The experience at Lapland UK is such an incredible festive extravaganza that we keep going back for more!
It’s difficult to tell who is more excited about visiting Lapland UK, me or the kids!
This place is such a magical experience that it’s not just the kids who get swept up by the festive joy.
Visiting Lapland UK involves going on a wonderful journey through a Christmas story starring your family!
The children meet elves, get entranced by the theatre of the experience, decorate gingerbread men, help the elves make toys in time for Christmas Day and get to meet the big man himself.
If you’re on the fence about whether Lapland UK is for you, and particularly if the hefty price tag is worth it, then read on and let me help you make up your mind.
We’ve now visit Lapland UK three times – once in 2018 and more recently in 2021 and 2022.
A few things changed with the experience – including the price which has certainly jumped up since we first visited in 2018. But it’s just as good as it was on our first visit, and you now get an extra toy to give your kids on Christmas Day.
This review will give an overview of what you get for the price of your Lapland UK entry ticket and what the experience is like.
Lapland UK quick verdict
Lapland UK is a truly special Christmas experience that brings the magic of Christmas to life for children.
This is an immersive festive experience – lasting around 3.5 hours – where your family goes along a special journey, hearing about the story of Lapland and meeting, and chatting to, the elves.
It all ends with a meeting with Santa himself, who spends around 10 minutes speaking to the kids.
A visit to Lapland UK comes at a cost – our most recent visit was £620 for a family of four to visit on the last Sunday of November. When I first visited the cost was closer to the price you may pay to visit a theme park.
Then when you get to Lapland UK, there’s more money to be spent – from souvenirs and toys to sweets and extra photos. Plus if you want to grab lunch or dinner, that will be extra too.
Despite the steep costs, it is an absolutely fantastic experience that really gets you in the festive spirit. We always leave with a smile on our faces.
What age is Lapland UK for?
I would say Lapland UK is ideal for kids aged two to nine.
We first went when my youngest was two and although she enjoyed it, she was too little to do the ice skating.
For this reason, if you plan to only go once, I recommend waiting until your youngest child is four and can manage the skating, to get the most out of the experience.
What happens during your visit to Lapland UK
Let’s start at the very beginning of the journey! Lapland UK is based in Whitmoor Forest in Ascot, Berkshire. It’s a gorgeous part of the Crown Estate.
The founders of Lapland UK must have thought they hit the jackpot when they secured it to base the attraction. This place is all about bringing the magic of Christmas to life and the forest is the perfect setting for this festive adventure.
As you walk from place to place, snowy Christmas trees and fairy lights line the walkway. You truly feel like you have been transported to another world.
I’m going to write in detail about the experience, but here’s a summary of how your visit to Lapland UK will go. The entire experience lasts around 4 hours:
- Stage 1. Arrival – check in at one of the desks where kids are given their Elf Passports. This also confirms the time your child will go to meet Santa. The elves then begin the immersive experience in the checkin hallway before moving your group on to the “theatre” hidden behind the bookcases of the welcome hallway. Parents beware – the elves like to pull a grown up onto the stage to make them dance during this bit of the tour!
- Stage 2. Meeting the elves – you sit in a “theatre” area, but it really feels like you’re in the middle of a forest. There are wooden benches for guests to sit on and the action unfolds around a large tree in the centre. The elves introduce children to the world of Lapland and the story of Father Christmas.
- Stage 3. Making toys – the next stage ushers kids into a toy factory where they meet more elves and are tasked with making a bear each to help Santa get ready for Christmas. This bear is then returned to the Elves (new for 2021 – parents are given a stuffed bear for each child as you leave at the end of the Lapland UK experience when picking up the photographs with Santa. This bear can then be given to the child on Christmas Day as a “thank you” for helping Santa.).
- Stage 4. Meeting Mother Christmas – here the kids meet Mother Christmas, who reads them a story and gets them to decorate gingerbread men.
- Stage 5. Visiting the Elven Village – now the kids move on to the Elven Village where you’ll find a restaurant, sweet shop, post office, ice rink and souvenir shops to browse.
- Stage 6. Meeting Santa – kids get a time to leave the Elven Village and go on to meet Santa. As they walk to the waiting area they will pass reindeer and Santa’s sleigh – which is a good photo opportunity. Kids are brought in to meet Santa in family groups, then exit Lapland and can visit the gift shop to collect photos and other souvenirs.
The Lapland UK experience
We’ve always visited Lapland UK at the weekend.
The car park seemed rammed (there are plenty of spaces and it’s free), but we never felt it was over crowded. There were lots of places to sit and space to wander about.
The way arrivals are managed and then groups timed through the experience is clearly done to ensure the facilities don’t feel too packed.
This means you don’t wait long for things like borrowing skates, or when it comes to waiting for your child’s turn with Santa.
After working our way through the woods from the car park to the entrance, we walked down a path, past a pretty little elf cottage, and into a large welcome area.
There are benches, a refreshment area selling hot chocolate with some seating.
Once it’s time to go inside for your tour, you are ushered into a large hall where you check in.
This is easy as your details are all stored digitally.
Each of the girls were given an Elf Passport which contained a map and pages to collect stamps from each place they visited on their magical journey through Lapland UK.
We were placed in a team out of Team Husky or Team Reindeer (we were Team Husky) and then waited for our tour to begin. You’re given a number to stand on and wait in the hall.
Some friendly elves welcomed us and talked us through what we would be doing and showed us the elf wave we needed to use whenever we met new faces.
All of the characters were bursting with energy, smiling and friendly. The costumes are fantastic, as are the set pieces. I’ve read that Lapland UK uses a Hollywood movie set designer and it honestly shows, the detail is just incredible.
The journey begins with an introduction to the Christmas story at Lapland UK from the cheerful elves – who perform in front of a spectacular tree inside a magical woodland theatre.
The kids were encouraged to join in with singing and shouting which our two thought was brilliant.
We then moved on to the elves’ Toy Workshop. To get inside there is a “big folk” door and a “small folk” door. It’s lovely little touches like this that bring the experience to life and make it so real.
Inside was a gorgeous scene where the kids all sit down on benches while the adults line the room (I sat with my two as they are still quite little). Elves including the very funny Conker then told the kids they needed to help make some toys in time for Christmas.
This bit of the tour has slightly varied each time we have visited, but the kids are always given a toy to assemble, or stuff.
Both of my girls absolutely loved doing this, they took it very seriously and then delivered their penguin to the elves so they could be sent to children on Christmas Day. On their most recent visit they had to stuff a snow leopard.
On another visit the girls had to assemble a wooden bear by simply attaching its arms, legs and head together then adding the face, a bit like a puzzle.
Again the toy was given to the elves as this was all part of helping out Santa to get presents ready for children.
Parents are subtly handed a free toy from the toy factory at the checkout where you collect your photo with Santa. I gave the teddies to my kids on Christmas Day along with a note from Santa (Lapland UK provide this when they send out your tickets) thanking them for helping Santa.
This is a nice touch that keeps the magic of Lapland going right up to Christmas Day.
Next was a visit to Mother Christmas, whose magical kitchen includes a pot that stirs itself! Here the kids decorated gingerbread biscuits with icing and sweets before enjoying a story read by Mother Christmas.
Again, all of the characters were so engaging and completely believable – it’s this and the sets that make it such a perfect immersive experience.
Even me, knowing it wasn’t real, felt excited by the spectacle of it all. Every child was totally spellbound by what was happening in front of them.
After our time with Mother Christmas we set off for the Elven Village where we had 90 minutes to explore before meeting Father Christmas and his reindeer.
I was nervous about Jessica trying ice skating on our first visit to Lapland as she was still only three at that time, but she was insistent she wanted to do it. Luckily they had these penguin helpers that she could hold on to while I pushed her around.
She loved it so so much, it was one of the highlights of the entire day. On our most recent visit the girls were aged 5 and 7 and both loved the skating.
The ice skating and skate hire is included in the price of the ticket. I feel now they are a little older the kids are better ages to really appreciate the experience.
The food in the Elven Village is tasty although it’s not cheap.
We’ve tried the burgers and pizzas, both are amazing.
There was a long queue for the dining areas when we visited, however there was plenty of seating indoors so we could get away from the cold.
Also in the village is a restaurant and tea shop, sweet shop, toy shop, bauble shop and a post office where kids can write their letter to the North Pole.
Elves are also wandering around ready to have pictures taken with kids or just have a chat about Lapland.
Trees dusted in snow are dotted about everywhere and stunning lightbulbs have been hung from there. Every building is designed in keeping with the entire theme of the day – no detail has been left to chance.
The village even has its own currency, Jingles, which can be purchased before your visit or when you arrive.
When it was finally time to see Santa, we headed through more magical pathways where fairy lights twinkled above us.
We crossed the most beautiful bridge where tiny elf homes could be seen on either side. This is a great photo opportunity here, which Lapland UK has now monetised.
They take a photo for you which you have the option to purchase upon exit.
Then we got to the reindeer, who were happily munching on food in their paddock. This was a really exciting bit for the kids who waved and called out to the reindeer.
Finally we got to the waiting room to meet Santa. Here I checked us in with an elf, who checked she had our details.
Before arriving at Lapland UK, I logged on to the website and gave a few personal details about the girls for Santa, including a memorable recent event, and a pet or toy’s name.
Both girls were deadly silent when we got to finally meet Santa, they were so intimidated! But Santa chatted away to them about their cat Woody and asked when they might leave for him and his reindeer when he comes to drop off their gifts.
As we left the girls were given a jingling bell each and a toy husky. Both of them were absolutely delighted and haven’t stopped talking about it since! The girls now have three lovely huskies each as a memory of their three visits to Lapland.
As you leave a picture is taken and you get a free print as part of your entry ticket. We will treasure ours forever.
What facilities are there at Lapland UK?
You can find pretty much everything you need at Lapland UK including food, toilets and tons of opportunities to buy souvenirs.
- Car parking. This is free and there are loads of spaces.
- Food and drink. On arrival there is a coffee stand where you can get drinks and refreshments. Once you have reached the Elven Village there is a restaurant, tea room and hot dog stand to get drinks or food from. There are soups, cakes and hot meals, plenty of choice to please everyone!
- Toilets. There were loos at the start, at the Elven Village and by the room as you wait to meet Santa. All were clean and we didn’t have to wait to use the facilities at any point.
- Souvenirs. There are dolls for each of the characters who you meet along your journey through Lapland UK. There are also smaller souvenirs such as pencils, little jars with fairy lights in and Christmas tree decorations. There are also books telling the story of Lapland UK.
- Access. We took our Bugaboo buggy with buggy board on it and had no problems getting it around the site. There are no steps and we always found a spot to leave the buggy while we were busy doing something else.
What is included in your ticket for Lapland UK?
Lapland is not cheap, however having been twice I would happily take the kids again as long as I’ve got the money to hand. I felt the second time I went the value of the ticket price was better, because they have started to include the teddy bear the kids make in the toy factory. This was not included in my first visit.
Included in the price of your ticket for Lapland is:
- Car parking.
- Immersive experience with the elves.
- Visiting Santa.
- A cuddly husky toy for each child from Santa.
- One photo per family group from your visit to Santa.
- A cuddly toy from the toy factory for each child (this is handed to the parents when you collect your photo so you can hide it away for Christmas Day).
- Ice skating – includes skate hire and use of the ice rink.
What is not included in the price of your ticket for Lapland UK:
- Food – there’s a great dining area selling pizza, burgers and mac n cheese however this costs extra.
- Souvenirs – there are all sorts of things to buy from clothes to Christmas decorations and sweets.
- Additional photos from your visit with Santa.
- Jingles – this is the elven currency of Lapland. You can use your debit or credit card to pay for items everywhere, or you can purchase Jingles ahead of your visit so your child can use these to make purchases around Lapland.
Is Lapland UK good value for money?
It isn’t a cheap day out, with our ticket for a weekend in November costing £145 each (prices are a little cheaper in the week during November) and rocketing up on Christmas Eve. It’s the same price for adults and kids, so you’re looking at several hundred pounds for a family of four.
However, let’s look at what you get for that. You get a 90-minute immersive theatrical experience during which your kids are entertained, are given Elf Passports to collect stamps, and a gingerbread man.
You then spend 90 minutes in the Elven Village. Food costs extra here, but skating is included with your ticket. Then meeting Santa and the reindeer is also included, where each child receives a stuffed toy which is worth around £20 plus the little bell, and a picture from your visit.
Is it worth it? Yes, while it is pricy, it is certainly a luxury Santa experience. I would say it definitely is worth a visit.
I absolutely love our memories from Lapland UK and we are visiting again in 2022.
Our verdict on Lapland UK
I wish words could do this beautiful place justice, but I feel they will just come up short!
Let me tell you that Lapland UK is an absolutely fantastic place to see Santa and kick off your family’s festive celebrations. I can’t think of anything that could possibly top it, unless you travel all the way to the actual Lapland!
The girls are utterly enchanted from start to finish whenever they visit and I just know they will remember their magical experiences for years to come.
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This is NOT a collaborative post. We paid for our entry to Lapland UK. I’m just sharing our experience as I think your kids would love it!