How We Explored Lapland on a Budget: A Family of Five for Under £3000
Lapland often feels like a dream destination with a price tag that puts it out of reach for many families, especially larger ones. Typical package holidays can easily exceed £5,000 for a family of five, making it seem like a luxury only a few can afford. Yet, last winter, we managed to experience the magic of Lapland as a family of five for less than £3000. This included flights, accommodation, car hire, winter clothing, and food.
If you have a larger family and worry about the costs piling up, this post will show you how to make a Lapland trip affordable without missing out on the fun and wonder.
Choosing the Right Destination in Lapland
Instead of booking a traditional Santa package holiday, we chose to travel independently to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland. This destination offers everything families want: Santa Claus Village, reindeer farms, husky sled rides, and stunning snowy landscapes. Now we have done it we would feel more confident to venture further afield to the less popular more traditional resorts but for a first time trip and if its all about the big man himself Rovaniemi is a great choice.
Rovaniemi stands out because it allows families to explore at their own pace. We avoided expensive package deals by planning our own itinerary, which gave us control over costs and timing. This flexibility was key to keeping the trip affordable.
Booking Flights Early and Smart
Flights to Lapland can be one of the biggest expenses. Booking flights and accommodation several months in advance, helped us secure better prices for all five family members. We booked around July last year to travel the end of November.
Here are some tips that helped us save on flights:
Be flexible with travel dates. Flying midweek or outside school holidays can reduce costs.
Consider nearby airports. Sometimes flying into Helsinki and taking a domestic flight or train to Rovaniemi can be cheaper.
We checked in 1 case. We took one 23kg case for the hold and travelled with hand luggage to save. We wore our boots and ski coats in the airport, you see all families with the same idea. I then purchased vacuum bags from amazon for the cases and 2 x rucksacks we had as hand luggage. ( make sure to fill one of these with hats gloves ect as its cold when you land)
By planning ahead and staying flexible, we managed to keep flight costs within a reasonable budget.
Family Accommodation That Worked for Five
Finding accommodation that fits a family of five comfortably can be tricky and expensive. Instead of booking multiple hotel rooms, we rented a spacious cabin with a kitchen. This option gave us:
Enough space for everyone to relax
The ability to cook our own meals, saving money on eating out
A cozy, authentic Lapland experience away from crowded hotels
We found a cabin just outside Rovaniemi that was affordable and close to key attractions. This choice made the trip more comfortable and helped us manage food costs effectively. You can visit my webpage for accommodation ideas for families of 5 or more here
Hiring a Car Instead of Booking Transfers
Many Lapland package holidays include organised transfers and excursions, which add up quickly. We decided to hire a car for the entire trip. This gave us several advantages:
Freedom to explore at our own pace without being tied to group schedules
Ability to visit multiple attractions in one day without extra transfer costs
Easier travel with three children and all our gear
Car hire in Lapland can be affordable if booked early. We chose a vehicle suitable for winter driving and packed it with winter essentials. This saved us money and stress. Our car hire came to around £250 with car seats added and fuel costs. Car hire can be added to any of my packages.
Budgeting for Winter Clothing and Food
Winter clothing can be expensive, especially for growing children. To keep costs down:
Decathlon was the place to go. I bought the cheapest base layer sets around £8 for kids and £12 for adults. These were extremely warm even on the day of -21.
Bought second-hand outer items. Vinted has some great offers! i found a ski coat for £1 in my local charity shop and found the matching trousers on vinted for £6!
We purchased our boots new from mountain warehouse / trespass they often have online codes and no ones were over £25
Mid layers we used what we had - joggers and fleeces work great. even fleece pjs for the kids as no one will see this layer, just whatever will keep you warm.
you will need a few pairs of gloves and thermal socks. the fleece liner gloves at decathlon with a waterproof pair over are great. these can be found in summer sales or again on vinted
For food, having a kitchen in our cabin made a big difference. We stocked up on groceries from local supermarkets and cooked most meals ourselves. This was much cheaper than eating out every day and gave us flexibility with meal times. We bought sandwich items, crisps and drinks and made packed lunches for the kids when we visited santa clause village as most of the time we buy meals out and they never get eaten.
Visiting Santa Claus Village
One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Santa Claus Village. This is where you can officially cross the Arctic Circle and meet Santa himself. The village has a magical atmosphere, especially in winter with the snow-covered surroundings and Christmas music playing in the background. The children loved exploring the little shops, sending postcards from Santa’s official post office, and the best of all was santa clause pets. We choose not to meet santa here as there was a huge queue outside and it was freezing. Plus we had purchased Santa park tickets for the following day which Santa meet is included.
Meeting Santa himself is free, although photos are available to purchase if you’d like a special keepsake. Visiting the village itself is also completely free, which was a lovely surprise. The post office, sledging areas, fire pits and the festive Christmas atmosphere can all be enjoyed without spending anything.
We chose not to book a package holiday because we wanted to explore at our own pace. While we were there, the queues for the reindeer sleigh rides and husky rides were extremely long. We saw lots of tired children who were cold and upset while their families waited in line because the activities were included in their package.
Instead, we asked our children what they actually wanted to do. None of them wanted to stand in long queues in the cold, so we decided to visit Santa’s Pets instead — and I’m so glad we did. It cost around £50 for all five of us, including two bags of food to feed the reindeer.
The area has cosy teepees with fire pits where you can warm up, ice slides with sledges provided, and no time limit on how long you can stay. The children absolutely loved it.
The reindeer sleigh rides were around £30 per person, and the husky experiences ranged from around £200–£400 for a family depending on the duration. For us personally, they didn’t look worth the long wait or the cost — especially with younger children in the cold.
Exploring Santa Park
Another magical place we visited was Santa Park Arctic World, which is an indoor Christmas-themed attraction built inside a cavern. Inside Santa Park there are lots of activities for children including a gingerbread decorating area, elf workshops, a train ride and a chance to meet Santa in a beautifully themed setting.
Because it’s indoors, it’s also a great place to warm up after spending time outside in the snow. For younger children especially, this felt like stepping into a Christmas story. We purchased in advance and spent around £200 on tickets. Santa here was brilliant. we didn't feel rushed and the younger two had taken there lists to give him in person which he took the time to go through with them.
Angry Birds Activity Park
To balance out all the Christmas magic, we also spent some time at Angry Birds Activity Park Rovaniemi.
This indoor activity park was perfect for letting the kids burn off some energy. There are climbing frames, obstacle courses, slides and lots of interactive games.
It was a great break from sightseeing and gave the children a chance to just play and have fun — especially helpful when travelling with kids of different ages like ours (4, 8 and 15).
Why Rovaniemi Is Perfect for Families
Rovaniemi is such a fantastic destination for families because there’s a great mix of magical experiences and fun activities. From meeting Santa to exploring snowy forests and indoor activity parks, there’s something for every age.
For our family of five, it offered the perfect balance of adventure, festive magic and memorable moments. The centre has lots of shops and food choices as well as cute christmas markets and an ice rink costing £12 for boot hire but you can keep your ticket and come back and forth all day.
Visiting Lapland as a family of five for under £3000 is possible with careful planning and smart choices. By travelling independently to Rovaniemi, booking flights early, choosing spacious accommodation with a kitchen, hiring a car, and managing winter clothing and food costs, we created a magical experience without breaking the bank.
If you dream of a Lapland adventure but worry about the cost, consider these tips. With some flexibility and preparation, you can enjoy the snowy wonderland with your family and make memories that last a lifetime. Start planning early, compare your options, and embrace the freedom of independent travel.
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Lapland Trip Cost Breakdown for a Family of 5
To give a realistic idea of the costs, here’s roughly what we spent on our Lapland trip as a family of five.
Item | Approximate Cost |
Flights | package £2000 |
Accommodation | package £2000 |
Car hire | package £2000 |
Winter clothing | £200 |
Food & groceries | £350 we ate a meal out once at £100 |
Activities | £300 |
Total cost: Under £3000 for our family of five.
Travelling independently allowed us to control our budget and choose the experiences that mattered most to us, rather than paying for a full package with activities we may not have used.
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