We took our best ever family holiday to Lapland to visit Santa’s village in the North Pole. Our children were 4 and 6 at the time, and it was every bit the dream trip they’d imagined. Here’s how it went — and what we’d tell any family thinking of making the same journey.
We put together our own itinerary rather than booking a package, but there are plenty of travel companies who organise Lapland trips if you’d rather have it all arranged for you.
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Our Best Ever Family Holiday To Lapland
Getting to Lapland on Planes, Trains and Automobiles!
We flew from Dublin to Helsinki and from there took an overnight train to Rovaniemi. The journey takes around 12 hours, and it was so exciting that none of us slept much. Bright and early the next morning, we arrived in Rovaniemi.
It was -20 degrees outside, with clean snow and ice everywhere. We layered up in every piece of warm clothing we owned, but honestly, the children barely noticed the cold once they were out playing.
Where We Stayed in Lapland
We rented a log cabin for a week at the Ounasvaara Ski Resort, about 3km from Rovaniemi centre. Our cabin was cosy and had its own sauna, which the adults loved, plus plenty of room for the kids to play and DVDs available to rent from reception.
The resort also had a swimming pool, spa and an indoor play centre for children, so if you ever need a break from the outdoors, there’s plenty to keep young ones occupied.
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The Great Outdoors!
There was a winter sports rental shop offering everything from ice skates and snow shoes to sledges and snowmobiles, but we decided to try skiing, with lessons for the children too. We all loved it, sore bottoms and all.
Sitting in the ski café after long hours out on the slopes, warming up with a cup of hot juice and delicious Finnish meat pies, was just so relaxing. The sauna back at the cabin was lovely therapy for our tired limbs and frozen fingers and noses.
Santa Park & Village
Santa Park is an underground park packed with Santa-related activities, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. A sleigh ride carried us through the magical park, past toys and Christmas figures, before stopping at the elves’ workshop, where our girls made toys with the elves and brought home an elf’s head they’d crafted themselves.
Further along, the children decorated gingerbread, visited the Elf School and joined in some elf lessons. And then, of course, came the moment they’d been waiting for — meeting Santa. The smiles on their faces said it all; it was the highlight of the whole trip.
Beside the park is Santa’s Village, home to plenty of tourist shops and factory outlets. I enjoyed a bit of retail therapy while the rest of the family explored the Arctic Winter Wonderland. I missed it myself, but I heard the slide there was one of the best around, and the ice sculptures were incredible.
Go on a Reindeer Safari
No trip to Lapland is complete without travelling like the locals — by husky, snowmobile or reindeer safari. We chose a reindeer safari, which took around 1.5 hours.
Wrapped up in a reindeer-pulled sledge, we were whisked off to a campfire deep in the snowy forest, where we warmed up with hot drinks and barbecued our own sausages over the flames. It genuinely felt like we were a world away from home.
At the end of our trip, rather than the 12-hour train journey back, we flew and spent two nights in Helsinki, a lovely city, before heading home to Dublin.
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Are you planning a family holiday to Lapland, or have you already been? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lapland a good holiday for young children?
Yes — Lapland is well set up for families, with plenty of gentle, magical activities like Santa Park, reindeer sledges and snow play that suit younger children as well as older ones. Layering up properly for the cold makes all the difference.
Do you need to book an organised tour, or can you plan your own trip?
Both are possible. We planned our own itinerary, booking flights, the train and cabin accommodation separately, but many families prefer the ease of a package trip through a travel company that handles everything from flights to Santa Park tickets.
What should we pack for a family trip to Lapland?
Warm layers are essential, as temperatures can drop well below freezing. Thermal base layers, insulated coats, waterproof snow gear, warm boots, hats, gloves and scarves for everyone in the family will make the cold far more manageable.
What’s there to do besides visiting Santa?
Plenty. Skiing, reindeer and husky safaris, snowmobiling, sledging and simply playing in the snow are all part of the experience, alongside cosy extras like saunas and swimming pools at many resorts.
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