Winter holiday in Lapland: Go on an adventures with the whole family!
Happy holidays, folks! You can give your child the gift of a miracle by leaving tickets to Lapland under the Christmas tree. Reindeer carriage rides, meeting Father Christmas and walking under the Arctic Circle will make for an unforgettable holiday for the whole family. Travel with fenix.info and we'll tell you what to do on your tour and how to plan.
In this article we share 13 useful tips for those who want to spend their winter holidays in Lapland:
1. Discover the snow-covered landscape and meet Father Christmas
Winter in Lapland is a time to experience the snow-covered landscape and meet Santa Claus. If you've never been here before, we can safely recommend this trip! If you are planning to visit Lapland soon and want to know what to expect, read on for everything you need to know about visiting this magical place during the holiday season.
The New Year is a wonderful holiday for both children and adults. You always want to surprise your child with something special, fabulous and memorable. New Year's Eve tours in Lapland — this is a fairy tale with children's favorite characters: Santa Claus, elves, real reindeer and Finnish sled dogs.
Santa Claus' village and a large selection of different kinds of winter safaris are the most popular attractions here. Agree, because there are not many places where you can go as a family. You'll find: economical accommodation in a cottage (with early booking), fun dog and reindeer rides, a visit to Santa himself, a visit to the real Northern Zoo and Santa Park, sizzling sausages around a campfire and winter ice fishing.
2. Experience a Winter Wonderland
Don't forget a warm face mask either... your nose might turn to ice while you're shooting outside! You don't need sunglasses as there's not much bright light in these parts, so eye protection is not required.
3. What can you expect from winter holidays in Lapland in 2023?
Northern Lights
Visit Father Christmas in his secret cabin
Santa Claus' Village
Make your own gingerbread
Snow Village and Ice Hotel
Reindeer Safari and Husky sledding
Snowshoeing tour
4. Northern Lights: how to see it in Lapland?
Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that can be observed in the sky throughout the winter, especially between January and February. The Finnish Meteorological Institute publishes weekly forecasts of aurora activity in Finland on its website.
There are many places to go to see the northern lights. But if you want to know where it will be seen, there is no better option than to go on a professional aurora hunting tour with Scandinavian Travel Group.
What else can I do in Lapland (Finland) besides seeing the northern lights?
There are plenty of other things to do in Finland! For example, you might like: Santa Claus' Village or Claus' Secret Cabin.
5. Visit Father Christmas in his secret cabin
Every year he welcomes dozens of visitors to his secret hut in the woods and hundreds of visitors to his official residence, Santa Village. The influx of tourists is understandable, you need to see the main symbol of Christmas at least once in your life.
But if you're not ready to queue to see Santa at his official residence, you have the option of visiting Santa in his secret hut, located in the town of Levi. See here for a unique program of the event, book here in advance!
6. Go to Santa Claus' Village
After a cozy chat with Santa in his secret hut, head to Santa's village! Father Christmas Village is a holiday destination for all ages.
The village is open from November to January, but during the summer months there's plenty of fun and interesting activities too. You can take part in workshops and classes and meet Santa. You can get to the village by bus, train or car from Rovaniemi. Furthermore, you'll be there in half an hour. You can get there quicker by plane and more originally by dog sled.
The mansion houses Santa's office, gift shops and a post office, from where families can write and send holiday letters to their loved ones and buy original presents! The whole family should visit the reindeer farm. Children go tobogganing in the Snowman Park, and adults relax in the ice bar.
7. How much is it to enter Santa's Village?
Entry to the village is free, but you'll have to pay between €33 and €110 for individual activities and to have your picture taken with the elves, go ice fishing or even try a reindeer sleigh ride.
New Year in Finland is a time when thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Rovaniemi to visit Joelupukki's Village and celebrate the New Year in style. Spend a few unforgettable days in the new cottage village Santa Claus Holiday Village, just 100 meters from the office of Santa Claus, the Arctic Circle and the Siberian husky farm. A visit to Santa Claus' Village is sure to put you in a festive mood!
8. Make your own gingerbread
From cute gingerbread men to cozy Christmas houses, children will be delighted to create their own sweet treats with Mrs Gingerbread in Santa Park. She runs her own bakery where she makes gingerbread: a delicious symbol of Christmas in her kitchen. The pleasant aroma of freshly baked goods fills the room, creating the atmosphere of a good children's fairy tale.
The children can not only watch how the soft dough is made, but also participate in the process of decorating the baked gingerbread. A special icing is made for this purpose. The finishing touch is sweet sprinkles.
How much the event costs?
Admission to the Father Christmas Park from 39 euros for adults, from 33 euros for children. For this price you can visit all the activities on the program.
9. Snow Village and Ice Hotel
You can have a great time in Lapland! There are many winter attractions, such as the Snow Village and Ice Hotel. The Snow Village is a place where you can enjoy activities like husky safaris and reindeer sleigh rides. If you want to experience something different, try ice fishing or an ice bar crawl with your friends.
The Ice Hotel is also popular among tourists who come here in winter. It's made of ice blocks instead of bricks! It usually opens from November until April each year. You can stay at this hotel if you want, but it's not cheap: the cheapest room costs around $1000 per night!
10. Go to Lapland for skiing
Another reason to stay in Lapland (Finland) for the winter holidays is to take a ride on the picturesque snow-covered slopes. There are many ski resorts in Finland. At resorts such as Levi, Yullas and Ruka you are guaranteed excellent skiing and comfortable accommodation in cozy cottages.
The hills of Levi in particular are great for families. There are gentle slopes for children and lively slopes with obstacles for parents. Children can learn how to ski for the first time in the paddling zone. There are a number of downhill courses to choose from for those who are already downhill. All the necessary equipment is available for rent right on the spot - no problem with that. If you prefer, skis can be replaced by a snowboard.
Prices
A private lesson with equipment and ski pass to the lift costs €95; one-day ski hire: €38/adult, €29/child; full-day pass: from €38 *Check with your tour operator for the latest prices.
The very location of this quiet family resort in Levi is very convenient: nearby is the exceptional travel office of Scandinavian Travel Group, where you can find inexpensive but unique family winter fun tours. A huge range of activities will be guaranteed!
Tours to the resort of Levi have been extremely popular with tourists from all over Europe for the past few years. This is because the unstable winter situation (snowless winters) in Europe and Finland's border regions makes it risky to pre-book even alpine resorts.
Unlike in many other countries, in Finland there is always snow cover, and it lasts until the beginning of May. The season starts in November. So book your tour now!
11. Reindeer Safari and Husky sledding
Reindeer Safari: This is an experience you and your family will never forget! You get to feed the reindeer and take pictures with them.
Husky Sledding: This is a fun activity for all ages! The huskies are very friendly, so you can enjoy this adventure with your whole family.
12. Snowshoe trekking and extraordinary scenery
If you are dreaming about Santas’ cabin in the snow, this trip is for you. An easy 3 hours walk with snowshoes to the best viewpoint of Levi fell and Santa’s secret kota (tepee) where you shall enjoy a Finnish sausage grilled on the open fire and traditional berry juice.
13. Visit Lapland in 2022 and experience the winter
Lapland is one of the most magical places in the world, with its deep winter nights and spectacular Northern Lights. It's also home to some of the best ski resorts in Europe!
There are so many things to do in Lapland (Finland) during the winter. The best part about visiting Finland is that you can choose from a variety of activities, depending on your mood. Whether you want to go ice fishing or skiing, there is something for everyone! So what are you waiting for? Book your trip now and start packing!
The key to successful travel is good planning. If your plans to Finland include children, you need to know in advance what the weather will be like, how not to miss the northern lights, how to navigate by local transport between all the sights, and to budget the trip itself. This is when a good tour operator comes in handy!
For over 25 years Scandinavian Travel Group has been organising tours to Lapland and knows almost everything about it!
If you're planning a trip to Lapland, you don't need to worry about booking flights or accommodation because we've already done everything for you. Just choose your departure date and let us take care of the rest — just leave your request on gostg.fi!
This article contains photos used with permission from ©Visit Rovaniemi and @ScandinavianTravelGroup.
