The Magic Of Lapland Is Closer Than You Think

The turbulence of 2020 has scuppered travel plans for most, not least the families hoping to grasp a piece of Christmas magic before their little elves become cynical pixies.

There’s a narrow window for a trip to Lapland – the cost has to be counterbalanced with the age and innocence of the child you take. Young enough to believe but old enough to really , really appreciate every second for the fortune it cost you.

So to parents of small people everywhere in England – what if I told you there’s a Lapland you can reach without planes? One that holds all the magic and mystery of Christmas, but without the COVID fears and faff of airports, without the bank balance-breaking cost, and also without the need to invest in really unattractive thermal underwear?

Surely not! you cry. Well, you cry unless you’ve Googled Lapland UK and already been drawn in by the incredible wonder of experiencing a trip to see the genuine FC in his North Pole home.

Lapland UK is a unique and no holds barred Christmas experience that takes you on a journey through the toy factories and tiny Elven villages of Lapland via an entirely immersive experience. Located in a forest in Berkshire, less than an hour from central London, the structure of this successful winter attraction has been adapted for COVID-safety and is welcoming visitors until January 10th.

Your journey begins with a personalised invitation from Father Christmas – couriered by Reindeer Post – which beckons your child to visit his elves to help them build his quota of toys to deliver at Christmas (for post-Christmas dates visitors will be making toys to reward the elves for their hard work).

The four hour experience is divided into 5 parts:

• The Enchanted Forest – an introduction to elf life, elf culture, and a unique recreation of the Father Christmas story.
• The Toy Factory – meet Conker the clumsy elf and help him and his team build a wooden reindeer.
• Mother Christmas’s Kitchen – an opportunity to decorate some gingerbread men and listen to a Christmas story as well as sing and dance along to the elf version of Jingle Bells.
• The Elf Village – You’re given 90 minutes to explore the elf village for free ice skating, visits to shops and food stalls, and a trip to the Post Office to buy some Jingles (elf currency) and to write a letter to the big man himself.
• A one-to-one visit with Father Christmas – a truly personalised visit to meet Santa in his North Pole cabin.

From the moment you arrive you are transported to a magical land, with everyone you encounter in character as one of Santa’s helpers.

Snowflakes fall softly on the trees, and the strolls between attractions are taken through forests adorned with fairy lights. No expense has been spared in creating an authentic and beautiful replica of Lapland itself.

Having arrived at 9am we waited in the entrance hall where a show took place to occupy short attention spans before the trip began. Our five and eight-year-old small folk (all visitors are addressed as Small Folk or Big Folk and greeted with a wave of a thumb on the nose) squealed with delight as we wandered through the enchanting set and embarked upon our adventure.

There’s plenty to keep kids’ attention and a nice little story full of cute characters for them to get involved in. After decorating their own gingerbread men our Small Folk quickly destroyed the evidence via their stomachs, and clapped and sang along with all the interactive theatre.

The 90 minutes in the Elven Village was slightly too long for us as we shivered after slipping over eleventy thousand times each on the ice rink, but we were allowed to cut short our stay by ten minutes and skip (well, me and the five-year-old) past the elf houses and sleeping (real) reindeer on our way to meet FC himself.

When you arrive in Santa’s waiting hall an adult from your party needs to check in and gives kids’ details to an elf (hobbies, achievements, favourite toys etc) while the Small Folk are chatted to by none other than Mary Christmas. The info is then zapped over to Santa on his iPad so when he chats to them he really does know everything about them.

It’s enchanting to see the wonder and excitement on small faces as they are addressed personally by Father Christmas, and he congratulates them on personal successes from the past year.

The Small Folk do, of course, all leave with an early Christmas gift (although the one-size-fits-all gift of a Husky soft toy wasn’t the greatest moment of our eight-year-old Star Wars fan’s day) and then just before you leave as you collect your complimentary photo (so nice not to be charged the earth for a memento of the day) you are also sneaked another gift to place with their presents on Christmas Eve, as well as a personalised postcard from Santa thanking them for their help in saving Christmas.

From start to finish – the start being the arrival of the invitations at your home (you can choose when to present them, and are advised to stick in the freezer beforehand for added authenticity!) – the Lapland UK experience is exactly that, it’s a journey to a magical land with all the magic of Christmas at every turn.

After such a difficult year our visit was the family treat we all needed and it wasn’t just the Small Folk that went back through the portal to the real world with huge smiles on our faces. A trip to Lapland UK certainly isn’t second fiddle to a trip to Finland itself – it’s the perfect pre-Christmas treat for kids of all ages, and one you will want to repeat again and again.

Top Tips:

Take some snacks. The first 90 minutes are immersive theatre and Small Folk can get restless. Once you arrive in the Elf Village there are food and snack stalls, but at £6 for a tiny hot dog you’ll spend a fortune and likely still be hungry. Also – mulled wine and alcoholic beverages are on sale but bear in mind you will need to order a ‘substantial meal’ in order to enjoy one due to current COVID laws.

Wrap up in layers: While indoor activities take place in the warm, walking between attractions is outdoors, as is the Elf Village – the authenticity of the natural winter scenery being a main part of the attraction. Our Small Folk took off coats indoors but needed hats and gloves for our time in the Elf Village.

Remember COVID. It may sound obvious but it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and we saw several families rushing to be the first to reach the next destination. Staff don’t police visitors so it’s down to individuals to ensure they follow the rules, and there are lots of opportunities for bottlenecks. Also take your own sanitiser in case toilet breaks are needed as there are no sinks with running water until you reach the Elf Village.

Leave your worries at the door. A trip to Lapland UK is a real opportunity to pass through a portal into another world and forget the worries and sadness of 2020. The Big Folk in our party had just as much fun as the Small Folk, it’s all about letting that inner child come out and play. You won’t regret it.

• For more information, to watch a trailer video, and to book tickets, visit the Lapland UK website.
• Ticket prices range from £75 to £140 per person, depending on the date and time you want to visit. Tickets for pre-Christmas tours are already almost all sold out so book quickly if you can.
• Belle About Town received a complimentary visit in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are genuine reflections of our experience.
• All photos copyrighted to Emily Cleary and Lapland UK and cannot be reproduced without permission.