Our honest Lapland UK 2025 review: is it really worth the money?
If you’ve been anywhere near Instagram lately, you’ll know everyone is talking about Lapland UK. I had heard it’s magical but let’s be honest, extremely pricey. So this year, we finally bit the bullet and booked a Thursday slot for the start of December.
In case you’re not familiar with Lapland UK, it’s an 4-5 hour immersive Christmas-themed experience - which begins with a personalised invitation sent to your home via "Reindeer Post". Full transparency - it cost £535.75 for the four of us and I have to say, my expectations were high…
Arrival & first impressions…
Our entry time was 9am, and, trust me - when they say they start on time, they mean it. My top tip would be to arrive at least 30 minutes before your allotted time as the car park is huge so takes a while to walk in. And before you even enter the first show, there’s loads outside for the kids to look at (AKA distracted by!).
The Lapland Experience - what you actually get
When you arrive you’re guided through four main show rooms, each with full sets and actors who take their roles very seriously (in the best way). The four show rooms are:
The Entrance Room
The Enchanted Forest
The Toy Factory
Mother Christmas's Bakery
The actors genuinely make Lapland UK what it is - warm, magical and full of energy. Zero grumpy elves here! Costumes and sets are next-level and easily theme-park quality.
Activities included
In the Toy Factory, the kids got to make a toy with the elves to ‘help’ Father Christmas and they decorate a gingerbread house in Mother Christmas's Bakery that they get to bring home. The only tiny downside was that the rooms felt slightly rushed once you were inside. Yes, they were magical but an extra few minutes in each would have been perfect.
Between each show you walk through snowy forests, enchanted paths and honestly it feels like you’ve stepped into a Christmas film set.
The Elven Village - where you can breathe again…
The show rooms are structured and guided, but once you reach the Elven Village you’re free to slow down.
You get around 90-minutes and here’s what’s included:
Ice skating and skate hire
Shops where kids can spend jingles (1 jingle = £1)
A restaurant
A cafe (the warm cookie dough is a big yes from me)
Elves chatting away in character
A library with story times
Stamps for the Elf Passport all around the village
Photo spots everywhere you turn
We spent ages here and honestly could’ve stayed even longer.
Once you move onto Santa, you can’t go back, so soak it in.
Reindeer Shed & optional extras…
You walk through the reindeer shed next and the ‘sleeping reindeer’ look real but thankfully aren’t (Lapland UK no longer use live animals in their experience), although the stable smell is EXTREMELY convincing and reindeer bells, harnesses and the reindeer’s names are all displayed. The reindeer food making is 6 jingles per child (£6) - which I thought was very expensive for what it is. I overheard another mum say to her kids, “We’ll ask the elves to deliver it straight to our house” and kept walking. Absolutely genius and I’m definitely stealing that in future!
You then walk past Santa’s sleigh and into the waiting room…
Meeting Father Christmas - The bit everyone talks about…
I am not exaggerating when I say - this was the best Santa meet we’ve ever had. Even better than Lapland in Finland.
Here’s how it works:
One parent confirms the kids details at the desk
An elf calls the children’s names and takes you through secret passages
Santa knew EVERYTHING - names, ages, favourite cuddly toy, recent achievements
He spent 10-15 minutes with us, no rush, just pure magic
The kids got a Husky teddy each
We could take unlimited photos and videos
It was absolutely exceptional and in my opinion, was worth every penny of the ticket price.
Leaving Lapland UK
On the way out, you collect your Santa photos (these are NOT included in the price). Each child receives a polar bear teddy - secretly the one they helped make in the Toy Factory. This teddy is meant to go under the tree on Christmas eve with a note from Santa, thanking them for their help earlier in the day. I thought this was a really lovely touch!
A roundup of what was included in our ticket price: (£535 in our case)
All four shows
Meeting Father Christmas
Toy-making activity
Gingerbread decorating
Ice skating and skate hire
Golden Bell (a special token given to children when they become honorary elves)
Husky teddy from Santa
Polar bear teddy to take home
Summary
Was it worth the splurge? Honestly? Yes 100% worth it. From start to finish it was magical. The actors are phenomenal, the sets are beautiful, and the Santa experience alone was worth the hype. My only tiny critique was the slightly rushed feeling in the early rooms, but it didn’t take away from the magic. If you’re saving for a big Christmas experience and choosing between Lapland UK or an abroad trip - go with this. Midweek, or in November if you can. We were there for around 5 hours which was perfect and in terms of which age group it was best suited to, I’d say ideal age is around 6 year plus. My four-year-old daughter loved it, but some storyline bits were a tiny bit advanced.
It’s definitely a splurge… but SUCH a magical one
My top tips overall
Arrive early - don’t risk missing the start.
A few weeks before, the kids get a letter and travel leaf, stick the QR code on the back to keep the magic instead of scanning from your phone.
Go midweek if possible - it’s cheaper and less hectic, although I know this may not be possible for everyone.
November dates are way cheaper than December
Bring your own snacks and drinks - food prices are VERY theme-park
Avoid buying extra teddies - the kids already get two
Take your time in Elven Village - you can’t go back once you reach Santa
The ‘see Santa by X time’ signs weren’t heavily enforced
You can pay by card everywhere so the jingles aren’t essential
Submit your child’s info early so Santa can personalise everything
Take wellies, the paths were rather muddy outside
Coats are essential for walks, but the indoor rooms are warm
Parking is easy but allow time to walk in
