By Saffron Leggatt

Copyright metro

A visit to Santa Claus Village might be more affordable than it seems (Picture: Getty Images)

Snow-dusted chalets, Northern Lights, and a visit to the man of the hour. There is no better place for a Christmas trip than Lapland.

Big kids and old flock to the otherworldly region spanning Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia in the Arctic Circle each winter for a taste of intangible festive magic.

Between November 2024 and March 2025, Rovaniemi – the official home of Santa Claus in Finnish Lapland – recorded 1.1 million overnight tourist stays, an increase of 20% on the previous year.

It’s no secret that a trip to winter wonderland doesn’t come cheap at an already expensive time of year.

But there are ways of saving, if you know where to look.

How much does a Christmas trip to Lapland cost?

Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is open year-round, but it comes alive in December.

Filled with festive charm, this snow-topped wonderland is the Christmas dream (Picture: Getty Images)

The Aurora Suite Double bed room on-site in the Nova Skyland Accommodations inside the Santa Claus Village in mid-December (one of the few remaining options) with a double bed and sofa bed, comes in at £1,120 per night, making it £2,240 for just two nights.

It’s also possible to rent out an entire villa in the Santa’s Luxury accommodations. The price? £23,980 per night, for up to 11 people. There’s also the option of adding a private chef for £262 extra per morning.

And, for an added VIP touch, Father Christmas himself can make a private visit to your apartment – just be prepared to splash £778 for 30 minutes with the man of the hour.

A personal visit to Father Christmas doesn’t come cheap (Picture: Getty Images)

Return flights from London to Rovaniemi, departing on 15 December and returning on 17 December, are £678 for two adults and two children, with Norwegian Air Sweden. These flights arrive late in the evening and leave early morning, so factor that in.

All told, even the cheapest combination of flights and accommodation comes to £2,918 for a family of four, or £729.50 per person.

And that’s before covering extras such as husky and reindeer rides, sledding, meals, and local transfers.

A more accessible Lapland adventure

Don’t panic. The magic of Lapland doesn’t have to be a pipe dream.

There are ways to get there without remortgaging the house.

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Good news first: entry to Santa Claus Village is completely free. You can wander the snowy streets, step inside Father Christmas’s house, and even meet him in person at no cost.

Where the real savings can be made is on transport and accommodation, so let’s take a closer look.

Rather than flying directly to Rovaniemi, consider a stopover in Helsinki. It’s also worth being flexible with your travel dates; flying just a week earlier can dramatically reduce the airfare.

Santa’s Village is close to the North Pole (Picture: Metro)

For instance, a round-trip from London to Helsinki on 9 December – 11 December for two adults and two children with Ryanair is £202.60.

Travelling a week later is considerably more expensive, even on the same airline. Flights from London to Helsinki will cost a family of four £375.24 to travel on 15 December and return on 17 December.

If you look closer to Christmas, that can rise to a staggering £1,147 according to SkyScanner.

From Helsinki, you’ll need to take the Santa Express, a double-decker train that threads its way north, all the way to Lapland.

While the train may not land you straight in the lap of Father Christmas, the 12-hour journey passes through scenic swathes of Finland, allowing you to take in all the frosted landscapes — there’s even a chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights as night falls.

The Northern Lights are in peak season from late August to early April (Picture: Getty Images)

Tickets are relatively affordable: standard return fares with the Finnish National Rail company start at £27.60 for adults and £16.70 for children, when booked directly through its website.

Taking this route can save over £400 on transport compared to flying direct to Rovaniemi.

Now let’s look at accommodation. Staying outside the village adds an extra layer to your Lapland adventure, while also saving some serious cash.

Entire apartments, just 15–20 minutes’ walk from Santa Claus Village, are available Booking.com and Airbnb, at a fraction of the cost of on-site lodgings.

One apartment, starting from £600 for a 2-night stay, features a sauna and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. We read lots of the reviews, and guests called the location ‘ideal’.

Walk into wonderland (Picture: Getty Images)

So, what savings are possible?

Flying into the heart of Lapland and staying on-site can cost a family of four around £2,918 for two nights.

By adjusting the plan – travelling on earlier dates, taking the Helsinki-to-Lapland train, and choosing accommodation just outside the village – the figures look very different.

Getting there can cost as little as £358.60, while accommodation can be booked for £591, bringing the overall cost for two nights to £949.60.

That’s a saving of just shy of £2,000 – £1,968.40, to be exact, without missing the magic of the North Pole.

All prices are accurate as of 2pm on Monday 6th October 2025.