'I took my son to see the REAL Santa in Lapland and it was a magical experience'

Yes, that’s right, it might have been the furthest day trip of my life, but from the moment we stepped into the airport, we knew this was going to be the most ice-twinkling, sleigh-bell-jingling, husky-dashing, elf-chattering, Santa-spotting, reindeer-riding, wish-whispering, magic-soaked Christmassy day, ever! We were off to Lapland.

My wife, my son and I were booked on a flight departing from East Midlands Airport at 8.20am, with the return flight landing back just after 10pm the same day.

Oscar, my son, is four, and the magic of Christmas is real for him this year, so after he was formally invited by the big man himself he was over the moon. The invitation was in the shape of a package that arrived through the door, delivered by an elf (disguised as the postman) including Lapland-branded rucksack, water bottle, activities for the journey as well as a very official letter, map and invite from Santa Claus’s desk.

As we set off on the early trip to the airport, Oscar had fallen back fast asleep, or so we thought, until we heard, “Mummy and Daddy, do you think we will see the elves wrapping?”. He was far too excited to sleep.

At the check-in desk, the Canterbury Travel staff were not only organising passengers and keeping them informed, they were also dressed the part, spreading Christmas cheer and chocolates, to set the tone for the day.

The two hour, 40-minute flight flew past as the staff sang festive songs and hosted games to keep the spirits high. We must have had the wind behind us as the flight is usually three and a half hours. There was even a goodie bag for everyone with a sandwich, snacks and a drink, alongside complimentary tea and coffee.

As our descent began, all we could see was white, with passengers cheering as the clouds parted to reveal a winter wonderland with trees and hilltops, all covered in snow.

We cleared the small passport queue in Finland’s quaint Enontekiö Arctic Airport, and were directed to another building to get suited and booted with the help of some friendly elves – all included in the cost of the trip – ready to face the elements.

I was slightly worried about the cold beforehand, especially for Oscar, but with a couple of base layers, a jumper and the snow suits and boots provided, we could have been out in it all day.

In fairness it was slightly warmer than the average at -7 °c. Generally, temperatures average between –5°c and –25°c. When it is really cold, there are plenty of places you can get warmed up with open fires and every log cabin you visit is so cosy, you are soon either striping off a layer or two or are wanting to get back outside.

As soon as we were all kitted out in our new winter attire, we were guided to the snowmobiles with sleighs and were off on our adventure, scrambling through the vast snowy plains until we reached Santa’s village. On our route in, there were no roads, no signs, gates or tickets, it feels completely remote with what seems like nothing for miles other than the endless white wilderness.

After our ride, we were met by elves dishing out hot berry drinks to warm us back up.

It already felt like nowhere I’ve ever been before – the smell of wood fires, the flicker of candles lighting the paths with the muffled laughter of snowball fights and exciting sledging trips.

Elves are dotted all around, gathering in the tee-pees, enjoying chats, games, songs and fun with passers-by around every fire. They always seemed to know each child’s name – those ears are either very good at listening, or they really do have a list and are checking it twice!

Within the village, everything was just a short walk away. Nothing felt over crowded and we didn’t have to queue for anything.

When we arrived, we were told to book a time slot to see Santa throughout the day, but as we inquired he just so happened to be free there and then, so this was to be our first stop. We boarded another snowmobile to take us a few minutes to Santa Claus’s residence.

We were welcomed into his warm log cabin, and there he was, years of trying to catch him on Christmas Eve, we finally met the main man himself on his home turf!

“That was brilliant,” Oscar said to us as he left with a present under his arm, having had a lovely chat with the big man.

Our snowmobile was waiting for us and we were dropped back off to explore the village’s other activities.

Next up, a chance to get up close to Santa’s reindeers with a sleigh ride. A complete change of pace from our snowmobile journey, we heard the creak of snow slipping and sliding as well as the ‘clip clop’ from the reindeer hooves. The sleigh did stay firmly on the ground for this ride though, the reindeers must have been gearing themselves up for next week and their mission to deliver gifts around the world.

Back in the village, one of the bigger log cabins is a restaurant where we stopped off for some lunch. On the menu was a hearty, warming vegetable soup, or pasta with meat or vegetarian sauces, along with vegetables and baked potato sides. And for dessert there was pancakes with jam and cream, along with coffee, tea, berry juice and – so I was told by an elf – the best hot chocolate in Lapland. It was pretty tasty and was the perfect drink for the setting around us.

By the time we’d had lunch, we discovered daylight had run out. On an average day in Lapland you can expect 4–5 hours of daylight, usually between 10am and 2:30pm. At all other times, darkness prevails with any light reflected by the snow. Although it didn’t work out for us, you can get the chance of seeing the Northern Lights. You can download an app to tell you when the Aurora Borealis may appear.

Oscar didn’t fancy the children’s mini snowmobiles, and was just entertaining himself with throwing snow balls, making snow angels or just generally being a four-year-old boy, jumping in deep snow and climbing up slippery slopes – having the time of his life.

So I had to fly solo, as I just had to have a go on the full-size snowmobiles. They are a lot bigger than I expected and a lot more powerful. After a quick safety briefing, I had a helmet on and zooming across the snowy trails was great fun.

When we met Santa, he did give us a tip, and we set off in search of the ice igloo, where Mrs Claus had left some gingerbread, and very delicious it was too. There was also a stunning ice structure along with ice sculptures.

There were a range of slopes with kick sledding, stigas and toboggans that are all free to use as many times as you want, with short queues. It’s a lot easier to throw yourself down the slopes if you have all the gear on and it makes me want to invest in a snow suit for when we next have a foot of snow.

Everything is all included within the package, including all your suit and boot hire, they even have gloves, hats and socks you can borrow and, apart from a few low-cost keepsakes and presents from the souvenir shop, we didn’t spend a Euro. That included meals on the plane and in the village, unlimited activities including sledging, rides from the reindeer or huskies, the snowmobiles and even the gingerbread from Mrs Claus.

Just the husky sled rides left and we had got around everything, even if we did have to drag Oscar away from launching himself down the hill on a toboggan for the 20th time.

As we heard the shout of “mush”, we felt the pull of the dogs in sync with each other and we were zipping through the icy forest for one last time. What a wonderful wintery way to finish the day at the village and head back to the coach for the transfer back to the airport. Even that was packed with festive lights and an elf singing and joking, sending us on our way home through the snow-topped landscape.

Magical doesn’t even come close to describing the day when we met Santa Claus in Lapland – it must be every child’s dream. I’m sure this memory will stay with my wife and I for a very long time, so who knows what that day felt like for Oscar!

Enchanting Lapland day trip is £729 per person for 2026.See canterburytravel.com/lapland-holidays/enchanting-lapland for more information