Lapland
18 October 2024
LAPLAND... so much choice!
At To Wander The World we are lucky to be partnered with several leading travel companies to offer a range of Lapland breaks, with everything from budget-friendly day-trips, to Insta-mazing glass igloo stays. Most of our clients are families taking the kids to see Santa in his magical home-land, but we also sell Northern Lights and adventure packages right through the winter, with breaks in January and February offering the ultimate winter adventure tours for adults and families with older children.
Below, we've broken down our top three operators, all of which can be booked with us at the same price as by booking direct (plus we will give you that extra guidance to find the right package for you!), and the highlights of their offerings, plus some handy tips if you are thinking about getting booked!
Canterbury Travel
Widely renowned as the 'best in the industry', Canterbury come in at the top end of the budget for the mainstream operators to Lapland. They offer daybreaks starting at £719 per adult (2025), 3-night packages in the lead up to Christmas in Luosto,Pyhä, Ruka Valley & Suomu, as well as 4-night breaks over Christmas in Luosto and Suomu, all of which will take you to see Santa in his cabin for a private meeting. They also offer a more grown-up 6-night trip over New Year with lots of activities including 3-4 hours of snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and a special New Year’s Eve celebration. All Santa trips are Full Board, while the New Years break is Breakfast only.
Accommodation with Canterbury is varied, from hotels to authentic lodges, and most resorts are traditionally ski-resorts, so are well-equipped with lots of facilities and infrastructure, without being overly commercialised. Some accommodation sleeps up to 8 guests and many feature their own saunas and fireplaces. Starting prices for their 3-night Magical Interlude for 2025 start at £6120.00 for a family of 4. Deposits start at £200pp.
Transun
If you want authenticity, then Transun are the guys who will take you to the most unspoiled, remote wildernesses in Lapland. They have been operating trips here for 40 years, so they know exactly how it should be done. Avoiding the mass-market resort of Rovaniemi or Saariselka, you’ll be staying in jaw-droppingly beautiful locations. Transun offer a limited range of accommodations across several tours. Most are Full Board and last for 3 nights, with the exception of their 4-night breaks which travel over Christmas Day, and their amazing value day trips, which start at just £599 per adult. They include various activities, and have the option to add on extras such as a night in a glass igloo, meet a husky puppy, reindeer herding, or even a night in a real snow igloo (currently unavailable for 2025)!
Accommodations are authentic, with some rooms within hotels, some cabins, and even a two-storey glass-domed ‘Wau House’ where you can sleep under the Northern Lights, if you’re lucky enough to experience them on your stay.
They also offer a huge range of adventure trips for grown-ups throughout January and February, when prices are more competitive.
Santa’s on His Way 3-night packages in Hetta start at £4596.00 for a family of 4. Deposits start at £200pp.
Santa’s Lapland
Magic is the vibe we are going for here – Santa’s Lapland perfectly capture the pure excitement and joy of Christmas. With elves around every corner, families with young children are sure to benefit from the full festive experience in the charming town of Saariselka.
They offer two main packages – Santa’s Magic, which includes a stay in one of four 3/4 star hotels, or the Santa’s Aurora, which is a much quieter, more personal experience with a choice of glass cabins at two resorts, and extras such as a wilderness dinner, an immersive Santa's Elves Workshop visit, a longer husky ride, and a snowmobile safari.
Breaks are typically just 2 nights (or 3 if you stay over Christmas Day), a night less than Canterbury or Transun, and Half Board instead, so prices come out a little cheaper, which is great for families keeping a closer eye on the budget! They even have half-price child places on some dates, and a special offer for grandparents to save an extra £100 too! A 2-night package starts at £4254.00 for a family of 4. Deposits start at £150pp.
Not In The Guidebooks, TUI & Inghams
We also book Lapland through other operators, such as Not In The Guidebooks, which offer a slightly more bespoke choice of packages and the option to choose your own flights or create a multi-centre trip, TUI, which offers a very budget-friendly alternative, but includes only very short taster sessions for the activities, and Inghams, who offer a range of 3-4 night Santa Breaks, or 7-night packages without any activities, which give you the greatest flexibility to choose your experiences and schedule.
Luxury Lapland
If you are looking for nothing but ultimate luxury on your bucket list Lapland adventure, we also work with leading luxury operators like Regent Holidays and Abercrombie & Kent to bring you tailor-made experiences, totally bespoke for your family in the most
What age for Lapland?
This is by far the most common question we get asked! Many operators won’t take babies under 2, and some excursions aren’t suitable for children under 4/5 years. On the other hand, most people want to take the kids to Lapland while they still believe in Santa! Personally, I think the sweet spot is between 4 and 8 – I am hoping to take my own family to Lapland in 2025 or 2026 when my boys will be 4 & 6 or 5 & 7, but for families with bigger age gaps you might need to weigh up the pros and cons of taking older or younger children. With older children, they may no longer believe in Santa himself, but that doesn’t stop them from believing in the magic of Christmas itself, and enjoying the many experiences that Lapland has to offer them. With younger children, you should consider whether it is practical, as an adult will have to sit out with them on certain excursions (such as snowmobiling), and they may even be too young to appreciate the magic and excitement of the trip. Younger children feel the cold much sooner than older kids, which may cut short activities, and often fall asleep during excursions and miss out on the fun! So, my suggestion if you can’t fit the kids into that golden age, is take them when they’re older, rather than too young (after all, we still enjoy the magic as adults, it’s not just for kids!). Also, if your kids are beyond the age of believing in Santa, we have many trips which focus on the other experiences and are often cheaper outside of those peak December dates.
What dates are best?
With fines from schools ever-increasing, it no surprise that the most expensive dates to travel are those in the final few days before Christmas. This is widely considered the best time to visit as part of the build up to Christmas Day, and the later in the month you travel, the better the snow should be too.
Most trips over Christmas Day itself offer a longer duration, so that you can have a day off from the activities to celebrate with your family, and often these are the same price as the shorter trips in the days leading up.
If you have to travel in school holidays, you could also travel in the week after Christmas, over New Year. These don’t typically include a visit to Santa (although some do and it can often be added if kids want to come and thank Santa for their presents!), but do usually offer a little better value.
If you are able to negotiate time off earlier in December, this is a great way to save thousands on Lapland packages. As a general rule the price starts low at the start of the month and increases as we get closer to Christmas. At the start of the month (and on November departures) there’s always a risk of minimal snow. It doesn’t happen often, but a few years ago we didn’t see snow in some resorts until the second week of December, so if snow is a non-negotiable for you then aim for 10th December onwards.
And finally, especially if Santa is not the main attraction for you, then go in January or February! The prices are so much more bearable, the resorts are quieter, and the snow and Northern Lights are at their peak!
When to book
December 2025 is on sale now with the main operators. Most dates currently have good availability, but things do start to get booked up around a year in advance. There are still a limited number of options available for December 2024, so if you are flexible, you can grab a late deal, with Half Price child places on certain packages too! 2026 will likely go on sale around Summer 2025, but operators vary slightly. Booking early gives you longer to pay off this once-in-a-lifetime trip and often means you get the best price too.
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📧steph@towandertheworld.com
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