A Lapland adventure on a budget - here’s my ultimate guide
Always dreamt of a trip to Lapland? Let me take you through everything we learned during our magical (and budget-friendly!) visit to Rovaniemi in Finland. From where to stay, what to do, and how to save, here’s all the info you need.
You can also see a summary over on Instagram.
Where is Lapland?
Firstly, Lapland isn’t just one place—it’s a whole region. We flew into and stayed in Rovaniemi, which is basically the gateway to Finnish Lapland. Where we stayed was only a 15-minute drive from the airport, making it super convenient. Other popular Lapland destinations include Levi and Saariselkä, both further north, with amazing skiing and Christmas experiences.
We found an amazing deal on HolidayPirates that included flights, accommodation, and breakfast for £319 per person. (Hint: book in August for a November trip to snag deals like this - prices skyrocket in October!)
Accommodation
We stayed at Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets, a cosy spot at a ski resort just 10-minutes from Santa Claus Village. Here’s what we loved:
Breakfast included (and it was lovely!)
Our own private sauna—amazing to warm up after a chilly day out
Perfect location for exploring
My tip would be to book well in advance for the best prices. The only downside to the accommodation was that there was no oven in the chalet kitchen - just two hobs - but we managed fine!
If you're looking for a bit of skiing, there’s equipment hire near to the accommodation:
Kids: €20/day
Adults: €28/day
And the Rendi Snow Park is a great beginner-friendly slope (€10 per person).
When is best to visit Lapland?
We went in November thinking we’d nailed the perfect off-peak deal. One problem - no snow 😅 It did snow on our last day and it looked so magical and I was gutted that we didn’t get to experience it for the whole trip. If snow is a must for you (and let’s be real, it is), January is your best bet and my advice would be to go then to say thank you to Santa. For more affordable prices, consider February or March and you would probably get snow then, but the Christmas magic wouldn’t be there.
What to do in Rovaniemi?
There’s no shortage of Christmas magic in Lapland, but not every experience is good value for money. Here’s my thoughts:
Our accommodation was a Premium Cottage
1. Santa Claus Village
This is the big one and where everyone heads to. It’s free to enter and packed with activities, but we found it a bit...underwhelming. I would say it’s perfect if you’re short on time, though.
Here’s a snapshot of prices:
Meet Mrs. Claus: €5 per person
Visit Santa’s pets: €15 per adult, €10 per child (3-15years)
Reindeer sleigh rides: €25 per adult, €20 per child
Snow fun area: €10
Snowmobile ride: €25 (for 10 minutes!) I guess it would be a great place to get lots done if you’re visiting Lapland on a short turn around time!
Elf Hat Academy: €39/person for 25 minutes (OMG!)
You can visit Santa for free at his post office here, but you can’t take any photos with him, you’ll need to pay for these separately - Digital - €20, Printed - €30, or both €40.
2. Santa Park
This was the highlight of our trip! It’s more magical (and less commercial-feeling) than Santa Claus Village. We booked tickets here.
Tickets: €58 per adult, €51 per child (under 3s go free).
Your ticket covers two days, but one day was plenty for us.
There’s LOADS to do here and the elves are fantastic! They interact with the children
What’s included:
Elf School Experience
Elf Show
Gingerbread Bakery (though decorating and drinks costs extra).
Virtual sleigh ride and magic train.
Meeting Santa Claus in his office
Visit to the Elves’ Post Office
Loads of crafts and performances in the Elf Workshop
Pro tip: It’s all indoors, so dress in layers with normal clothes under your ski clothes to avoid overheating!
3. Apukka Resort: Snow Fun
Okay this WASN’T a budget activity - we splurged on this because we were desperate for snow. It cost €189 per adult and €129 per child (under 3s go free) which felt steep.
There was lots to do though including:
500m Husky safari
Husky petting
Reindeer encounter and reindeer stories
Snow fun: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, toboggan slide, snow carousel, snowball hunt
Mini snowmobiling for kids
Lunch
Guiding
Winter clothing (thermal overall, thermal boots, woolen socks, mittens, balaclava)
Transfers (if needed, from Rovaniemi city center or Santa Claus Village to Apukka Resort and back)
In my experience this was massively over priced and I didn’t feel it was worth the money!
If we’d had snow, we wouldn’t have needed to go here and only ended up booking due to desperately seeking snow!
What to pack (or hire!)
We only had hand luggage (budget airline life, right?) so this determined what we packed - you can see more here. We didn’t have all of the winter wear at home already so we would have had to buy this (and probably not wear it much after our trip) so we chose to rent our snow gear through Winter Rent in Rovaniemi. This cost £15.90 per day per person for jackets, trousers, gloves, scarf, and snow boots. The kids got all-in-one snowsuits.
If you’ve got the space or find good deals on Vinted, bringing your own gear will save you money. It was fairly mild when we went, the lowest temperatures we saw was around -4 degrees during the night, mainly due to the lack of snow!
Underneath, we wore thermal base layers and brought our own hats and socks. Hand warmers? Total game-changer for the kids who loved having them in their gloves!
Getting around
There are a few options for this:
Bolt: An Uber equivalent (Uber was VERY expensive here). They give loads of 50% off rides when you sign up so is a great way to get around
Santa Bus: Budget-friendly and stops at major attractions like Santa Claus Village, Santa Park, and the airport. Book online to get a discounted rate.
Car hire: This is an option if you’re comfortable driving in snowy conditions (locals make it look easy!).
Where to eat in Rovaniemi?
Eating out in Lapland is quite expensive - especially in Santa Claus Village - and we didn’t find there was a huge amount of choice. We ate at our hotel restaurant one evening which was lovely but we mostly cooked at our chalet. Here’s some other tips:
There’s a supermarket in Rovaniemi town centre - stock up!
It’s normal to walk around in thermals/ski trousers at restaurants, so don’t worry about looking silly!
Top tip: There are open fires all around Rovaniemi for you to toast marshmallows and make smores! Bring your own or grab some from the supermarket. Also, I’d recommend packing a flask for hot chocolates - they’re expensive when out and about!
What’s the best age for Lapland?
I think there is magic to be found at all ages here but lots of the snow activities had a minimum age of 4, so this was difficult to manage when my 3-year-old wasn’t allowed on!
We think kids between 6-9years will get the most out of it. They’ll be young enough to still believe in Santa but be old enough to remember!
In summary...
Lapland on a budget is possible with a bit of planning. Book early, pick your activities wisely, and if you’ve got snow, you’re in for an unforgettable adventure.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve got any questions!
Who is HolidayPirates?
HolidayPirates is a great website who aim to make travel affordable and accessible for everyone. They find deals for all budgets from backpacker’s budget trips to blowout holidays as well as travel hacks, holiday inspiration, and tips for exploring the world.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this blog are affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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