Destination Abroad: Lapland

Every child’s dream is to visit Santa in his very own winter wonderland, Lapland – the most magical destination in December.

Things to see and do

Lapland is situated in Finland’s most northern region, bordering Norway, Sweden, and Russia. It is a real life, winter wonderland and a completely unique holiday experience fit for the entire family. The midnight sun, the Sámi peoples, the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and roaming reindeer are all components that make this place truly magical. More northerly than Iceland and almost all of Canada and Alaska, it is a place of awesome wildernesses, sparse tundra, dense forests, and open fells.

Lapland’s main town, Rovaniemi is officially the hometown of Santa Claus. For kids, it would be unheard of to visit Lapland and not visit Santa in his official place of residence, and even if you are not with children, it can actually make for a fun day out.

There are three big Santa themed attractions around Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village is where you can see his office and the post office where children’s letters from around the world end up. Santa Park is more of a Christmas theme park with rides and shows for little ones to enjoy. Jolukka is a rural attraction, where kids can hang out with Santa’s elves at any time of year, go fishing, look after reindeer and pick berries.