How much does a trip to Lapland cost?

Last updated on April 16, 2026

Lapland prices span a huge spectrum. You can do it somewhat affordably with apartment rentals, self-catering and a handful of key activities, or go full luxury and enter the world of glass igloos, private Santa meetings and luxe wilderness lodges. And of course there’s the middle way, balancing value stays with a handful of unforgettable upgrades.

On both our trips to Lapland, we tried a few different budgets and styles, so we could report back and let you know what the different options are like. Here are our findings, drawn from all the research I did beforehand and our experiences while there.

Use this post in partnership with my guide to how to plan a family trip to Lapland. That one covers more of the logistics, from activities and accommodation to the best places to base yourself. Whereas this one is more about the costs.

Is it possible to do Lapland on a budget?

Yes, it’s definitely possible to do Lapland on a budget. In my research I found accommodation, starting at around £120 per night for a family of four. And one of my favourite places we stayed only cost £190 (and that was on a husky farm!). Once you have the accommodation and flights covered, the main expense is activities. You can keep this on budget by choosing some key priorities.

Bear in mind that probably the most magical thing about Lapland is the snowy landscape, and that’s free to experience and play in. Plus Santa Claus Village – a highlight for kids – is also free to visit.

How to budget for Lapland

A good way to think about your Lapland budget is to break the costs into five main categories and understand the range within each: flights, accommodation, activities, food, and getting around.

I’ve gone into detail for each of those categories below with real prices to help you plan your own budget. It includes all the things we actually did, plus examples of others I found during my research.

The cost of flights to Lapland

Flight prices can swing wildly, so it’s worth checking these before you book anything else. Use Skyscanner to see which routes are running from your nearest airport, as they can change every season. I’ve written more about the different route options in my guide to how to plan a trip to Lapland.

Here’s a rough guide to how much flights will cost…

• Out of season (January–March): you can find flights from the UK for as low as £30 one-way.
• Peak season (late November–December): the lowest fares are usually around £75, and they climb steeply as availability drops. We paid £122 per person for direct return flights Bristol–Rovaniemi, Friday–Monday in mid-December with Easyjet.

The cost of accommodation in Lapland

This is where budgets really start to stretch – from simple city apartments to ultra-luxury wilderness resorts. Prices rise sharply once the snow arrives, and then climb again for December.

Prices also fluctuate according to demand. During my research, I saw some December hotel rates drop by as much as 65% from September to November, while others increased as availability tightened. It’s a constantly shifting picture.

As a rough guide, in winter, for a family of four, you’re looking at anything from around £120 per night for a basic apartment in central Rovaniemi, up to £2,000 per night for the most luxurious accommodation at high-end stays, such as Apukka or similar glass-igloo resorts. With places like Apukka and Northern Lights Village, it’s often better value to book one of their packages (more on that in the “packages” section below).

Between those two extremes sits a huge range of options, and the right choice really depends on the kind of trip you’re imagining. You need to consider whether you’re happy to hire a car, if you want to base yourself in one place, or if you’re after a mix of both wilderness and convenience.

Remember, if you stay in the city, you’ll likely have to travel to see the Northern Lights, but in more remote areas, you can often see them from your accommodation. This means staying in more remote places can save you the cost of a Northern Lights hunt. Also consider what other services are on offer – for example airport transfers, on-site activities, play areas, etc., as these can also save you money in spite of higher nightly cost.

Here are some real examples of what Lapland accommodation actually costs…

Budget accommodation in Lapland

You can find budget stays in Rovaniemi for £120 per night for four people in peak season, but these tend to be very basic and not in walking distance of the attractions (you’d need to take a bus). If you increase that to £150-200 per night, you can find something more comfortable. For example this apartment is close to the fun Angry Birds playground.

If you’re happy to hire a car, your options widen, plus you also more likely to find that classic Lapland charm. For example, we stayed in a beautiful little cabin on a husky farm (Korvalen Kestikievari), 45 minutes outside Rovaniemi. This cost £190 per night and included a kitchen so we could self-cater.

If you choose to visit Saariselkä or Levi, it’s somewhat easier to find affordable and charming self-catering homes. For example, this apartment costs around £120 per night has a sauna and is just a 10-min walk from the village of Saariselkä.

And Luosto also has good budget options. On our first trip to Lapland, we stayed at Lapland Hotels Luostotunturi & Amethyst Spa in the Pyhä region where you can stay for as low as £250 per night for a family of four even in peak season, and down to £150 in March.

Midrange accommodation in Lapland

Within the £200-£1000 bracket, there are many midrange options, covering every budget. And you can even stay in glass igloos at midrange prices.

For example, Santa’s Hotel Aurora in Luosto has igloos for 2 adults and 2 kids for £380 per night in January (but more like £500 in December). I also found the Pyhä Igloo hotel, which had glass-roofed igloo rooms for £485 in December.

We loved the Sunday Morning Resort, which is more of a luxury resort, but can be found at midrange prices if you’re lucky. For the dates we stayed, it was £500 per night when booking for December in September, but nearly £800 for the same dates nearer the time. This is for a 2-storey suite with lake views – plus breakfast and dinner are included. It’s an incredible place to stay.

There are also many beautiful self-catering log cabins in the midrange scale in all areas of Lapland. You can find them on both Airbnb and Booking.com.

Luxury accommodation in Lapland

The luxury end of accommodation in Lapland is made up of epic bucket-list stays that you’ve likely seen on your Instagram feed.

The Northern Lights Villages are a popular brand among families. If you book a single night there during the snow season, you can expect to pay up to £1000 for bed-and-breakfast in a glass igloo for four people. I did see that price go down to around £700 per night in December – and it’s significantly cheaper if you book as part of a package (more on that below). The Apukka Resort has a range of glass igloos, with the most luxurious options sometimes costing £2000 per night in peak season. Other options at Apukka can be as low as £450 in March.

We stayed at the spectacular Silver Birch Resort, which costs around £900 in high season, but can go down to around £700 in the late snow season. It’s significantly cheaper (around £350) when there’s no snow.

I have a full guide to special stays and hotels in Lapland.

The cost of activities in Lapland

This is the category where costs quickly add up, especially if you’re travelling as a family.

Across Lapland, husky and snowmobile tours are usually the priciest experiences, followed by premium Santa visits. Here are some rough prices for some of the most popular experiences. Bear in mind that some of the lower priced options are more of an introduction rather than a full experience. For example, I’ve read many disappointed reviews of the 2-min husky ride at Santa Claus Village.

• Husky safari: €20–€280 (very short 2-min introductory rides at the lower end, and longer 40-min self-drive safaris with kennel tours at the higher end)

• Reindeer sleigh ride: €25–€90 (very short village rides are cheapest; farm visits with longer rides, food and storytelling cost more)

• Snowmobile tour: €75–€280 (lower price for 30 minutes and higher for 6-hour trips! Usually priced per adult with kids riding in a sled or heated trailer)

• Premium Santa experiences (forest-based / private): €350–€600+ per family
  (highly variable depending on length, group size and setting)

• Santa Park: from €45 per person (family packages and upgrades can increase this)

• Snowman World: around €35 per person (same price for adults and children)

• Amethyst Mine: €25–€40 per person (snowmobile versions cost more than the snow train)

• Mini snowmobiles for kids: €15–€30 (usually around 10-20 minutes per session)

• Northern Lights tour: €70–€250 per adult (often less for children), depending on whether it’s by minibus, snowmobile, sleigh or snowshoes. These usually last 2–4 hours and include a guide, hot drinks and transport away from light pollution. Tours can improve your chances, but sightings are never guaranteed.

What we paid for our Lapland activities

Here are the actual prices for all the activities we did in Lapland. All prices (aside from the mini snowmobiles) are for our family of four. We did more than needed because we wanted to review everything for you. For example, you wouldn’t really need to do both Santa Park and the NLV Santa Experience.

• Husky ride (two sleds, 20-min ride, farm visit and refreshments): €360
• Reindeer farm visit (20-minute ride, meal and farm visit): €316
• Santa experience at Northern Lights Village: €500 total (€159 per adult + €79.50 per child).
• Amethyst Mine visit: €200
• Entrance to Snowman World: €140 (€35 each)
• Santa Park visit: €450 for VEP family package (€188 without the VEP package)
• Mini snowmobiles: €50 (€25 each for 10 minutes)

The cost of food in Lapland

Food can be a surprisingly big part of the budget in Lapland, especially if you eat out a lot. Restaurant meals are pretty expensive, and can quickly add up, particularly for families.

If you’re staying at a resort and don’t book a meal package, you often have no other option for food nearby, so those meals can be expensive. For example, the buffet at Northern Lights Village is around €30 per person. And at Silver Birch, a main costs around €30. That said, when booking as part of a package, you can make big savings on resort food prices.

The restaurants in tourist attractions, like Santa Claus Village, are also expensive. For example, you’ll pay around €15 for a burger meal from a fast food restaurant, or mains at the midrange restaurants hover around €30. You can get a buffet lunch at the Christmas House Restaurant for around €50.

You’ll find cheaper meals and fast food options in central Rovaniemi or at gas stations. For example, you can find meals for under €10 there.

Self-catering is by far the easiest way to save money. Booking accommodation with a kitchen lets you keep breakfasts and some dinners simple, which makes a big difference over a few days. Even swapping restaurant breakfasts for cereal, porridge and toast can significantly reduce costs. Many people choose a hybrid approach: self-catering for most meals, then budgeting for one or two special dinners out as part of the experience. Pack lunches are always a good idea too (I’m a big fan of the buffet-breakfast-for-dinner option!).

If you’re staying in or near Rovaniemi, supermarkets are easy to access, and they’re often affordable too.

The cost of getting around Lapland

Getting around Lapland is another area where costs can vary a lot, depending on where you base yourself and how independent you want to be.

Resorts and package stays normally include transfers and on-site activities, which can remove the need for other transport altogether. This is often the easiest option for people who don’t want to think about logistics – though you usually pay for that convenience in the overall package price.

Public transport is scarce. There are buses that connect Rovaniemi with ski areas and other cities in Lapland. This can work for simple itineraries, but it’s less flexible than driving. They can also be quite expensive – for example, the ski bus from Rovaniemi to Pyhä costs €35 each way. A cheaper company is Matkahuolto, which offers good prices between key destinations like Levi, Inari and Rovaniemi.

If you’re basing yourself in Rovaniemi, you can reduce transport costs significantly. Many attractions are walkable, reachable by local public transport, or offer transfers. Santa Claus Village is easy to reach without a car, and some activity providers include pick-up and drop-off in their prices.

If you want to do a DIY itinerary, car hire is the best option, especially if you’re staying outside Rovaniemi or want to visit smaller farms and wilderness experiences. This gives you the most flexibility, but it won’t suit nervous drivers. We paid €358 for four days car rental and we booked through Discover Cars. All rental cars come with winter tyres as standard, roads are well maintained, and you don’t need a 4×4.

Is it better to book a package for Lapland?

If you’re looking to book a holiday in the budget to midrange bracket, it’s almost certainly cheaper to go with a DIY approach and book things separately. But if you want to stay at a luxury resort, a package can be better.

For example, Northern Lights Village offer a Nordic Family Adventure Package, which costs around £4,200 for a family of four for five nights. This includes:

• accommodation in a glass igloo
• three buffet meals a day
• return airport transfers
• warm winter clothing for the duration of your stay
• activities (including a husky ride, reindeer ride, cross-country skiing, aurora hunt on a heated sleigh, and the popular Search for Santa experience)
• plus access to the on-site saunas and nightly aurora alerts.

When you add up the price of all the activities, it’s a saving of around 25% on booking it all separately with Northern Lights Village.

Let’s compare it to my trip…

We spent £1030 on a husky safari, reindeer visit and the Search for Santa Experience. Adding an aurora hunt would have been an extra £410 and cross country skiing around £180.

If I subtract that total (£1650) from the NLV package price, I’m left with £2550. That would give me a budget of £510 per day for accommodation and food.

If I wanted to do all those things and stay in a glass igloo for 5 nights then the NLV package is pretty good – plus it has the benefit of convenience.

But if, like me, you’re happy to do fewer activities and don’t need to stay in a glass igloo for 5 nights then you can find cheaper ways to do it. You could even stay at the luxurious (and more spacious) Sunday Morning Resort and still match these prices.

Apukka Resort has similar packages, but it’s more luxurious than Northern Lights Village so the prices reflect that. When I checked, it cost £6,523 for family of four for four nights in a glass igloo including breakfast but not dinner. The activities included a husky safari, reindeer sleigh ride, snowmobile safari, snow train to see the aurora, and a special meet Santa experience. This one looks amazing, but is firmly in the luxury category.

So what’s a realistic total for a Lapland trip?

For a four-night trip like ours, most families fall somewhere between:

• Budget-conscious (cabins + self-catering + 1–2 paid activities): from around £1,200–£2,000 total
• Mid-range (nice cabin/lodge + a handful of classic activities): £2,500–£4,000
• Premium (igloo stays + premium Santa + guided tours): £5,000–£10,000+

You can see our full itineraries from both our Lapland trips here.