Lapland is beautiful during winter, with the pristine snow sparkling in the sun, the odd rabbit track breaking the virgin snow cover, and the tree branches looking like they were decorated for Christmas. With so many activities to do, you can spend all your time outside enjoying nature and never get bored.
When I think of Lapland, I think of Finland, although it also covers parts of Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Lapland is home to the Sami people. These nomadic people had to survive in harsh conditions, but a holiday in Lapland doesn’t have to be harsh at all and can provide lots of fun activities that you might not have tried before.
The cold
We went to Finland above the Arctic Circle in early March, and I must admit I wasn’t looking forward to the cold. We had just gotten through a cold winter, and it was starting to warm up. I was questioning my sanity. We should be heading somewhere nice and sunny, not colder.
However, I was never once cold. In fact, I was often too hot and had to take off a layer. My daughter even took her coat off and walked around with only a T-shirt on, and there was snow all around. The weather was mild, and we were hot from physical work. If you dress appropriately, then the cold weather is not a problem.
When to go
The peak season to go to Lapland is December to February. November and March will be cheaper. However, if you want to stay in an ice hotel, check if they have finished building it if you book in November. They might close it sometime towards the end of March as the ice starts to melt. November and December are the coldest months, and you will notice the cold. December is also the busiest time to see Father Christmas, so be prepared for large crowds and long queues.
The Activities
1. The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Many people wish to see the Northern Lights. They are caused by activity on the sun’s surface, which creates electrically charged particles that hit the earth’s surface and are captured in its magnetic field. This produces different colours in the sky, normally green, but you can see pinks, reds, and violets.
There are many fables about what causes the Northern Lights. My favourite is that a firefox causes them when he runs quickly across the snow, and his tail causes sparks to fly in the sky.
Seeing them at their best is magical no matter what causes the Northern Lights.
There is no way to predict when you will see the Northern Lights; all you can do is work out when you have the best chance. December through to March are the best months, although in March it isn’t dark for so long, so this reduces the potential time you can see them. You must be away from artificial lights to see the Northern lights. Then you need to hope for no cloudy cover. Full moons will produce the most light, so it might be harder to see the different colours, but some people like seeing the northern lights dance around the moon.
We stayed at the Arctic Snow Hotel and Glass Igloos in Sinetta, near Rovaniemi. If you stay in a luxury glass igloo, you can watch the sky all night from your bed. The bed is motorised, so the top of the mattress can move up at the push of a button, and you are propped at the perfect angle to see the sky. If you want any good photos, you will have to go outside. They also have an alarm that will go off if the Northern Lights appear.
When you go to Lapland, you must be realistic and realise that you might not see the lights. The longer you stay, the more you increase the odds, but you could go for a week and still miss the lights. The Northern Lights are visible about 150 nights yearly in Lapland but have different strengths. We were lucky we saw the lights on our first night, but our daughter was disappointed that, to the naked eye, they didn’t look that good. You will be extremely lucky to get a really good show.
I suggest you don’t do too much during the day if you also plan to be up during the night. We missed the alarms on the third day because we were so tired. You can also download an app that alerts you when the Northern lights appear.
Taking photos of the Northern lights can be difficult. Even though we had set our cameras on the correct settings, our cameras were not good enough to take photos in the darkness. However, we downloaded an app onto our phones, which meant we could get some photos. If possible, practice taking photos of the stars at home and see what you can do. Sometimes, the Northern lights are only around for a few moments, so you won’t have much time to get the perfect photo.
2. Ice Fishing
Even if you aren’t into fishing, fishing on an ice lake is fun and can make for a unique photo. You will need to go with a guide who can show you what to do and go to a safe ice lake. You drill into the lake and then scoop the ice out. You can put the bait on the hook, but I let the guide do this. Then, you dangle the hook up and down near the bottom of the lake. I didn’t catch anything, but one person in our group did. If you go with a group, don’t fish in the middle of the group as those on the edges have more chance of catching a fish.
3. Snowmobiling
If you like a faster pace, then you should try this. Motoring across ice lakes and along forest paths is lovely. We went on electric snowmobiles, which meant they were quiet and environmentally friendly.
If you damage the snowmobile, you will have to pay for it to be repaired, as insurance companies don’t normally cover snowmobiles. You should be fine if you don’t do anything too fancy, especially on an ice lake, where the ground is harder and could do more damage.
My husband enjoyed driving, even though he is not normally allowed to do so because of his sight problems. He was allowed to drive the snowmobile because it was on private land.
Children can ride on the back of a snowmobile or even drive themselves at Santa Claus Village.
You can find snowmobile activities of various lengths. Our ride was 3 hours. It took about ½ an hour to get everyone dressed in the right clothes and be given instructions. Our trip stopped at a hut to have hotdogs and s’mores cooked on an open fire and a chance to ask questions about Finland.
4. Reindeer rides
Sitting there under a fur rug, cuddled up to a loved one, can be very romantic as a reindeer pulls your sleigh. Reindeer don’t go very fast, so choose somewhere interesting, or that stops halfway for a snack. Seeing the beautiful scenery at a slow pace can be lovely. Don’t do what we did and go just after doing a husky ride as it seems very tame and an anti-climax.
Many reindeer farms give you a chance to feed the reindeer and learn all about them before you go for a ride. On most rides, you sit in the sleigh while someone drives you, but in some places, you can get a short go at driving a reindeer-pulled sleigh yourself.
5. Husky rides
Being in a sleigh with huskies pulling it can be very exhilarating. They can go up to 30 miles per hour, and although your ride probably won’t go that fast, it can still seem very fast when you are so close to the ground. You can sit in the sleigh or learn to drive one yourself.
There are many places where you can meet the Huskies first and then go for a ride. Mushing is fairly easy, as the dogs know where they are going. You just have to hang on and use the breaks when necessary. Depending on your route, you might also be required to get off and run for a bit.
Meeting the puppies can be a highlight for some children and even adults.
In the Huskie sleigh, you sit down low on the sleigh, so you need to be able to get up and down easily. Sleighs can take one person, an adult and a small child, or several people all sitting behind each other. This can be a bit uncomfortable if you are all large adults as the sleighs are not very wide, and your legs need to go around the person in front, who then leans back on you.
6. Snowshoeing
Walking in snowshoes is a bit harder than just going for a hike. The snow can be very deep and light in Lapland, so your feet might sink into the snow even with snowshoes on. Snowshoes can be heavy to lift when you get snow on them, and you have to keep your feet wider apart than usual. It might be best not to plan a long trip until you get used to them.
Poles are helpful but not essential. However, I found I was having trouble balancing without them, as I couldn’t work out the depth of the snow when everything was white.
Going with a guide is best until you have more experience. They can tell you how to look out for air pockets that can form under the snow, especially around tree roots. You should avoid icy slopes and creeks, which can be difficult for the inexperienced. Logs or rocks can be under the snow, so don’t go out alone if you are not experienced. Always take a phone so you can call for help. It is easy to twist your ankle when you can’t see what is under the snow.
If you want to walk without snow shoes, frozen flat snow is best; try walking on a frozen lake you know is safe or along a snowmobile track.
7. Kick Sledging
Kick sledging is when you stand on one runner and push with your other foot a few times. Once you are moving, you can put your other foot on the second runner and glide. You steer the same way you do on a child’s scooter by pushing the handles in the direction you want to go in. You can kick sledge on ice or hard-packed snow. Some kick sledges have seats on the front to take a passenger. Kick sledging can be an enjoyable way to play outdoors or hike around beautiful scenery.
I tried kick sledging on a frozen lake and enjoyed it. I did fall over once when my pushing foot slipped on the ice, and all my weight was on one side, so the kick sledge fell sidewards. I learnt to try to keep my weight better balanced. If I had a passenger, this would be less likely to happen.
The experts compete in races up to 62 miles and reach speeds of 19 mph. I managed to glide for only a few feet and reach about 3 miles per hour, which is a walking pace. Our hotel had kick sledges you could borrow, but a few places offer kick sledging tours.
8. Saunas and Jacuzzi
This is one activity that doesn’t take much effort. There are saunas everywhere in Finland, as there are about 2 million for a population of 5.3 million. You get naked, sit in a heated room, and sweat. This is meant to be good for your skin and blood circulation and to relax you.
Afterwards, you can jump in an ice lake or roll in fresh snow if you want to.
When you go into a sauna, shower first, take a towel to sit on, and throw water onto the stones to increase the humidity.
Hotels might have separate times for women or men, or you can book a private session. Don’t be surprised, however, if the sauna is for mixed sexes, in which case you should wear a swimsuit or towel.
A jacuzzi might be more your style. If your timing is right, you can sit outside in a jacuzzi and watch the stars, and if you are very lucky, you can see the northern lights at the same time.
9. Ice hotel, ice restaurant, ice bar
You could try staying at an ice hotel or visiting an ice restaurant or ice bar.
Going to an ice restaurant is a unique experience. We paid a lot for a meal and enjoyed the experience, but we weren’t impressed with the food quality. The plates made of ice in the shape of snowflakes were exquisite.
Going to an ice bar was a bit boring. The bar we went to didn’t have any seats and only had a few ice sculptures. I don’t like ice in my drinks, but this time, my glass was made of ice.
Spending a night in an ice hotel is an experience you will remember for a long time. Often, they have themed rooms with different ice sculptures and sometimes fairy lights embedded in the ice. The toilets are in an adjacent building and are warm. You are woken up with a warm drink, and when you check out, you are given a certificate for being so brave.
For those who don’t want to spend the night, there are room tours during the daytime.
10. Seeing Father Christmas
We saw Father Christmas at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. As an adult, I felt a bit silly seeing Him. All three of us were adults in our group. However, in the queue in front of us, there were about 30 adults and only 2 children. I thought I couldn’t come to Lapland and not see Father Christmas when he was so close.
He had a very impressive white beard and spoke very good French to the people in front of us, perfect English to us, and I don’t know how many other languages.
To see this Father Christmas, you walk along a long path through Santa’s workshop. Don’t miss the 3 doors with large keyholes you can peek through to watch videos. If you go before Christmas or shortly afterwards, you can wait hours in the queue. Just get there as soon as it opens for the shortest queues. It is free to see Santa, but they will offer you the chance to buy a photograph or video afterwards; the cheapest started at £30 when we visited.
If you are at Santa Claus Village, you can also pop into the post office and buy postcards to be sent back from Lapland. You can choose to send them immediately or have them posted nearer Christmas.
Log cabin
If all these activities are too much effort, you can hire a log cabin with a roaring fire and enjoy the scenery out the window. Remember, however, that the roads will all be icy. You can hire a car if you are confident about driving on icy roads. Otherwise, choose a cabin that is accessible by taxi and don’t forget to pick up some groceries.
Wheelchair access
Sadly, Lapland might be a challenge for those in wheelchairs. However, accommodation is possible, and the law states that buildings should be wheelchair-friendly.
Many buildings have lots of steps at their entrances to keep the snow out and I couldn’t see how a wheelchair could enter many of the cafés and shops. The snow will also complicate things; sometimes, the snow swept off the main paths makes walls impossible to cross. As usual, research must be done to see which activities can cope with your needs. But it’s not all bad news for people with disabilities; my husband, who is partially sighted, did get to drive a snowmobile!
Summary
We worked out that per day, this was one of the most expensive holidays we had been on. We packed lots of activities into a very short time, which was a bit tiring. We had a fantastic time, and I am sure you will, too.
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