Come with me and see how I had the most magical Christmas in Lapland!🎄

In this guide I am completely honest and only review places I experienced personally. You will get to hear my real opinions, as well as seeing real photos/videos. I have not over edited anything to make it seem better than it is. All content is my own and I have provided links to everything. 📸

See what activities I did, who I booked with, car hire, food, tips, regrets and more! Learn from me on what to do and what not to do! I hope you come and see this winter wonderland for yourself. ❄️

Lapland☃️

I can’t recommend hiring a car enough! Even though most activities are close by, we loved the comfort of having a car and being able to get up and go whenever we wanted. 2am and the northern lights are out? Why not drive to a great spot to view them. It made our trip so much better. 

We went with Enterprise and although the reviews weren’t great it was a cheaper option and worked out perfectly for us. We hired the car at Rovaniemi airport, getting the keys from right next to the baggage claim for easy access. The car cost less than $1000 AUD for the week, it was a nice BMW 4wd (didn’t need chains on the tyres). 

Seen/heard about this place and thought it’s a must do right? Let’s just say I was dissapointed. But remember we don’t have kids. Not sure what I was expecting… more lights/decorations? Beautiful music playing everywhere? Christmas themed food markets? More like overpriced souvenir shops, a massive line out in the cold to get a photo with a fake looking Santa and busy average looking restaurants. I guess I was expecting a more magical and authentic storybook Christmas experience, but it all felt a bit commercial. There are plenty of activities to do but I would much more prefer to do them outside of this little touristy spot. Don’t get me wrong it was nice to walk around for a short time, mainly it was cool to cross the Arctic Circle but I definitely would not plan my holiday around it or spend longer than a day there. I have seen other peoples reviews talking about ‘as we walked through the magical wonderland…’ I’m not a hater but this was just not true in my case! The vibes were not what I was expecting.  

Option to stay in beautifully carved ice bedrooms with different themes (I personally did not want to) or glass igloos. If you don’t want to stay the night you can pay to access the ice hotel rooms, get a drink in the ice bar and have a meal. You don’t need a great amount of time to look around. Bonus points for this place as we saw the northern lights outside here! Check out their website for events they may have on. We had a 3 course meal at the ice restaurant, an alcoholic drink each at the ice bar and access to check out the rooms. Total came to 250 Euros for 2 adults. 

2.2hr drive from Rovaniemi. Good driving conditions, we left at night and had no issues. 

Really easy process and friendly staff. It  wasn’t overcrowded, the track was beautiful and we were free to skate as we pleased. Everyone was having a great time. There are plenty of other activities to keep you as busy as you want to be, but make sure you book ahead. There is a map inside where you can pin which country you are from, my partner was the first from his country in PNG and got to put a photo up. It cost us 118 Euro for 2 adults to skate. 

A 10 minute drive from the centre lies a place I’d imagine witches and wizards to live. Think more of a Merlin vibe, not hogwarts. We enjoyed walking through the well lit pathways and being amongst all the different buildings and lit up trees all while magical music played in the background. Activities included little games throughout the park, they were fun but not necessary for us. The knockerballs though… absolutely hilarious, we laughed the entire time. My partner is triple my size, so you can imagine who was rolling around on the ground for the most of it but that didn’t stop me having a great time. We went an hour before closing time which was great for doing content as it seemed to not be busy at all. You can choose to go during light or dark, they have different activities on depending on this so make sure you check. I’d recommend during the night as the lights are amazing. Be sure to really look around, we found a swing in the middle of the snow which overlooked everything below us. I recommend buying the park ticket entrance which is 20 Euros per adult, if you decide you want extras while you’re there then you can purchase them. 

Met in the centre and got a 10 minute bus ride to the location. There were few reindeers for a large group so only six people could go at a time, we were outside waiting till our turn which we didn’t mind. I loved how the sleds and reindeers accessories looked traditional, not cheesy and bright coloured. Riding a reindeer sled through the snow covered wilderness felt like stepping into a winter fairy tale and better yet we did it on Christmas Eve! Afterwards we met the reindeer properly and rewarded them with some food. It did feel a bit rushed as they had another group ready to go. We entered a warm hut while listening to the history of reindeer and how their particular farm worked. It seems as though they are very well looked after. We paid 250 Euro for 2 adults (2km). 

Met in the centre and got a 15 minute bus ride to the location. From the moment the eager sled dogs barked excitedly, I knew I was going to love this experience. My only regret was not doing a longer ride (we did 2kms but you can choose other distances or even to mush yourself). Although I did feel bad for the dogs having to do so many rides a day during this busy Christmas period. I have done this activity in other countries so let me tell you this is 100% the place to do it!! Being surrounding by forrests of frosted trees one minute to speeding through vast open plains where the snow stretched out as far as the eye could see was really something else. We did not get to pat and play with the dogs afterwards but I took this as somewhat of a good thing that they respect their dogs and don’t want them to get overwhelmed. We got lots of information on the dogs and got to ask as many questions as we wanted. Afterwards we walked around the beautiful park full of animals. We got to kiss a reindeer, yes, you heard that right! Each person got to feed a reindeer with a biscuit from their mouth. You didn’t have to but of course we did! We then got a guided walk around to see the wolves, hybrids, puppies and different foxes. It was interesting hearing all about them and seeing the worker interact with the animals. I got picked as the one person from the group to go in and feed an Arctic fox, this was one of the highlights of my trip. We then got to play with the puppies through the fence. While waiting for the bus to return, we sat inside by the fire and enjoyed a snag while drinking hot juice. We paid 250 Euro for 2 adults. 

The main slope is right at the centre and next to where you can rent all your gear and get your ski pass. We rented gear at intersport which was the cheapest, they have everything you need besides goggles which you would need to buy brand new from the shop. We got our passes from Zero Point. As someone who isn’t familiar with this sport the maps were very confusing and which slope to go on etc. I would suggest starting at the South Slopes as a beginner which is a 10 minute drive from Zero Point (there is bus access). I accidentally got down to the bottom of a slope on my own and the only way up was on a T bar which I had no idea how to do as a beginner snowboarder. I watched everyone go on and it didn’t look too hard… The first bar came and whacked me over the head making me fall, the next one I tried to sit on and it hit the ground with me on it, nearly dragging me up by one leg. The worker didn’t speak a word of English and was yelling at me, but I made it up in the end. I loved snowboarding and for a pass for 2 days, the snow was pretty hard and not very forgiving. You can purchase your tickets online to avoid the long lines but it’s not a must, we saw it could get busy at times but luckily when we went it took 2 minutes. We paid 50.5 Euro per adult for a day ski pass, it works out cheaper to do more days if you pay ahead. Cost of renting gear varies depending on what equipment you choose, no need to pre book but again it can get busy. 

Going down the slopes after the chair lifts closed (around 7pm) was sooo much fun, it was great seeing everyone else enjoy themselves too. Sleds are sold at most supermarkets and not more than 15 Euros. You can leave them outside and most people seem to know the unwritten rule  not to touch them. We went down the main slope at Zero Point and felt like kids again, who knew it could be so fun! They go very fast!!

The office is a 2 minute drive from the centre. This was the best day of my life! Favourite activity I have ever done!! Coming from someone who likes extreme sports. We hired one sports snowmobile each for 4 hours and it was an absolute blast. We did get a little lost as the maps weren’t loading but we didn’t care. So don’t let your pride get the better of you by saying you know where you’re going if you don’t, make sure you are confident in your directions before you leave the office. There are other options to go with a guide instead of hiring but we loved the freedom. Snowmobiling through the winter wilderness is an exhilarating way to experience the raw beauty and freedom of the snowy landscape. We sped across frozen lakes going over 120kms and through winding forest trails. Every now and then we stopped to take in the view and snap a few pics. Halfway along, we stopped at a cosy old cafe, the lady was lovely and there were hot drinks and baked goods. We chose to sit outside to drink our hot chocolate and eat before continuing our ride. You will be shown how to get here before you take off from the office. The company was so easygoing I can’t recommend them enough, it was such an easy process. We paid 400 Euros for 2 adults to hire the snowmobiles for 4 hours, all gear included. 

Kotatieva Winter Leisure Park

Reindeer Sled Ride and Farm Visit in Levi | Manawa

Husky Safari & Kennel Visits in Lapland | Scandinavian Travel Group

Ski Passes | Levi

Levi Rent | Intersport

Snowmobile safaris in Levi - Tokka Safaris

Staying anywhere in the main centre (Zero point) would be ideal as it’s close to everything. 

Where we stayed

We had our own little cabin which was a close drive to the centre. We prefer our own space so it worked well for us. It had everything we needed to cook and clean, a private sauna inside the bathroom and a fireplace in front of the bed. Only negative was you had to pre book if you wanted towels for an extra cost. 

Personally this is a must, although it is expensive… if you’re going all this way you just have to! Even if it’s just for one night.

Although it was beautiful and staff were nice, I have to say it was overrated for the price and I wish I booked elsewhere. There wasn’t enough hot water for us to both have our own showers and you had to pay extra to use the public sauna and hot tub. All the rooms were very close to each other and the lights from the cars going past on the road kept going into our room. 

Better stays

We would have preferred to stay at a cabin on a lake with a private hot tub away from other accommodations instead. Most glass igloos have the black frames which spoil the view in my opinion. So a house with lots of large windows may be a better option. 

Food is so expensive!!! Not sure if it’s normal prices for other countries, but to my Aussies it’s a lot more over there. We didn’t go out for breakfast/lunch/dinner anywhere that cost less than $100AUD. There are many places to eat and drink, be sure to make reservations during Christmas time if you can to be safe. I’ve heard great things about many places but I don’t want to recommend somewhere I haven’t personally tried.

Amazing meals at both these places. The vibe and staff were lovely at Kekäle. Great service and we did not have to book at either. The steakhouse does not come with sides unless ordered and the wine was very small, but the steak was delicious. Kekäle wasn’t a massive portion but there were so many nice flavours. 

- Shop at supermarkets (get a place with all cooking equipment) to save money if staying for a while 

- Book activities for the right times for what you want. In December there is only a few hours of light so I made sure I booked my activities for these times as I wanted to take photos/videos. Same goes for if you want to try get sunrise/sunset. 

- Don’t expect to see the northern lights or plan around it, if you see them while you’re there then it’s a bonus! 

- Not going to a place like Ruka/Saariselka or further north 

I hope you found this guide useful! If you have any questions feel free to ask via my Instagram. If you end up going to Lapland I hope you have a magical time! 

We saw the northern lights 3 times that we were in Lapland. During the drive from Rovaniemi to Levi the Aurora was directly visible from our windshield the whole journey. If you’re not familiar with the northern lights, they are much better on camera than they are to the naked eye. It can just look like a faint white line in the sky but large and colourful when taking a picture. Although we did not see it when it was at its strongest. Make sure your phone camera is set to night mode and download the app Aurora Alerts. We also saw them from Panorama and the frozen lake which I will talk about next. 

Lapland☃️

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