Search for Santa Lapland Day Trip 2024/2025
This trip is packed with outdoor adventures from start to finish. Your venue for the day is Kittila’s Snow Village, which is home to an ice hotel, an ice bar and an ice chapel. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the igloo-like hotel rooms and admire the impressive sculptures that have been carved from frozen water.
When you’re ready to play in the snow, it’s a case of taking your pick from the huge choice of things to do. Little ones can zoom down the snow slides and drive a miniature skidoo. Plus, family-friendly activities like reindeer and husky sleigh rides are guaranteed to get you in to the festive spirit.
What’s more, there’s an indoor activity area for decorating cookies, and a restaurant where you can warm up over lunch. The highlight of the day, though, is meeting Santa Claus in his log cabin, deep in the woods.
For a full rundown of what’s in store, take a look at the itinerary.
It’s worth noting, the day is yours to enjoy at your own pace, and you can do the activities in whatever order you like.
Lapland Day Trip Itinerary
Fly To Kittila
You’ll land in Kittila around midday and pick up your snowsuit and boots. Then, it’s on to the Snow Village, where your action-packed day takes place. Just so you know, lunch and all the activities below are included in the price of your trip. That said, it’s worth bringing extra euros for any other food and drink you might want to buy.
Reindeer Sleigh Ride
Climb into a sleigh and let Rudolph and Co. guide you past frozen lakes, white hills and snow-dusted woodland.
Husky Adventure
Hop on the back of a husky-led sleigh and you’ll be taken on a short tour of the Lappish countryside. There’ll be time to find out how the dogs are trained, plus Santa’s elves have an interesting story to tell about how the huskies saved Christmas.
Snowmobiling
Buckle up for the drive of your life. After learning to manoeuvre your snowmobile, you can head off at full-throttle to explore the winter wilderness. For this activity, you'll need your driving license.
Arctic Storytelling
You’ll get a real taste of tradition when you meet a Lapland local. You can poke around his tent, and listen as he tells age-old stories and legends about the region.
Meet Santa
Get your festive wish-list at the ready because now’s your chance to meet Santa and tell him what you want for Christmas. The elves will help you impress him by teaching you how to say hello in Finnish.
Other Activities
You can’t come to Lapland without playing in the snow. Start a friendly snowball fight, build a snowman, try snowshoeing, or learn how to drive a miniature skidoo. Afterwards, warm up by the campfire with hot berry juice.
Home Time
When your day comes to an end, Santa’s elves will take you to the airport for your flight home.
Need To Know
What should I pack?
If you're coming to Lapland for the day, we recommend you wear warm clothes and only take hand luggage on the plane, as we'll lend you a cosy all-in-one thermal suit, as well as boots, gloves, socks and a hat. If you're on a 3 or 4-night trip, we'll still kit you out with all the necessary gear - which is yours for the duration of your holiday - but it's a good idea to bring lots of layers, too.
What’s the weather like?
In December, daytime temperatures generally range from 0 to -20 degrees, but it can fall as low as -40 during a particularly cold spell. You’ll get four to five hours of ‘grey light’ between about 10am and 3pm. The rest of the time it’s dark, but still quite bright because of all the snow. What’s more, all the activity areas are well lit.
What’s the food like?
It depends on where you stay, but most hotels in Lapland put on international buffet spreads. Usually, there’ll be a selection of meat, fish and pasta dishes to choose from, as well as a variety of vegetables and salad. You’ll also find children’s favourites, like chips, meatballs, and burgers on offer. And some places serve Finnish specialities, like smoked reindeer pizza.
Is Lapland suitable for young children?
We don’t recommend our Lapland trips for children under 4-years-old. That’s because the chilly temperatures and types of activities aren’t suited to really little ones. If you do bring toddlers along, though, you’ll need to provide their own thermal clothing.
Do I need insurance?
It’s essential you and your family have the protection you need in case the unexpected happens. What’s more, if you want to take part in any snow sports when you’re away, you’ll need a policy that covers you for these. For more info, ask us about travel insurance when you book your holiday – we’ll help you find the right cover for you.
Is there any skiing?
Although skiing isn’t included in our Lapland packages, it’s easy to arrange some time on the slopes. You’ll find cross-country and downhill skiing in most of the destinations in this brochure, but Levi and Yllas in Kittila are the best places for the sport.
Can I drive a snowmobile?
If you want to get behind the wheel of a snowmobile, make sure you bring your full UK driving licence with you. As long as local guides agree, children aged 12 and over can ride as a passenger on your snowmobile. Younger children have to travel in a sleigh pulled by one instead.
