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A Christmas in Lapland in a private villa means snow, a sauna, short blue days and long nights for the northern lights, with the whole group under one roof. December is also one of the most requested times of the year in Finnish Lapland, so the key to a good Christmas trip is planning early: choose your base, secure the villa, and book the activities that matter most to your group before the season fills.
What Christmas in Lapland is really like
In December, most of Lapland enters kaamos, the polar night, and in the far north the sun does not rise at all for weeks. That does not mean total darkness. Around midday the sky turns deep blue and pink over the snow, and the rest of the day belongs to candlelight, fires and, on clear nights, the northern lights. It is cold, often well below −20 °C, so the right clothing matters as much as the plan.
A Finnish Christmas
In Finland, Christmas Eve is the main day of celebration. It traditionally starts with rice porridge in the morning, and the Christmas sauna follows in the afternoon, before the main dinner in the evening. Joulupukki, the Finnish Father Christmas, visits on Christmas Eve too. A private chef can prepare a traditional Finnish Christmas dinner at the villa, or a menu of your own, and the villa’s sauna takes care of the rest.
Where to spend Christmas in Lapland
- Levi is the easiest choice for families: about 20 minutes from Kittilä Airport, with a lively resort village and ski slopes open over the holidays.
- Ylläs is quieter, with long ski runs and the national park beside the villages.
- Saariselkä is the furthest north of the three, beside Urho Kekkonen National Park, and a strong choice for the northern lights.
Santa Claus Village sits on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. From Levi it is about 170 kilometers, roughly two to two and a half hours by car, so it works as a full day trip. For a closer comparison of the bases, see where to stay in Finnish Lapland.
Planning the days
- A husky or reindeer safari through the snowy forest, often with a campfire lunch.
- A snowmobile trip across frozen lakes, by day or in the dark looking for the aurora.
- Skiing on floodlit slopes, or cross-country trails through the forest.
- A northern lights outing with a guide who follows the forecasts to find clear skies.
- A day trip to Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle for families with children.
Leave room in the plan. The short days and the cold mean that two activities a day is plenty, and some of the best moments happen at the villa: in the hot tub, by the fire, or watching the sky from the terrace.
Why a private villa works for Christmas
Christmas is about being together, and a villa gives the whole group its own space: a large living floor for the evenings, a private sauna, and bedrooms for everyone under one roof. Most of our Lapland villas come fully staffed, with a private chef, a driver-host and housekeeping, so the Christmas dinner, the transfers and the activities are handled while you enjoy the holidays. We confirm exactly what each villa includes before you book.
When to book
The weeks around Christmas and New Year are among the busiest of the year in Lapland, and the larger villas are usually requested many months in advance. Flights to Kittilä and Ivalo also fill early for those dates. If you are planning a Christmas trip, start as early as you can and keep a second choice of dates or base in mind.
Tell us your dates and your group, and we will shortlist the right villa and plan your Christmas in Lapland around it. Browse our villas and lodges in Finland.
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