How to visit Lapland in one day

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Good news: Santa's snowy Lapland home is an easy day trip from the UK. Cathy Toogood takes her family to Finland to meet Father Christmas, ride in a reindeer sleigh, and witness the magic of the Northern Lights – and still make it back to their own beds at the end of their adventure.

Being picked up from the airport in a sleigh and whizzing through the snow-covered landscape of Enontekiö is certainly an exhilarating way to start a family adventure in Finnish Lapland. We zip past pine trees dusted in snow and emerge into a dazzling white clearing. “Mummy, we’re on top of a frozen lake,” my six-year-old gasps, wide-eyed. And then he squeals delightedly as a chunk of snow is dislodged from the front of our sleigh, spraying us in the face.

Toboggan Forest (Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel) Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel

My family and I are on an Enchanting Lapland day trip with Canterbury Travel. The trip departs from more than 10 UK airports, so I travel from Newcastle with my nine-year-old daughter May, six-year-old son Zac and my husband. Having just turned nine, this felt like the last opportunity to get our savvy daughter to fully embrace the magic of Santa’s home.

Early birds

We make it our mission to see Father Christmas as early in the day as we can, so we go through passport control and are kitted out in snowsuits, boots and balaclavas as quickly as is possible with two children in tow. Our eagerness is rewarded when we’re greeted by an elf as soon as we step off our sleigh and are ushered straight towards Father Christmas’s chalet.

One adult in every party is given a badge with a number on, which allows Santa Claus and his helpers to identify your group and greet the children with a personalised hello. My kids are impressed when Father Christmas beckons them in by name and makes a pun about our surname – “I hear you’re not only on the good list this year, you’re on the too-good list!”

Santa's chalet (Image credit: Cathy Toogood) Image courtesy of Cathy Toogood

He doesn’t bat an eyelid when reading out Zac’s handwritten request for a carbon dating machine – thanks Santa! – and breezily answers sceptical May’s questions about why he’s currently living in Lapland, not the North Pole. “The North Pole is not a nice place to live really, May,” he says. “It’s just a story that I live there all of the time.”

We leave Santa’s cabin clutching gifts and full of excitement to explore the Narnia-like landscape we find ourselves in. “Head straight to the huskies”, advises a friendly elf. “They are popular, so may be busy later.”

This proves to be the best advice on our trip, as we are the first family to make it to the dog depot, where a pack of huskies are wrapped up snugly in hot pink and sunflower yellow jackets. Their handler has icicles hanging from his beard. We get a full introduction to the dogs, many of whom are named after biscuits (hello, Hobnob) and stroke them before helping to remove their jackets.

Undressing them transforms what seemed like a friendly group of dogs eager for a cuddle into a restless pack, barking loudly and ready for a run. Their enthusiasm and speed make our short journey with them feel special. And while hurtling across the snow being pulled by huskies was our favourite way to travel in Lapland, there are plenty of other transport methods available on a day trip, from reindeer sleigh rides and kick-sledges to snowmobiles.

Snowmobile in Lapland (Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel) Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel

Small things

While you are largely left to take the day at your own pace (we arrive at Enontekiö at around 1.30pm and leave at 7pm), there are enthusiastic elves dotted around making sure that families are having fun. One called ‘Quack-Quack’ is energetically somersaulting in the snow as we pass and asks the children to help her make a snowman, while another spots their presents and gushes about how long they took her to wrap and why she chose the glittery paper.

Elves in Lapland (Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel) Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel

It’s this level of detail, accompanied by the winter wonderland setting, that will make even the most Scrooge of parents feel just as Christmassy as their children. From carols on the plane on our way out, to the cabin lights being dimmed on the return journey so we could see the green arc of the Northern Lights, we are kept constantly entertained.

“That was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on”, sighs May on the way home. “And Santa’s beard was definitely real” adds Zac.

Santa in Lapland (Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel) Image courtesy of Canterbury Travel

How to do Lapland in a day  

Lapland trips are popular and tend to sell out far in advance, so book early to guarantee the exact trip and departure that your family requires.
Day trips tend to be the cheapest option to see Lapland, but they are long days – you leave the UK between 7am and 8am and land home at around 10pm. Plus, day trips only give you a taster of each activity so if you’d like to try an activity such as husky sledding in more depth, consider a longer trip.
Pack spare pairs of gloves and hats for each child. They won’t be able to resist throwing a snowball or building a snowman and, once they are wet, they’ll get cold.
Wear thermals with warm clothes on top underneath your snowsuit. Do check what clothing your company will provide on arrival so you don’t double up.
Try to see Father Christmas early in the day. You’ll usually be able to arrange a slot on arrival.

Look at the activities on offer and head to your top choice first, so you can check it off your wishlist. You’ll probably have time to do some activities twice.
Remember that during winter, there are limited daylight hours this far north – it was dark by 2pm on our trip – so take plenty of photographs early on.
Don’t forget to regularly eat and drink to keep your energy levels and temperatures up on a long day. Hot berry juice is a must!

Getting there

The starting price for Canterbury’s 2023 Enchanting Lapland day trips is £2,668 for a family of four (UK departures). This includes flights, a two-course hot lunch, in-flight meals, snow suits and boots, snowmobile and sleigh transfer from the airport, unlimited husky and reindeer sleigh rides, tobogganing, adult and children’s snowmobiles, an ice igloo, elves and a private meeting with Santa Claus. Departures from a variety of regional UK airports.

Visit canterburytravel.com for more information.

Main image: Canterbury Travel