Our Lapland UK Review, Hints and Tips

This Lapland UK review is NOT sponsored but a review of an experience paid for by myself

Looking for a magical Santa experience in the UK? Step through the portal to Lapland UK – the UK’s best immersive Santa experience – and spend over four hours in stunning surroundings in the Whitmoor Forest. Here’s our Lapland UK review.

Trying to find somewhere magical to visit with your children at Christmas can be hard… and expensive. Having spent most of the girl’s childhoods visiting Santa at our local garden centres other than an amazing trip on the Polar Express, we were looking for something really special for what I feared could be my eldest’s last year as a believer.

Having read lots of wonderful Lapland UK reviews, I decided to bite the bullet and invest in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Lapland UK, a four-hour immersive Santa experience based in Ascott, Berkshire.

We had the most amazing time in Lapland UK and with tickets set to open for Christmas 2024 on March 18th 2024, I thought it would be helpful to share our experience, including 25 hints and tips for Lapland UK to make the most of your trip.

Here’s everything you need to know about Lapland UK and our full Lapland UK review – based on our visit in December 2022 including details on where to stay when visiting Lapland UK.

Table of Contents

What is Lapland UK?

Often claimed to be the best Santa experiences in the UK, Lapland UK is a 4-hour immersive Santa experience set in the Whitmoor Forest in Ascott, Berkshire, UK.

Suitable for the whole family, Lapland UK involves stepping through a magical portal to the home of Father Christmas himself. Children get to experience an authentic and exciting day meeting elves, Mother Christmas and the big guy himself, as well as a number of festive-themed activities such as gingerbread decorating, ice skating and toy making, all set in stunning natural-themed surroundings.

What age is Lapland UK good for?

Lapland UK is suitable for children of all ages. We saw children of all ages at Lapland UK during our visit, from babies in arms through to tweens and even teenagers with younger siblings.

My daughters are 6 and 9 and this felt like a great time to visit. They were old enough to fully understand and embrace the magic, whilst young enough to not overthink things or ask too many questions.

At our 4pm slot, I did find some younger guests were getting a bit tired or overstimulated towards the end of the day. In my personal experience, therefore, it may be better to wait until your child is at least 2-3 and fully mobile to get the best of the experience and the most value for money.

How do you get tickets to Lapland UK?

As the only super realistic Lapland in the UK, you must be committed and prepared to wait in a very long virtual queue to get tickets to Lapland UK.

This year, tickets go on sale on the 18th of March 2024 and are available on the Lapland UK website. So set your alarm and be prepared to join a very long queue.

Are tickets hard to get?

The booking portal opens at midday and quite pleasantly, it’s not first come first served.

This means it doesn’t matter whether you log on at 8am or 12pm on the dot, you get randomly allocated a spot in the queue.

Last year when we booked our tickets, I was initially in position 36427 in the queue. I KNOW RIGHT?! At one point I thought we had no chance of getting tickets, but just over 2 hours and 20 minutes later (I wasn’t joking about commitment) I managed to get the date of our choice.

We chose to visit Lapland UK on a weekday, which worked out slightly cheaper than weekends however we did need to take our child out of school for this, so that will come down to personal choice.

How much does Lapland UK cost?

The prices for Lapland UK vary each year and depending on the time of your visit. In 2022, prices started at £59 per person, getting progressively more expensive the closer you got to Christmas. Weekdays are cheaper than weekends. It’s worth noting that despite the already high price tag, the ticket price also has a booking fee of £15 per party on top, as well as postage and packing fees of £5.95, so this does bump the price up a little.

In a post covid world, and because you’ll be spending so much money, I’d also recommend paying the additional money for cancellation protection – although read the small print, as if one member of the party is the only one ill they still expect the rest to attend.

Babies under 12 months can attend free of charge, however if you want them to receive the gifts and experiences, you will need to pay for a regular ticket for your child.

What are the ticket prices for Lapland UK 2024?

Please see table below for Lapland UK prices for 2024. Remember, these are ‘from’ – the price varies throughout the day and you need to factor in the booking fees of £4.75 per person (up from £3.75 that I paid in 2022) and £5.95 postage fee for invitations. It’s definitely worth factoring these fees into your budget, as for a family of four you can expect another £25 at the end just to confirm the booking :S.

Golden tickets are extra, and whilst there are additional elements included, I feel these are quite overpriced given the already high ticket cost.

**How much do you really spend?**

I am going to be totally upfront and honest here because, during a cost of living crisis, I think it’s important that people know what they’re getting into when they go to Lapland UK and as you have some time to plan, this may help you budget.

We had an absolutely amazing time, but travelling from Birmingham with two daughters, it cost us a huge amount of money, far beyond the already high ticket prices alone. I was fairly restrained in the shop – it could have been MUCH worse!

Here’s the full cost of what we spent in December 2022 (Be prepared to gulp)

Ticket prices	For family of four (£109pp) on 12th December 2022 including ticket cancellation protection (19.80), postage and packaging £5.95 and Booking Fee (£15)	£501.75
Jingles	Bag of 25 elf jingles	£25
Hotel	Stay at Village Bracknell including parking and early check in	£170
Meal	Meal at Village Bracknell	£51.55
Travel	Estimated fuel costs from Birmingham to Ascott and back based on 40p per mile	£79
Food at Lapland UK	Including hot chocs and chips	£24
Purchases at Lapland UK	Baubles, wish jars and pin badges in addition to the £25 jingles above	£16
Total		£867.30

What is superstar day?

Superstar day is a specially reserved day at Lapland UK for children and adults with additional needs. The day is adapted to allow those with physical or learning disabilities to enjoy a Lapland UK experience without becoming overwhelmed including smaller group sizes and additional time for parts of the experience.

What’s included at Lapland UK?

The cost of your entry to Lapland UK includes

Free parking
2 brief theatrical shows with elves on arrival
Toy making experience with the elves
Gingerbread decorating experience with Mother Christmas
90 minutes in the Elven village
Ice skating
Elf post office (option to post letter to Father Christmas)
Meeting with Father Christmas
Husky soft toy from Father Christmas
Jingle bell ornament from Father Christmas
1 x group photograph free of charge (additional copies paid for)
Surprise toy in canvas bag ready to gift on Christmas Day

FYI – Before I proceed its worth noting that I no longer show my daughters faces in full on the blog, so some images may look a little cropped (with good reason). I hope they still demonstrate the breadth of the experience.

Our Lapland UK Review – Our Experience

Lapland UK Review: Arriving at Lapland UK

They recommend that you arrive around 30 minutes before your Lapland UK experience and I would certainly recommend doing this – as there is plenty to do and lots of photo opportunities before you even go in. Make sure your camera is fully charged!

When you arrive, you enter the Whitmoor Forest and are assisted to park your car. The car park was fairly busy, but there were plenty of spaces.

We were then directed to a small clearing which felt magical already, dotted with small snow-covered fir trees and lots of little elf houses. There are some friendly elves is eccentric outfits waiting to greet you and you can have your photo taken in front of the departures sign.

Whilst you are waiting for your time slot you are free to explore. You can also pick up a copy of the Lapland News (a free newspaper which makes a great souvenir), pop into a shop that sells a small selection of Lapland UK treats (don’t worry there are more shops later) and treat yourself to a hot chocolate to warm up those chilly fingers! You can also say hello to a few of the elves and start practising the Elf Wave (waggly fingers at the ready)

Lapland UK Review: Checking In

When your time slot arrives, an elf collects the group and takes you through to a check in desk. Here you can collect any LaplandUK Jingles (elf currency) that you ordered with your tickets, along with a passport for each child. The passport is stamped at various parts of the experience and is another great memento of your visit – so keep it safe!

The day before your visit you will have received a text stating whether you are in Team Husky or Team Reindeer – this is as each session is split into two distinct groups. Each group has experiences in a slightly different order to manage group size, so you are asked to stand on the designated side of the waiting area.

When the elves arrive on stage, two animated characters brief the group on what happens next, singing some songs and generally getting energy levels high (even getting some unexpecting Big Folk to get involved and participate with the fun and games). This really set the scene and made us all laugh out loud.

We were then taken through for the first part of the experience – a theatre style performance that tells the story of Father Christmas and Lapland UK. The girls loved sitting around the giant oak tree on little wooden toadstools! You can expect lots of singing, dancing and audience participation.

Lapland UK Review: The Portal Reveal

One of my favourite parts of the Lapland UK experience was when the entrance to the Lapland UK portal was revealed. These magical doors creak open with a smoky white mist to reveal the stunning snow-covered forest on the other side. With a 9-year-old in tow, I wasn’t sure how believable this part would be, but stepping through really does feel like you’ve been transported to another world, walking through narrow fur tree pathways in the great outdoors!

Lapland UK Review: Toy Making in the Elves Workshop

We were in Team Husky, and our first experience was the toy making. Children are directed to sit at one of plenty large wooden benches, before meeting a group of elves who teach the children all about bringing toys to life. One of the elves is called Conker, who the girls found hilarious – he’s a little bit silly and clumsy but is trying hard to impress Father Christmas and earn his elf bell..

There are some really fun and magical props in this room and I won’t totally ruin the surprise but it’s lots of fun to watch. Then Wish brings out a small tray for each child with build-a-bear style pieces, which the children are tasked to piece together themselves – just like a real elf in the toy factory.

I was really impressed to see the elves doing Makaton here – Lapland UK is certainly inclusive and supports those with additional needs.

The girls loved making a wish on the small red heart before placing it inside the snow leopard and adding in the stuffing. Neve had a little bit of trouble with her tail but she tried her very best and took the task very seriously!

The children do have to hand their creations back in – and I was a bit worried that Neve wouldn’t want to do this, but as they are taking on the job of the elf, both my girls handed theirs in with no fuss whatsoever. Little do they know they’ll be receiving this toy on Christmas Day as a surprise (you are sluthely given one at the end of the experience to gift from Father Christmas as a surprise on Christmas Day)

Lapland UK Review: Gingerbread decorating at Lapland UK

After stamping those passports, the group then moves to a second room where we met Mother Christmas, who reads the children a beautiful story about a reindeer called Ruddy. Each child is then given a tray with a gingerbread man, little pot of icing and some smarties and sprinkles to decorate.

The girls absolutely loved doing this (and I secretly wished that the adults had been given one too!). Parents were however treated to a gingerbread thin to snack on whilst we waited, and the girls loved being able to take their gingerbread creations with them when they left.

Mother Christmas was wonderful so comforting and calm, in fact all the elves performances were completely faultless. The girls were completely in awe listening to her and they loved hearing about Father Christmas’s love for gingerbread.

Lapland UK Review: The Elven Village

Next, it was time to head to the Elven village, and with 90 minutes where we were free to explore and do as we liked, this was the part I was most looking forward to.

Meeting the Huskies (did not run in 2023)

UPDATE – The Huskies were not in attendance in 2023, so please check details for 2024 as this is no longer guaranteed to be part of the experience.

We were lucky enough to see the huskies almost as soon as we walked in, who are sat on a bandstand for you to go and meet. It’s worth mentioning that they do seem to appear at certain times of the day and as wild animals they do need their rest.

You are also not able to touch them (I think this may have changed from previous years) but the girls loved meeting them and getting a photo with them none the less.

Skating at Lapland UK

Next, we went to the ice rink, which was busy, but had plenty of space for everyone to skate and move around freely. It was Neve’s first time on the ice, and with little feet, she had the clip-on skates rather than the full boot, which were easy to apply straight over her normal shoes.

For younger children or less confident skaters, the little penguin aids were really great and there was plenty to go around.

The girls could have happily spent the entire time on the rink, but there was lots more to see and do.

I recommend you take some spare socks because if the ice is wet or its been raining, you could easily risk spending the rest of the day with soggy feet.

Elf Post office

We had a tip before our visit which was to write our letters to Father Christmas before we went – I am glad that I followed this advice, as the girls could have spent ages writing a list of their dream presents for Christmas!

We took our pre written letters and asked simply for a stamp and some paper to seal our letters with before posting them in the beautiful red postbox outside.

It’s worth noting that the children do not get a response toto to these letters. so make sure you read it or snap a photo of the letter before it’s too late! If you want to arrange a reply, I can personally recommend the letters from Classic Santa, which are highly personalised, authentic and come with a red wax seal.

Whilst in the Elven Village, we also go something to eat and checked out the shops, including the sweet shop and a shop full to the brim of beautiful Lapland UK baubles. You could obviously spend a fortune here so be careful!

There are lots of food options to choose from, but we opted just for a small snack, deciding instead to use the time to explore and meet some of the elves.

Journey to Father Christmas

When our time slot arrived, we followed the pathway through into the forest, which was lined with trees and literally felt like we’d stepped into Narnia. It was stunning. On either side of the path, we spotted lots of tiny elf houses, and the girls really enjoyed having their photo taken by each one. This path way was effectively the queuing system, but thanks to the houses to spot, it didn’t feel like a queue at all!

Meeting the reindeers

As you get deeper into the forest, you find yourself at a little reindeer where real reindeer are grazing outside. Rudolf is fast asleep in the hut, but if you look closely. you can see the red glow of his nose emanating out of the shed. The reindeer looked very tired during our visit, but it was lovely to see them up close and personal,

The girls also loved seeing the reindeers reins all hung up and ready for their special trip on Christmas Eve!

Lapland UK Review: Meeting Father Christmas

When it was time to meet Father Christmas himself, we waited in a small waiting area where we went up to the desk and checked in. Here the lady at the desk double checked the facts about the girls that we’d entered on the portal before our visit. You can change or add anything if necessary. My advice with these facts is be as original and specific as possible. We mentioned that Neve was obsessed with salt and vinegar crisps on ours and the resulting reaction was worth it’s weight in gold.

When it’s your turn, a friendly elf comes to collect you, before walking through lots of winding pathways with snow lined trees to a small hut where Father Christmas is waiting. It’s worth noting that there are lots of huts, and at no point did we ever see any other people to raise suspicions about multiple Santas. It was very cleverly done.

Our experience with Father Christmas was fantastic. He chatted to the girls so well and really bought them out of their (slightly overwhelmed) shell. Whist he was younger than I expected, the girls were so impressed by how much he knew about them, including their friends and some things they had recently done or achieved. Father Christmas gave the girls there very own beautiful husky teddy, which was high quality and super soft to touch. He also handed them their very of elf bell to put on the end of their hats, having earned their status as an elf toy maker.

We had a group photograph taken (after a few attempts where Santa got told off for blinking) and had lots of laughs as a group. Our time with Father Christmas last around 10-15 minutes.

Frequently asked Questions about Lapland UK

What food options are at Lapland UK?

There are lots of different food options at Lapland UK, including items suitable for those with allergies, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian. From the hot chocolates at the entrance to pizzas, hot dogs, chips and burgers, there is also a large sweet shop and a waffle store.

Is it cold at Lapland UK?

I recommend that you wear layers to Lapland UK, as a lot of the experience is outside in a forest in December, so as such, it can get a little chilly. We wore gloves and coats and the girls had on their Father Christmas hats which helped to keep their ears warm. If it’s been particularly wet, some of the paths can get muddy, so you may want to bring wellies too.

We were lucky enough to visit Lapland UK after a period of snowfall, which made it even more magical. The snow on the trees actually had real frost on it, which helped prevent any queries about why the snow wasn’t cold!

If you’re worried about what to wear to Lapland UK – don’t forget there is a small waiting area before you to see Father Christmas. This way you can remove snow suits, coats and thicker layers if you wish. This is helpful if you want the kids to be in cute outfits on the photos with Santa – we had the girls in matching dresses because twinning is winning. 😀

Is Lapland UK worth the money?

Lapland UK is expensive, so whilst there are some people that visit numerous times, for us, it was a one time only experience. That said, despite the cost, we did feel it was worth the money, particularly when you weigh up all the included elements.

How do you give your child the invitations?

2023 was a little different to 2022, as along with the invitation box, you also got a whisperleaf, which shows the date and time of your child’s visit to Lapland UK. Lapland UK recommends you pop the box into the freezer for a few hours before you give to your child as this provides an authentic icy, snow effect. It went down really well with our girls.

What are the best hotels near Lapland UK?

We stayed at the Village Hotel, which was literally a short car ride away from the venue. This worked really well for us due to the large family room, on site parking (although chargeable) and on site pool and restaurant.

There is no hotel at Lapland UK itself, but the good news is, there are plenty of hotels near Lapland UK that are great for families and options to suit all budgets and requirements.

You can see some of the best hotels near Lapland UK in our other post here.

Best hotels near Lapland UK

Lapland UK Review: Pros of Lapland UK

Fully immersive experience – authentic and magical with great outfits, realistic characters and stunning surroundings with a tradtional nordic vibe/
Best Santa we’ve ever had – whilst not old, our Santa was chatty and friendly, really bough the facts we’d provided to life and engaged so well with our children. We laughed and chatted for at least 10-15 minutes and got some wonderful photos and videos whilst we were there. My daughter came out saying he was ‘definitely the real Father Christmas’
Freedom to explore in the elven village – the 90 minute ‘free time’ allows guests to do whatever they wish to make the most of their experience.
Magic of the gift on Christmas day – keeps the excitement going – the girls faces when they realised Santa had sent them the snow leopard they’d made on the day was just adorable.
Magic of the invitations – from the minute you give the children their magical invitation with augmented reality the anticipation and excitement starts!
Characters and cast really commit to their parts – We cannot fault a single member of the team they were all amazing. All the elves were energetic and enthusiastic, chatting with the girls and making them feel extra special.
The production – bearing in mind Lapland UK is built and dismantled every single year, the work that goes into creating the forest experience of Lapland UK is nothing short of incredible.

Lapland UK Review: Cons of Lapland UK

Expensive – There is no getting away from the fact Lapland UK is expensive For us, Lapland UK is certainly a once only experience.
Curious kids may ask a lot of questions – Older children may ask lots of questions about the experience – was it really Lapland, what does Lapland UK mean, why isnt the snow cold etc. Try not to overthink your answers!
Not everyone had a positive Santa experience – We loved our Father Christmas, but not everyone had the same experience we did, I would have been heartbroken if this part of the experience hadn’t gone well.
Over commercialised in parts – I found the last shop in particular a bit much. The children had just been given their huskies and as soon as you walk in your surrounded by husky outfits and beds like your in build a bear. This did ruin a bit of the magic for me but thankfully I was able to direct the girls away from that section and find the wishing jars instead.
VIP experiences – Last year we received an email about special VIP experiences called the Golden Circle (or something to that effect). As it was potentially my daughter’s last year as a believer i signed up to learn more. It was an extra £350 per person – which I found to be so greedy. I couldn’t help but think Lapland UK are getting a little greedy, which in the current climate feels a bit unethical.

Lapland UK Review: 24 top tips for visiting Lapland UK

Don’t overthink it – I stressed way more than I needed too, particularly as some previous guests said that they ran out of time. In hindsight I wish I’d relaxed a bit more and trusted the process as I barely slept the night before!
Book for hotels early – The hotels near Lapland UK can understandably book up quickly. As soon as you’ve secured your tickets, it’s time to reserve your room. One less thing to worry about.
Don’t waste too much time getting food – If you can avoid wasting time in food queues not only will you save yourself some money, but have extra time to go skating or explore the village instead.
Fill in the portal with funny unique facts – From mentioning their best friends to a qwirky fact or habit, the more unique you can make the facts about your child, the more impressed your child will be when they meet Father Christmas.
Put the invitation in the freezer for a few hours before presenting – When you give the invitations to your child, pop the box into the freezer first for authenticity. The box will get covered in a thin layer of frost which makes it appear it’s come straight from Lapland itself!
Write your letters to Santa before you go – to save time in the Elven Village. You can still collect the elf paper and stamp/envelope so children can send it off at the post office.
Take a change of socks – the ground around the ice rinks can be very wet and no one wants to be walking around with wet feet for the rest of the afternoon.
Don’t forget to stamp your passports – The passport is a great keepsake and is stamped at every stage of your Lapland UK experience.
Look out for the small doors – We missed the first few but these miniature doors are so cute for the kids and make a great photo opportunity too.

Don’t rely on the official photographs – Most families will be more than happy to take a photo of yours if you return the favour. You only get one free official photograph so try and get some other family group shots with your own camera.
Head through the shop quickly at the end unless you want to spend a fortune! – Avoid the husky section as if you life depends on it 🙂
Hide your husky – When walking back from your visit with Santa, encourage your children to hide their toy if they can, as this prevents children on the way to santa from seeing what they’re going to receive!
Take one parent only to collect the photo – You will be given a canvas bag with the surprise gift (snow leopard) from Santa, so keeping this hidden from your kids is key. I went up alone and came back with the photo in the bag and they never queried it.
Read the book before you go – If you want to prolong the experience, read the book during the build up to your visit. You can get this on the app or buy the physical book, which Introduces your children to some of the characters such as Conker and Wish.
Consider buying outfits before you go so they can wear them there on the day. We bought the official lapland UK hats, which were a gorgeous rustic design and got so many compliments on these!
Get there early to make the most of the entrance area – it has lots of photo opportunities!
Grab a hot chocolate – which is not only super tasty but makes a great Instagram pic too!
Don’t forget to pick up the Elven Newspaper Lapland Times in the entrance / waiting area.
Engage with as many elves as possible they love to stop and have a chat and take photos with you. Don’t forget the elf wave! 🙂
If you buy Jingles in advance save the little drawstring bag- makes another lovely memento!
Don’t lose the photo receipt – this includes a digital download barcode too. It’s important you download these as soon as possible as the link expires after *I think* 30 days
The invitation is sealed with a wax seal and whilst the invitiation is lovely, it doesn’t have a date on it! We chose to give ours on the morning of our visit, but if giving early, be prepared to have to explain the date or note this down somewhere first.
Don’t lose the postcard that comes with your invitations, this is to be given with the surprise gift on Christmas Day,
If you have younger children – bear in mind the experience is long and that FC is in the final part of the day. For that reason, I would avoid booking after 4pm or you’re likely to have very tired littles one by the tije you reach the guy in red!

Lapland UK Review – our overall thoughts

Overall, the entire family enjoyed our visit to Lapland UK. It was truly magical and we created so many precious memories on what turned out to be a very special trip. Is it expensive? Yes, Is it worth it – for one special visit, we’d have to say a very resounding yes.

Would we go again?

For us, Lapland UK is a once-only experience, as unless we had the same Father Christmas I am not sure it would be as exciting for the girls and may actually lead to more questions. I also feel that the scripted theatrical part of the experience could become less appealing if experienced more than once. That said, there is nothing else quite like it, which has left us thinking what now! I hope you enjoyed our Lapland UK review but if you have any questions please feel free to ask! 🙂