Lapland experience.

Best of Rovaniemi - Classic

Santa claus village & dog sledding, best of lapland classic - rovaniemi, classic lapland adventure & icehotel, lapland adventure - aurora sky station, our lapland tour reviews.

Find out what our wonderful customers have experienced on their Lapland adventures.

Michael Australia

The tour activities on this trip were some of the best things we have ever done in our many years of international... read more

The tour activities on this trip were some of the best things we have ever done in our many years of international travel and everyone we were assisted by before and during our stay were very helpful, friendly and supportive so this added greatly to our overall fantastic experience.

We enjoyed all of the elements of our tour but in particular the safari by snowmobile tour which started at Nikkaluokta... read more

Depend on our Lapland travel experts to plan your next adventure. They’ve explored Lapland and its festive hidden gems, and know the best spots for northern lights sightings and outdoor activities. Enjoy your stay in the knowledge that all of your tour is booked and organised for you.

Lapland Facts

Why choose Nordic Visitor

Trusted local travel experts

Established in 2002, Nordic Visitor has been creating unforgettable travel experiences in Lapland since 2010. Our local experts have all toured around the region, and they will use their experience to create your ideal itinerary. Choose our Lapland packages and you’ll take home unforgettable memories.

Great reviews

Nordic Visitor is dedicated to the best service quality, and this is reflected year after year when TripAdvisor awards us with their Certificate of Excellence . We also take great pride in our customer feedback: 97% of our travellers say they would recommend us to friends and family.

Hassle-free experience

We take care of all the details and practicalities for you. You will receive a comprehensive itinerary with any additional extras you’ve requested, plus tried-and-tested accommodation. As well as this, one of our travel experts is always on call 24/7 to handle any unforeseen situations.

Flexible tour options

Everyone’s travel wish list is different and we are here to find the right package for you. We’ll enhance your stay with upgrades in glass igloos and hotels made of ice (depending on destination). We will also organise extra nights and activities that you’re keen to do.

Full financial protection

With Nordic Visitor, you have peace of mind knowing your holiday arrangements with us are 100% financially protected. Your payments are safeguarded as we comply with European Union laws on Package Travel regulations. This guarantees you a refund in the unlikely event that the company experiences insolvency.

Value for money

Nordic Visitor is a travel agency with a trusted network of hotels, local guides and suppliers, so when you book with us, you know that we’ve done the legwork and have extensively tested every aspect of a package. This also saves you time, meaning you can focus on enjoying your epic Lapland adventure.

Different Ways to Explore Lapland

Whatever you want to see and experience, we have the perfect Lapland package for you.

Visit Rovaniemi

Experience kiruna, honeymoon & romance, snowmobile adventures, journey by dogsled, new year trips, exploring lapland.

Soon the crunch of fresh snow will sound your every step, and the cold crisp air fill your lungs. Each morning, you’ll have a new adventure to remember. Get ready to…

• Meet Father Christmas and visit his festive Santa Claus Village
• Take a chair lift up to the Aurora Sky Station for a northern lights viewing
• Gaze upon the tranquil wilderness of Abisko National Park
• Mush across the vast Rovaniemi countryside on a husky sledding adventure
• Sleep under the stars in a cosy glass igloo , where you’ll get a clear view of the skies above
• Experience Lapland's peaceful forests on a guided  snowshoe excursion
• Learn about Sámi traditions and culture in the city of Kiruna
• Embark on a guided snowmobile excursion   through snow-blanketed countryside
• Visit a Sámi reindeer farm and enjoy a thrilling guided sleigh ride
• Stay in the dazzling ICEHOTEL , where everything from the bed to the bar is made of snow and ice

Lapland Travel Advice

Get ready for your brilliant trip to Lapland by exploring our handy travel guide.

What to pack for Lapland

The best advice we could give is to prepare for all types of weather

Climate and daylight

When does the sun set? What could the weather be like?

Northern Lights in Lapland

Lapland is an ideal place to see northern lights due to its location in the Arctic Circle

Accommodation in Lapland

Accommodation choices range from ice hotels to cabins, cottages and warm hotel rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lapland

You may want more information on visiting Lapland, so we’ve answered the most commonly asked questions for your peace of mind. If you want more information on Lapland then we suggest having a read of our Lapland travel guide . If you'd like to learn more about booking with us, check out our FAQs or contact our team of travel specialists.

1. Is Lapland a real country?

Lapland isn’t a country but a region of Northern Europe with over 170,000 inhabitants and 100,366 square kilometres of sparsely populated land. Rumoured to be the home of Santa Claus and his workshop, Lapland also has a reputation as a winter wonderland, with snow blanketing the land for a lot of the year.

2. Is Lapland in Sweden or Finland?

Lapland is a region within the Arctic Circle that is spread across both Sweden and Finland. Parts of Lapland also cover Norway and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.

3. When should I visit Lapland?

A popular time to visit Lapland is during the winter months between December and March, as this is when you can experience thrilling excursions like snowmobiling, cross country skiing and reindeer sleigh rides. As well as this, it’s peak northern lights viewing season so you’ll have a good chance of seeing them “dancing”.

In our blog, we’ve written about visiting Lapland in the winter and chasing the northern lights .

4. Which airport do you fly to for Lapland?

Depending on where you’re visiting from and whether you decide to fly to Swedish Lapland or Finnish Lapland , the airport you fly into could be Kiruna, Rovaniemi or Kemi. If you’re not sure which would be best for you, get in touch with our team of travel consultants as they’ll be able to advise which airport you’ll need to travel to.

5. Do they speak English in Finland?

Yes – English is widely spoken in Finland. English is taught in schools so most people will know basic phrases. When you travel on our tours, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about as your guides will be English speaking.

6. Is Lapland in the North Pole?

Lapland is far north and located in the Arctic Circle, but it is not in the North Pole. However, Rovaniemi is home to Santa Claus Village , "the official North Pole residence" of Father Christmas.

7. How many days do you need in Lapland?

Depending on the attractions and activities you want to see and do, you can spend anywhere from a long weekend to a week in Lapland. However, for the sake of enjoyment, you won’t want to rush your visit. This is why all of our holidays are tried and tested by staff to ensure you get to experience the best of Lapland at a comfortable pace.

8. What country does Lapland belong to?

Lapland is a region that is spread across many countries, and so does not technically belong to any one of them. Finnish Lapland makes up for almost one third of Finland, and Swedish Lapland a quarter of Sweden, but the region also covers Norway and part of the Kola Peninsula in Russia.

9. Does Lapland have snow all year round?

It snows in Lapland for a lot of the year due to its subarctic climate and location within the Arctic Circle. This is why it’s a popular destination for winter trips and ski holidays. However, in the summer months, the snow and ice melts to reveal green forests and tranquil lakes and rivers.

For a detailed guide to Lapland’s climate, read our weather guide .

10. Can I choose the arrival date?

Yes, you can choose the best arrival dates to suit you, however we advise that you book as soon as possible as accommodation is limited and in-demand, especially in the ICEHOTEL and Arctic SnowHotel. All of our tours are available to book online, so secure your chosen dates as soon as you find them.

11. How much can I customise my tour?

All our packages are created to give you the best experience in Lapland, so whether you’re keen to explore the wilderness, add a meeting with Santa to your visit or stay in the ICEHOTEL, we have a tour to suit you.

However, if you want to do something extra, like spending additional days at either end of your journey or adding on another destination like Iceland or Norway , then all you have to do is ask.

Simply choose the Lapland package that best suits you and then contact our travel consultants about customising it. We’re happy to modify your itinerary where we can so you can tick off more attractions and areas on your travel wish list.

12. When should I book my flight tickets?

We’d advise that you look over flights for timings and dates, but hold off purchasing until you’ve booked your preferred tour. Once you’ve had a confirmation email from your personal travel consultant, you should then choose and pay for your flights. This is especially important as Lapland has the popular SnowCastle and ICEHOTEL to stay in and rooms can go quickly.

Our packages come with daily itineraries and all of your accommodation organised for you, so once you have all of the information you can make an informed choice on your flight times. If you have any questions, you can always contact your consultant for advice.

13. How should I dress for Lapland in winter?

We advise that you dress for the cold weather as you’ll be spending some of your tour in the outdoors. The snow-covered countryside can be uneven or slippery, so sensible footwear like walking shoes or boots is a must. Here are a few more of our suggestions:

• Thick woollen socks, ideally several pairs
• Thermal base layers
• Warm woollen sweater
• Jeans or other casual trousers
• Thin wool or fleece gloves (ideal as a base layer under snowmobile gloves)
• Warm gloves, scarf and cap
• Camera with extra batteries
• Small backpack/rucksack for day tours
• Heat pads for hands and feet  

For a more detailed list of what to bring, read our Lapland packing guide .

About Nordic Visitor Tours

Nordic Visitor is a Lapland tour operator and has been creating incredible travel experiences for customers in the region since 2010. Since then, we have grown across the Nordic region, while retaining our passionate belief that your trip should be memorable for all the right reasons. These include:

• Tailor-made itinerary: we personalise the itinerary with your dreams and needs in mind, and add on our recommended hidden gems, so you have the vacation of a lifetime.
• Quality checked accommodation: wherever you stay is guaranteed to be tried by our travel specialists and tested to our exacting standards, so whether it's a cosy glass igloo or charming hotel, you’re going to have a comfortable stay.
• Travel guide: add some secret sauce to your getaway with our insider travel tips and recommendations.
• 24/7 helpline: for your peace of mind, there’s always a travel expert on the other end of our 24/7 helpline.

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Read about Lapland

Top 15 european christmas markets, glass igloos in finland: your guide, a few fun facts about swedish lapland, 7 reasons to visit lapland in winter.

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FTLO Merch 

FTLO in the news.

the   lapland   trip

For the love of 

SNOW SPORTS

NORTHERN LIGHTS

POLAR PLUNGING

STEAMY SAUNAS  

ENDLESS NATURE

WINTER WONDERLAND

RUGGED TUNDRA ​

SPIKED HOT CHOCOLATE

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our small group trip to Lapland caters to travelers in their 20s and 30s looking to hunt the northern lights in Norway, snowmobile across Sweden, and dog sled through Finland. ​On this once-in-a-lifetime trip, you'll float beneath the stars in pools of ice, cuddle gregarious huskies, sleep in glass igloos, and make life-long friends in remotely beautiful landscapes. A mix of thrilling experiences by day and hot toddy bonding in local watering holes by night (after your daily sauna fix, of course), it’s an adventure like no other, one designed for all the intrepid spirits out there. ​It involves more moving around than some of our other trips and longer drives, but the scenery is captivating, so you can kick back and unwind. While we’ve included epic activities in each destination, you'll have more than enough time to explore the wonderful towns of Lapland on your own as well.

8 days/7  nights

Starting at $5,4 99 USD

Limited single room upgrades starting from $799 are available and can be added during booking, subject to availability.

P.S. All payments can be broken up into a $975 deposit + 3 additional installments.

*Please note: Due to requirements from our suppliers, the Lapland Trip follows a 91-Day Cancellation Policy.

8 days, 7 nights, with one night stay in a glass igloo with up to four guests

All accommodations in a shared room with one other person with the option to upgrade to a private room (limited availability)

Meals: 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners

In-country transportation

Aurora ice floating

Dog sledding experience

Traditional dinner at ice hotel

Guided tour of the Sami open air museum, reindeer encounter, and traditional Sami lunch

Snowmobiling excursion

Walking tour of Tromsø

Tour and tasting in the northernmost brewery on Earth

Floating sauna experience in Tromsø

Private group sauna session at ice hotel

Multiple chances to see the northern lights (due to weather, we cannot guarantee seeing them)

FTLO Trip Leader   *All activities on Lapland trips are weather dependent; in the unlikely event that we are unable to run an activity, we will have a suitable alternative in place.

not included

Flights (fly into Rovaniemi, out of Tromsø)

Transfer to/from airport for international flights

Mandatory trip insurance

Meals not mentioned (budget $400-$500 depending on consumption habits)

Incidental expenses (tips, taxis, souvenirs, etc.)

*Itinerary is indicative and is subject to change

   Day 1 - Rovaniem i Arctic Welcome

After hitting the tarmac just outside of town, take a cab into magical Rovaniemi on the banks of the Kemijoki River. If you get there early and you’re not in need of a nap, head out past traditional Finnish homes for a midday stroll through the charming city center. This is, of course, the home of jolly ole Saint Nick, so for some added magic, you can even check out Santa’s village and hop on a sleigh ride into the forest. In the evening, we’ll meet up for welcome drinks before our first taste of Lapland cuisine at our welcome dinner. Congrats, you’ve made it to the capital capital of Finnish Lapland and the entrance to the Arctic Circle!

*Please note that this trip now starts in Rovaniemi

    Day 2  - Rovaniemi join the pack

Get up and get ready for some fun; today, we’re finding the Lapland spirit by heading out into the rugged wilderness on a husky ride for the ultimate cold weather thrill. Harness your pack of pups, wind through pine forests and over frozen lakes, and take in the winter wonderland with the best Lapland guides around. Afterward, we’ll return for some lingonberry juice and much-needed and much-appreciated puppy playtime.

In the evening, you’ll zip up in ridiculous (but warm!) dry suits to go ice floating beneath those endless Lapland stars, and if we're lucky, the Northern Lights will put on one of their spectacular shows.

    Day 3  - Sinetta in glass houses

Get up early to check out Santa’s village if you haven’t seen it yet, or head out on a morning snowshoe for some final Rovaniemi views. After that, we’re hitting the road and winding north for the glass igloos of Sinettä.

Spend the afternoon sipping cocktails by the ice bar, then throw things back to a simpler time, head for the hills, pop on a sled, and set arctic-speed records. That evening, you can slow things down a notch and unwind in a private sauna, or, if you want more of that great outdoors, hop in one of the hot tubs to soak up Lapland’s beauty.

In the evening, we’ll all get together for a group dinner and a taste of the Arctic. When it’s time to hit the hay, take it all in through the glass roof of your igloo hotel; weather permitting, you may even get your own private aurora borealis dance overhead—not a bad way to round off the day.

    Day 4  - Kiruna ON TO SWEDEN

Say goodbye to Finland, it’s time to make our way to Kiruna, a mining town and the northernmost city in all of Sweden.

After we drop our bags, it’s time for a bit of authentic indigenous culture—we’re taking a deep dive into the life of the Sami people, discovering how they survived the Arctic, and eating a traditional lunch (reindeer steaks by the fire, anyone?).

This entire region has great snowpack for more than seven months of the year and massive expanses of wilderness to enjoy, so it's no surprise it’s become one of Lapland's premier destinations. Grab a bite with friends in the evening, and then, if you're lucky, you'll spot those magical northern lights once more.

    Day 5  - Kiruna SNOWMOBILING 

No Lapland adventure is complete with a fair share of winter sports, so suit up, it's time to roll out into the great outdoors for some snowmobiling fun with our favorite Viking guides. Head out into the Swedish wilderness and ride on until you reach a cabin in the middle of nowhere. With the crew, you'll try some local delicacies (reindeer tongue, anyone?) and warm up before you hop back on your trusty ride and wind back along a new route home. The afternoon and evening are free to try cross country skiing, catch the arctic sunset, or head to the one English pub in town to mingle with the locals.

  Day 6 - Tromsø Velkommen

We’ll be heading out on the road again today, this time toward Tromsø, Norway, one of Lapland's cultural hubs. Framed by snowy peaks, surrounded by arctic waterways, and filled with historic wooden homes, this is one magical Norwegian destination. That evening, we'll all head out for drinks and a tour of what just may be the northernmost brewery on the whole planet. With more than enough taps to choose from, it's one fine way to say hey to Norway. After a few pints, hit the town with the crew as you keep your eyes peeled for more of that green magic in the sky.

  Day 7  - Tromsø Sauna at Sea

After a bite, we’re all going to roll out together and spend the morning checking out the town on a private tour.

You’ll have some free time before we get back together later in the afternoon, so keep exploring if you’re up to it. Try some local Norwegian specialties (hello, whale meat!) and grab a drink with the locals.

Head to the water for a floating sauna session before dinner and dive into those frigid Norwegian waters between sweats if you dare. After that, it’s time for our farewell dinner—so eat up and share some last laughs with your new friends.

    Day 8  - Tromsø Heippa

And just like that, you’ve conquered Lapland. We hope you had one incredible time; this is a special place, and we really do love it.  We recommend scheduling a later flight, so you have time to continue exploring the city of Tromsø. If you're one of the lucky ones and have got a few more days for adventuring, keep on going—Lapland and Scandinavia have tons to offer. Whether you're looking for some skiing holidays (there are more than enough mountains nearby to choose from), a local snowshoe tour company, or an overnight train, we're here to help.

"Aurora had but newly chased the night, And purpled o'er the sky with blushing light." -JOHN DRYDEN

Just for Fun

For 73 days each year, the sun is visible round the clock.

Finnish Lapland has more reindeer than people!

Lapland is the best place to view the Northern Lights. 

About lapland.

Lapland, a region made up of the northernmost parts of Finland, Sweden, and Norway is known as one of the top destinations in the world for viewing the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). With sweeping winds and a sparse human-population, this is the best place to see the magical colors of the natural phenomenon dancing overhead.

what to pack

We will send you a detailed list for all Lapland tours, but set aside:

Literally anything warm

Pants, tees, long sleeves (layers!), sweaters, warm jackets, socks, gloves, scarves, heater (jk)

Hat and sunscreen for protection

Bathing suit (saunas are a big part of the Lapland culture!)

Walking shoes, snow boots, hand and foot warmers

Backpack for day trips

Your camera, GoPro, and anything else to document this amazing trip!

The national language is Finnish

The national currency is euros

In restaurants and hotels you may add a 10% tip if there is no service charge

The closest arrival airport is Rovaniemi (RVN/EFRO)

The national currency is Swedish krona

The national language is Swedish

Tipping is unnecessary and not expected

The national currency is Norwegian Krone

The national language is Norwegian

Tipping is not compulsory but it is common to leave 10-20% if you are satisfied with the service

The closest departure airport is Tromsø Airport (TOS)

Good to know

On European trips, we stay as close to historic city centers as possible. This means your accommodations will often be on the small side, quirky, and unique (we love this!).

While we can’t guarantee private rooms, you should book your trip earlier if you prefer one, as they usually fill up.

More information regarding visa requirements and Covid restrictions can be found here .

The Lapland Trip follows a 91-Day Cancellation Policy, different from other FTLO Trips

This site is helpful for direct flights to Rovaniemi. You can fly through London, Paris, Helsinki, Dusseldorf, and Istanbul on Sundays. You could also book a roundtrip to one of these cities and then a hopper flight to Rovaniemi followed by a hopper from Tromso back to your intermediary city.

Fly into Rovaniemi (RVN / EFRO)

Arrive by  3 pm on day 1 or fly in a day early and explore Rovaniemi on your own. We highly recommend flying in a day early in case of weather-related travel delays. ​

Fly out of Tromsø (TOS)

Fly out of Norway at any time on day 9 or extend your trip and enjoy a few more days in Tromsø.

Want to check out flights for your trip?

Feel free to also set up flight alerts to Rovaniemi and from Tromsø so you can grab the best deal!

*FTLO is not responsible for any fees or costs related to flights. We strongly suggest that all travelers wait until they receive the official FTLO Greenlight Email to book flights. This will be sent 3-4 months prior to the start date of your trip.

Alumni reviews

We know how much you'll love the lapland trip... but don't take our word for it check out some of our alumni reviews. .

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Santa’s Lapland Review – A Holiday of a Lifetime

Taking a Lapland holiday was something we only dreamt of. I honestly never thought we would actually do it.  Looking out of the window of the plane at the snow covered land, the girls couldn’t believe it. And neither could I – it was such a beautiful landscape. We were all so excited to be going to see Father Christmas !

We travelled to Lapland with Santa’s Lapland in December 2021 and as first timers to this magical winter wonderland, I really can’t recommend them enough. Powder white snow covers every surface as far as the eye can see and this trip was everything we could have wished for – It was a dream come true.

(DISCLOSURE: We were invited to stay in Lapland by Santa’s Lapland but all thoughts and opinions are my own).

Lapland is the most wonderful places to take a Santa breaks with family, especially little ones. As someone who hates the cold and refused to ever go on a snow holiday I am now totally hooked. I feel I need to plan in a snow holiday every year – It took my breath away and was the most magical experience ever. The girls (who are 6 & 3 at the time of writing this article), were so excited to see where all the Christmas magic happens and to meet Santa himself.

In this article I have covered a day by day itinerary into our magical Lapland holidays, as well as some helpful hints and tips about clothing and things to do in Saariselkä, Lapland.

Table of Contents

Santa’s Lapland Review – The Best Lapland Holiday

We all want to make Christmas as magical as possible whilst the children are small. We decorate our homes, bake, visit grottos but the ultimate Christmas experience to remember would be a Lapland holiday to visit Santa in person. We were lucky enough to head off on our own adventure with the girls with Santa’s Lapland in December 2021.

Lapland is located at the northernmost tip of Finland, deep within the Arctic Circle. It is the most magical, snow-filled Christmas wonderland and we had the most amazing winter holiday that none of us will ever forget.

Who are Santa’s Lapland?

Every Christmas dream or fairy tale starts in the North Pole. It is one of the most magical places any family could visit and take a short break. Santa’s Lapland is the perfect choice.  We spent 4 days in Lapland, Finland with Santa’s Lapland. Santa’s Lapland are a tour operator based in the UK who organise amazing trips to Finnish Lapland. These unforgettable trips aim to be as easy as possible with everything packaged up and provide families with a festive, magical holiday including reindeers, husky-sleds; snowmobile and skidoo rides as well of visiting Santa Claus in his log-cabin.

Santa’s Lapland will arrange everything for you to make sure you have the best time, which makes everything so easy – just what us parents need when we have young children.  Flights, transfers, accommodation and all of the activities are included in the package so you literally just have to turn up at the airport.

Santa’s Lapland offer two packages, Santa’s Magic and Santa’s Aurora. You can either choose from a 3 day, or 4 day Lapland holiday. Pop over to the Santa’s Lapland website to see both packages. Both also fly from a number of UK airports, so there is one to suit most family’s locations.

Santa’s Lapland Location

Santa’s Lapland is located in Saariselkä, in Finnish Lapland, which is way up north in the Arctic Circle. It actually overlaps the borders of four different countries and the native Sami people of Lapland always roamed freely across all four countries. Saariselkä is a little Finnish village – the official home of Santa Claus

Our Lapland Holiday with Santa’s Lapland

We spent 4 days in Saariselkä Lapland, Finland and chose the Santa’s Magic package. We would highly recommend the 4 days so that you can really enjoy everything about Lapland. My girls just loved the snow and the 4 day package gives you the chance to do all the things kids really love when you are on a snow holiday – play in the snow!

A large part of day one of your Santa’s Lapland holiday is spent travelling and getting prepared for your few days in the snow.

We took a direct flights- non-stop to Ivalo airport in Saariselkä – you can fly in from 13 regional airports and the flight takes approximately 3.5 hours. The flight itself was one that I have never experienced before with Christmas singing and games the whole way. It really got all the children and adults in the festive spirit ahead of visiting Santa in Lapland!

When you arrive in Lapland you will be welcomed by Santa’s Elves in the airport, followed by a 25 minute transfer by coach with lots of snowy scenery to the accommodation. You are assigned a coach for your stay – We were Snowberry – and you stay in this group throughout your stay.

Before you reach your Lapland hotel, you get taken to the Lapland Safari Center to collect all of your snow gear. As part of our package, you are given a snow suit, snow boots, gloves and woolen socks so there really is no need to bring your own snow gear, just plenty of layers depnding on the temperature when you stay. It was -36 on one of our days so we needed plenty – but we didn’t get too cold despite it being freezing outside (more on what to wear later)! From there, we headed around the corner to our hotel.

Hotels in Lapland

Santa’s Lapland really do get the accommodation options right. I am forever looking for family holidays that cater for larger families with large hotel rooms with more than one bedroom.

There are a number of Lapland hotels to choose from that are all centrally located to Saariselka, these all vary in size and facilities. The largest accommodation caters for up to 13 people so friends and family can all stay together.

Our Accommodation at Santa’s Lapland

We stayed at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi in a four room apartment (Type F on the website). It couldn’t have suited us better. The hotel is set in a wooded area close to the cross-country ski trails and a 2 min walk from the main building when the main bar and restaurant is located.

Our suite was over 2 floors with stair gates on the stairs. The 3 bedrooms were perfect for us with one on the ground floor and 2 on the second. The main bathroom had a shower, toilet and sauna, and there was another toilet on the second. It was great to also have a small kitchen with a small cooker and microwave for snacks, and it came complete with tea, coffee and sugar. The suites all have free WiFi.

By the time you arrive to your hotel and get yourself organized, there is just enough time for a play in the snow (because that’s what everyone wants to do right!) before heading to dinner.

Meals in Lapland

You dine on a half board basis in Lapland, but we really only need to buy one lunch meal whilst at the hotel so additional costs are kept at a minimum. There is a choice of buffet food for breakfast and dinner, and on the last night you’ll get to enjoy a special Gala Buffet Dinner. All of which is located in the main Saariselkä building.

The food was fairly basic which of course the kids loved – chicken nuggets, pizza, burgers and chips, with chicken, fish and salad options for the adults.

Day 2 – Snow Day

Lapland at Christmas is one of the most magical things you will ever do in your lifetime – the snow actually sparkles like millions of tiny diamonds, it’s just incredible.

One of the strangest parts of our Lapland trip was the light. I hadn’t quite prepared myself for how dark it would be. Whilst we were there, the sun rose at 10.30am, and set at 2.30pm, which meant a lot of the day is spent playing in the dark which, in our opinion added to the fun and the magic – it was a real Christmas winter wonderland.

If you are taking the 4 day Santa’s Lapland holiday, day 2 is a free day for you to have fun in the snow. And honestly, this is all the girls wanted to do and I really recommend you having this extra day to enjoy Lapland.

We kept this day rather relaxed and spent most of our time playing in the snow and tobogganing, but there are a few extra things you may also like to do too.  Things you can do during your snow day…

·      Toboggan down the toboggan run – it’s a 5 min walk. Come out of the hotel and turn left. Follow the road around the corner and up the hill until you reach the T-junction (the Lapland Safari shop is opposite you). Turn right here and follow the path down the hill and the slope is just over the road ahead of you.

·      Take a walk through the trees on the toboggans – if you come out of the main restaurant and head across the road and down the small slope, you can take a lovely quiet walk through the trees on the ski tracks.

·      Just play in the snow. There is heaps of snow everywhere and the girls just loved climbing in it and jumping where ever possible. They had never experienced a winter snow holiday before so this was so special to be able to do this!

·      Visit the aurora hut –If there is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights, then the aurora hut is a must. If you walk to the big map board with the temperature display just down from and before the Tunturi hotel, then facing it, walked towards the right just a very short way onto the ski tracks but rather than following the tracks (big mistake!) turn quite quickly left into the trees where it’s lit, follow the path on and up, and you pretty much can’t go wrong from there … it’s about a 10-15 min walk.

·      Book one of Santa’s Lapland ‘extra’ activities such as Rudolph’s Reindeer run, the northern lights tours, or the snowmobile safaris.

Day 3 – Visiting Santa in Lapland

Wow, what a day – the one we had all been waiting for. It was our chance to meet Santa in Lapland – his home!

Day 3 is all about the magic of Santa. We were picked up by coach from the hotel and taken on a 25 min coach ride through the snow covered countryside.

Once we arrived, one parent is asked to stay on the coach, whilst the other gets off to play a few games led the Santa’s Lapland staff. This is so that you can be filled in with all the ‘secret’ info for your day and then the magic begins!

What’s Included in Santa’s Magic Package

There are two activity areas to your Santa’s day adventure, both offering different activities; The Husky side and the Reindeer side.

With 5 main activities, and heaps of smaller ones, there is plenty to keep the fun going all day long and they are all suitable for children of all ages.

The Main winter activities on Santa Day are;

Husky Sledding

The husky rides were our favourite part of the day (apart from meeting Santa of course). Adults get to drive 5 huskies, whilst pulling the rest of their family in the sleigh through the winter wonderland. The ride lasts around 5 mins which was just perfect for little people. After your ride, you get to meet your huskies which the twins were so excited about as they are massive animal lovers!

Reindeer Sleigh Rides

Sit back and relax and enjoy the enchanting Lapland whilst being pulled by one of Santa’s reindeer – the reindeer rides were an incredible journey whilst the sun was beginning to set. The reindeer behind often popped their head over your shoulder whilst they were walking which the girls thought was hilarious!

Elf Theatre Show

Before the Elf show began, we were invited into the ice bar for a drink… yes there really was a whole bar, with tables and sculptures made of ice. There was an extra charge for these but how could I resist a glass of baileys in Lapland!

The Elf theatre was inside a huge igloo – it was incredible and such a treat which the girls loved.

Visiting Santa in Lapland

This was what we had come to Lapland for and it was one of the most special things for the girls to experience in their lives. We left meeting Santa to the end of the day because we wanted to end on a high and that we certainly did. It is a private family meeting and you do this with just your family.

When our time came to meet the big man himself, we were escorted by snowmobile and sleigh, through the woods to a hideaway log-cabin for an exclusive play with the elves, and private meeting with Santa Claus himself – it totally blew us all away how magical and special this was. It will stay with us forever.

Other Outdoor Activities

Matilda’s absolute favorite was the skidoos – a child’s size snowmobile attached to a tree and they are able to drive it on their own. She absolutely loved it! Besides from the skidoos, there was also ice fishing, ice hockey, toboggan runs where I think the twins fell of every time but loved it, and tandem skiing. You can do any of these activities as many times as you like.

If the children start to get chilly at any point during the day, there are kotas dotted around with open fires in to warm you up, as well as warm drinks and traditional ginger bread biscuits – yum.

Lunch is included in the day. They served either vegetables with rice, or spaghetti Bolognese, both with bread and a jug of berry juice.

Once we had squeezed in as much as we possibly could, we got back on the coach and headed to the hotel. It’s a rolling service on the way home and you can leave anytime between 3pm and 5pm. They left every 20 mins or so.

Gala Dinner

Santa’s Lapland invites all of its guests to a gala dinner on the last night. Whilst it was busy, it was such a lovely evening with tables decorated with crackers and decorations and a Christmas dinner with children’s options too.

The evening finished with games and dancing for the kids, whilst the adults enjoyed a glass of wine with our new friends we had made! What a great way to end a fabulous trip to Lapland.

Day 4 – It’s Time to Head Home

Under usual circumstances, you may have an hour or two to play in the snow before it’s time to pack up to go home, but as we were travelling during the pandemic, and just as the rules had changed to us requiring more tests before we flew, time was needed to get these done at the airport so it meant an early departure for us – do pack plenty of snacks for your return journey, as well as your outbound flight in case of delays as the food is limited at the airport.

Santa’s Lapland FAQ

What do i wear in lapland.

As well as the complimentary thermal snowsuits, boots, socks, gloves and hats – my answer is layers. And how many you need to wear, depends on how cold it is – check the weather before you go but it is better to take too much than not enough.

The climate in Lapland is classed as sub-arctic with the first snow falling in September and staying on the ground until early May. In December, Lapland is freezing cold and temperatures reached -36 whist we were there so had to make sure the children stayed warm. We were wearing 5 layers a day.

For this reason, you should bring many layers of warm, comfortable inner wear such as long johns, long sleeved shirts, jumpers and thermal trousers.

• Warm fleece jumper
•  Thermal underwear and base layers
• Scarf or snood and hat
• Thin thermal gloves (ideal as a base layer under snow gloves)
• Take a small backpack or rucksack to pop an extra layer

Whilst the best snow wear was provided, I advice you travel in a warm coat and sensible shoes.

Did you get cold?

On one occasion the girls got chilly, but we did layer everyone up well – it got up to -36 on this particular day. We just popped on an extra layer which we carried with us and then carried on play – you just have. to go prepared. We also found heat pads were great for keeping small hands and feet warm.

Is there a supermarket?

Yes, it’s about an 8 min walk from the hotel. We didn’t really buy much other than milk for hot drinks.

What camera did I use?

I used my iphone and didn’t have any problems with it – just keep it warm in your pocket when you are not using it. Also pop it onto airplane mode and it didn’t zap our battery either!

Did you need to take much spending money?

The only extras we bought was lunch one day at the resort, and evening drinks. Lunch was roughly £15 per adult and £10 per child. Wine was £35 a bottle.

You could buy a few souvenirs in the shops and we thought these were reasonably priced.

How much did it cost?

So much impacts how much a trip to Lapland costs. When you go, the hotel and the size of your room or apartment but to give you an idea, our stay in a 3 star, 3 bedroom apartment for the 5 of us cost just under £6500.

Trips to Lapland and Covid – What are the Rules?

Always check the government website before travelling as rules are changing regularly.

How to Book a Trip to Lapland

Lapland is popular destination in the winter season so make sure you book well in advice. But booking is simple, just pop on to the Santa’s Lapland website to see availability, accommodation options and up to date pricing. Dates for Santa’s Lapland 2023 have just been released!

I hope you have found this Lapland guide helpful and inspiring to book your family trip to Lapland – Santa’s Lapland is the best choice in our opinion because you receive such a personal service and it really does bring the magic of Christmas alive – I am already thinking about our next trip!

If you would like any further information or advice regarding Finnish Lapland holidays and a Lapland break, please don’t hesitate to send me an email on [email protected]

1 thought on “Santa’s Lapland Review – A Holiday of a Lifetime”

Wow, wow, wow this is exactly the sort of experience I have always dreamed of giving my children ever since I was little. I always wanted to go to Lapland when I was a kid but my Mum couldn’t afford it. Now as the parent I have been trying to decide on the best time to go. I want it to be magical but I also want them to remember it, our youngest is now 8 so I think we are finally at a suitable age . Great pics Anna x

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Hi, I’m Anna, a travel loving wife to Tristan and Mother to 6 year old twins Poppy and Tabitha, their 3 year old sister Matilda, and together we are Twins and Travels.

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Lapland Travel: de ultieme Lapland ervaring in één week

Waarom hebben wij gekozen voor lapland travel, het concept van lapland travel, onze lapland ervaring, wanneer kan je naar lapland en wat kost het.

Als je het aan ons vraagt, behoort Lapland tot één van de meest sprookjesachtige plekken op aarde. Dit noordelijke deel van Scandinavië is een waanzinnig mooie winterbestemming wanneer het ongerepte landschap is bedekt met een dik pak sneeuw. Wij gingen met Lapland Travel naar Fins Lapland om daar in één week de meest gave activiteiten te ondernemen zoals een huskytocht, sneeuwscooter rijden, op noorderlicht expeditie en nog veel meer. Het was een onvergetelijke reis en hier delen we onze ervaring met Lapland en de reisorganisatie Lapland Travel zodat je weet wat je kan verwachten.

Je kan ons het beste beschrijven als de doe-het-zelf reiziger en we stippelen dan ook vrijwel altijd al onze reizen zelf uit. We houden van die vrijheid en vinden het leuk om zelf op zoek te gaan naar mooie plekken en activiteiten. In het geval van Lapland is het alleen net even anders. Wanneer je in de winter naar Lapland gaat, dan ga je meestal niet rondreizen maar bezoek je slechts een bestemming vanwaar je activiteiten gaat ondernemen. Ook wil vrijwel iedereen ongeveer dezelfde activiteiten ondernemen. Een reis naar Lapland is dus minder uitzoekwerk en meer een kwestie van alles regelen en goed plannen. Dat stukje neemt Lapland Travel uit handen en zij plannen het zo dat je in één week de ultieme Lapland ervaring zal beleven. Daarom vonden wij het concept van Lapland Travel ideaal. De vlucht, de accommodatie, activiteiten en transfers, alles is geregeld. Zo kan je de hele Lapland bucketlist afvinken en optimaal genieten zonder gedoe.

Bij de reizen van Lapland Travel zijn de accommodatie en vijf gave activiteiten inbegrepen. Er zijn verschillende accommodaties om uit te kiezen zoals een blokhut, een glazen huisje, een bed in een hostel of een appartement. De prijzen zijn afhankelijk van de accommodatie die je kiest. Wij kozen voor de blokhut en één nacht in een glazen huisje. De blokhut was eenvoudig maar heel erg gezellig en het glazen huisje was waanzinnig mooi. Hier  lees je meer over de verschillende soorten accommodaties waaruit je kan kiezen en de bijbehorende prijzen.

De activiteiten die altijd zijn inbegrepen:

• Sneeuwscooter rijden
• Noorderlicht expeditie
• Sneeuwschoen hike

Vervolgens zijn er nog veel meer activiteiten die optioneel bij te boeken zijn zoals fatbiken, rendierboerderij, skiën en paardrijden. De vlucht naar Lapland kan je erbij boeken maar ook zelf regelen als je dat liever doet. Eenmaal in Lapland verdelen ze de reizigers in groepen van ongeveer 12 mensen. De vijf inbegrepen activiteiten doe je samen met jouw groep. Wij vonden dit erg leuk omdat je zo telkens dezelfde mensen ontmoet. De bijgeboekte activiteiten zijn vaak een mix van verschillende groepen. Je kan kiezen tussen twee verschillende bestemmingen; Äkäslompolo en Rovaniemi. Wij kozen voor Äkäslompolo omdat dit een wat kleiner dorpje is maar Rovaniemi blijkt zeker net zo mooi te zijn.

De eerste week van februari was het zover en vertrokken we naar Lapland. We vlogen vanuit Amsterdam rond zonsopkomst en de hele vlucht konden we daarvan genieten. De zon komt namelijk maar een klein stukje boven de horizon uit rond deze tijd in Lapland. Op een heldere dag kan je in februari genieten van wel 6 uur lang zonsopkomst. Dat alleen is al magisch toch? Dat constante lage licht maakt het winterse landschap extra mooi.

Na aankomst in Lapland stond de bus van Lapland Travel al klaar en reden we in een klein uurtje naar Äkäslompolo. Dit is een heel klein dorpje, omringd door 7 heuvels en het Pallas-Yllästunturi Nationaal Park. Het dorp heeft alles in huis voor een fijne week. Er is een grote supermarkt, een bar en verschillende restaurants. Niet dat wij die getest hebben want wij vonden het heerlijk om na een dag vol activiteiten even snel zelf wat klaar te maken in de blokhut. De blokhut was een hele fijne plek om te ontspannen. Je hebt een eigen sauna, een goede keuken en een knusse zithoek. Allemaal goed geregeld dus!

De weersvoorspelling gaf aan dat het de hele week ongeveer -18° zou worden. Eenmaal in Lapland bleek daar weinig van te kloppen. Er was een dag dat het -2° was maar ook een dag dat het -35° was! Zorg dus dat je voorbereidt bent op alle soorten weer en check onze paklijst voor Lapland voordat je gaat. -35° was zo koud dat de condens van onze adem direct vast vroor op ons gezicht. Na een uurtje langlaufen vroren onze tenen eraf en hebben we gelijk dikkere wollen sokken en hand- en voetwarmers  gekocht. De rest van de week was het daarmee heerlijk warm in de schoenen en handschoenen.

De activiteiten waren stuk voor stuk een fantastische beleving met voor ons als hoogtepunt de huskytocht. Wat een beleving was dat! Elke dag stonden er één of twee activiteiten op de planning en er was genoeg vrije tijd om zelf ook nog iets te ondernemen. In de omgeving kan je mooi wandelen in het nationale park, skiën of een sauna bezoeken. Wij huurde deze schattige sauna aan het meer van Äkäslompolo waar je ook kon zwemmen in een wak. Een hele toffe ervaring en heerlijk in combinatie met de sauna!

De communicatie vanuit Lapland Travel was heel fijn. Een week van te voren kregen we onze planning waarop we konden lezen hoe de week eruit ging zien. Vervolgens kregen we een uitnodiging voor de groepsapp waar iedereen van jouw groep en iemand van Lapland Travel in zit. Elke dag kregen we daarin een appje met alle info voor de volgende dag. Alles was tot in de puntjes geregeld zodat we zelf nergens meer over hoefde te denken en we kregen leuke tips voor de omgeving.

Er zijn verschillende data beschikbaar van eind december t/m maart. De prijzen verschillen en zijn afhankelijk van het type accommodatie dat je kiest. Het start vanaf €1175 per persoon. Vijf activiteiten, de accommodatie en de vlucht zijn bij deze prijs inbegrepen. Ben je helemaal enthousiast geworden over deze te gekke trip? Neem dan een kijkje op  www.laplandtravel.com  voor meer informatie of om je in te schrijven.

Meer weten over finland ?

Bekijk hier al onze artikelen met tips, reisroutes en to do’s in finland.

Over de auteur

Hi! Wij zijn Greg & Irene Twee doorgewinterde reizigers die gek zijn op avontuurlijke reizen. Gewapend met een camera en drone verzamelen we sinds 2014 de beste tips voor reisbestemmingen van over de hele wereld en bundelen deze in handige artikelen. Zo wordt het plannen van jouw reis een stukje makkelijker en leuker.

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Canterbury Travel   Reviews

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Reviews 4.5.

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Excellent booking experience

Excellent booking experience, staff member was friendly, informative and very helpful. Nice easy booking just want you want.

Date of experience : 18 March 2024

Absolutely magical

Absolutely magical. One of the best holidays I’ve ever been on. Brilliantly organised - handling a couple of guest issues with total professionalism. Our Arctic star (rep) Timothy was absolutely brilliant - not just with the adults but also with the kids. Huge thanks to him Amazing activities - the memories of which will stay with us for a lifetime. And the elves were totally amazing. Special mention to Wendy Wood whom we all loved and Speedy Sam who my son now hero worships and who spotted and waved to him as we left. Would totally recommend.

Date of experience : 16 December 2023

We’ve just come back from Enontekio m

We’ve just come back from Enontekio m, booked with Canterbury Travel and couldn’t fault it. The kids had the most magical time and we loved it so much that we’re going to book again for next year. Everything was so well organised from arriving at the airport to leaving. Everything was included with the price which is a bonus when you’ve got kids as they seem to ask for everything. Can’t wait to book again with Canterbury Travel, a highly recommended company

Date of experience : 22 December 2023

Christmas Sparkle (Soumu)

We had the most magical time in Lapland, meeting Santa, Husky ride, Reindeers, it was all perfect! Special mention to Robert our arctic star, he was fantastic-thank you! We would definitely recommend Canterbury travel.

Date of experience : 18 December 2023

A wonderful magical experience

A wonderful magical experience, everything was seamless and thought through. Our Arctic Star was Wendy and she did a fantastic job, especially considering she told us it was her first tour on her own. The booking experience was also great with helpful service.

Date of experience : 19 December 2023

Suomu Christmas sparkle

We went from stansted to suomu for the Christmas sparkle package and overall it was a good experience. Jet2 were fab and couldn’t fault the energy and enthusiasm of the Canterbury staff. We thought the food was excellent too. Everything was well organised but… for the price level there were some things that were disappointing. There were no clean mugs in our log cabin (not just tea stains actual dried on hot chocolate) so had to wash them all up before we could have a warm drink. We had to bring our own hot drinks as tea bags, coffee etc isn’t provided in the lodge/cabins (we were aware of this before travel but for a 2 night £6k holiday seems ridiculous that a few tea bags couldn’t be provided). There were also no Christmas lights or decorations in our log cabin - just one light up reindeer. Meeting Santa was magical but the children made Christmas cards whilst they were waiting to go in and were given paper cups of old broken crayons (surely some felt tips/glitter etc could have been provided). None of these things were terrible or ruined it in any way for the kids but so many people had raved about the experience and for something that was so expensive we had expected it to be incredible- not just good.

Date of experience : 15 December 2023

Not been yet to lapland yet but…

Not been yet to lapland yet but as far as Canterbury Travel goes, really helpful staff, happy to explore all the options and then helped me find the package that was right for me and my family not necessarily what can feel like the one that makes them the most money or biggest bonus. Able to answer all my questions how ever unusual they may have been. Their confidence made me feel booking with them was safe and secure.

Date of experience : 23 March 2023

Christmas at Suomu

Thank you to the lady my daughter spoke to last night when we realised the Gatwick flights to Luosto for Christmas 2023 were fully booked. She advised us to consider Stansted to Suomu which we did. I booked this wonderful-looking family trip for a large group of us this morning. Carl, you were so helpful, friendly and professional, despite the problems with your phone, and our documents have already been emailed and sorted. We can’t wait for our Christmas holiday!

Date of experience : 12 January 2023

Reply from Canterbury Travel

Glad Carl was able to help you book this trip for your family. We'll see you in Lapland later this year! Best regards, Donna Canterbury Travel

Fantastic but busy day - loved it

We travelled to Enontekio Finland with Canterbury Travel for the day. The day was amazing, the place was fantastic, plenty to do & not over crowded as there were only 2 planes of people there. Only thing that is needed to improve the day is to make the suit & boot collection better - that part of the day was very chaotic. Other than that highly recommend the day - was an awesome experience - loved it

Date of experience : 02 December 2022

Thank you for your review Mrs Stevens. We're sorry that collecting your snow suits and boots was chaotic. Unfortunately, Enontekio is a very small airport but our team at this location are working hard to improve this. We delighted that you had a good time in Lapland. Merry Christmas from us all ! Donna Canterbury Travel

Made a phone booking for my family…

Made a phone booking for my family today. Things were not straight forward but the customer service assistant Bernie went to a great deal of trouble to sort out the issues. Thank you so much for your excellent service. Looking forward to our Lapland Experience!

Date of experience : 15 March 2023

Firs visit to Lapland

The first time i have ever been to Lapland and enjoyed every single minute of it. This was a day trip organised by Canterbury travel and i would absolutely recommend it. 4 adults with 2 grand children 8 and 5, and it was a really magical day for them, concluding with meeting the big man himself, Santa. The flights with Jet 2 were very good, with no delays, and food (good food) on both outbound and inbound flights. Temperature was around -12 degees but you are provided with boots and snow suits to keep you well warm. Transfer from Enontekio airport to the "Playground" was via sledges pulled by snow mobile through the forests of Lapland. A magical journey by itself. Advised to book the visit to Santa as soon as we got there and were given a time slot. We found all the things to do were not overcrowded and very little waiting around, Snow mobiles, husky rides, sledging, reindeer rides and more. Dinner was in the "Canteen", where there was a bit of choice of food, so i am sure there would be something for everyone. It does get a little bit busy but we still found somewhere to sit down. Over all we all thought it had been a magical experience and well worth the money. Would definitely recommend Canterbury Travel

Excellent from enquiry to booking

From making the enquiry online to booking the whole process was quick and easy. I wasn't hounded after making the enquiry and allowed to take my time deciding, unlike another company who have called a few times and emailed me everyday which put me off. The lady I dealt with via email was so helpful and the man who I booked on the phone with sounded genuinely interested in helping and polite. Really good customer service

Date of experience : 25 September 2022

5 Day, 5* - Christmas at Luosto, Lapland

Without question this was the best holiday and family experience we've ever had. My children (12 and 8), myself and my wife got to tick off a bucket list item and got to meet Santa on his home turf. It was superb, and the organisation delivered by Canterbury travel was second to none. Yes, it is expensive, but you never feel short changed in any way. We met elves, we had fun with our arctic stars guiding us round Lapland, we got to try out snow mobiles, sledges, feed reindeers and loads loads more. It's amazing how much you actually do in the time you are there. There's even a few surprises that isn't mentioned on the operators itinerary that just adds to the magic. We wouldn't have changed a thing. Thanks Canterbury Travel. You deserve all the travel accolades that you keep getting. We'll be thinking about this holiday for a long time to come.

Date of experience : 23 December 2022

Thank you very much for your amazing review. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your trip and had a magical time with us in Lapland. Best regards, Donna Canterbury Travel

Think carefully before booking with Canterbury Travel

Cabin accommodation was excellent; tour guide was excellent. However the food was absolutely disgusting - nuggets and chips, turkey twizzlers and chips, no fresh produce - the breakfast was one of the worst I have ever experienced. The food was completely sub-standard given the high cost of the package. Regarding activities, Day 1 was too long and activities were packed together. Kids were exhausted, hungry and hysterical by the end. Day 2 we had a lot of spare time. Why not spread the activities more evenly over the 2 days? Also, ALOT of time wasted playing unnecessary “snow games”. By day 2 nearly everyone in the group had had enough of playing these games in the freezing cold and wouldn’t even get off the bus when told to. Overall, I would not recommend Canterbury Travel for a Santa Experience and the majority of the parents in our group all felt the same.

Date of experience : 06 December 2022

We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the food and some of the tour activities. We will include your feedback at our debrief meeting with the resort managers. Please do not hesitate to contact our team if you would like to discuss this further. Regards, Donna Canterbury Travel

Magical & Fantastic Experience 🌟

The whole experience was excellent and well organised by Canterbury Travel. Our Canterbury guide Matthew on coach Y was just the best! We had issues with our Cabin and he instantly alerted the right people and we were transferred to better accommodation. His enthusiasm and entertainment on the coach was just contagious and made the experience so enjoyable. The whole experience was magical and our highlights were seeing Father Christmas, reindeer & the Husky rides. Our only disappointment was we never actually got to do snow mobile riding. We found out children had to be 140cm in height to accompany an adult on a snow mobile. They offered mini snow mobiles for kids but some of these were not working onsite and with only two available and a long queue waiting in the cold we just retreated back to the coach without riding as the cold just got the better of us! However we did enjoy the sleigh ride to and from the ski mobile track. All the staff were friendly and helpful especially hotel site manager (lady with long blonde hair whose name I forgot to take I think it’s Libby). Dispute the couple of issues mentioned the whole experience was good value and I highly recommend. We have treasured memories from this fantastic experience.

Date of experience : 03 December 2023

We had the most amazing magical 4 day…

We had the most amazing magical 4 day break in Luosto. Every tiny detail was covered to make it truly magical. We travelled with 2 teenagers 16, 15 and a 10 yr and disabled 8 year old. Canterbury travel from start to finish made sure everything was in place to cater for us. We all said it was the most incredible time and so glad we did it, bought back all the magic of Christmas. Our tour guide Chloe was exceptional and nothing was too much trouble. Our coach was B the best too, always singing. We would go back in a heartbeat. I absolutely would highly recommend Canterbury Travel and so many of our friends did to us too.

Date of experience : 08 December 2022

Thank you for your smashing review. We're delighted that your family made magical memories together. It was an absolute pleasure welcoming you to Lapland! Best regards, Donna Canterbury Travel

The booking process was very easy

The booking process was very easy. The website is easy to use and has all of the information you need. When I made an enquiry I was emailed a quote and Michelle made a courtesy call. I wasn’t in a position to book at that time. I received another email about my enquiry but didn’t feel pestered. During booking Michelle was very friendly and explained everything clearly. I would definitely recommend Canterbury Travel.

Date of experience : 04 November 2022

A truly magical experience

We chose Canterbury Travel for this once in a lifetime trip to meet Santa in Lapland for our four girls. The first day travelling wasn’t ideal. There was a flight delay, it took quite a while getting the thermal suits, and first night meal (Skandia Hotel) was pretty sub standard. That, coupled with having tired children (and adults) and a lot of hanging around, wasn’t a great omen for the rest of the trip. The staff in fairness were very responsive and helpful. However, the next day the magic began and the next 2 and a half days were magical. We were immersed in a winter wonderland of elf characters and experiences which was amazing, The reindeer sleigh ride and husky sledging were magical. Getting to meet Santa the way we did (who even had the original letters we posted from Belfast!!) was wonderful. The accomodation (in a Ruka Lodge) was warm, cosy and very spacious. And the staff ferried us around between breakfast lunch and dinner and lots of activities in between - which must have been a logistical nightmare to plan- was delivered with military precision, great professionalism and enthusiasm. The whole experience ( except for the first couple of hours) was amazing. Our guides - Mia and Grace / never stopped and were so kind and helpful. All of the elves couldn’t have done enough to make the experience so special, I was blown away!! I could not recommend Canterbury Travel and the staff more highly. When booking, I thought it was a bit expensive, but it really was well worth it. It was a very, very, very good experience for both children and adults!

Date of experience : 01 December 2023

Expertise at its best!!!…

Such an easy booking and payment system. Canterbury travel kept me fully informed throughout the process. This is my second time using Canterbury Travel for a Lapland trip. I would not hesitate to use them again. Brilliant.

Date of experience : 30 September 2022

Was due to fly tomorrow been poorly in…

Was due to fly tomorrow been poorly in hospital with high blood pressure and today after lots of asking and being told yes the gp told me I was unfit to fly rang Canterbury straight away as I’d got a medical letter to see if could transfer all the party to next year with any extra costs or cancel. They weren’t prepared to even ask me what was wrong the attitude on the phone was go or lose money. So half the party are going me and my partner will not be going and I most definitely will not be booking with them next year when I’m fit to fly and not tomorrow 22/12/22

Date of experience : 21 December 2022

Tracy, thank you for your review. You made your booking via a travel agent, and it is your agent you will have spoken to regarding this matter. It is most unfortunate that you were diagnosed as unfit to fly by your Doctor, the day before departure. As per our terms and conditions, it is not possible to transfer a booking to the following year and you should contact your travel insurance provider to see if the reason for your cancellation is covered under your policy so that you may reclaim cancellation charges.