Lapland has a reputation for queues, elves and grottoes with a booking system. There is another Lapland, though: frozen lakes, husky teams, reindeer herders and a sauna at the end of a very cold day. That is the one these tours go looking for.
This guide is for adults, active travellers and families with older children who want a proper Arctic winter week. We compare four winter tours in Finland and Sweden, plus two ways to see the region outside winter, so you can decide between a sleeper train and guesthouse, a lakeside base camp or a remote island in a frozen river.
The quick answer
- If you want huskies, reindeer and a smoke sauna with the easiest pace, pick Finnish Lapland in Winter.
- If you want to be active every day from one comfortable base, pick Finnish Wilderness Week.
- If you want to drive your own sled and ski between huts, pick Swedish Lapland in Winter.
- If you are bringing children aged nine and over, pick the Finland Family Winter Adventure.
The Lapland tours compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter weeks | ||||||
| Finnish Lapland in Winter: Huskies, Reindeer & Sauna – 8 Days | 8 | £2,316 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | An easy first Arctic winter |
| Finnish Wilderness Week: Snowshoes, Huskies & Northern Lights – 8 Days | 8 | £2,240 pp | Medium | Max 20 | No | Active days, one base |
| Swedish Lapland in Winter: Huskies, Reindeer & Skiing – 8 Days | 8 | £2,704 pp | Not stated | Max 12 | No | Hands-on Arctic adventure |
| Finland Family Winter Adventure – 8 Days | 8 | £2,160 pp | Low | Max 18 | No | Families with children aged 9+ |
| Outside winter | ||||||
| Northern Sweden by Rail: Tromsø, Abisko, Lapland & Stockholm – 9 Days | 9 | £3,175 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Summer by train, Abisko and the Inlandsbanan |
| Grand Scandinavia: Copenhagen to Oslo via the North Cape – 20 Days | 20 | £5,725 pp | Low | Max 40 | No | Lapland as part of a grand tour |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Finland: sleeper trains and saunas
Finnish Lapland in Winter
Finnish Lapland in Winter: Huskies, Reindeer & Sauna – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,316 per person
- Max 12 people
- Helsinki, Finland to Rovaniemi, Finland
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
The gentlest of the four. After a night in Helsinki you take the overnight Santa Claus Express sleeper train to Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle, then transfer to the fells of Ylläs for four nights at a family-run guesthouse. You race through the forest behind a team of huskies, meet herders at a reindeer farm and warm up in a traditional smoke sauna, with free time for skiing, snowshoeing or watching for the Northern Lights. Snowsuits are provided, and the group is up to 12.
Suits: Northern Lights seekers, solo travellers and families with teenagers. The honest drawback: only breakfasts are included, and the sleeper train has shared berths. Prices vary a lot by date, so compare departures on the tour page.
Finnish Wilderness Week
Finnish Wilderness Week: Snowshoes, Huskies & Northern Lights – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,240 per person
- Max 20 people
- Starts and ends in Oulanka, Finland
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, March, April, December
Seven nights at Basecamp Oulanka, a lakeside complex of wooden buildings beside Oulanka National Park in Finland’s far north-east, with breakfast, five lunches and seven dinners, a sauna and an outdoor hot tub. You snowshoe through the national park, learn cross-country skiing on frozen Lake Juuma, go dogsledding in Riisitunturi National Park and head out on snowshoes at night to look for the Northern Lights, with a free day in the ski resort of Ruka. Arctic clothing and equipment are provided.
Suits: active travellers and snow lovers who would rather not change hotels. The honest drawback: it is rated medium, groups can reach 20, and drinks are extra.
Finland Family Winter Adventure
Finland Family Winter Adventure – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,160 per person
- Max 18 people
- Starts and ends in Oulanka, Finland
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in February, March, April, December
The same lakeside base at Oulanka, built for families with children aged nine and over, in groups of six to 18. Your family learns to drive a team of huskies, takes a cross-country ski lesson on Lake Juuma and rides a reindeer sleigh, with time for sledging, snow forts and snowmen. Families of four share a large room.
Suits: active families and first-time visitors to the Arctic. The honest drawback: it is not for children under nine, and optional snowmobiling is extra.
Sweden: an island in a frozen river
Swedish Lapland in Winter
Swedish Lapland in Winter: Huskies, Reindeer & Skiing – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,704 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Rajamaa, Muonionalusta, Sweden
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, March, December
The most hands-on of the four. Your base for six nights is Rajamaa, a cluster of wooden chalets on Pitkäsaari island in the River Muonio, looking across to Finland, run by a local family for decades. You snowshoe through the forest, drive your own husky sled in pairs for about 15 kilometres, spend a morning with a reindeer-herding Sámi family and finish with a two-day ski journey across frozen lakes, sleeping in a forest log cabin. All meals and all Arctic clothing are included, and groups are 4 to 12, aged 16 and over.
Suits: active travellers who want a real Arctic winter rather than a hotel-based break; no previous experience is needed. The honest drawback: chalets share bathrooms unless you upgrade, the forest cabin has an outdoor long-drop toilet, and the page says good fitness, agility and balance help.
What about the Northern Lights?
All four winter tours give you a chance, and none can promise one. The Swedish Lapland page puts it plainly: sightings depend on the weather and solar activity and cannot be guaranteed. The Finnish Lapland page says there is a good chance on clear winter nights. Finnish Wilderness Week includes a night-time snowshoe outing to look for them.
Lapland outside winter
Northern Sweden by Rail (9 days) crosses the Arctic north by train in summer, from Tromsø in Norway on the Ofoten Railway to two nights in a mountain lodge in Abisko National Park, then down the Inlandsbanan through Swedish Lapland with a Sámi visit, ending in Stockholm. The Abisko nights are in shared four-berth rooms. Grand Scandinavia (20 days) loops through all four Scandinavian countries, crossing the Arctic Circle at Rovaniemi and reaching the North Cape.
How to choose
By time available. All four winter tours are eight days. Northern Sweden by Rail is nine days; Grand Scandinavia is twenty.
By budget. Live prices are in the comparison table. Swedish Lapland includes all meals; Finnish Lapland includes breakfasts only, so add your lunches and dinners when comparing.
By fitness. Finnish Lapland and the family trip are rated low, and Finnish Wilderness Week medium. Swedish Lapland has no rating on its page but involves two days of skiing at about 7 to 12 kilometres a day.
By travel style. Finnish Lapland moves between Helsinki, the train, Ylläs and Rovaniemi. Oulanka and Rajamaa are single bases, which means less packing and more time on the snow.
When to go
The winter tours depart from late November to early April, depending on the tour. The Swedish Lapland page gives typical temperatures of −25°C to −10°C in December and January, rising towards 0°C by March, and daylight of about four to five hours in December, rising to about ten hours in February and fifteen in March. Christmas and New Year dates are available on the Finnish Lapland, Wilderness Week and family tours.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Finland and Sweden.
Frequently asked questions
Is Finnish or Swedish Lapland better for a winter tour?
It depends on your style. Finnish Lapland in Winter is the gentlest, with a sleeper train and a guesthouse. Swedish Lapland in Winter is the most hands-on, with your own husky sled and a two-day ski trip.
Will I see the Northern Lights in Lapland?
There is a chance on clear, dark nights on all four winter tours, but sightings depend on the weather and solar activity and cannot be guaranteed.
Are flights included on Lapland tours?
No, all of these tours are land-only. For Swedish Lapland you fly to Kittilä in Finland or Kiruna in Sweden. We can arrange flights for you.
Is there a Lapland tour for families?
Yes, the Finland Family Winter Adventure, for children aged nine and over. Finnish Lapland in Winter also lists families with teenagers among the people it suits.
Is Arctic clothing provided?
Yes. Snowsuits are provided on Finnish Lapland in Winter, and Arctic clothing and equipment on the Oulanka and Swedish Lapland trips.
How cold is Lapland in winter?
The Swedish Lapland page gives −25°C to −10°C in December and January, and it can drop to −30°C.
Ready for a proper Arctic winter?
Tell us your dates and how active you want to be, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Lapland tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Finland
- All escorted tours in Sweden
- Finland holidays
- Escorted tours in Norway
- Norway’s coastal voyage compared
- Arctic cruises: Svalbard, Greenland and the Northwest Passage
- Sweden holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
