Whether you’re a Santa believer or bah-humbug, you’re eternally five years old and fizzing with excitement on a trip to see St Nick in Lapland.  

When the Arctic gets its seasonal dump of snow in December, the region pulls out all the festive stops, with its Christmas card scene of snow-daubed fells and forests, flurry of winter activities (reindeer! huskies!), and northern lights shows. 

Father Christmas and his tribe of twinkly elves draw thousands of wide-eyed, sugar-tanked kids and their parents to this real-life winter wonderland every year. Coming in December naturally cranks up the festive magic tenfold. Read on for more about what the Santa experience involves and why it is only the icing on Lapland’s Christmas cake. 

Which is the best Santa experience in Lapland?

Rovaniemi in Finland is Santa central, with a proper hit of festive sparkle at the Santa Claus Village, where you can meet Santa in his grotto, learn every elf trick in the book, and dash across the Arctic Circle in a reindeer-driven sleigh.

Kids also love the more Disneyfied Santa Park, with glitzy Christmas rides, elves baking gingerbread, ice sculptures and another Santa (spoiler: there’s more than one).

Yes, it’s touristy, but within minutes you can give the crowds the slip and be out in the snowy wilderness, driving a husky sleigh or snowmobiling as the northern lights flash overhead.

Authentic Scandinavia’s Rovaniemi Santa Claus Adventure includes three nights at the Santa Claus Holiday Village.

If you need a bit more breathing space, drive 15 minutes out of town to Apukka Resort with its pretty location astride a frozen lake.

Discover the World offers a three-night Santa Break which includes a private family visit to see Santa in his secret cabin, activities from reindeer rides to mini snowmobiling, all meals, and warm-weather gear. 

Is Santa’s Lapland worth it?

A luxury trip to Lapland is one you likely only take once; it’s so worth it to see the look on kids’ faces when they meet Santa and are dropped into an Arctic scene straight out of Frozen. 

For the magic to work its charm, take them at an age when they still believe.

You want them to be able to remember the experience, so four or five is the golden age, though older kids get more out of the Lapland activities, some of which are off-limits to younger kids (snowmobiling, for instance). 

Unless you plan to just hang out in Rovaniemi, a Lapland holiday is best organized as a package, both logistically and because it is cheaper. Do it independently and accommodation, meal, and activity costs quickly snowball. 

How many days do you need in Lapland?

You’re going all the way to the Arctic, so why rush?  Some companies offer day trips to Lapland, but they’re pretty tiring for kids.

A three to four-night stay is the minimum if you want the trip to be reasonably relaxed, with time to do the whole Santa thing, throw in some snow fun, and see the northern lights come out to play.

Most Christmas packages include some festive activities, too, from reindeer rides to elf schools.

If you want to venture deeper into Lapland to a quieter resort or village, you’ll need longer: five days is great, and a week is even better.

Seeing Santa as the hook for a longer, more varied trip to the Arctic keeps both kids and parents happy.

Where is the best place for Christmas in Lapland?

Beyond Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland has some snug, low-key resorts up its sleeve where you can ski, hole up in a log cabin, aurora gaze, and dive wholeheartedly into the Narnia–like surrounds of frozen forests, fells, and deep downy snow. Santa pops up at all of them during the Christmas season, with packages to match.

Not only Finland is in on the act. Arctic Sweden is an enticing alternative, with plenty of Santa action and similar heart-stealing landscapes. 

What Types of Experiences Can You Have on a Lapland Vacation?

Have the perfect blend of Santa and Arctic wilderness with a 7-night all-inclusive vacation, staying at a rustic lodge on the edge of the Urho-Kekkonen National Park (nice and dark for the northern lights), far north of the Arctic Circle.

During Christmas week, they ramp up the festive fun with gingerbread baking, tree decorating and a Santa visit on Christmas Eve. 

Get dropped straight into a snow globe with a four-night package.  You’re based on the felly fringes of Pyhä-Luosto National Park, with log cabin accommodation, meals, loads of activities, elf parties and a jolly-good search for Santa on Christmas day. 

If sustainable travel is of interest, up the game with an off-the-beaten-track, seven-night Northern Lights Christmas trip, which whisks you to the silent white wilderness of Menesjarvi, right up near Lake Inari.

This one is culturally immersive, with activities from wilderness skills workshops to an insight into a reindeer herder’s day at a Sami farm and an aurora dinner in a traditional Kota hut. And yes, you’ll also see Santa.

Should Sweden appeal, try a three-night Santa adventure stay at the Grand Arctic Hotel in Overkalix, or a four-night Swedish Lapland trip based in Kiruna, with a torchlit procession to mass and a Christmas smorgasbord.

What else is there to do in Lapland at Christmas? 

Plenty. Pretty much every Lapland break covers some activities, from reindeer sleigh rides to dog sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tobogganing, and northern lights safaris.

Bear in mind that some activities might be unsuitable for kids under eight – check with Luxury Travel Authority to discover the best options for you.

You may even want to upgrade to a glass igloo for maximum aurora-spotting potential – we think it’s worth the splurge!   Seeing the northern lights dance overhead while snuggled up in bed really is special.

Often a big bonus is that you’ll be provided with cold-weather gear and you’ll need it, with temperatures dipping as low as -25C.

In terms of the northern lights, there are no guarantees, but the remoter you go and the longer you stay, the better the chances. 

When should I book?

LTA recommends booking the summer before. The best Lapland holidays fill up in the blink of Santa’s eye.

Some winter trips do sell out by summer, but the good news is you can jump to the front of the queue by booking now for next year.