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Santa with children in Saariselkä: preparing the visit

A handwritten letter beginning Dear Santa beside Christmas decorations and blurred lights

Illustration photo: a letter to Santa, not from Saariselkä.

Lapland Handbook Staff How we research this

The short answer

If you want Santa to speak to each child by name, book one of the two programmes that ask about the children beforehand, and do the homework they set. If you want to slip in a present from home, avoid the programme that forbids it and ask the others. With a baby, choose one that lists infants separately, so you know what they cost before you book.

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.

Village afternoonForest meetingSanta's houseSecret cabin
Santa learns about the child Questionnaire by e-mail Letters, a day before Not stated Not stated
Gift for the child A symbolic gift Presents for all Not stated A present
Gifts from home Please do not bring Not stated Not stated Not stated
Ages priced Free to 3; child fare 4–14 Not stated Infant to 2; child 3–11 Not stated

Nothing is marked: these are house rules, not better or worse options. The resort lists infant, child and family fares without printing their prices, so ask for them.

Where these figures come from
  • Village afternoon: An afternoon ending in Santa's cabin, with a questionnaire for parents sent by e-mail beforehand.
  • Forest meeting: An hour-long private meeting in the forest, with letters to Santa handed in the day before.
  • Santa's house: A walk to Santa's house at a resort, with child, infant and family fares in its booking.
  • Secret cabin: An afternoon with reindeer and gingerbread, meeting Santa family by family, with a present for each child.

Saariselkä’s Santa programmes prepare for the children in different ways.

How Santa knows them

Northern Lights Village sends parents a questionnaire by e-mail before the day, so that Santa can make the meeting personal.1 Wilderness Hotel Saariselkä asks families to hand letters to Santa to its reception, in confidence, at least a day ahead, so he can read them before the meeting.2

What they take home

The village programme gives every child the same small gift and asks families not to bring presents for Santa to hand out, since it would be unfair on the other children. The hotel’s Santa gives small presents to everyone, and Lapponia Tours’ Santa gives each child a present.3 Kakslauttanen does not describe a gift on its page, but it is the one programme that lists fares for infants, children and a whole family in its booking.4

What each programme costs a family is worked out on Santa Claus prices in Saariselkä.

Tours you can book

Priced per person

Price not stated

Questions people ask

What should the children wear?

The village afternoon lends overalls, boots and mittens, and the safari house includes thermal gear, because both spend much of the time outdoors. The resort's regular visit is a walk to Santa's house, and the resort rents winter outerwear if you lack it. The hotel's forest visit does not list clothing, so dress the children for the cold.

How long will the children have to last?

The hotel's forest visit takes an hour and the resort's walk an hour and a half. The village afternoon lasts two and a half to three hours and ends with Santa, and the safari house's lasts three. For a toddler who tires quickly the shorter two are easier; for older children the build-up is part of the fun.

Can we take photographs with Santa?

The resort positively encourages it: selfies with Santa are, in its words, a must. The other programmes say nothing on their pages either way, so ask when you book whether photos are allowed in the cabin and whether an elf can take one of the whole family with Santa.

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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