Lapland on a Budget: Where to Stay, Eat and Save

Lapland might be famous for glass igloos, cosy log cabins and once-in-a-lifetime Arctic experiences, but that does not necessarily mean you need a Santa-sized budget to visit.

Encompassing a region around 100,000 km² in northern Finland, Lapland is a true winter wonderland. Expect snow-covered forests, frozen lakes and, of course, spectacular Northern Lights. However, because of its incredible scenery, it is also home to some very tempting – and expensive – experiences.

However, the good news is that you do not need to overspend in order to have a memorable, enjoyable and authentic Lapland experience. From choosing the right places to stay, eat and enjoy the region, this is the ultimate guide to Lapland on a budget.

How to plan a budget-friendly Lapland trip

Where to stay in Lapland on a budget

Accommodation is likely to be one of your biggest expenses when visiting Lapland, particularly if you are travelling during the peak Christmas and New Year season.

Stay in Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is one of the best options for a budget stay in Lapland. It is the capital of the region, and a popular base for trips to places such as Santa Claus Village, as well as local reindeer farms, dog sledging experiences and Northern Lights tours.

While not an enormous city, Rovaniemi still has all of the major facilities you would expect in a city: supermarkets (which help you save on eating out costs), as well as restaurants, cafes and bars.

The city is also home to several budget-friendly hotels, which are significantly cheaper than staying in a glass igloo in more remote areas of Lapland. There are also several hostels and holiday rentals in the city, which are even more cost-effective than hotels.

You should also book in advance, because Rovaniemi is busy throughout the winter, and prices often rise to reflect the demand for hotel rooms and accommodation.

Consider a cabin or an apartment

Staying in a log cabin may sound counterintuitive when it comes to saving money, but if you are travelling as a group – such as in a large family group or with a group of friends – then staying in a cabin can actually work out cheaper than paying for a hotel room, especially when you split the cost between everyone.

Holiday apartments – especially those with a kitchen or self-catering facilities – can also be a great way to save money when visiting Lapland. Instead of spending money on meals out every day, simply visit the supermarket, stock up on the essentials, and cook your own meals instead.

Prioritise your holiday budget

Rather than telling you what you should and should not spend your money on, it is sometimes beneficial to look outside the box.

If you really want to stay in a glass igloo underneath the Arctic skies with the Northern Lights dancing above you, then you must be prepared to pay the premium prices.

However, if you just want to see the Northern Lights – whether from the side of a frozen lake, a snowy forest or simply out in the open – then paying for an excursion is definitely worth your time.

As such, you can spend the extra money that you would have spent on a hotel or an igloo, and put that towards a Northern Lights tour or experience instead.

Where to eat in Lapland on a budget

Finland is not generally considered one of Europe’s cheapest places to eat, but there are still lots of affordable options when you are visiting the region on a budget.

Shop at supermarkets

As mentioned above, you can save a fortune when you opt to shop in supermarkets and cook your own meals rather than relying on eating out once, twice or even three times a day.

This is especially ideal if your accommodation is self-catering, or there are shared kitchen facilities nearby.

Another good tip is to stock up on snacks and drinks like bottled water from supermarkets or local shops before going on excursions. This is especially useful if you are on an excursion to somewhere where there might be a visitor centre or museum, where you will end up paying premium prices for drinks and snacks.

Local cafes

Many cafes in Lapland warmly embrace Nordic cafe culture, a vibe known as koselig. ‘Koselig’ (pronounced koosh-lee) is a Norwegian word which loosely translates to cosy, comforting, warm and pleasant.

As such, you can enjoy a coffee and a cinnamon bun or another type of warm Finnish pastry at a fairly reasonable price: an ideal way to start the day in snow-covered Lapland!

This also helps to fill you up, and even more so if you order a second drink or pastry to take out when you leave the cafe. It is significantly cheaper than buying breakfast, lunch or dinner out, and serves as a delicious treat without breaking the bank.

Free and cheap things to do in Lapland

One of the best things in Lapland is that you do not need to book an expensive excursion every day to have an incredible time.

Search for the Northern Lights

Lapland and the Northern Lights go hand-in-hand, and seeing them is one of the most memorable ways to make the most of your trip there.

The Northern Lights are generally visible in Lapland from late August until early April, meaning that there is a fair amount of flexibility as to when you visit the region.

This is another way that you can save money – avoid coming in the peak season, and visit in the shoulder season (either October or March) – and you will find that accommodation and flights are much cheaper, while still having just as good a chance of seeing the aurora borealis.

While there are many tours and excursions offered to see the Northern Lights, you do not necessarily need to join one to see them: if the conditions are right, you can see them from pretty much anywhere in Lapland, which is another way that you can save money, by searching for them on your own terms.

Explore the great outdoors

Lapland’s Arctic scenery is some of the finest in the world. Its snow-covered forests, frozen lakes, and gorgeous landscapes make exploring the region a dream, especially in the winter months.

However, Lapland is also just as stunning in the summer. Because of its geographical location so far north, much of Lapland experiences the polar night in the winter (complete darkness) and the midnight sun (no sunset) during the summer.

While winter exploration is centred around snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing and limited hiking opportunities, summer excursions in Lapland can include activities like fishing under the midnight sun and more hiking opportunities across the landscape.

Perhaps most importantly, these activities do not have to cost anything, provided you already have the equipment you need.

Saving money on Lapland experiences

With lots of activities aimed at tourists in Lapland, deciding what to do can be quite overwhelming, and even more so if you’re travelling on a tight budget.

However, all is not lost: the best way is to plan around what you really want to do.

For example, if you have always wanted to stay in a glass igloo, then make that your priority for one night of your trip. Alternatively, if you have always wanted to experience a dog sled ride, then splash out on that as your main activity for your Lapland trip.

Travelling on a budget should not mean that opportunities to experience Lapland should be compromised. It is important to enjoy your trip, but also important to not overstretch yourself and end up in debt because of your holiday.

Final thoughts

So, can you visit Lapland on a budget?

The answer is yes, absolutely.

With a little prior planning and aligning your priorities, you can easily enjoy Lapland on a budget.

From staying in hostels or sharing a cabin with friends, to prioritising which excursions you want to go on, to buying your food at a supermarket and self-catering for the most part, Lapland can easily be experienced by budget travellers.

It is important to remember that some of Lapland’s greatest attractions – its snowy forests, frozen lakes and spectacularly colourful night skies illuminated by the Northern Lights – are all completely free.