Lapland With Kids: The Perfect 5 Day Finland Itinerary
Planning a trip to Finnish Lapland with kids? Our five-day Finland itinerary covers everything from meeting Santa and sledding through the Arctic to experiencing reindeer and husky safaris.
With three kids (ages 3, 7, and 10), we navigated Lapland without a rental car and had the most magical time in Rovaniemi and Saariselkä. If you’re looking for a realistic, family-friendly plan, here’s exactly how we did Lapland with kids.
Lapland With Kids 5 Day Itinerary
Here’s a quick look at our Finland Winter Itinerary!
- Day 1: Rovaniemi
- Santa Park
- Santa Claus Village
- Travel to Saariselkä
- Day 2-4 : Saariselkä
- Sledding + Skiing
- Husky Safari
- Searching for Santa
- Reindeer Experience
- Sauna + Hot Tub
- Days 5: Rovaniemi + Departure
- Angry birds park
- Snowmobiles
- Fly Home
Getting Around: Do You Really Need a Rental Car?
You may be wondering “Do I need to rent a car?” The answer is – it depends! We opted to use the buses because we traveled during the busiest week of the year and car rentals were starting at $500 PER DAY!
We used this website to find the bus timetables and buy tickets to get from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä. The nice thing is the bus drivers are extremely experienced at driving on icy and snowy roads which you are likely to encounter!
We also didn’t need a car at all during our time in Saariselkä- our excursions included pick up and drop off at our hotel.
That said, a car could be useful if you wanted to go hunt for northern lights on your own. Otherwise, most hotels offer airport pick up in their rate, the buses are reliable, and you’ll save money as gas is more expensive than many other countries!
🚗 If you book a car, make sure you do it far in advance for the best prices! Compare prices here. 🚗
Ridesharing
We had read online that Uber didn’t exist here, but it definitely did and we used it! There are also local taxis you can use. Just be aware that it’s expensive!
Day 0: Arriving in Finland
We opted to fly into Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) because the flights were cheaper. If you only want to go to Saariselkä and skip Rovaniemi, you could fly directly into Ivalo Airport (IVL).
Another option if you want to fly into Helsinki, is taking the Santa Express Helsinki to Rovaniemi over night train. The journey lasts about 12 hours and isn’t something we wanted to try but some families find it fun!
Where to Stay: Cozy, Convenient & Kid-Friendly Options
The options for where to stay include airbnbs, hotels, and of course the bucket list glass igloos.
The price you pay for each will largely depend on the season you go! The price for your airbnb will likely range from $200 in the low season up to $1000 in the high season per night ! It all depends on what season you book in and the demand.
Rovaniemi Places to Stay
Here are the two places in Rovaniemi we stayed:
Day 1: 🏨 Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara Chalets
Day 5: 🏠 2 Bedroom Suite in City Center
While the hotel chalets were great and included breakfast, we actually preferred our stay at the airbnb as it was right by the Angry Birds park, we had more space to spread out and relax, and the hosts provided fun snacks and games!
However, if you are looking for a more luxurious bucket list stay, there are a few options that will fit a family! Check out the Invisible Forest Lodge, the Arctic Treehouse Hotel, Santa Claus Holiday Village, or the Apukka Resort. Be sure to book WELL in advance! Some were already sold out when I looked in August for a December booking.
Saariselkä Places to Stay
Here is where we stayed in Saariselkä:
Day 2-4: 🏨 Holiday Club Saariselkä
Day 1: Santa Park + Santa Village Rovaniemi
Welcome to Day 1 in Finland! One of the best parts of coming in the Winter is the sun doesn’t rise until 9:30 at the earliest, so feel free to sleep in then go outside to enjoy what’s likely to be the prettiest sunrise of your life.
Santa Park
After breakfast, head off to Santa Park! I was skeptical about booking this as I’d prefer to explore outdoors, but this was our kids’ top activity. This was the only activity we didn’t book far in advance, and it was all indoors so it was nice to be gradually exposed to the cold in small doses rather than thrown right in to an all day freezer.
The kids had SO much fun making crafts, playing games, attending elf school, riding a VR sled, and of course meeting Santa (the best one we’ve EVER seen!). Fun fact: this is also the only place in the world where you can cross the Arctic Circle underground!
We arrived at 10 am (opening time) and were able to a lot of activities before somewhat long lines formed. The cinnamon roll here was surprisingly good, the cafe food was just ok but we ate lunch here before heading out. In total we spent about 4 hours here.
Santa Claus Village
From here we took a 5 minute taxi to Santa Claus Village! We could have walked here in under 30 minutes if it wasn’t so cold and we didn’t have our luggage. There are TONS of activity options at Santa Claus Village! We focused on the free things to do. The kids played at the park, checked out Santa’s post office, and crossed the Arctic circle. Be prepared for crowds here, it’s very touristy!
We were stressed about finding our bus stop, but it was right out front next to the road – a small wooden triangle shelter. The bus ride to Saariselkä was surprisingly comfy, though our nerves were high as we were flying down a very icy road in a white out! Our bus to Saariselkä did not have a bathroom on board, but the return bus did.
After arriving, check-in, grab dinner and relax in your sauna!
Day 2: Sledding or Skiing + Meet the Reindeer
Welcome to Day 2 of your Finnish Lapland with Kids itinerary!
There are so many fun excursions to do in Saariselkä, so of course you don’t have to do them in this order. I recommend booking each activity between 10 am and 2 pm, as it gets dark really early. It’s more fun if you can see the animals and scenery!
Skiing + Sledding
If you want to ski on Day 1, you’re in luck as you’re right next to the Northernmost Ski Resort in Europe. You can rent skiis here, get a lift ticket, attend ski school, or just go tobagganing (aka sledding).
We had originally planned to do ski lessons for the kids. But when we woke up feeling less than energetic, we pivoted – key to traveling with kids!! You can check out the options for ski lessons below:
Instead, we had just as much fun on the free sledding hill next to the resort! We grabbed a tobaggan from our hotel lobby (free to borrow) and spent about an hour and a half sledding.
Reindeer Experience
In the early afternoon, it’s time for an activity you can ONLY do in Lapland – meeting reindeer and learning about the Sami culture! This was for sure my favorite activity.
We booked the 1.5 hour experience through the Northern Lights Village. They provide snow boots, gloves, snowsuits, and balaclavas, as well as pick you up from your hotel. I highly recommend booking with them (we paid in full with our own money) as you get more for your money than other excursions we researched in Rovaniemi.
The experience included a reindeer sleigh ride, learning all about the lifecycle of reindeer, and a chance to feed them afterwards.
It was honestly so magical and peaceful hearing the crunch of their hooves on the snow as we walked through the forest, and getting to feed them after was the cherry on top. Reindeer actually roam wild 9 months of the year, but it was perfectly safe to take a sleigh ride and feed them.
One thing to be aware of- they don’t provide refunds if you have to cancel last minute. We found that out the hard way when our kid got sick one day and had to miss out!
Soak in a Sauna
In the evening, it’s time to take part of a central part of Finish culture – the sauna! We knew our kids wouldn’t last too long in the actual sauna, so we booked a one hour timeslot that included a private hot tub outside.
We took turns running out into the snow to make snow angels and jumping back in, you’ll barely notice the cold! This was probably our favorite day full of quintessentially Finnish activities.
Day 3: Hiking + Searching for Santa
After two adventurous first few days with quite a bit of travel, we took it slow on Day 3. A necessary break when traveling with kids in Lapland! We played card games and drank hot chocolate in our apartment.
It wasn’t long before I was ready to get outside though! There are lots of hiking trails that go through Urho Kekkonen National Park right in the middle of Saariselkä. On Google Maps there is already a pin called “Hiking Trails and Routes Departure”.
The paths are well marked so it’s nearly impossible to get lost. I wandered up to the Aurora Day Hut – which would also be perfect for watching the Northern Lights! After hiking, warm up in your sauna, or use the pool at the hotel.
Searching for Santa
In the afternoon, it’s time to meet the big man himself- Santa! My kids absolutely loved this. We booked in to start at 2 pm, and the whole experience lasted about 3 hours. I would say this is the top bucketlist activity in Lapland with kids.
We paid $150 per adult and $75 per kid for Searching for Santa. Luckily our 3 year old was free! The whole experience included baking gingerbread cookies with elves, a short reindeer ride, roasting marshmallows in the forest, a snow mobile ride, and then of course meeting Santa himself.
Our kids couldn’t stop talking about how he knew their name, what he gave them for Christmas, and even gave them a stuffed animal reindeer to take home.
While it might seem a little bit cheesy for adults, it was really fun and our kids were 100% entranced by the magic. Plus, it’s a great way to do a lot of different activities with one booking.
Day 4: Huskies + Return to Rovaniemi
Today you will check out of your hotel and head back to Rovaniemi. But before we do that there’s one more bucketlist activity to do!
A husky safari was so exhilarating and needs to be on your itinerary! I was NOT expecting to drive my own sleigh with my 10 year old and 3 year old sitting in front of me, but it was so much fun!
The dogs were energetic and ready to run and I had to use my full weight on the brake to get them to slow down
Our husky safari was at 10 am which was absolutely perfect – we got to see a beautiful cotton candy sunrise. Pictures really can’t do it justice because one – I was driving a sleigh going very fast with no ability to stop and take a picture, and two it’s just so pretty that a camera can’t even capture it!
It’s time to hop back on the bus (or your car) and head to Rovaniemi! If you take the bus you’ll likely get in to the city around 5 pm. This gave us enough time to eat a great dinner, play board games in our airbnb, and of course use the sauna before bed.
Day 5: Snowmobiling + Return to Rovaniemi
Today is your last day in Lapland! I recommend booking an afternoon or evening flight to give yourself time for one or two more activities today.
We opted to do kids snowmobiling with Wild Nordic as it was short (and cheap) and we didn’t have a ton of time before our flight. Had we given ourselves more time we would have booked this family tour with them!
If you’re not into snowmobiling, here are two other options we would have booked if we had more time!
After snowmobiling, head back your airbnb to grab your luggage. If you have time to burn, our kids loved to play at the angry birds park across the street for one last fun in the snow before flying home!
Final Thoughts on Doing Lapland With Kids
That wraps up our Ultimate Five Day Finland Itinerary! I hope we’ve convinced you that traveling here with your kids absolutely needs to be on your bucket list.
If you only choose one paid excursion, our kids’ favorite was Searching for Santa. However, don’t discount free things like sledding and just playing in the snow as they loved this!
