When we decided to book a trip to Lapland, we knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our family of five. Flying from Dublin to Rovaniemi with Ryanair, we spent a week immersed in snow, magic, and adventure. Here’s a full breakdown of our itinerary, activities, and tips to help you plan your own unforgettable trip to the Arctic Circle.
Getting There and Accommodation
We flew out of Dublin on January 4th, 2025, arriving late on a Saturday night in Rovaniemi. To give ourselves maximum flexibility, we hired a car from Enterprise at the airport, which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. Having a car meant we could easily drive to activities, stop for groceries, and, most importantly, head back to our Airbnb in the middle of the day to eat, relax, and warm up before heading out again.
Our Airbnb was a cozy house just outside the city center, with a lovely garden that the kids enjoyed playing in. It was only a few minutes’ drive from downtown Rovaniemi and Santa Claus Village, making it the perfect base for our adventures.
Day 1: Sunday – Snow Glow Winter Park
We started the trip with a visit to K-Citymarket to do a big grocery shop for the week. We aimed to eat lunch and dinner at home most days, though we did eat out a few times, which I’ll detail below.
In the afternoon, we visited Snow Glow Winter Park, an absolute must for families visiting Lapland. The park offers:
- Snow slide: The kids (and us adults!) loved racing down the snow slide.
- Ice skating: There’s a lovely little ice rink with skates available.
- Zorbing: Gigantic inflatable balls that kids can climb into and move in.
- Kids Snowmobiles: Kids loved getting a chance to zoom around on mini snowmobiles. I will say their little hands got cold quick – so a short ride was the perfect option for us.
- Banana Boat Rides – thrilling ride on a banana boat in the snow which the kids adored.
The park has a warm indoor area where you can grab hot drinks and snacks, and we were thankful for the break from the cold. There are also cool carnival games that the kids loved. Each child gets tokens with their entry ticket to use during their visit. There were lots of lovely light installations for photos. It was very quiet the day we visited which was nice. We found the staff friendly and helpful on the day.
Day 2: Monday – Kotatieva Winter Park
On Monday, we drove out to Kotatieva Winter Park, a hidden gem tucked away in the forest. The park is known for its traditional Finnish atmosphere and beautiful natural surroundings.
Highlights included:
- Ice Skating Forest Track: An unique experience in the middle of the woods of frozen Lapland. We picked up our ice skates and kick sledges and off we went – the track is almost 1000 meters long.
- Snow Sliding: this sled hill was one of the best we experienced during our trip to Lapland. So much fun for adults and kids. There were sleds and mats available and lots of hills to try out.
- Traditional Finnish snacks by the Kota: We enjoyed some hot juice and cooking sausages in an open fire overlooking the forest. There’s also a lovely coffee shop that serves hot chocolates and Glögi.
- Sleigh Carousel: A traditional Finnish way of winter fun on ice. This little carousel you push was a big hit with the kids. The staff on site even pushed my husband at one stage which was comical!
It’s a great family day out and it was lovely to travel outside of central Rovaniemi and see some of the beautiful landscape. We enjoyed petting and meeting reindeer here too.
Day 3: Tuesday – Snowman World in Santa Claus Village and Angry Birds Playground
Tuesday was all about Snowman World, located in Santa Claus Village. This magical place has:
- Snow & ice slides: The kids couldn’t get enough of racing down the ice slides. The larger snow slides outside in rubber tubes were fast and fun for all of us.
- Ice bar and snow restaurant: We had lunch here, surrounded by ice sculptures. Even the tables were made of ice – a really unique experience and the food was good.
- Snow Labyrinth: A maze made out of snow to run around and play tag in – what’s not to love!
Snowman World is a great spot to spend a few hours, especially if your kids love playing in the snow. Lots of it is outdoors so make sure you bring heat packs for your hands and feet. After sitting down in the ice restaurant for a while you really start to feel it.
After Snowman World we headed to Angry Birds Playground in the centre of Rovaniemi – which is free to visit and a great spot to run around. Bring your sledges as there is a great hill we all enjoyed sliding down. There is paid on street parking just outside the gate and it is close enough to walk to from the city centre. We visited here a few times during our trip as the kids loved it. There are also great views of the frozen river from here.
Day 4: Wednesday – Arctic Circle Husky Park & Mrs. Claus Visit
No trip to Lapland is complete without a visit to a husky park. Arctic Circle Husky Park offers a range of experiences, but we opted for a shorter husky ride suitable for younger kids. The dogs were energetic and excited to run, and was lovely getting to wander around and pet lots of the huskies after the ride. Each enclosure had a plaque with every husky’s name and a little bit about their personality along with their date of birth. The ride itself is in a beautiful setting. It really felt like we were out in the snowy wilderness. This experience is a real bucket list activity and we all loved it.
Mrs. Santa Claus’s Christmas Cottage is very close to the Husky Park so we paid her a visit after our husky ride. Entrance is €5 per person. We didn’t prebook this just paid on arrival and there was no queue or wait. You are not allowed to take your own photos with Mrs.Claus. A digital photo is €20 and printed photo is €30. Mrs. Santa Claus chatted to us for a few minutes and my 6 year old enjoyed it. There is also a coffee shop downstairs in Mrs. Santa Claus’ cottage. A nice thing to do with younger kids.
Day 5: Thursday – Santa Claus Reindeer Safari & Santa Claus’ Main Post Office
Thursday was all about reindeer! We booked a 1-hour reindeer safari at Santa Claus Reindeer in Santa Claus Village. There are lots of different options available. You can do longer safaris which can be prebooked here. Or shorter trips which don’t need to be prebooked – you can just queue on the day. Our safari included:
- A ride through the snowy forest on a traditional reindeer sleigh
- Hot drinks and cooking sausages in a traditional Finnish Kota afterwards. This was a lovely experience and our guide told us lots of interesting facts and details about the reindeer whist we warmed up by the fire. We also got a chance to meet the reindeer up close and take some pictures.
The kids were in awe for most of the ride to be honest. We got to see lots of the beautiful landscape a little outside Santa Clause village during the safari. Pure magic and was most definitely one of the highlights of our entire trip.
Santa Claus’ main post office is also located in Santa Clause Village. We took the opportunity to write ourselves Christmas messages on postcards and sent them to arrive in December 2025! A nice surprise to look forward to. Postcards, cards and stamps are all sold in the central post office and there is lots of space to sit and write your cards.
Day 6: Friday – Santa’s Pets and an Alpaca Walk
On Friday we set off early for Santa’s Pets in Santa Claus Village. The kids adored meeting the animals, and we booked a 30-minute alpaca walk through the forest. The alpacas were gentle and curious, and it was a unique experience for the whole family. We got to walk through Santa’s forest and got some beautiful photos. We also got to feed the alpacas which was really special.
The walk cost €195 for all of us, and included entrance to the Santa Pet’s park. There were lots of Kota’s dotted around the park. There was a snow slide for the kids with mats and a nice playground in the middle of everything which they enjoyed.
We got to feed the reindeer a bag of moss and saw rabbits, sheep, goats, chickens and pony’s.
Day 7: Saturday – Santa Park and Homeward Bound
Our final day was spent at Santa Park, the underground cavern that’s home to Santa Claus himself.
What to expect:
- Meeting Santa – we had nice visit with Santa. You can take as many photos/videos of the kids as you like and selfies as a family. Staff/elves on site won’t take a family photo with your phone but you can take a selfie and there is an option to buy a photo for €27.
- Attending Elf School
- Decorating Gingerbread Cookies
- Magic Train Ride/Virtual Sleigh Ride
- Show with acrobats and entertainers
It was a nice way to end our trip. We checked out of our Airbnb at 12pm so it was nice to have an indoor activity organised where we could spend a few hours and keep warm before our late flight. I feel Santa Park is well suited to young kids – but overall felt maybe it was a little expensive for what it was. There was a long queue involved – for rides/elf school/Santa which took from it a bit and I’m mindful we visited in January so not by any means peak season. Food and drinks again were expensive – €5.10 for a hot chocolate with an additional charge for marshmallows. The kids enjoyed the visit to Santa and seeing his office but my youngest (aged 6) definitely got the most out of our visit overall.
The Journey Home
We landed back in Dublin late at night, around 12:15 a.m. local time (2:15 a.m. Finnish time). We were exhausted and thankful we had booked a stay at the Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel. Driving back to Clare that night would have been dangerous given how tired we all were. The Carlton Dublin Airport offer a Stay, Park, and Fly package. It offers a comfy stay, secure parking, and easy airport access all in one. You can find more details here. The Carlton are offering a 15% off discount code ‘EMMA15’ valid for the Stay, Park & Fly package for stays until the end of April 2025.
Restaurant Recommendations in Rovaniemi
We primarily ate at home during our trip, but we did enjoy some lovely meals out. Here are a few of our top restaurant recommendations in Rovaniemi:
Pure Burger & Pure Pizza
Located in downtown Rovaniemi, Pure Burger & Pure Pizza is a great spot for a casual, family-friendly meal. The kids loved the burgers, and the pizzas were delicious with plenty of topping options. The atmosphere is relaxed but the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly.
Yuca Mexican Street Food
For something a little different, we visited Yuca Mexican in Rovaniemi. The tacos and nachos were a hit with the whole family. It’s a small spot attached to Café 21 – and both menus are available to you whether you sit in Yuca or Café 21.
The Ice Restaurant at Snowman World
Dining at the Ice Restaurant inside Snowman World is a unique experience. The entire restaurant is made of ice, it was a really cool experience. I would recommend going for lunch as opposed to dinner as it worked out better value and the kids enjoyed playing and doing activities before and after our meal. The kids found it fascinating, and the warm soup and pasta we had was a perfect way to warm up after playing in the snow.
Santa’s Salmon Place
Another unique meal we had was at Santa’s Salmon Place in Santa Claus Village. The salmon was cooked over an open fire, and the smoky flavour was incredible. The kids loved watching the fish being prepared, and the cozy setting made it feel very special. Worth a visit if in Santa Clause Village.
Tips for Traveling to Lapland with Kids
- Hire a car: It gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace.
- Dress in layers: The temperatures can drop to -30°C and did so on our second day, so thermal layers are essential. Check out my other post on What To Pack for a Trip To Lapland.
- Plan downtime: Don’t over-schedule your trip. Leave time to relax, play in the snow, and watch movies. Honestly not filling our days meant that the kids were excited and geared up for whatever we did without being exhausted and overwhelmed.
- Bring snacks from home: Familiar snacks can be a lifesaver, especially for picky eaters. Particularly for the night you arrive. That being said we found lots of familiar favourites in the K Citymarket we visited.
- Parking: The parking in Rovaniemi Lapland was a little confusing at first. There are two types of parking zones in the city centre. One is using the clock on the inside windscreen that most rental cars will have. You set the time when you leave the car so that the parking warden can tell how long you’ve been parked there. These zones are usually one to two hours. The second type of parking is metered parking where you pay by the hour, however some metered areas seemed to be completely absent of meters. You can download the Easy Park app for this which will locate where you are and you can pay as you go.
Lapland Final Thoughts
Our week in Lapland was truly magical. From meeting reindeer and huskies to playing in the snow, it was a trip we’ll never forget. If you’re considering a family trip to Lapland, we highly recommend it. Just remember to pack your layers, embrace the cold, and enjoy every minute!
*PR Invites/Gifted Admission: Kotatieva Winter Park, Snowman World, Arctic Circle Husky Park and Santa Clause Reindeer kindly invited us to visit during our trip to Lapland in exchange for sharing our experiences. The Carlton Hotel in Dublin also kindly invited us to stay the night we arrived home which we were very grateful for. The late night flight is not ideal for those living far from Dublin airport and we were so glad to have somewhere to stay close by when we got off the plane.
