Top Tips for Visiting Lapland Manchester
We recently visited Lapland Manchester as a family of three with our excited six-year-old, so I thought I’d share my top tips to help you get the most magical experience possible.
Lapland Manchester is much more than a trip to see Santa – it’s a fully immersive, theatrical spectacle that sweeps you straight into a world of elves, stories, snow and wonder.
It is expensive, but it truly is something special.
Here’s everything we learned from our visit and my top tips for visiting Lapland Manchester
1. Buy What You Can Before Your Visit
If your budget allows, buy as much as you can in advance when you book.
I bought Elsie’s jingles and pouch (£15) at the time of booking, and when the hats were released, I bought her one of those too.
You can buy jingles, pouches and hats on the day, but pre-buying helped us budget and spread the cost.
With so many tempting extras for little folk, knowing what we’d already paid for made the day far more relaxed.
2. Go Before December if You Can
Ticket prices increase the closer you get to Christmas.
If you can visit:
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In November, and
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Mid-week,
you’ll save quite a bit – especially if you’ve got preschoolers.
November mid-week wasn’t an option for us, so we went on Sunday 7 December, but if you have flexibility, definitely consider the earlier dates.
3. Fuel Up Before You Arrive
Food inside Lapland is minimal and expensive, and you don’t get a dedicated mealtime – so a full belly is a must.
We stayed in a Premier Inn the night before due to the long travel distance, and I pre-paid for breakfast when I booked the room so I could spread that cost across my savings and credit card.
We made the most of it too – continental and cooked breakfast – and it kept us full for hours.
Inside Lapland, the only food we had was:
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The free gingerbread biscuits from the bakery
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A few sweets Elsie bought
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Her gingerbread house
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Three cartons of juice (£2 each)
If you can, pack small snacks and drinks in your bag. You’ll be glad you did.
4. Make the Most of Your Time in the Elf Village
This part of the experience is magical but short.
Once you finish in the bakery, your time in the village is limited before you head off to meet Father Christmas.
Important: You’ll walk straight past the ice rink as you enter – and the queue will look enormous. Ignore it for now.
Do this instead:
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Explore the gorgeous shops
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Snap your photos
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Visit the post office and library
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Then go ice skating
We didn’t queue at all. Steve and Elsie got their skates immediately and waited less than five minutes to get on the ice.
We managed:
✔ All the shops
✔ The library
✔ The post office
✔ Ice skating
✔ Drink break
✔ A loo run
… but we didn’t have time for food, and honestly, an extra 30 minutes in the village would have been perfect.
5. Pre-Write Your Child’s Letter to Father Christmas
There is a lovely post office in the village with:
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Envelopes
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Stamps
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Pencils
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Paper
…but it is busy and it will eat into your precious village time.
We pre-wrote Elsie’s letter at home, brought it with us, got it stamped beautifully and posted it in the official postbox.
Much easier, much quicker, and still just as magical.
6. Dress for All Weathers
Wear comfy shoes – there’s lots of walking, including from the car park through the beautiful grounds. And… it’s Manchester. So expect rain at some point!
Inside Lapland itself:
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Everything is undercover
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There’s “snow”
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Some areas are warm and cosy
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Others (hello, Snow Village) are properly chilly
We wore thin layers and coats, which worked perfectly. Layers are absolutely your friend.
7. Bring a Backpack With Snacks and Essentials
A small backpack is ideal for:
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Snacks and drinks
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Gloves, hats, layers
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A portable charger
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Wet wipes
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Spare socks for kids
Stick to a lightweight bag – there are no lockers and backpacks are checked before you are allowed entry.
8. Charge Your Phone (And Bring a Power Bank)
You will take a lot of photos and videos.
I fully charged my phone and brought a power bank, which I ended up using when we reached the reindeer barn to make sure I’d have enough battery for the big moments.
Don’t risk running low – you’ll regret it.
9. Expectation Management Works Wonders
We spoke to Elsie beforehand about spending and told her she had her jingles and that was all the money she had to use.
She knew exactly what she had, and it avoided any “but pleeeeease” conversations.
There are LOTS of opportunities to spend money, so this helped massively. She bought something cuddly (a bumble bee), something to treasure (a bauble for the Christmas tree), something to enjoy while we were there (a tub of sweets which she hasn’t finished yet) and a pin badge for her hat.
I purchased three cartons of juice and the additional photo so our total spend minus the Jingles was £24, I paid £2 to the Lapland Foundation when I purchased the photograph and I put a £1 towards her pin.
10. Enjoy Your Santa Photo (You Get One Free!)
You get one complimentary photo with Father Christmas. They take a few, and at the end you choose your favourite.
We also bought the family photo for £15. It came in a gorgeous little keepsake book and honestly felt worth the extra money.
I took plenty of my own photos and videos too, but the official ones were lovely.
11. Don’t Rush – Let the Magic In
It all goes by fast. One minute you’re stepping into the Enchanted Forest, the next you’re saying goodbye to the elves with a bag full of memories and one very tired child.
Take those moments to step back, breathe it all in, and enjoy the magic through your little one’s eyes.
12. No Grumpalumps Allowed – Embrace the Magic!
One of my biggest tips? Really lean into the spirit of Christmas.
When you’re preparing to travel through the portal to Lapland, the elves put on a brilliant little show.
It’s full of jokes, songs, actions and “cheery hi, cheery bye!” greetings.
In our show, one grumpy-looking dad (called Adam!) was picked for audience participation.
He was such a good sport and it was absolutely hilarious — the whole room was howling. But the more you join in, the more magical it feels for your children.
So don’t be a Grumpalump:
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Do the actions
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Sing along
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Join in with the greetings
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Smile at the elves
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Let yourself feel a bit silly
Your kids will love seeing you get involved, and it sets the tone beautifully for the whole adventure.
Final Thoughts on Lapland Manchester
Lapland Manchester is expensive – there’s no getting around it – but it’s also a rich, immersive, joy-filled adventure unlike anything else.
From the storytelling to the sets to the incredible cast, it feels like walking through a Christmas storybook.
The attention to detail is next level from the snow, to the smells, to the trees, to the costumes and of course to the big man himself, he really felt like the real McCoy no dodgy beard or wig he was spectacular and it felt really personalised.
He knew Elsie lost her first tooth, that she enjoys playing cricket, crafting and being kind.
We had a good amount of time with Father Christmas and Elsie was well and truly enchanted.
Being made an honorary Elf with her very own bell for her hat was a gorgeous touch and she absolutely loves her Husky plushy which feels really good quality.
If you’re heading to Lapland Manchester , I hope these tips help you make your visit even more magical.
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Other festive related posts
Festive Tales at Woodhorn Museum
I answer all things Christmas in the Christmas Tag
You can find out all about my Christmas family traditions
Read all about how I made my very own Christmas wreath
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