Northern Lights Village Saariselkä in Finland: A family-friendly review
If you’ve ever wondered whether a Lapland family holiday really lives up to the hype (or whether it’s simply an expensive way to discover your child refuses to wear gloves), this first-hand review is for you. Tucked deep inside Finnish Lapland, Northern Lights Village Saariselkä has become one of the most sought-after family-friendly hotels in Lapland, thanks to its iconic glass-roof Aurora Cabins, magical Santa experiences and some of the best opportunities to see the Northern Lights. Tiny Travelship ambassador Rebecca travelled here with her husband, parents and their four and six-year-old children to find out whether it’s really worth the splurge. From the best age to visit and what the activities are actually like, to the honest take on the weather, she shares everything parents need to know before booking
Huge thanks to Rebecca for sharing her family’s experience of Northern Lights Village Saariselkä. You can find more of her adventures on Instagram and her website, including her original review here
Published: 13th July 2026 | Last updated: 22nd July 2026
Frequently asked questions about Northern Lights Village Saariselkä
Is Northern Lights Village Saariselkä good for families?
Some family holidays are all about ticking off the sights. A stay at Northern Lights Village Saariselkä is about creating the kind of memories your children will still be talking about years later. Set deep in the Arctic wilderness of Finnish Lapland, yet within walking distance of Saariselkä village, it strikes a rare balance between feeling wonderfully remote and reassuringly easy with children
What really sets Northern Lights Village apart is how effortless it makes a Lapland family holiday. Everything is designed to remove the usual holiday logistics, from airport transfers and thermal clothing hire to family-friendly accommodation, full-board dining and expertly organised excursions. Rather than spending your time driving between activities or worrying whether everyone has packed enough layers, you can simply enjoy the magic
Whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime Santa trip or comparing the best Lapland holidays for families, Northern Lights Village is a brilliant choice. If you’re still deciding, our family travel specialists can help you compare it with other parent-approved Lapland hotels to find the best option for your children’s ages, travel dates and budget
What is included in Northern Lights Village packages?
Northern Lights Village Saariselkä packages are designed as a hassle-free Lapland experience, with many of the big-ticket essentials included before you arrive. Most packages include accommodation in a glass-roof Aurora Cabin or Polar Sky Suite, full-board dining (breakfast, lunch and dinner), thermal clothing for the duration of your stay, airport transfers and a selection of Arctic activities
Depending on the package you choose, included experiences can range from husky safaris and reindeer encounters to snowmobile adventures, Northern Lights excursions, snowshoeing and family-friendly snow activities. The exact itinerary varies by package and season
For families, this is one of the biggest advantages of Northern Lights Village: meals, transfers, clothing and activities are all taken care of, leaving you more time to enjoy the magic (and less time worrying about logistics in freezing temperatures)
Where is Northern Lights Village Saariselkä?
Northern Lights Village Saariselkä is located in Finnish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. While it feels wonderfully remote, there’s a village you can walk to, or drag the kids on sledges to, about 15 minutes away from the resort which was comforting to have a supermarket nearby so it’s not completely isolated
We flew from London Heathrow to Ivalo with Finnair, changing briefly in Helsinki. Although we had a tight connection, both flights were with the same airline and the transfer was smooth apart from one of our suitcases hadn’t arrived. Thankfully we’d packed thermals and a spare outfit in our hand luggage just in case (definitely do this!). The airline delivered our missing case directly to the resort the following morning!
It was surreal to land onto a snowy runway! From Ivalo Airport, it’s just a 40-minute coach transfer to Northern Lights Village, which was included as part of our package. We were glad not to navigate icy roads ourselves, the locals are such experts
What age is Northern Lights Village Saariselkä best for?
We visited with a 4 and 6 year old which felt perfect for us. We’d had a debate before booking about whether to wait for one more year or not but I’m really glad we did it when we did. It’s one of those trips that you’re likely to only do once so you want to make sure they’ll remember it as much as possible whilst still being young enough for the real excitement for all the magic of Santa
Also it is really cold, my children were always a nightmare at keeping hats & gloves on when they were younger, so I’d want to know they would happily get all of their layers on and understand to keep them on. But we did see a couple of babies there wrapped up in snowsuits! The only thing my 4 year old couldn’t do age wise was the snowmobiling & the cross country skiing was a bit too tricky for them both
One of the questions we’re asked most? ‘Have we left it too late – or are they still too young?’ There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. We’ll help you choose the right Lapland holiday based on your children’s ages, interests and your budget, so you can book with confidence. Speak to a Lapland Specialist
Can you see the Northern Lights from the cabins?
Yes! one of the biggest reasons families choose Northern Lights Village Saariselkä is the chance to watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of your own cabin. The Aurora Cabins have a heated glass roof positioned directly above the bed, so on a clear night you can lie back under the stars and wait for the aurora to appear without having to wrap everyone up in layers and head outside
For families visiting for a classic snowy Lapland experience, December to March is the most popular time to visit Saariselkä for a chance of seeing the Northern Lights, with guaranteed winter scenery, snow-covered forests and plenty of Arctic activities. If your main priority is maximizing your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, the darker months around September-November and February-March can be particularly good, as you get longer periods of darkness while often avoiding some of the peak Christmas crowds
That said, it’s important to remember that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, not something the hotel can guarantee. Visibility depends on a combination of clear skies, darkness and solar activity. The glass-roof cabins give you one of the most magical (and warmest!) viewing experiences, but you’ll still need a little bit of Arctic luck
A lovely family-friendly touch is the aurora alert system, which can notify you when the lights are visible – meaning you don’t have to sit awake all night staring at the sky
How many nights do you actually need in Lapland?
We stayed for five days (four nights) and it allowed us to fit in all of the organised activities along with still leaving plenty of time to simply enjoy being in Lapland. Initially I wondered whether the days might feel long because there are only a few hours of daylight in winter, but the opposite was true. Between getting dressed for the Arctic temperatures, walking into the village, playing in the snow and enjoying leisurely meals, every day flew by. You could squeeze it into less and they do offer different packages or you can just book accommodation then add activities on separately, we didn’t need the cross country skiing day but were glad we had the 5 days because of the long travel time
What should you pack for Lapland with kids?
The biggest piece of advice is don’t panic-buy expensive outerwear. Northern Lights Village provides excellent quality thermal snowsuits, snow boots and mittens. Instead, focus on good base layers. We packed merino wool thermal tops, leggings, fleece mid-layers, warm wool ski socks, hats, snoods and comfortable jumpers. The key is layering rather than wearing one bulky outfit
We took matching Christmas jumpers for the whole family for our Santa day
It’s recommended to avoid cotton based fabrics which can trap moisture. Merino wool is best for regulating temperature, Uniqlo’s heat tech ultra warm is great. Vinted is a saviour. Also take glove liners or thin magic gloves to go underneath mittens. We took balaclavas to go under the kids hats for the colder days
Other things I’m glad we packed included lip balm, swimwear for the sauna, rechargeable hand warmers, a backpack for snacks and carrying spare hats, marshmallows & sticks, a tripod for photographing the Northern Lights
It can be mostly dark so kids head torches or glow sticks are worth packing. Snowball shapers were fun if you have room. And we took some games/drawing/enterainment for dinner
Pack normal pyjamas, the cabins are hot!
Is Lapland too cold for children?
Before travelling, this was probably my biggest worry as it’s impossible to know how it would feel. We didn’t have extreme cold but the dry Arctic air makes a huge difference, along with the layering and suits provided. Our kids spent hours rolling in the snow without complaining about the cold. It really is a different type of cold. There was just one day that we experienced -22 and that did make their hands hurt but the rechargeable hand warmers were game changing! There are always lots of spots to warm up in and if anything, we found ourselves getting too warm once we stepped inside!
Is Northern Lights Village Saariselkä worth the money?
We paid around £4,200 (converted from euros) for the four of us to stay five nights in an Aurora Cabin at Northern Lights Village, including the full activity package, full board food, airport transfers and our clothing hire. Our flights plus two suitcases each way came to an additional £1,400
It wasn’t a budget trip – we’d saved money gifted from grandparents – but it really did feel like it was worth every penny, the kind of trip that gives you memories to last a lifetime. Staying in the Aurora Cabin made the trip feel completely magical and all of the activities felt really high quality without being a tourist conveyer belt and the setting was a total dream
People definitely do cheaper trips to Lapland, some even go for just one day! So it really depends on how you want to do it and what’s important to you to prioritise on
Rooms and accommodation
The Aurora Cabins: the magical glass igloo experience
One of the biggest reasons we booked Northern Lights Village Saariselkä was the accommodation. Those iconic Aurora Cabins had completely stolen my heart long before we’d even booked, and I’m happy to report they really are every bit as magical to sleep under a glass roof in person. We stayed in one of the family Aurora Cabins, which slept the four of us. Inside, there was a double bed and a generous sofa bed for the children, along with a fire, mini fridge, tea and coffee facilities and a shower room. A travel cot would fit under the eaves in here (you can add an infant as a fifth person if they don’t require an extra bed). The cabins aren’t ultra-luxurious but are warm, cosy, and the real showstopper is, of course, the glass roof above the bed where you can press a button to clear any fresh snow off so you don’t miss the view. It was a real plus with kids to know that we could get them to sleep & not miss any Aurora alerts and watch them without even needing to leave your cabin. You can get an app to alert you to any activity and sightings! It was too exciting to sleep for the first couple of nights worrying in case we’d miss them. One thing that surprised me was just how warm the cabins stayed. Despite temperatures dropping well below freezing outside, we were perfectly comfortable in normal pyjamas at night. The heated floors quickly dried our gloves ready for the next day’s adventures
Definitely request one of the front-row cabins overlooking the forest to get to uninterrupted snowy woodland views. There are also larger Polar sky & panoramic suites around 3km away set up on the top of the ski resort hill, whilst they’re not as iconic looking as the aurora igloos, they all have partial glass roofs above the beds and they offer more space for families with mini kitchens and private saunas – but you would have to transfer to the resort every time for meals & activities with the free shuttle bus
Best family activities at Northern Lights Village Saariselkä
The magic of Lapland: what kids will actually love
The Northern Lights Village activities are really well renowned and lots of people staying in other accommodation actually end up booking the NLV experiences. The benefit of staying there is that you get priority time slots. The five-night Nordic Family package we booked included everything we’d hoped to experience in Lapland and saved 25% booking as a package. There was enough time to enjoy each activity while still having plenty of opportunities to simply play in the snow, wander into Saariselkä village for shopping or sledging or curl up in our cabin
Without question, the highlight of the entire trip was the Searching for Santa experience. Our adventure began by meeting two of Santa’s elves. They led us to a cosy woodland cottage with candles outside in the snow where we baked gingerbread biscuits, decorated them and wrote letters to Santa. We then climbed aboard a reindeer-pulled sleigh to the elves’ secret village. There, the children searched for candy canes hidden amongst the trees, toasted marshmallows over an open fire, listened to magical stories with mugs of hot chocolate and spent time throwing snowballs with the wonderfully playful elves. We then climbed into an ‘elf taxi’ – a heated sleigh – before spotting a small red cabin. Standing outside was Santa! Our children RAN up to him and hugged him. My mum and I both found ourselves in tears watching it all unfold and everyone received a sweet gift. If you end up going after Christmas then you still meet Santa but it turns into a thanking him exercise instead of sharing your wish list
Another unforgettable activity was the husky safari. We were taken on a fast 5km sled ride through silent, snow-covered forests and past frozen rivers before warming up around a campfire with traditional hot berry juice. Afterwards we got to meet and play with the incredibly friendly huskies. We also had a half an hour reindeer sleigh ride one day, an afternoon hot tub & sauna session surrounded by snow and my daughter loved the kids’ snowmobiling where she drove her own mini snowmobile around the on site track
We tried cross-country skiing, one of Finland’s most loved winter pastimes. We travelled out into a nearby national park for a lesson surrounded by seriously beautiful frozen landscapes. Unfortunately, we happened to visit on the coldest day of our trip and the children decided fairly quickly that skiing wasn’t quite for them! One evening we headed out on an Aurora Hunt by heated sleigh, travelling through the darkness to a mountain viewpoint with a traditional teepee where we toasted marshmallows. I was worried if this would be too late for the kids but with the time difference it wasn’t too bad. The views of the lights were incredible up there even to the naked eye!
Food and dining
Is Northern Lights Village worth going full board?
The restaurant at Northern Lights Village operates on a full-board basis, with generous buffet-style breakfasts, lunches and dinners included, alongside an à la carte menu and bar. This is a great plus as food in the town & Finland in general can be pricey, which makes full-board Lapland holidays particularly good value for families. The serving windows are long, so there was never any pressure to rush back from an excursion to make a mealtime & there was basically always food on offer. Breakfast was a generous spread of fresh bread, yoghurt, homemade berry compotes, granola, cereals, porridge, fresh fruit, cheeses, cold meats, smoked salmon, eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, pastries, waffles & cake. Lunch and dinner followed a similar buffet format but with changing daily dishes. We enjoyed soup, traditional Finnish stews, pasta dishes, local salmon, potatoes, fresh salads and breads. Dinner also included a cheese selection, a few desserts and an ice cream station. While the menus did become a little repetitive towards the end of our five-night stay, the quality of the food remained consistently good and there was always plenty of choice. If you’re looking to experience traditional Finnish flavours, don’t skip the local venison (just maybe don’t make a big deal of telling the kids you’re eating reindeer). As any parent knows, children’s meals can make or break a holiday. Thankfully, Northern Lights Village caters really well for families. Alongside the buffet, there was a children’s menu offering favourites such as chicken nuggets, hot dogs, burgers, chips, tomato pasta or bolognese that you could order without charge
I’d recommend packing a few familiar snacks if your children like eating little and often, although the staff were more than happy for families to take food from the buffet to enjoy later if needed. We also popped into the local supermarket to buy a few extras & I got addicted to their local cinnamon & cardamon buns! One thing worth mentioning is that the restaurant is really warm, so everyone quickly peels off their snow suits and outer layers as soon as they come inside. The atmosphere is really relaxed and informal, with cosy sofas around an open fire and a small play corner with Duplo. You definitely don’t need to dress up. And you could always go to make a tea, coffee or hot chocolate throughout the day in the lounge area too
Rebecca's verdict
There are family holidays and then there are family holidays that stay with you forever. Our trip to Northern Lights Village Saariselkä was one of those rare experiences that somehow exceeded, our incredibly high expectations. Lapland had been sitting firmly at the top of our family’s travel bucket list for years. My parents joined us so it felt even more special travelling as three generations. After hours researching the best places to stay in Lapland with children, we decided on Saariselkä. Sitting further north than many of the better-known resorts, it offers some of the best chances of guaranteed snow early in the season (our kids had a couple of bonus inset days in late November which is why we decided to visit at that time) as well as excellent opportunities to see the Northern Lights, making it one of the best Lapland resorts for families. It also looked quieter and more peaceful than some of the busier Lapland destinations, with a genuine village atmosphere rather than being too touristy. Santa’s cabin and the iconic glass-roof Aurora Cabins were the icing on the cake
Things I’d wish I’d known about travelling to Lapand as a family before going? Book a couple of years ahead of time if you want to go in November or December. I’d also recommend requesting daytime activity slots as soon as you book. During winter there are only a few hours of daylight and experiencing the huskies, reindeer and Santa in daylight made such a difference for us. In hindsight I wish we had done the Santa experience last as once we’d done this, we’d definitely peaked! And my final bit of insight? If you’re flying with connecting flights, always pack at least one full spare outfit and your thermal layers in your hand luggage!
Northern Lights Village Saariselkä: Our Tiny Travelship Take
Meet the mama
Rebecca is a Mama of 2 and you can be sure that she’ll already be plotting her next adventure. A former honeymoon editor & anonymous boutique hotel reviewer for Mr & Mrs Smith, she and her husband promised they’d never stop travelling when they became parents. Before their daughter was six months old she’d already travelled to Italy, New York and Australia. Since then, seven years on, another baby and countless trips later, travelling with kids has become even more rewarding. They love to balance family-friendly luxury resorts with camping in their custom made trailer on European road trips every summer before escaping somewhere warmer and longer haul over winter. From mountain playgrounds to the best beaches and local workshops, she’s passionate about finding unique places to explore with her little adventurers and is savvy with it
