Planning Lapland with children is a different sport from planning it for adults. The tours are the same, but the rhythm is not: little legs get cold faster, a 5-hour tour feels like a week to a six-year-old, and the moment a tired child melts down is usually the moment you have just paid for. We see families trying to squeeze adult itineraries into a family trip every winter, and it rarely ends well.

So this plan is built the other way round, around the kids. Joona is a Finn who has spent years in Lapland tourism and knows which tours genuinely work for children; Alla is the one who insists every plan has slack in it. Here is the five-day version we would give a family with children aged roughly 5 to 12, using StayLapland tours you can book together, with the swaps that make sense for younger or older kids.

How a family plan differs

Our family rules are simple, and every day below follows them.

One tour a day, ideally in the morning. Children are at their best before lunch, and short winter daylight makes afternoons feel like evenings. A single morning tour, then lunch and a lazy afternoon of sledging or a nap, keeps everyone happy.

Animals before machines. Reindeer and huskies are what children remember. Snowmobiles are exciting for parents, but children under 140 cm ride in a sled pulled by the guide's snowmobile rather than on the machine itself, so for most kids it is a passenger experience.

Short evenings only. A Northern Lights hunting tour can last many hours, which is fine for adults and miserable for a seven-year-old at midnight. We pick one short, cosy aurora evening instead.

Read the age rules. Most StayLapland tours ask that children under 13 are accompanied by an adult paying the full price, some are not suitable for children under 3, and snowshoeing is not recommended for children under 7. Every choice below respects those rules. For more general advice on travelling here with children, see our Rovaniemi with kids guide for ages 3 to 12.

Day 1 and Day 2: arrive gently, meet the reindeer

Day 1: arrival and a cosy aurora evening

Keep the arrival day empty until the evening. Get the kids into warm layers, have an early dinner and, if your flight lands in good time, go on the Northern Lights Tour in Atmospheric Cottage5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €109 per adult, about 3 hours). It includes a guide, warm winter clothing in adult and child sizes, snacks and drinks by the campfire, information about the Northern Lights and a surprise gift for the children. Pick-up and drop-off are included within 10 km of the centre.

Why the first night? Because if the sky is cloudy, you still have four more evenings to look up, even without another tour. Book this if your kids can manage an evening out. Skip it if your flight lands late; move it to day two or three instead.

Day 2: the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure

Day two is the gentle heart of the trip. The Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €159 per adult, about 3 hours) is rated very easy and includes a 2–3 km reindeer sleigh ride through the forest, roughly 40 minutes in the sleigh, plus stories about reindeer herding, cookies and juice, and winter clothing in child sizes. If snow conditions do not allow a sleigh ride, the tour becomes a reindeer walk instead.

Children love it because nothing is scary: reindeer move calmly, the sleigh is low, and there is time to feed and look at the animals. Parents love it because it is short enough that nobody gets cold and grumpy. Book this if you want one experience every age will enjoy. Skip it only if your kids have already done reindeer on a previous trip.

A practical December note: between 1 December and 10 January, drop-off on this tour is only included to selected locations (Postmaster Hotel, the city centre, the Ollerovaara area and Santa Claus Village). Plan the last stretch home if you are staying elsewhere.

In the afternoon, do nothing official. Sledging, a snowman, hot chocolate. This is where the trip's best photos are usually taken anyway.

Day 3: huskies, matched to your kids

Ages about 5 to 7: Nulkki Husky Adventure

For this age group, the Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is a longer but still easy-rated option for this age group: about 4 hours, with a 5 km self-driven husky ride after detailed instructions, information about the huskies, child-size winter clothing, and cookies and juice. Pick-up within 10 km of the city centre is included, and booking closes 12 hours before the start. It is a long outing for a small child, so it suits confident, outdoorsy kids; check the booking window for age limits.

Ages about 8 to 12: Nulkki Husky Adventure

Older children are usually ready for the full experience. The Nulkki Husky Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €189 per adult, about 4 hours) is a 5 km self-driven husky sleigh ride in Kuoksajärvi forest, with mushing instructions, cookies and warm juice in a teepee, and winter clothing included. It is not suitable for children under 3, children under 13 must be with an adult paying full price, and the operator can cancel or reschedule in extreme cold; the limit is −35°C, and −25°C for small children.

Mixed ages? Go with Nulkki if your youngest is a confident, outdoorsy five-year-old, and swap the day for the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure if they are shy or easily cold. A meltdown 20 minutes into a 4-hour tour helps nobody.

Day 4: Santa, the right way for your child

Young believers: Magical Private Santa Visit

If your child still believes completely, privacy matters more than spectacle. The Magical Private Santa Visit5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €249, about 1.5 hours) includes an exclusive 30-minute private meeting with Santa at his hide-out, a special gift for each child, warm berry juice and cookies, and a Santa's Elf who stays with your family from pick-up to drop-off. Note the cancellation policy: free up to 7 days before, not 24 hours.

Older kids: Santa Claus Village Tour

For children who also want the bustle of the village, the Arctic Circle line and the post office, the Santa Claus Village Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €169 per adult, about 5 hours) covers the highlights with a guide who plays with the kids, includes meeting Santa Claus, a local lunch, winter clothing and transport. It is the longest day of the plan, so keep the evening completely free. Cancellation is stricter here too: a 15% fee applies if you cancel 15 days or less before, and the rest is non-refundable within 24 hours.

Day 5: a slow morning on the ice

Day 5 morning: Ice Fishing at Private Kuoksa Lake

On departure day we want something calm, short and close. The Ice Fishing at Private Kuoksa lake5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 tour (from €89 per adult, about 3.5 hours) gives every family member thermal overalls, boots, beanies and mittens in adult and child sizes, all the fishing gear, instructions, snacks and drinks, and pick-up within 10 km of the centre. Kids love drilling holes and staring into them; parents enjoy the quiet.

If your flight leaves early, skip this day entirely. If it leaves late and your kids love animals more than fishing, swap it for the Ranua Wildlife Zoo Park Visit5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €139, about 5 hours, lunch included), where children can see Arctic animals including polar bears. That is a full day though, so only choose it with an evening flight.

What to choose if you only book 2, 3 or 4 activities

• 2 activities: the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and one husky tour for your kids' age. These are the two animal moments every family talks about.
• 3 activities: add the Santa experience that suits your child.
• 4 activities: add the cottage aurora evening. Ice fishing is the easiest one to drop.

Book your whole plan in one go

Here is the full five-day plan per adult with the older-kids options, using the lowest "from" prices. Child prices appear in each booking calendar, and the live price depends on the date.

With the younger-kids swaps (the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure instead of Nulkki, the private Santa visit instead of the village tour), the total per adult changes, so add up the live prices in the booking windows. Either way, the 5% reader discount applies to every booking, which adds up nicely for a family of four. So: type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off — on every activity you book.

Day 1: check dates for the cottage aurora evening →

Day 2: check dates for the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure →

Day 3 (ages 8–12): check dates for the Nulkki Husky Adventure →

Day 3 (ages 5–7): check dates for Nulkki Husky Adventure →

Day 4: check dates for the Santa Claus Village Tour →

Day 5: check dates for ice fishing at Kuoksa →

Each button opens the live calendar here on the page, so you can book the whole week in one sitting. Use HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in each checkout; the discount is per booking, so do not forget it on the later ones.

Upgrades, swaps and extra activities

Huskies and reindeer on one day. If your kids are 8 or older and you would rather keep a day free, the Kuoksa Husky & Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €349, about 5 hours) combines a 5 km self-driven husky ride, a 2–3 km reindeer sleigh ride and an open-fire salmon soup in a teepee. Booked separately, Nulkki and the Kuoksa reindeer tour come to €348, so this is about the same price; the gain is one pick-up and lunch included, not a saving. It is not suitable for children under 3.

A snowmobile evening. The Northern Lights Tour Snowmobile Driving5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €149, about 4 hours) includes about 1 hour of driving, local food and drinks by the campfire in a teepee and pick-up within 10 km of the city centre. Adults need a driving licence and must be 18 to drive; check the booking window for how younger children can join.

Snowshoeing for older kids. The Snowshoeing Tour in the Private Kuoksa Wilderness5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (from €89) is lovely for active 10- to 12-year-olds, but it is not recommended for children under 7.

If you want a different shape of trip, our general 5-day Lapland itinerary covers more of the city itself, and all our Rovaniemi activity guides cover every tour type in detail.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Rovaniemi activity for kids aged 5 to 12?
The Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure is the safest bet: it is rated very easy, lasts about 3 hours, includes a 2–3 km reindeer sleigh ride, warm clothing and pick-up, and suits almost any child who is happy sitting in a sleigh.

Can young children go on a husky safari?
Yes, with the right tour. The Nulkki Husky Adventure is not suitable for children under 3, and children under 13 must be with an adult paying full price. For younger or easily tired kids, the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure is gentler.

Can kids see the Northern Lights on a tour?
They can join several aurora tours, but long hunting tours that run for many hours are tough for small children. The Northern Lights Tour in Atmospheric Cottage lasts about 3 hours and includes a surprise gift for the children, which makes it our family pick.

Which Santa experience is better for small children?
For young believers, the Magical Private Santa Visit gives a 30-minute private meeting with a gift for each child. Older kids who also enjoy the village itself are better served by the guided Santa Claus Village Tour with lunch.

What if it is too cold for the kids?
Some tours have temperature limits. The Nulkki Husky Adventure, for example, can be cancelled or rescheduled in extreme cold, with a lower limit for small children. Keep your plan flexible and check messages from the operator on tour days.

Does the 5% discount work on family bookings?
Yes. Type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout in each booking window to get 5% off, and use it on every activity you book for the family.

Our final pick for families

If we were planning for our own nieces and nephews, the non-negotiable would be the Kuoksa Reindeer Adventure5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 on day two: calm, short, beautiful and suitable for every age in this plan. Around it, add the husky tour that fits your kids' age, the Santa experience that fits their belief, one short aurora evening and a slow last morning on the ice. Keep every afternoon free and you will come home with a family that still likes each other.

Book the days together now, and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off every tour.

Start with the reindeer day: check dates →