To think going to Lapland is more likely to make kids stop believing?

You are probably right and I wondered that with my DS but he had such a fun time and as long as there represents in Xmas day, I don't think he really cares! I do wonder how we can ever take him to see another Santa now! I also wondered why the Lapland UK documentary was broadcast as family viewing! I haven't watched it but not sure how they could keep up the pretence that it's talking a documentary! I'll have to catch up and see.

I really do find the level of investment in kids believing in Father Christmas as long as possible among some posters here very strange! We never did the Santa thing with DC, just didn't sit right with us. I totally get why some people do it, but I really find it perplexing how into it some adults get - and absolutely wild that there are apparently 10 and 11 year olds (with no SEN or anything) out there still genuinely believe these days! When I was growing up most kids had figured it out by latest 7 or 8. Once I'd found out he wasn't real, I was part of the "grown up" circle and would help with gift buying, wrapping etc for younger siblings and cousins. It was nice, and fun in a different way. A rite of passage I suppose, the first time being sat round the table with my mum, aunties and grandma helping with the wrapping while the wee ones were in bed. It can still be a lovely time, even when the belief in Santa is long gone!

Lapland looks amazing and I imagine it would be brilliant and feel magical even as an adult. I wouldn't think you need that fervent belief it's all real to enjoy it?

We took our kids when they were 9 and 7 , the 9 year was not remotely convinced, the santa was rubbish.

Yes I have. The souks, riyads, mountains, buildings, sounds, sights and smells. Mesmerising! Of course it's not similar to Lapland! Like I said, I would happily go to either for different experiences.

How festive

The winter weather gear was provided on our day trip. We put it on at the airport at the other end, and our coats went into lockers.

Exactly this.

I used to believe that you travelled to see Santa in the North Pole by riding an mdf sleigh through a dark room with moving blacklight painted walls at the back of the Co-op.

Never questioned coming out of the exit door back immediately into the home wares department.

Looking at old photos now the Santa was highly questionable. 😂

I took my DS to Lapland and we went to the Joulukka Secret Forest. The level of detail they go to is absolutely incredible. Forest night time walks with the elves, reindeer everywhere, cookie making in a tiny elf house, hot chocolate and stories round a campfire. And the secret toy factory was just incredible. Absolutely magical.

We went a few years ago when DS was 5. It was magical. A ride on a bobsleigh thingy from the airport to the village, fairy lights strung up through the trees, then there were reindeers, rides on big sleighs pulled by reindeer, more snow than you could possibly imagine, Santa in a lovely room, he knew DS's name and a bit about him so was able to talk to DS as if he knew him. A present that DS really wanted (still have it to this day).

My only comment is to make sure you book a trip to see a Santa dressed as your kids expect to see him. There are santa villages serving different customs apparently. I didn't know this, but a friend went another year and the Santa was wearing green, which did confuse her kids.

You are all making me want to book for next year with my 21 & 18 year olds!!

I always just assumed that they were fake Santas tbh

Where would people recommended staying? I want to book for next year

DH took me for my birthday a couple of years ago.

Absolutely stunning place. Huskies, reindeer, went ice fishing, hike with snowshoes, saw the northern lights sitting in a hot tub by our cabin.

We didn’t do anything Santa related obviously, but I was fully up for believing again 😂. It’s a magical place.

Took DC at 5 and 7 and it was magical just due to the location rather than the Santa experience. DSD had been with her mum at a much older age - maybe 12/13 and she still loved it

The winter weather kit is provided in the package.

Me, my husband and our two children went a few years ago for 7 days over Christmas: we arrived on the 21st of December and went home on the 29th.

We did everything DIY, no package holiday.

It cost us just over £6’000 for the week and that included the flights, the accommodation (we had a huge and beautiful cabin in the woods with nothing around us but trees, snow and reindeers), all our snow-wear, car hire for the week and we went on 4 trips.

It was the holiday of a lifetime. I used to wake up every morning and look outside the window in absolute disbelief that somewhere so beautiful could exist and that I was right there in the middle of it.

Me too.
The airport has one flight in (which then has a quick turn around and out again ) per day.
There was a tasteful gift shop at said airport.

We went 5 years ago.
Best holiday we ever had
Rain deer sleigh rides
Husky sleigh- i drove and boy did we go fast
Rode pillion on the back (dh drove) of a snowmobile , underneath a star lit sky, across a frozen river.
Candle lit walk up forest path.
All this in the beautiful snow covered Lapland county side
Breathtaking

We went for 48 hours in early November and it was very intense! For 2 adults and 1 child we paid about £1800 including all of our spending money while we were there. We stayed at Santa Claus Holiday Village and spent time in the village, went to see Santa’s pets and walked a reindeer in the forest as the sun was setting with an elf, and it was bloody amazing!! Next day we went to Santa Park, a big underground Santa experience with a stage show, a couple of rides, elf school, crafts and gingerbread decorating. We also went husky sledding which was my highlight and then on the last morning we mooched around Santa Claus village again. We had a hire car and both nights we drove out of town and had amazing northern lights shows! The actual meeting Santa but was in some ways a really small part of the experience and the elves at Santa park made it so magical, they all had back stories and knew all the elf lore which was super cute. I would go back in a heartbeat, it was so magical even though we had little snow, but I do wish we’d had an evening flight back rather than mid afternoon as it would have given us just a little more downtime during the trip as it was very full on.

We did eat reindeer one night, DD was iffy about it but tried some and had now asked if we can have it for lunch on New Year’s Day!

I’ve been to Morocco and I wouldn’t bring a small child there personally. However it is a beautiful country, I was there for 3 weeks and found it was an amazing experience the culture is so different to where I live.
i wouldn’t bring a child to Lapland waay too expensive and fake. No thanks. I can understand someone wanting to bring their child somewhere to experience a different culture.

Just to agree with a lot of the previous posters, we went to Lapland just before Covid appeared and it was the best holiday we have ever had. Just so magical, not commercial at all, and the only holiday our children still keep talking about today. There is quite a difference in quality between trips available and definitely best to spend more time there if you can to fully immerse yourself in the experience. We did the 3 night one here https://www.canterburytravel.com/lapland-holidays/magical-interlude/?tc=INT4ST-08-12-2025-MAN

the whole experience started on the plane which was just for families doing the Santa thing.All the kids got to meet the pilot and go in the cockpit before takeoff. There were games and Christmas films to keep them entertained on the flight and then on arrival you got your snowsuits and were whisked off into the snowy woods to meet the elves for tobogganing and snowball fights. All the activities were once in a lifetime for me and it genuinely was so magical (and I’m a miserable, cynical so and so normally). It is really expensive but it was worth every penny.

We are going tomorrow. Just on the cusp of not believing here too so now or never!

Really looking forward to the atmosphere and fun of being in Finland. A very long time ago I was in Norway in January. There is something really amazing about the snow and Northern lights and I was there for work!!

This. It’s nuts to me that people will fly their kids all the way to Lapland for often 24/48 hours. And buy winter weather kit for the occasion too. As if Christmas isn’t enough of an environmental disaster already.

Last year I paid around 3.5k for 2 adults + 1 child.
but it was
£200 for the flights (I got them as soon as they were released)
£200 for 2 suitcases
airbnb £800 booked one year in advance
£500 for visiting the toy factory where Santa and the elves are
£450 for huskies
£400 for reindeers

remaininf was food , beers and purchases here and there