Travelling in Finland with kids
Step through the wardrobe and into Narnia – wintertime Finland is every child's snowy fantasy.![]()
The Finns are extremely welcoming to children, and provided you keep them warm and well fed they should be content to hang out with huskies and reindeers, build snowmen of every shape and size, and toboggan down fells until you are too exhausted to haul them back up again. And don’t forget if you're travelling in Finland with kids, in parts of Lapland, it’s actually Christmas every day. Older children will enjoy snow shoeing, cross country skiing, canoeing and rafting. Thousands of islands, virtually endless lakeshores and beaches offer room to stretch out and relax during the lengthy summer days. There are many activities which the whole family can enjoy together, and ways for curious minds to learn – about reindeer herding, traditional lifestyles, wilderness ecosystems and astronomy. Finland is well worth wrapping up for.
Finnish family winter adventure holiday
See the Northern Lights in Finland
From
£2949 to £3549
8 days
inc UK flights
Northern Lights family holiday, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing spa hotel
From
£1225 to £2250
4 days
inc UK flights
Family Northern Lights break
Cozy log cabin and fascinating snow adventure for each day
From
€1472 to €1643
5 days
ex flights
Family winter activity holiday in Finland
A skiing holiday with a family-friendly 2-day husky safari
From
€2162
8 days
ex flights
Family winter activity holiday, Finland
Family multiactivity week in the middle of the nature
From
€1030
8 days
ex flights
Family winter adventure in Finland
Great range of activities in Lapland's winter wilderness.
From
£1795 to £2235
4 days
inc UK flights
Activities for families
Visit Rudolph and his friends
Learn about Lapland’s unique nature and its culture with a visit to a reindeer farm. These gentle creatures do more than just pull Santa’s sleigh – they are pivotal to life in northern Finland, and the herders are always keen to share stories of their daily lives and reindeer husbandry, before taking you on sleigh rides wrapped in warm blankets.
Meet Father Christmas
Finnish Lapland is the official home of Father Christmas – and you can meet the busy man himself in his “office” all year round. Letters addressed to Santa arrive here from around the world, and kids can help the elves with their tasks, ride on a reindeer-pulled sleigh and send their own postcards from the world’s most famous post office.
Take to the water
10 percent of Finland is made up of water – and its lakes, rivers and rapids are fantastic fun for canoeing and kayaking. Older children and teenagers will enjoy the independence this activity brings – as well as the chance to explore the northern wilderness from a new angle, with its unusual wildlife, log cabins and welcoming local communities.
Our top trip
Northern Lights family holiday, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing spa hotel
From
£1225 to £2250
4 days
inc UK flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made to suit your requirements
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Tips for families
Aki Käräjäoja, founder of our supplier Routa Travel, shares his tips on travelling in Finland with kids: “It’s better not to have a very strict timetable and to understand that you are doing things differently than at home because it’s not always easy to plan. Parents often have high expectations but it’s better to be open-minded and see how the kids are and how cold it is. So we can make tours shorter, and instead of a full day sledding, we can go indoors and take a few of the huskies. Thinking flexibly is good – if, after 2km, it’s cold and the kids aren’t happy then you have to work around that.”
Urpo Heikkinen, from our supplier Upitrek offers advice for visiting Finland with kids:
“Families need to pick activities carefully. Kids can do softer treks but if they get tired you may need to take a short cut so that no-one gets left in the forest! They can see reindeer and sometimes elk on the walks, but bear watching is a problem as in the hides you sometimes have to be silent for hours. It depends on the nature of the children and how active they are. Sometimes it works, but it’s not for everyone.”
“Families need to pick activities carefully. Kids can do softer treks but if they get tired you may need to take a short cut so that no-one gets left in the forest! They can see reindeer and sometimes elk on the walks, but bear watching is a problem as in the hides you sometimes have to be silent for hours. It depends on the nature of the children and how active they are. Sometimes it works, but it’s not for everyone.”
More Finland articles
Enjoy long and light summer days for trekking and kayaking, or Northern Lights watching, snowshoeing and XC skiing.
Winte, from December to April is ideal for winter sports. The arrival of spring in May sees the return of the sun.
Click on our interactive Finland map and highlights to discover some of the best places to visit in both summer and winter.
If you’re looking to put a bit of colour into the darker depths of winter there’s no better place.
From snow shoeing and cross country skiing to husky safaris and Northern Lights.
There’s no more exhilarating and rewarding way to discover the snowy Finnish wilderness than a husky safari.
The Wild Taiga region of Finland is home to these fascinating creatures and a supporting cast of other animals, too.
Featuring drawn out evenings, cycling and hiking, summer can be a lot cheaper than winter.
Although traditionally semi nomadic reindeer herders, the Sámi are adapting to a changing world.
Visit Oulu and Kemi instead of heading straight to busy Rovaniemi in Lapland, and have a lovely relaxing holiday.
You’re often staying in a family’s second home, with sauna, open fire and kayaks.
From crayfish parties to coffee culture and homemade bread, our guide to food and drink in Finland.
How to pack for the cold (when winter gear is often provided) and what to expect - according to our experts.
Helsinki is the cool capital of Finland – a southerly peninsula city surrounded by lakes.
The Finnish landscape is everyone’s, including yours, to explore and forage – so long as you do so carefully.
A cabin for two, and an exhilarating dog sledding expedition, all bundled under furs.
Exercise huskies in autumn to help them get fit for sledding season or visit in summer.
How can you make sure your snowmobile safari is good? eSleds are a good start.
These mountain bikes with big chunky tyres are a great way to enjoy some Arctic exercise and have fun.
Find all our Finland guides in one place, from Husky safaris to the Northern Lights and everything in between.
