Family holidays to Lapland: Snow, skiing and seeing Santa

If you're thinking of holidaying in Lapland, it's probably because of the man in the red suit – but it's not just Santa Claus who makes a trip to northern Finland such an adventure for a family holiday.

With skiing for all ages, as well as thrilling husky rides and magical reindeer sleigh trips, there's also plenty of fun away from the slopes, even after Father Christmas has packed up for the year.

And while Scandinavia has a reputation as a pricy destination, deals throughout the year mean that it a trip doesn't need to blow the Christmas budget.

Here's our guide to a magical Christmas in Lapland...

10 tips to enjoy Lapland

Where to stay
 There are two main ski resorts to choose from in Lapland, depending on whether you're looking for the facilities of a bigger resort, or a more relaxed self-catering option, and both have great skiing with snow from November to April. At Ylläs, the quieter of the two, you can check into the four-star Äkäs Alp Apartments, which come complete with mini sauna. They’re attached to a hotel, so you have free use of all the facilities including a restaurant and cafe on your doorstep, as well as a babysitting and baby listening service. Ski buses run between the hotel and the slopes and the apartments are only around five minutes from the town’s restaurants. Or Levi has several big hotels, including the Levitunturi Spa hotel, with a children’s indoor play area and kids’ pools, while you’re walking distance from the slopes and from the shops and restaurants. Seven nights at the Äkäs Alp Apartments in Ylläs costs from £495 per person, based on four sharing on a self-catering basis, including return flights from Gatwick to Kittilä and resort transfers. Seven nights at the Levitunturi Spa Hotel costs from £799 per person, based on four sharing on a half board basis, including flights from Gatwick to Kittilä and resort transfers. <a href="http://www.inghams.co.uk/" target="_blank">Book with Inghams </a>
What to do
 With snow for over half the year, you’d be missing out if you didn’t head for the slopes while you’re in Lapland. Both Ylläs and Levi have great beginners' slopes and very patient instructors taking the lessons – whatever age you are. Children usually need to be five or over to learn to ski, and over 10 to try snowboarding. Both resorts have outdoor kindergartens offering sledging and games. But if you’ve been skiing for years, you won’t be disappointed either. Ylläs has 60 different runs including the longest slope in Finnish Lapland at 3km long, while both resorts have several black runs – Levi’s is used for World Championship contests. Levi also has an indoor kindergarten Kids Land, 200m from the main ski base, for kids aged six months to seven years, open daily from 9.30-5pm, priced around £4.50-£11 per hour. There’s also an indoor kindergarten called Kids Land in Ylläs for six months to 11 years, open 10-5pm for around £4 per hour.
Days out to enjoy
 Whizzing through the snowy scenery on a husky sled can make even the most sensible adult feel like they’re in a fairytale, so expect your kids to be absolutely captivated as you hop onto an old-fashioned wooden dog sled. Before you set off, the huskies’ barking echoes around as they strain at the leash – even jumping into the air in their desire to get running – but once the sled is released, the team of five falls silent as they sprint along happily. You need to be a certain size and weight to control the sled, so younger children won’t be big enough to steer, but each carries at least one passenger so they’ll get to enjoy the view while you drive the well-trained team. Then there’s time to pet the dogs, as well as their even cuter husky puppies afterwards. You can pre-book at Husky Super Safaris in Köngäs near Levi with Inghams from £35 per adult and £19 per child.
How to add more magic
 Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen and the rest might be busy over Christmas, but there are plenty of other reindeer in Lapland year-round – over 200,000 in total. And at Samin Porotila reindeer farm in Venejärvi, near Ylläs, you can feed them with handfuls of their winter fodder as the owner Sami and his wife Marjut explain a bit more about the animals, which are left to roam freely during the summer months. Then, after some hot blueberry juice around a roaring fire and the chance to learn more about the traditional culture of the Sami people who live in the Arctic Circle, you can hop into a snug fur-lined sleigh led by the reindeer through the forest. Reindeer Safaris cost from £25 for adults and £19 for children, through<a href="http://www.inghams.co.uk/" target="_blank"> Inghams.</a>
Where to find adventure
 When everywhere’s a foot deep in snow, it’s tricky to explore away from the roads without being a good cross country skier – or unless you take the controls of a snowmobile. With skis at the front and a wheel at the back, they’re not too different to a motorbike and it only takes a few minutes to work out the two levers. All drivers need a UK licence, but there’s room for a passenger on the back and older kids will love the feeling of speeding along – even at low speeds! From Levi, a 36km loop around the fell takes you to one of Lapland’s ice hotels at Luvattumma, complete with ice chapel as well as a restaurant to warm up over hot drinks, and apart from a guide you’ll have the countryside almost to yourself. A snowmobile safari costs from £49 for an adult and £15 for children. If you have young children, you can also hire a special sledge which can be pulled behind the snowmobile, seating an adult and two children.
For the wow factor
 A copy of the Great Wall of China, made entirely from ice and snow, probably isn’t what you expect in the heart of Lapland, but thanks to new ice theme park <a href="http://www.icium.fi/" target="_blank">Icium,</a> the Far East has come to Finland. With links to the Chinese city of Harbin, known for its snow and ice festival, it’s packed with beautifully lit ice carvings of dragons, pagodas and a few Helsinki landmarks as well. And after you’ve climbed up the icy steps of the great wall, you can slide back down at top speed – getting covered in snow along the way, of course. Entrance costs around £12.50 for adults and children over 12, and around £8.50 for under-12s. You can also buy a family ticket for around £33.50 for one to two adults and  two to three children under 12, while under-fours get in free if they’re with their parents.
Where to relax
 The Finns claim to be the inventor of the sauna, and when it’s freezing outside, there’s nothing to beat toasting in the heat. And at the Levitunturi hotel, they have nine saunas in the new Spa Water World, as well as smaller ones in some of the rooms. The spa is also home to 17 different pools, including three outdoor ones where you can relax in the warm water and look up to the snowy tree-lined hills. The 20m pool even has aqua massage points if you’re feeling stiff after skiing. Kids will love the water slide, and there are two shallow pools with a smaller elephant slide for younger children. Daily entry is free if you’re staying in the hotel.
Where to see Santa
 Although Santa’s official home is at Korvatunturi mountain, Father Christmas can be found all around Lapland in the weeks before December 25 – and even for a little while afterwards. Head to Santa Park between December 5 and January 1, and you’ll get a private meeting with Santa in his workshop, as well as an elf school diploma for children and the chance to decorate gingercake in Mrs Santa’s bakery. It’s reachable from both Levi, priced from £45 for adults and £40 for children, and Ylläs from £49 for adults and £45 for children. Or take a trip to the candlelit Santa’s secret hideaway throughout the winter, where children get to meet Father Christmas, as well as taking part in elf school and playing outdoor games. It costs £45 for adults and £39 for children from both Levi and Ylläs. Both are available to book with Inghams, and on any trip to Lapland with the company, arriving between November 30 and December 25, you’ll get a special dinner with Santa on the last night of your stay.
What to eat
 If you’ve spent the day oohing and aahing at reindeer, it might come as a shock to spot them on the menu at most restaurants. But as one of Lapland’s staple foods, it turns up in everything from reindeer spread at breakfast to pasta at lunch and steak with sweetly sour lingonberries in the evening – tasting like a more tender version of venison, you’d be missing out if you didn’t try it at least once. There’s also plenty of fish, including pickled, smoked and grilled versions as well as fantastic creamy salmon soup, if you’d rather not tuck into Rudolph though. In Ylläs, head to <a href="http://www.lappvillage.fi/en_restaurant.html" target="_blank">Poro restaurant, </a>with its fairylit trees and romantic wooden beams or to <a href="http://www.jullis.com/" target="_blank">Julli’s</a> for pizza and burgers as well as lamb dishes. Or in Levi, the fantastic food at the <a href="http://www.hulluporo.fi/poro/esivu.php?id=31&kieli=en" target="_blank">Steakhouse </a>outshines its uninspired name – there’s a buffet of fish dishes, followed by three choices of steak and sauces.
How much will it cost
 Inghams feature the resorts of Levi, Ylläs and Saariselkä in Lapland and offer a selection of 3 star and 4 star hotels, cabins, chalets and apartments. Inghams Ski Reservations: 020 8780 4447 or book online at <a href="http://www.inghams.co.uk">www.inghams.co.uk</a> At Ylläs, three days of ski school (1.5 hours per day) costs £75 for adults and £69 for children. A six day local area pass costs £119 and £75, while six days ski and boot hire costs £69 for adults. In Levi, three days of ski school (1.5 hours per day) costs £79 for adults and children. A six day local area pass costs £115 and £75, while six days ski and boot hire costs £69 for adults. All of the above, as well as snowboarding lessons and equipment can be pre-booked with Inghams. Temperatures can drop to -40C during December, and stay well below zero during January and February, so do pack thermals. Thermal suits are also provided or can be hired for some of the activities, including snowmobiling and husky sledding. For more information on Finland visit <a href="http://www.visitfinland.com">www.visitfinland.com</a>