Exploring Lapland during the winter season feels like stepping into a magical fairytale, where enchanting creatures roam amidst the vast snowy forests. From leisurely rides in reindeer-drawn sleighs to exhilarating snowmobile adventures, there’s no shortage of excitement to be found. Many travelers journey to Finland with the hopes of witnessing the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Northern Lights, adding an extra touch of wonder to their experience.
Day Trip To Lapland
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Lapland emerges as a winter wonderland, where pink skies, husky sleds, frost-laden fir trees, steaming hot chocolate, and countless twinkling lights converge to create a realm of snow fantasies. Located at the heart of Rovaniemi, perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Lapland proudly serves as the official home of Santa Claus.
We’re here to guide you through planning a trip to Rovaniemi, Lapland in winter, ensuring you make the most of this enchanting destination.
Traveling to and around Lapland
There are a number of international flights to Rovaniemi in winter from London and Paris and domestic flights from Helsinki. From Helsinki, you can connect to fights from all over the world and you can reach Lapland by train from Helsinki by taking a daytime train that takes up to 8 hours to reach Lapland and you can also take an overnight sleeper train to reach Lapland from Helsinki.
Things to do in Santa Clause Village Rovaniemi, Lapland
Santa Clause Village is the center of attraction of all things festive in Lapland and there are several winter activities that you can do on the site which make it an easy place to enjoy yourself if you have only a day in Lapland and do not want to spend your precious time in traveling around. The park gets busy in the run- up to Christmas but things get normal and calm down after the New Year which makes it a good time to visit Lapland.
Meet Santa and Cross the Arctic Circle
Santa Clause would be off from the Caribbean as soon as Christmas is over but you can visit him in the Santa Claus Office all year round. There is also a Post Office in Lapland where you can send post letters along with a special Arctic Circle postmark and a Christmas exhibition. Yes, Lapland is a place that really does go all out for a festive season, and the line of the Arctic Circle also runs just right through the middle of the Santa Clause Village where you can see it marked with a row of lanterns and number of strips of blue lights.
Go Husky Sledding
If you are in Lapland then you must go speeding through the snowy forest that is behind a team of Siberian Huskies, that should be your must-dos for your winter trip to Lapland and I am sure that it does not disappoints you. There is a number of different lengths of routes that you can take that are from a short of 500 meters to 8 km.
But the Huskies can really move so you should hold on to your hats as the ride starts and keep in mind that the cold wind is brutal at top speed so must wrap up warm. If you are going for a husky sled ride or not but you should visit Husky Park where you can see and stroke some of the park’s gorgeous dogs of the place.
Reindeer Sleigh Ride
If you are a person who loves to see nature and you want to actually see and enjoy the scenery then you must go for a reindeer sleigh ride as it is a lot more sedate and relaxed and can bring you more close to the beautiful and amazing creatures.
Just like the husky sledding, there is also a number of different lengths of routes that are available so you can choose that how far you want to go that take you through fir trees that are covered up with snow. Sleighs can hold up to 2 adults and you are wrapped up in reindeer hides so you can stay warm and nice.
The Moomin Snow Castle
It is a castle that is made up of five -meter tall Moomins that are of snow. You can find this type of castle only in Finland. The Moomins are a bit of a Finnish institution with a family of white creatures that look alike the hippos and based on the books by illustrator Tove Jansson.
The Moomin Snow Castle was a new development for Santa Claus Village that cover a huge 10,000 square meters with a mini -maze, igloos, an ice bar, a pair of sledge runs and also a number of enormous Moomins that are carved out of the ice and snow.
See the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights are also known as Aurora Borealis and this is one of the big reasons that people love to visit Lapland. But this is also the thing that you can not guarantee you are going to see in Lapland.
You need the perfect and right atmosphere conditions which happen around 150 days a year on mean in Lapland. But if you are trying to aurora hunt there are tourists available and you can also download an alert mobile application like Aurora Alert or Northern Lights Alerts if you want to stand outside all night.
Try Snowmobiling, Ice Fishing and Many More
If you want to try some fancy things that are a bit more adrenalin- fulled, Santa Claus Village also has a snowmobile center but make sure that you have a driving license if you want to drive one yourself. You can also try snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and you can also go ice swimming if you are brave enough.
Otherwise, you can simply enjoy wandering around in the snow as there are forest areas around the village and they are also perfect for creating some snow angles and you can also enjoy snowball fight here with your family and friends.
How long do you get in Lapland on a day trip?
It usually takes 7 to 9 hours to explore Lapland in a day trip from the aircraft landing and departing again. But if you want to save you time on your return then you should give your boarding pass for the flight home when checking in for the outbound flight in the United Kingdom so please keep in mind to keep safe your boarding pass.
Are day trips to Lapland worth it?
To explore Lapland you only need 7 to 9 hours which can be easily done in a day trip so it is totally worth going on a day trip to Lapland. Lapland is the place where you can completely enjoy the snow activities and winters in the winter season. Lapland is worth visiting the place if you are planning a day trip.
How much does it cost for a trip to Lapland?
Your travel costs are based on your travel style including accommodation, transport, activities, food and drinks, etc.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Lapland is mixed like there are also inexpensive hotels rooms available that costs you around 110 euro per night and there are also worth places to stay such as forest cabins and glass igloos, etc. where you would not get much change from 5oo euros per night. But the prices can vary in the winter season.
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Transport
There is a number of direct flights from London and Helsinki to Rovaniemi. You have to pay around 100 euros return for easyJet flights from London Gatwick.
Rovaniemi airport is just 9 km away and 3 km from Santa Claus Village and there is also a bus service available that connects all three and an airport shuttle but you have to pre- book a minibus that you to your rental house that costs you around 25 euros each way.
Activities
Lapland is the place where there is a number of things to do such as- snowmobiling, husky or reindeer sledding, Northern Lights tours, ice fishing, ice swimming, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and none of these is cheap as it costs you around 110 euro per person for half-day or 55 euro for 30 minutes snowmobile safari. Prices can really be hiked if you want to try each and every activity. So we suggest you that you should go to Husky Park that costs you only 10 euro with a ride of 500 meters on a husky sled.
Food and drink
If you want to have food and drink then an average main course costs you around 30 to 40 euros at one of the restaurants in Santa Claus Village. But it is usually cheaper to eat out atlunchtime when there are often special discounts and offers that include simple dishes like burgers that cost around 20 euro.
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Some tips to visit Lapland in winter
If you are first -time traveler then there are a number of things that you have to keep in mind for day a trip to Lapland-
- Keep in mind that you should bring boots that are a little bit big in size because larger shoes allow you to wear thick and cozy socks.
- You must try your footwear before you leave whether you have to buy snow boots or hiking boots and make sure that you do not buy painful shoes.
- You must bring your hand warmers, they can be your friends when you are standing in the freezing winter temperature.
- You should not wing it when it comes to your camera, be sure that you have packed a tripod.
- You must pack some spare batteries and keep them tucked somewhere warm like an inner pocket.
- You should avoid cotton clothes because there is an abundance of snow and there is a chance that it built up a sweat with all the winter excursions then there is a chance that your clothes will experience some moisture.
- Do not forget to carry a head torch it will help you to find your way around when you have popped out to try and can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights and it also helps you to leave your hands free to take out your camera to take some beautiful shots or can grip on a warm cup of tea and coffee.