Crystal Ski Lapland: What’s Included vs What You Pay Extra For (Honest Family Guide)

Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission — at no additional cost to you. We only recommend hotels, tours, and experiences we’ve personally used and loved.

Lapland is one of those trips that feels truly magical… but also a little bit terrifying when you look at the price. When we booked our Crystal Ski Lapland holiday to Ruka, I spent weeks trying to work out what was actually included and what would end up being an extra cost once we got there.

Some things are fantastic value. Others… well, let’s just say they can quietly add up if you’re not prepared.

So, in this guide, I’m breaking down exactly what Crystal Ski includes, what you’ll almost certainly pay extra for, and what we think is actually worth the money — based on our real Christmas trip as a family of three.

For our full experience, you can also read 👉 Our Honest Review of Crystal Ski in Ruka, Finland (Family Perspective).)

What’s Included in a Crystal Ski Lapland Holiday?

✈️ Flights, Luggage & Transfers

Your Crystal Ski Lapland package includes:

• Return flights from the UK with 2 carry on bags – I took a whole bag of food with me (think boxes of cereal, mince pies, hot chocolate, think home comforts!)

• Hold luggage – you can upgrade to more but we found 20kg enough

• Transfers to your resort

• Rep support at the airport and in resort

We flew into Kuusamo airport, which is tiny (in a good way). You’re through passport control quickly, bags arrive fast, and Crystal reps are waiting right there to direct you to coaches. The transfer to Ruka is only about 20–25 minutes, which is a huge bonus with kids.

Honestly, this part was completely stress-free.

🏨 Accommodation

Your accommodation is included, whether that’s a hotel or self-catering chalet. We stayed in Ruka Chalets, which were:

• Modern

• Warm

• Well equipped

• Right in the village

And having a drying cabinet for ski gear was an absolute game changer.

(Full review here 👉 Ruka Chalets Review: The Perfect Family Base for a Stress-Free Lapland Ski Holiday.)

🎿 Ski Passes, Ski Hire & Lessons (If You Choose a Ski Package)

If you book your Lapland trip as a ski package, you can bundle:

• Lift passes

• Ski hire – standard or superior skis are available

• Ski school – optional

This is one of the reasons we chose Ruka — we wanted the Lapland magic and a proper ski holiday.

(If you’re worried about that, read 👉 Skiing in Ruka with Kids: Is It Beginner-Friendly?)

🧒 Kids’ Ski School

Kids’ ski school is very well organised and included if you’ve booked it in your package. Groups are generally small, instructors are great, and everything is very calm and friendly. Lessons run morning and afternoon and last an hour and half. You can select 5 days of 3 days for ski school depending on how much you want to spend or how experienced your kids are at skiing.

What’s NOT Included (But Most People Will Want)

This is where people get caught out.

🎅 Santa Experiences

Meeting Santa is not included.

We did Santa’s Secret Cottage on Christmas Day, and it was genuinely magical.

(Full breakdown here 👉 What Actually Happens When You Visit Santa in Finland.)

🦌 Reindeer Rides & 🐺 Huskies

Again — not included.

These are optional paid excursions, and they are very popular.

We did a reindeer sleigh ride and loved it.

(Review here 👉 Is a Reindeer Ride in Lapland Worth It? Our Honest Review.)

🛷 Snowmobiling

Also an extra — and one of our absolute highlights.

We did an evening snowmobiling trip and it was incredible (and very well run).

(Read here 👉 Is Snowmobiling in Finland Safe for Families? Our Experience.)

Other experiences we didn’t book but that are available were:

• Dog sledding

• Snow shoe walking in Oulanka National Park

• Northern lights snow show walking

• Night time sleigh ride

• Introduction to cross country skiing

• Ice fishing

• Night time snow show walking

• River floating (height and age restrictions)

• Ice karting (height and age restrictions)

Do I need to book excursions with Crystal?

It’s also worth knowing that you don’t have to book all of your excursions through Crystal Ski if you don’t want to. There are several local providers in Ruka running the same types of activities — snowmobiling, huskies, reindeer rides and more — and you can book directly with them either in advance or once you arrive. You can also book all these activities via providers such as ‘Get your Guide’ and ‘Viator’, I found the prices comparable, however if you arrive in Ruka and have not booked something but decide you do want to do it you can often pick up good deals last minute through these providers. For some families this can be a nice way to shop around on price or availability, although we personally liked the convenience of having everything organised through Crystal.

🎢 Other Activities available in Ruka

You’ll also find:

• Ruka Coaster

• Bowling

• Ski biking in the evenings once the slopes are closed

• Snow walks – free!

• Sledging areas – free!

These are pay-as-you-go or free.

What You’ll Definitely Spend Extra On (Even If You Skip Excursions)

🍕 Food & Drink

If you’re self-catering, you’ll need supermarket shops.

• Supermarket prices: not cheap, not outrageous

• Eating out: expect €15–€30 for a pizza depending on where and whether it’s eat-in or takeaway

• Colorado Sports Bar did:

  • Basket meals around €16

  • But beer was €13 a pint (ouch)

We mostly ate in and probably ate out twice.

🎁 Souvenirs & Little Extras

• Gift shops

• Snacks

• Hot chocolates

• Little treats

It all adds up, even if you’re being sensible.

Our Real Cost Breakdown (Family of 3)

We’ve broken this down in full here:

👉 How Much Does a Lapland Family Trip Cost? Full Breakdown & Tips

But in short:

• The base Crystal Ski package is only part of the story

• Excursions + food + extras make a noticeable difference

• We spent around £300 on “extras” once we were there, including:

  • Activities

  • Food

  • A couple of meals out

  • Bowling

  • Ruka Coaster

  • And yes… churros (which were amazing, but €9.50 with chocolate sauce!)

What’s Worth Paying Extra For (And What We’d Skip)

✅ 100% Worth It

• Santa experience – if you are going pre Christmas

• Reindeer ride

• Snowmobiling

• Proper cold-weather gear

(If you’re unsure what you actually need, read 👉 What to Pack for Lapland in December (Family Packing List That Actually Works).)

❌ What We’d Be More Selective With

• Too many excursions (pick 2–3 big ones)

• Eating out every night

• Upgrading everything “just because”

How to Keep Costs Under Control

Here’s what really helped us:

✔️ Self-cater most meals

✔️ Pick 2–3 must-do experiences, not everything

✔️ Bring snacks from the UK

✔️ Bring proper clothing so you’re not tempted to buy overpriced gear there

✔️ Use what’s already included (sledging, ski time, exploring the village)

Is Crystal Ski Lapland Actually Good Value?

Let’s be honest:

❄️ Lapland is not cheap.
But…

• It’s incredibly well organised

• Very easy with kids

• Feels safe and calm

• And gives you a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas experience

If you go in knowing what’s included and what isn’t, and budget properly for the extras, I do think it’s worth it.

(You might also like 👉 Is Ruka, Finland Worth Visiting in December with Kids?)

Final Thoughts

Crystal Ski makes Lapland easy and stress-free — but the magic is in the extras, and those need planning and budgeting for.

If you’re considering booking, I’d also read:

• 👉 How Much Does a Lapland Family Trip Cost?

• 👉 Is Lapland too cold for kids?