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The best Santa Claus visit in Saariselkä, by the kind of afternoon

A small figure in red walking through a snowy wood of tall bare trees

Illustration photo: Santa Claus in a wood, not in Saariselkä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

For the cheapest visit, walk to Santa's house at the resort south of the village. For a whole afternoon in which meeting Santa is the finale, choose the village programme with reindeer, a sleigh and gingerbread. If you want Santa to talk to your family alone, book either the hotel's forest meeting or the safari house's cabin, which sees families one at a time.

How the operators compare

Prices are the operators' own published starting prices as of the date this guide was updated, and they change through the season.

Santa's houseVillage afternoonForest meetingSecret cabin
Length 1.5 h 2.5–3 h 1 h 3 h
Meeting Santa With the group About 10 min in his cabin Your family alone Family by family
Also included Hot drink Reindeer ride, sleigh, gingerbread Presents for all Reindeer, sleigh, gingerbread
Price From €59.73 per person €159 per adult From €165 per person Not stated

Nothing is marked: the programmes are different lengths and one prints no price. What each costs a family of four is worked out on the Santa price page for Saariselkä.

Where these figures come from
  • Santa's house: A walk with an elf past the reindeer fence to Santa's house, then a hot drink, open to all ages.
  • Village afternoon: Gingerbread, a reindeer ride and a heated sleigh through the forest to Santa's cabin.
  • Forest meeting: An hour with a short car ride to a secret place in the forest and a meeting with Santa for your family alone.
  • Secret cabin: Three hours with reindeer and gingerbread, and a sleigh ride to Santa's cabin one family at a time.

Saariselkä has four Santa programmes, and they differ more in shape than in price.

A short visit

At Kakslauttanen, the resort south of the village, an elf walks visitors past the reindeer fence to Santa’s house, followed by a hot drink; it is the cheapest of the four.1

A whole afternoon

Northern Lights Village’s programme builds up to Santa through gingerbread, a reindeer ride and a heated sleigh through the forest, and the meeting in his cabin is its last ten minutes.2

Santa for your family alone

Wilderness Hotel Saariselkä drives families a short way to a secret place in the forest for a private meeting in which everyone gets a small present.3 Lapponia Tours’ afternoon takes up to four families to a hideaway with reindeer and gingerbread, then sends each family alone by sleigh to Santa’s cabin.4

The one afternoon programme is described in full on Santa Claus in Saariselkä.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

Price not stated

Questions people ask

When in the season do they run?

The hotel's forest meeting runs from 20 November to 15 March. The resort's booking calendar lists visits from 30 November, and its page gives no closing date. The village afternoon is listed for winter and spring without dates, and the safari house gives no season, so ask both before planning a trip around them.

Do we need to get ourselves there?

It depends on the programme. The safari house includes return transfers and the hotel a short car transfer to the meeting place. For the resort's regular visit you meet at its reception, south of the village, and transfers are arranged by e-mail; its private visit includes pick-up and drop-off.

Can grandparents or a larger party come?

Yes, with some arithmetic. The resort sells a family ticket for two adults and one or two children, and its private visit covers up to five, with more guests added on request. The safari house needs at least four people and takes up to four families. The hotel and the village afternoon price each person, so every extra adult adds a full fare.

Written by

Lapland Handbook Staff

Lapland Handbook is written by its editorial staff in Rovaniemi. Every price, age limit and group size in a comparison is read from the operator's own page and marked "Not stated" when the operator does not publish it. Each guide names who should not book, and names the operator that suits each kind of group, whichever it is.

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