Lapland on a budget with kids – how to save money in Rovaniemi!

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If you’re looking to plan a Lapland trip on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know there are definitely ways to save money on your Rovaniemi adventure with the kids. Lapland has a reputation for being expensive and, to be fair, it can be. Between husky safaris, snowmobile tours and Santa experiences, the costs can add up quickly for a family. But the good news is that a Rovaniemi break doesn’t have to cost a fortune if you plan carefully. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the magic of Lapland without spending a small fortune on every activity. After visiting Rovaniemi ourselves, we found that some of the best moments were actually the simplest ones – sledging down snowy hills, walking through frozen forests and watching the Northern Lights dance across the sky. If you’re planning a family trip, here are some simple ways to save money on your Rovaniemi adventure with the kids.

How can I visit Lapland on a budget?

Visit Santa Claus Village for free

Santa Claus Village is the most famous attraction in Rovaniemi, but many families are surprised to learn that you can visit the village completely free of charge. You can walk around the festive streets, cross the Arctic Circle line, explore the shops and soak up the atmosphere without paying anything. Meeting Santa is also free in terms of entry, although official photos come with a cost. If you’re visiting on a budget, you can still enjoy the experience and take your own photos around the village. The kids will love the snowy play areas and you can bring your own marshmallows and skewers to toast on the open fires which make it feel magical even without booking extra activities. Check out my Santa Claus Village guide for all the details.

Go sledging instead of booking expensive activities

The organised tours in Lapland are amazing but they can easily cost £100+ per person and there’s plenty of fun to be had for free if you’re visiting on a budget. For winter fun without the big price tag, take the kids sledging instead – they’ll love it! We were fortunate that our accommodation at Piriko Apartments came with two sledges – many hotels, cabins and apartments provide sledges for guests to borrow so it’s always worth asking. It’s the perfect way to make unforgettable memories with the kids (with snowball fights, snowmen and snow angels too!) – you could even pack your own inflatable snow tube or sledge or buy a cheap one from a local supermarket. You’ll find great sledging hills all over Rovaniemi including: Ounasvaara hill, the Arctic Garden, local parks and playgrounds and forest areas near the river.

See the Northern Lights without a tour

Though Northern Lights tours are widely advertised in Rovaniemi they’re not essential – if the conditions are right you can often see the aurora for free. There are no guarantees that you’ll see them on your Lapland trip, even if you book onto a pricey tour, so we thought it better to spend our budget on other excursions. The key is to get away from city lights and head somewhere darker such as: Ounasvaara hill, the Ounasjoki River, forest areas outside the centre or the Arctic Garden. You’ll also want to keep an eye on aurora forecasts online and check for clear skies – visibility changes from night to night and being able to see the stars is always a good sign. Seeing the Northern Lights on your own is just as magical as a guided tour – we had a midnight adventure to the Arctic Garden and I will treasure those memories forever. It’s around a 15 minute walk from the city centre, so you can get there on foot without spending a penny. For more details, check out my article: The best places to see the Rovaniemi Northern Lights without a tour.

Plan a DIY Lapland trip instead of a package holiday

To experience Lapland on a budget, I don’t think you can beat planning your own Lapland trip when it comes to cost and trip flexibility. Package holidays to Lapland can cost £3,000-£6,000 (or more!) for a family, especially if they include Santa experiences and excursions, and many of them are only around 2 days. A DIY trip to Rovaniemi is often much cheaper – by booking flights and accommodation separately you can plan a longer more relaxed trip and it’ll likely save you money too. On top of this, you can choose which activities are actually worth paying for and control your own schedule. Many families find that a DIY trip gives them more flexibility and better value, particularly if you’re happy planning your own itinerary. It’s not tricky at all – take a look at my guide on The 15 best things to do in Rovamiemi with kids to get started and you can book your excursions easily in one place on Get Your Guide – it took me no time at all!

Stay in apartments instead of hotels

Eating out in Lapland can be expensive, especially for a family. Booking an apartment with a kitchen can save a surprising amount of money as it means you can prepare simple breakfasts, pack up picnics and cook your evening meals rather than relying on restaurants every day. The supermarkets in Rovaniemi are well stocked and prices are similar to the UK for many items – we found it slightly dearer but not wildly so. For families, apartments also tend to offer more space and better value than hotel rooms. I would definitely recommend Piriko Apartments for budget, location and amenities, and you can have a good look at what’s on offer for your trip with my guide: Where to stay in Rovaniemi with kids – the best hotels, apartments & igloos.

Enjoy the free or cheap winter activities

One of the best things about Lapland is that the landscape itself is the attraction and the kids can have plenty of fun without a big budget – there’s plenty to do on your doorstep. Some of my favourite moments of our trip were the simple things like rolling around in the snow, stepping into snow that almost went up to our bottoms, toasting marshmallows and enjoying the beauty of the scenery on an evening walk. As well as sledging there are plenty of things to do on a budget in Rovaniemi such as walking through snowy forests, ice-skating at outdoor rinks, making snow angels and building snowmen. For more ideas, take a look at my article: 10 FREE & cheap things to do in Rovaniemi with kids.

Pick just a couple of special experiences

If you want to keep costs down, a good approach is to choose just a couple of paid experiences rather than booking everything. For example, you might decide to splurge on a husky safari, snowmobiling or a reindeer sleigh ride and then balance it out with plenty of free activities during the rest of your trip. This way you still get those memorable Lapland experiences without the huge price tag. You can also book shorter cheaper excursions to get a little taste of the experience without spending hundreds. Places like Lapland Winter Park are fabulous too because they offer a lot of included activities – you can cross country ski, ice-skate, feed the reindeer and more – plus it’s home to the longest sledging hill in Rovaniemi! (We spent an entire day there.) Younger ones might enjoy attractions like Snowman World which will offer hours of fun and better value for money compared to individual activities. Take a look at my 3 day Lapland Itinerary to see what we got up to.

Consider sharing accommodation with family or friends

If you’re travelling with grandparents or another family, sharing accommodation can be one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of a Lapland trip. Many apartments and cabins in Rovaniemi sleep six to eight people, and the price often isn’t that much higher than a smaller place. When you split the cost between two families, it can suddenly become far more affordable. This works particularly well if you’re booking something special, like a cabin with a private sauna or an igloo outside of the city. The nightly price might look high at first, but when divided between several adults it can actually end up costing less than separate hotel rooms.

Travel outside of December

Travelling to Lapland later in the winter season, such as late February – early March, can also help reduce the overall cost of your trip. Prices for flights and accommodation often drop once the peak Christmas and January Santa trips are over, and it’s usually easier to find better deals. The days are also noticeably longer, which means more daylight for exploring and outdoor activities with kids. While you still get plenty of snow, the temperatures are typically milder than the deep winter months, making it more comfortable for families too. We visited the first week of March and the temperature was between -3°C and 0°C which was really pleasant. Another bonus is that popular attractions tend to be a little less crowded, so you can enjoy places like Santa Claus Village without the same peak-season queues.

Use public transport or get around of foot

Another easy way to keep costs down is to skip car hire altogether. Rovaniemi is a surprisingly compact city and many of the main attractions are easy to reach on foot, especially if you stay near the centre. Santa Claus Village is only a short bus ride away, and the local public buses run regularly between key areas. Most organised excursions, such as husky safaris or Northern Lights tours, also include transport from central pick-up points or your accommodation, so you often don’t need your own vehicle. Avoiding car hire saves not only the rental cost but also fuel, insurance and parking, which can quickly add up on a short winter trip. Our airport transfers were around €30 each way (we just booked Ubers on the app) and our day at Lapland Winter Park and our snowmobiling excursion both included a free shuttle bus. As for the city itself, stay centrally and everything you need is just a few minutes walk away – it’s a really walkable place.

Bring your own food

Many of the attractions and excursions will have Kota huts or open fires to sit around outside – bring your own giant marshmallows and skewers from the UK to save a small fortune. Packing a flask of hot chocolate is a good way to save money too and I also popped a small packet of biscuits into our suitcase for each day of the trip for snacks and s’mores. Empty water bottles that you can fill yourself each morning, and top up when you’re out and about, are handy too because all of those little things really add up. Plan to head back to your apartment for meals in between activities – and if you’ll need to take food with you throw together an easy packed lunch. (When I can’t be bothered to make sandwiches, I just cook up some pizzas the night before and chuck it in a bag with fruit and crisps!)

Book combination tickets

Another way to save money in Lapland is by looking for combination tickets for activities. Some attractions and activity providers offer bundled experiences, where you can do several things for a single price rather than booking them individually. For example, certain winter parks and activity centres combine options like sledging, mini snowmobiles, ice karting or snow play areas into one ticket. These can work out much better value for families, especially if children want to try a few different activities. You might also find safari providers offering snowmobiles or husky trips alongside reindeer rides – if you have a long Lapland bucket list these offers can be a good way experience multiple things on a budget. Also, check whether attractions offer family tickets to reduce overall cost compared with buying individual entry passes. And, if you’re heading to Lapland Winter Park, I would highly recommend including the buffet lunch – it added on about £12pp but it was absolutely fabulous and you could eat as much as you liked!

How much does a DIY Lapland trip cost?

The total cost of a DIY Lapland trip varies depending on when you travel, how long you stay and which activities you choose – to keep things on budget follow the ideas above and map out an itinerary for your trip to avoid surprise costs. Flights during peak winter season can be one of the biggest costs, particularly around December when demand is highest. If you’re looking to save some money, booking anti-social flight times can cut costs and the snow typically lasts until at least early April so (as I mentioned earlier) don’t rule out booking outside of the festive season. The excursions will often be cheaper then too!

For our March 2026 trip, for a family of four, we spent around £650 on flights (with two checked suitcases and seat selection included), £850 on a 2 bedroom apartment for 4 nights, about £150 on food and around £850 on transport, airport parking and excursions. This brings our total to around £2500 for a 4 night trip for two adults and two teenagers. Having five days allowed us to have a day of travel either side and 3 full days to experience Rovaniemi without rushing around. I would highly recommend spending a little more of your budget on accommodation for an extra night or two – many Lapland trips are really short so be sure to allow time for play, rest, walks in the beautiful scenery and warming up. For more information these articles can be a good place to start: How much does a Lapland trip cost for a family of four? and How to plan a DIY Lapland trip with kids – travel, excursions & saving money!

Is a family Lapland trip worth the money?

Lapland isn’t a budget holiday, but for many families it’s a truly unforgettable experience and if you plan wisely you can do it without spending a small fortune! From meeting Santa Claus and riding through snowy forests on a husky sled to watching the Northern Lights above frozen landscapes, it offers something very different from a typical winter break. Whether you choose a package holiday or plan a DIY trip, the overall cost will depend largely on the experiences you want to include and the time of year you travel. I would definitely recommend planning a DIY Lapland adventure if you’re working to a budget to get the most from your money. And, hopefully this article has given you plenty of ideas on how to save money on a visit to Rovaniemi with the kids.

While our family Lapland adventure in Rovaniemi wasn’t as cheap as our usual budget travel over the summer months, I think it was absolutely worth the cost for the once-in-a-lifetime magic – the kids absolutely loved this trip and we will certainly be booking more winter getaways in the future. If you’re still undecided, my article: Lapland with kids – is it worth the money? could be a good place to start. I’ve also written loads of guides to help you to plan your perfect break, so check out my other Lapland articles: