Lapland on a Budget Levi
- 5 Days in Levi for Under £500pp: Our Lapland Itinerary

5 Days in Levi for Under £500pp: Our Lapland Itinerary

24th July | Sarah Kenny
Last updated July 25, 2026

Going to Lapland is a dream for many families, but it's also one of the most expensive holidays you'll ever price up.

When we started looking, we were quoted around £1,200 per person for a two-night package holiday. For our family, that would have cost almost £5,000 before we'd even thought about spending money.

Instead, we decided to plan the trip ourselves.

Just four weeks later, we were flying to Levi for a four-night DIY Lapland adventure that cost just £481 per person. That included our return flights, accommodation, airport transfers, activities, food, travel insurance, winter clothing and even souvenirs.

Since then, we've planned several more DIY trips to Lapland, but this family holiday to Levi was where it all began. It showed us that, with a little planning, a Lapland holiday doesn't have to cost thousands of pounds or rely on an expensive package deal.

In this guide, I'll show you exactly how we planned our trip, where we saved money, what we spent, which activities we thought were worth paying for and what we'd do differently if we booked the same holiday again.

Whether you're trying to keep costs down or simply want more flexibility than a package holiday offers, hopefully this guide will help you plan your own unforgettable Lapland adventure.

From DIY itineraries and Northern Lights tips to budgeting advice, destination guides and honest reviews of the places we've visited, you'll find everything together in our Lapland Travel Guide Hub.

Just a quick note before we begin. Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products, services and experiences we've used ourselves or genuinely believe will help you plan your trip. Thanks for supporting Build a Break.

Our Lapland Trip Cost

One of the questions we're asked most often is, "How much did your Lapland trip actually cost?"

So, here's exactly what we spent on our four-night DIY family holiday to Levi.

  • Return direct flights: £52 per person
  • Accommodation: £122 per person
  • Airport transfers: £29 per person
  • Activities: £223 per person
  • Food and drink: £30.50 per person
  • Winter sports insurance: £4.50 per person
  • Winter clothing: Around £20 per person
  • Souvenirs and extras: Included within our overall budget

Total cost: £481 per person.

Lapland on a Budget

That price included everything we needed for our trip, from the moment we left home to the moment we arrived back in the UK.

When we first started looking, we were quoted around £1,200 per person for a two-night half-board package holiday. By planning the trip ourselves, we spent less than half that amount while enjoying four nights in Lapland.

It's also worth remembering that the package price didn't include everything. We'd still have needed spending money for lunches, drinks, snacks and any additional activities during the free time built into the itinerary. It also wouldn't have covered souvenirs or those little extras you inevitably buy on holiday.

By planning the trip ourselves, we had complete control over where we stayed, what we did and where we chose to spend our money, allowing us to build an itinerary that suited our family rather than following a fixed schedule.

Of course, prices change every year depending on when you travel and how far in advance you book. However, we hope this guide gives you a realistic idea of what a DIY Lapland trip can cost and where it's possible to make significant savings.

 

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Is Lapland Really That Expensive?

The short answer is yes, it can be.

If you're travelling during the busiest weeks in December, booking a package holiday and adding lots of optional extras, it's easy to spend several thousand pounds on a Lapland trip.

But that doesn't mean every Lapland holiday has to cost that much.

One of the biggest things we learnt while planning this trip was that the final price depends far more on how you book than simply where you go.

By booking our own flights and accommodation, choosing activities ourselves and travelling before the peak Christmas rush, we were able to enjoy everything we'd hoped for without the eye-watering price tag.

Family enjoying a four-night DIY Lapland holiday in Levi, Finland, showing the snowy resort and how to visit Lapland on a budget

That doesn't mean DIY is the right choice for everyone. Package holidays offer convenience, clothing hire and organised itineraries, which many families really value, especially for a first visit.

However, if you're happy to spend a little time planning your own itinerary, it's possible to have an incredible Lapland holiday while spending far less than many package holidays cost.

The rest of this guide explains exactly how we did it and the decisions that helped us keep the cost down without feeling like we were missing out.

How We Kept the Cost Down

People often assume that a DIY Lapland trip means cutting corners or missing out on the best experiences. That wasn't our experience at all.

Instead, we looked at every part of the trip individually and decided where it was worth spending money and where we could save. Those small decisions soon added up and made a huge difference to the overall cost.

Here are the biggest ways we kept our Lapland holiday affordable.

1. We Travelled Before the Christmas Rush

Timing was probably the biggest factor.

We visited in late November, before the busiest Christmas period began. The snow had already arrived, the Christmas lights were on and most activities were operating as normal, but flights and accommodation were significantly cheaper than travelling in December.

If your dates are flexible, we'd always recommend comparing prices across late November, early December and January. You can often save hundreds of pounds simply by travelling a week or two earlier or later.

Snow-covered Levi village in Finnish Lapland with winter activities and ski slopes

2. We Booked Our Flights Separately

This is probably one of the biggest reasons we managed to keep the overall cost so low.

Rather than booking a package holiday, we searched for flights ourselves and booked them separately from our accommodation. We ended up paying just £52 per person for return direct flights from Manchester to Kittilä with easyJet.

We only booked around four weeks before departure, proving that you don't always need to book months in advance to find a good deal.

Of course, flight prices vary every year and there's never a guarantee they'll be this cheap. However, if you're flexible with your travel dates and keep an eye on prices, it's often possible to find some excellent fares, particularly outside the busiest weeks in December.

If you're planning your own trip, we'd recommend checking flights before booking anything else. Once you've found affordable flights, you can then build the rest of your itinerary around them.

3. We Stayed in an Apartment

Accommodation was another area where we managed to keep costs down without compromising on comfort.

We stayed at Levi Suites Unna Mannu, a spacious two-bedroom apartment overlooking the ski slopes in Levi. It had everything we needed for our family, including a large open-plan living and dining area, a fully equipped kitchen, two toilets, a shower room, washing machine, drying cupboard, private sauna and a balcony with fantastic views across the resort. There was even a Smart TV with Netflix for relaxing after a day out in the snow.

The apartment cost £122 per person for four nights, which we thought represented excellent value considering everything it included.

One thing that really surprised us was discovering that these are the exact same apartments used by several package holiday companies. By booking the apartment ourselves, we enjoyed exactly the same accommodation while having the freedom to choose our own flights, activities and itinerary.

Having a fully equipped kitchen also helped keep our food costs down.

 

Where to stay in Levi on a budget - unna mannu suites
The view from our balcony of Levi Slopes

We could prepare breakfasts, stock up on snacks and cook a few evening meals, while still eating out when we wanted to. It gave us much more flexibility and helped keep our overall holiday costs under control.

If you're planning your own DIY Lapland trip, we'd definitely recommend considering self-catering accommodation. For us, it offered the perfect combination of comfort, convenience and value, and we'd happily stay there again.

Where to stay in Levi
Where to stay in Levi
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4. We Bought Most of Our Winter Clothing Second-Hand

One of the biggest worries people have before visiting Lapland is the cost of winter clothing. By the time you've priced up thermal layers, ski jackets, trousers, boots, hats and gloves for the whole family, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Rather than buying everything brand new, we looked on eBay and Vinted for good-quality second-hand ski clothing. We managed to pick up several items for a fraction of the original price, saving hundreds of pounds compared with buying everything new.

For the items we couldn't find second-hand, we shopped around for affordable alternatives. In the end, we spent around £20 per person on winter clothing, with many of the items still being used on later trips to Lapland.

If you're only planning to visit Lapland once, hiring clothing is another great option and is often included with package holidays. However, if you think you might return or use the clothing for skiing in the future, buying second-hand can work out much cheaper in the long run.

Our advice would be to start looking a few months before your trip. The best bargains tend to appear outside the winter season, and you'll have plenty of time to build up everything you need without spending a fortune.

If you're unsure exactly what you'll need, don't forget to read our What to Wear in Lapland guide, where we've shared everything we've learnt after multiple winter trips, including what we packed, what we hired and what we'd do differently next time.

5. We Chose Our Activities Carefully

One of the biggest misconceptions about Lapland is that you need to book every activity available to have a magical trip.

We took a different approach.

Before travelling, we made a list of the experiences that were most important to our family and built our itinerary around those. Rather than trying to fit everything into four days, we focused on choosing a handful of memorable activities and left plenty of time to simply enjoy Levi itself.

That meant we could budget for the experiences that really mattered to us, without feeling under pressure to fill every hour of the day.

Some of our favourite memories didn't cost anything at all. We spent time exploring the village, enjoying the snowy scenery, sledging, watching skiers on the slopes and simply soaking up the atmosphere.

When we did book activities, we looked carefully at what was included and whether we felt they offered good value for money. We also mixed paid experiences with free ones, helping to keep our overall budget under control.

Our budget trip to Levi in Lapland

Throughout the rest of this guide, we've shared honest reviews of every activity we booked, how much they cost and whether we'd recommend them, so you can decide which ones are worth including in your own itinerary.

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6. We Didn't Eat Out as Much as We'd Planned

One thing that really surprised us was how little we spent on food.

Unlike some parts of the trip, this wasn't intentional. We never go on holiday planning to cook every night or avoid restaurants. In fact, I'd actually budgeted much more for food before we travelled.

The reality was that our days were packed with activities. By the time we'd returned to the apartment, peeled off all our winter layers and warmed up, the last thing any of us fancied was putting everything back on again just to go out for dinner.

Instead, we'd often cook something simple in the apartment or pick up a takeaway on the walk back. There was a supermarket just five minutes from Levi Suites Unna Mannu, so we'd usually pop in each day for whatever we needed, pulling our shopping back to the apartment on the sledge.

It quickly became part of our routine and never felt like we were missing out. We still enjoyed eating out during the trip, but we naturally ended up having more meals in the apartment than we'd originally expected.

When I got home and totalled everything up from my bank statements, I couldn't believe we'd spent just £30.50 per person on food and drink over the four days.

Looking back, it wasn't about trying to save money. It was simply what worked best for our family after long days out in the snow.

7. We Travelled with Hand Luggage Only

We managed to fit everything we needed for our four-night Lapland trip into a small backpack each, saving money on checked luggage.

To make this work, we wore our ski jackets and winter boots on the plane, just like many of the other passengers travelling to Lapland. Everything else was packed into travel vacuum bags, which made a huge difference and are something we now use on almost every trip. Believe it or not, we didn't even wear everything we'd packed.

To free up even more space, we reserved our toiletries online with Boots and collected them after security instead of packing them in our bags.

We also chose not to pay for seat reservations. As soon as free check-in opened 30 days before departure with easyJet, I checked us in and, on this trip, as with every easyJet flight we've taken, we were all seated together on both the outbound and return flights. Of course, there's never a guarantee this will happen, but it worked well for us.

Although we were flying with a budget airline rather than a specialist Lapland package operator, the flight still felt magical. The cabin crew wore reindeer antlers, announced that Rudolf was ready to pull the plane to Lapland before take-off and even held a colouring competition with prizes for the children. The pilot also gave regular announcements to build the excitement, making it a lovely start to our holiday.

If you're wondering exactly what to pack for a winter trip to Lapland, don't miss our What to Wear in Lapland guide, where we've shared everything we took, what we actually used and what we'd pack differently next time.

When We Visited

We visited Levi from Sunday 26th November to Thursday 30th November, deliberately travelling before the busiest part of the Christmas season.

One thing to bear in mind if you're considering travelling this early is that snow conditions can vary from year to year. While we were lucky to enjoy a winter wonderland throughout our stay, there's no guarantee that heavy snowfall will have arrived by late November.

We actually only booked our trip around four weeks before departure. Before committing, I kept a close eye on the weather forecast and local webcams, and once residents were saying the snow was there to stay and activity providers confirmed their programmes would be running, we decided to book.

As a general rule, if you're planning your trip several months in advance, we'd recommend looking at departures from around 5th December onwards. By then, conditions are usually much more reliable while still allowing you to experience Lapland before the busiest Christmas period.

If snow is your absolute priority, January, February and March are generally the best months to visit, with April often still offering excellent snow conditions. However, for many families, early December provides a great balance between festive atmosphere, reliable snow and lower prices than the peak Christmas weeks.

Our 5-Day DIY Lapland Itinerary

This was our family's first DIY trip to Lapland and, looking back, I wouldn't change very much at all.

We based ourselves in Levi for four nights and planned a mixture of pre-booked activities, time to explore the village and a few quieter moments to simply enjoy the snowy surroundings. We didn't try to fill every hour of every day, which meant the trip never felt rushed or exhausting.

One of the biggest advantages of planning the holiday ourselves was the flexibility. We could choose exactly which experiences were most important to us and build the itinerary around our family, rather than following a fixed schedule.

Over the next few sections, I'll share exactly what we did each day, along with honest reviews of every activity, how much they cost and whether we thought they were worth it.

Day 1: Arrival in Levi

We flew direct from Manchester to Kittilä on an afternoon flight, landing at around 9pm local time. After collecting our luggage, we met our pre-booked transfer and were at our apartment in Levi around 15 minutes later.

As this was our first DIY Lapland trip, we opted for a private shuttle organised by our apartment manager. It was one less thing to worry about after arriving late in the evening and cost €70 each way (£29 per person return).

Looking back, we probably could have saved a little money by booking a taxi through the Menevä Taxi app instead. If you're travelling as a family or group, it's well worth comparing the prices before you travel.

Hiring a car is another option and could work well if you're planning to explore more of Finnish Lapland. As I don't drive, we deliberately chose activities that offered optional shuttle transfers from Levi village, so we never felt we needed a car.

One thing I was really pleased I'd done was pack a few easy snacks in our suitcase. By the time we'd checked in, unpacked and wrapped up to head back outside, every restaurant and supermarket had closed for the evening. We ended up making instant noodles and sharing the biscuits and snacks I'd packed from home, which kept everyone happy until breakfast the following morning.

It's a small tip, but if you're arriving on one of the later flights into Kittilä, I'd definitely recommend packing something to eat just in case.

Day 2: Exploring Levi and Chasing the Northern Lights

With our first full day in Lapland ahead of us, we spent the morning exploring Levi village and getting our bearings before our evening Northern Lights excursion.

One of our first purchases was a sledge from one of the sports shops in the centre of Levi for around €10. It ended up being one of the best purchases of the whole trip. Not only did the girls spend hours sledging, but we also used it every day to pull our shopping back from the supermarket.

If you buy a sledge, one tip I'd definitely pass on is to take it inside whenever you can. They're very popular and can quickly disappear if left unattended outside.

Lapland on a Budget- Gondola up Levi Fell
Lapland on a Budget- Levi

Gondola Ride to the Top of Levi Fell

Mid morning, we took the gondola up to the top of Levi Fell.

The return journey cost around €50 for our family, working out at roughly £11 per person, and tickets were easy to buy from the machines at Zero Point.

If you're considering the gondola, I'd check the visibility and whether the Secret Café is open before buying tickets. We enjoyed the snow at the top, but the experience would have been much better on a clearer day.

Lapland on a Budget

Sledging at Zero Point

After coming back down from the fell, we spent some time sledging at Zero Point.

It was such a simple activity, but one of those moments that everyone enjoyed. Sometimes it's easy to focus on the big excursions when planning a Lapland trip, but some of our favourite memories came from things like this that cost very little.

Evening: Polarman's Camp Northern Lights Experience

Northern lights in Levi Lapland on a budget

That evening we headed out on what turned out to be the highlight of our entire trip.

We were collected from Levi Centre at around 8pm and driven about 20 minutes into the wilderness, away from the light pollution of the village.

One of the reasons I'd chosen Polarman's Camp was because it centres around a heated glass igloo. With temperatures dropping to around -28°C, it was the perfect place to warm up between heading outside to watch the sky.

The evening included a traditional Lappish barbecue, hot berry juice and a whisky for the adults, all included in the price. Throughout the evening the guides shared Finnish folklore about the Northern Lights, as well as explaining the science behind the aurora, making it much more than simply a Northern Lights hunt.

There was also a real snow igloo to explore, which the girls absolutely loved. It was fascinating listening to the guides explain how they're built and how well they insulate despite being made entirely from snow.

The Northern Lights forecast gave us only around a 20% chance of seeing the aurora, so we weren't expecting much. However, just before we were due to leave, green ribbons suddenly appeared across the sky and lasted for around 20 minutes. It was an unforgettable moment and the perfect ending to an incredible evening.

We arrived back in Levi at around 11.30pm and, at £63.50 per person, we thought Polarman's Camp offered fantastic value for money. It's an experience we'd happily recommend to anyone visiting Levi.

Levi on a budget Northern light tour
Day 2 Itinerary in Levi - northern light hunting at the Polarmans Northern Light Camp
Levi on a budget Aurora hunting

Day 3: A Magical Day at Arcandia

Our third day was dedicated to Arcandia, one of the most unique experiences we had in Lapland.

We booked the Elf Court session, which included return transfers from Levi. As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed by one of Arcandia's elves, who guided us through a series of outdoor activities including hill sledging, archery, rolling inside a giant inflatable snowball and meeting the resident reindeer.

Afterwards, we made our way into the cosy Elf Court lodge, where we decorated biscuits, made paper snowflakes and spent around 45 minutes with Joulupukki, or Santa Claus. Rather than a quick photo opportunity, the experience was all about spending quality time together in a relaxed setting, making it feel much more personal than many traditional Santa visits.

One of the biggest surprises was that booking the Elf Court also included free entry to The Darkness, Arcandia's evening experience.

After returning to Levi for a few hours, we headed back that evening and found the park completely transformed. Colourful lighting, music and fire pits created a totally different atmosphere, and there were plenty of additional activities to try, including mini snowmobiling, ice pucking, knockerballs and human snowballing. These activities are paid for using tokens, which can be purchased on arrival.

We again chose to use Arcandia's transfer from Levi, making the whole day incredibly easy without needing a car.

Including both experiences and our transfers, the day cost around £101 per person, which we felt was excellent value considering everything that was included.

If you'd like to see everything we did, along with lots more photos and our honest thoughts, you can read our full Arcandia guide.

archery with an elf at Arcandia's Elf Court
Arcandia- Lapland on a Budget
Is Arcandia in Levi worth visiting
Arcandia- Lapland on a Budget

Day 4: Reindeer, Snowmobiles and Our Final Evening in Levi

Our final full day in Lapland was a little more relaxed, giving us time to fit in a couple of activities before our trip came to an end.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride at Lappin Saaga

One experience we definitely didn't want to miss was a traditional reindeer sleigh ride.

We booked a 1km sleigh ride through the snowy forest with Lappin Saaga, around a 15-minute drive from Levi. Although the sleigh ride itself lasted around 15 minutes, the whole experience lasted about an hour.

Before setting off, we spent time meeting the reindeer and exploring the farm with one of the elves, who also introduced us to the resident ponies. Lappin Saaga also offers pony rides through the snow, which looked incredible and is something we'd love to try on a future visit.

After the sleigh ride, we were invited into a cosy wooden hut where we warmed up with hot berry juice and biscuits while chatting to our elf guide about life in Lapland.

We booked return transfers through Lappin Saaga, making the whole trip incredibly straightforward. Including transport, the experience cost £38.50 per person, which we thought was excellent value.

Is Lapland expensive? See what a Lapland trip really costs, including flights, hotels, activities, food and clothing, with prices from our 3 DIY trips.
Lapland on a Budget
Lappin Saaga Pony Trekking in the snow

Mini Snowmobiling

Later that day, our two youngest children tried mini snowmobiling at Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park.

Suitable for children aged 4 to 12, they each completed ten laps of the snowy forest track while we watched from the side. The instructors split the session into two sets of five laps so neither child was left waiting around for too long, and only one snowmobile was on the track at a time, which made it feel very safe.

Both girls were given helmets and balaclavas, and I was amazed at how quickly they picked it up. By the end of the session, they'd both earned their very own snowmobile driving licence, which was a lovely keepsake to take home.

We hadn't actually planned to do this activity. We spotted it while exploring Levi one afternoon and decided to book there and then. At just €20 per child, it was one of the most affordable activities of the trip and worked out at around £8.50 per person when spread across our family of four.

Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park in Levi
Snowmobiling for kids in Levi Lapland

Day 5: Making the Most of Our Final Day

Although we had an early evening flight home, we still managed to squeeze a few more hours out of our last day in Levi.

Thankfully, Levi Suites Unna Mannu kindly offered us a late check-out, which made a huge difference. It meant we didn't have to worry about storing our luggage or finding somewhere to get changed after spending the morning outside.

Rather than booking another excursion, we decided to enjoy a final wander around the village and revisit some of our favourite spots.

Feeding the Reindeer at K5

One of our last stops was the K5 Hotel, where you can feed the reindeer kept in the hotel grounds.

Bags of reindeer food can be purchased from reception for €7, making this a quick and inexpensive activity to add to your time in Levi. It only took a short while, but the girls loved getting so close to the reindeer.

Reindeer at K5 Hotel Levi
Levi Christmas Huts in the snow

One Last Sledge at Zero Point

Of course, we couldn't leave Levi without one final sledging session at Zero Point.

We'd bought our sledge on the first day of the trip and it had provided hours of entertainment throughout our stay. Before heading back to the apartment, we spent one last hour enjoying the slopes and soaking up the atmosphere.

We also had a look around the Christmas huts at the base of the ski slopes. Although many visitors head straight for the bigger attractions, it's worth taking some time to wander around Levi itself. Some of our favourite moments from the trip were simply exploring the village, taking in the festive atmosphere and enjoying the snowy surroundings.

Before long, it was time to collect our luggage, head back to Kittilä Airport and say goodbye to Lapland.

Looking back, we'd managed to fit an incredible amount into five days without ever feeling rushed. It was the perfect introduction to DIY travel in Lapland and the trip that convinced us we'd definitely be back.

Where to eat in Levi
Levi Church in Lapland

Our Honest Activity Reviews

One of the biggest advantages of planning our own Lapland trip was choosing exactly which experiences we wanted to include.

Some activities were worth every penny, while others were simply fun extras that helped fill the gaps between our bigger excursions.

Here are our honest thoughts on everything we did during our four-night stay in Levi.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Polarman's Camp Northern Lights Experience

Cost: £63.50 per person

If we could only recommend one activity from the whole trip, this would be it.

Everything about the evening exceeded our expectations. From the traditional Lappish barbecue and heated igloo to the fascinating stories about the Northern Lights, it felt much more personal than simply standing outside hoping to see the aurora.

Seeing the Northern Lights for around 20 minutes was obviously the highlight, but even if they hadn't appeared, we'd still have enjoyed the experience.

Would we book it again? Absolutely.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Arcandia

Cost: £101 per person (including The Darkness and transfers)

Arcandia was unlike anything we'd experienced before.

The daytime Elf Court was relaxed, interactive and gave us plenty of quality time with Santa, while the evening Darkness experience felt completely different, with lights, music and activities creating a magical atmosphere.

Although it was one of the more expensive experiences of the trip, it also lasted most of the day and included two completely different experiences.

Would we book it again? Definitely. This time we would probably do the Laser Tag instead of the Elf Court now the kids are older.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lappin Saaga Reindeer Sleigh Ride

Cost: £38.50 per person including transfers

This was exactly what we'd imagined a traditional Lapland experience would be.

The sleigh ride itself was peaceful, but we also enjoyed meeting the reindeer, exploring the farm and warming up afterwards with hot berry juice and biscuits.

For the price, we thought it offered excellent value.

Would we book it again? Yes. Next time we'd probably try the horse riding.

 

⭐⭐⭐ Gondola to Levi Fell

Cost: Around £11 per person

Taking the gondola to the top of Levi Fell gave us some lovely views across the surrounding landscape and was a nice way to spend part of the afternoon.

However, if I'm honest, this was probably the only activity on our trip that I felt was a little overpriced at nearly £50 for the four of us. Visibility wasn't great during our visit, so we didn't get to enjoy the panoramic views we'd been hoping for. The Secret Café at the top was also closed, which was disappointing as it had been one of the main reasons we'd booked the gondola.

Would we book it again? Yes, but mainly to visit the Secret Café. If the café was closed again and visibility was poor, I'd probably spend the money elsewhere.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mini Snowmobiling

Cost: €20 per child

This turned out to be one of the best-value activities of the whole trip.

The girls loved every minute and were so proud of the driving licences they received at the end.

If you're travelling with children in the right age range, we'd definitely recommend it.

Would we book it again? Absolutely. This is a great value activity and it lasted much longer than I anticipated. Arcdania offers snowmobiling too, however, this is a much bigger track.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sledging at Zero Point

Cost: €10 for the sledge

Sometimes the simplest activities are the best.

We used our sledge every day, both for fun and for pulling our shopping back from the supermarket.

It probably provided more hours of entertainment than anything else we bought during the trip.

Would we do it again? Without hesitation.

What We Spent

One of the biggest reasons we wanted to write this guide was to show exactly where our money went.

When we were planning our trip, most websites either gave a rough estimate or focused on just one part of the budget. We wanted to share our real costs to help other families decide whether a DIY Lapland trip could work for them.

Here's what we spent per person:

  • Flights: £52
  • Accommodation: £122
  • Airport transfers: £29
  • Activities: £223
  • Food and drink: £30.50
  • Winter sports insurance: £4.50
  • Winter clothing: Around £20

Total: £481 per person

Looking back, we're still amazed by how affordable the trip was. We never set out to create the cheapest possible Lapland holiday and we certainly didn't feel like we were missing out.

In fact, we did everything we'd hoped to do. We stayed in a fantastic apartment, booked the activities that mattered most to us, enjoyed meals out as well as evenings relaxing in the apartment and created memories that we'll never forget.

Could we have spent less? Probably. We could have skipped some activities, chosen cheaper accommodation or eaten in every night. Equally, we could easily have spent much more by booking additional excursions or travelling during the busiest weeks of December.

For us, though, this felt like the perfect balance. We experienced the Lapland we'd dreamed of while keeping our budget at a level that worked for our family.

DIY vs Package Holidays

Before booking this trip, we spent weeks comparing DIY options with package holidays.

At the time, package holidays were coming in at around £1,200 per person for a two-night half-board break. For our family, that would have meant spending close to £5,000 before we'd even bought souvenirs, drinks or booked any additional activities during our free time.

By planning the trip ourselves, we were able to stay for four nights instead of two while choosing exactly how we wanted to spend our budget.

That doesn't mean DIY is the right option for everyone.

Package holidays are incredibly convenient. Everything is organised for you, clothing hire is often included and there's no need to spend time researching flights, accommodation or transfers. For many families, particularly those visiting Lapland for the first time, that's worth paying extra for.

For us, though, planning the trip ourselves gave us much more flexibility. We chose where we stayed, decided which activities were worth booking and built an itinerary that suited our family rather than following a fixed schedule.

One thing that really surprised us was that we stayed in the exact same apartments used by several package holiday companies. The only difference was that we'd booked them ourselves.

If you're happy spending a little time researching and booking everything separately, a DIY Lapland trip can offer excellent value and complete flexibility. If you'd rather have everything arranged for you, a package holiday is still a fantastic way to experience Lapland.

Neither option is right or wrong. It simply depends on what's most important to you.

Is a DIY Lapland Trip Worth It?

Without a doubt.

This trip completely changed the way we thought about visiting Lapland. Before we started planning, we'd assumed it was a once-in-a-lifetime holiday that would cost thousands of pounds. Instead, we discovered that with a little research and flexibility, it was possible to create an unforgettable family adventure for far less than we'd expected.

Planning the trip ourselves gave us complete control over our budget and itinerary. We could choose the accommodation, decide which activities were most important to us and enjoy four nights in Lapland rather than squeezing everything into a much shorter package holiday.

Perhaps the biggest compliment we can give this trip is that it wasn't our last. Since this first family adventure to Levi, we've returned to Lapland twice more on DIY trips, both to Rovaniemi. One was a three-day trip with friends and the other was a two-day itinerary planned especially for my daughter's birthday.

If you're thinking about planning your own DIY Lapland holiday, don't let the price put you off. Hopefully our experience has shown that it can be much more affordable than many people realise.

If you're still planning your trip, make sure you also read our other Lapland guides, including our What to Wear in Lapland, Rovaniemi vs Levi, Santa Claus Village, Arcandia and Flights to Lapland guides.

You might also like our Travel Club. Each autumn and winter, we share hand-picked Lapland deals by combining cheap flights and accommodation to create DIY breaks, helping members find some of the best-value trips throughout the booking season.

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