The 7 Best Places to Visit with Kids in Scandinavia

Although some sticklers will insist that Scandinavia only includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, a more liberal definition of the region includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Just the word ‘Scandinavia’ inspires so many images, such as blue eyes and blonde hair, Vikings, snowy landscapes, Arctic animals, and numerous fish dishes. Yet Scandinavia is a huge and diverse region which offers so much more than these stereotypes and is a great destination for families. To help you plan your trip, we’ve chosen our 7 best places to visit with kids in Scandinavia.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Any fans of the Hans Christian Anderson stories will surely be keen to visit Copenhagen when they discover that the original statue of the Little Mermaid is on the waterfront in Denmark’s capital city. Other kids might be more interested to discover what real Danish pastries taste like! Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country in terms of size but has a population similar to that of Singapore. It has the oldest royal family in Europe, the oldest flag in the world, and was the place where some of the most feared Vikings came from about one thousand years ago. Copenhagen is famous as the city where Lego was invented, and now has a reputation as a city of healthy living that’s perfect for families. Indeed, it has more bicycles than cars and over 125 public playgrounds across the city.

The Danish are famous across Scandinavia for having the most fun attitude, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the world’s oldest amusement park, Bakken, is found in Copenhagen. Bakken is just 10 minutes north of the city, set amongst woods, and has 32 rides including an 82-year-old wooden rollercoaster. If that’s not exciting enough, Copenhagen also has the world’s second oldest amusement park, Tivoli Gardens! The city also has 58 canals so there are many canal trips on offer from which you can see the beautiful city. Copenhagen has one of the world’s highest rates of Michelin-starred restaurants, per capita, but the city’s most popular fast food is the hotdog, which is a must-try. A great family activity is to join one of the many Danish pastry-baking classes on offer, or to do a tour of the city by Segway. Other options include Frilandsmuseet, the largest open-air museum in the world, or National Aquarium Denmark, northern Europe’s biggest aquarium.

Oslo, Norway

The capital city of Norway was actually called Christiania in honor of King Christian IV of Norway, from 1624 until 1925, when it was restored to its original name of ‘Oslo’. Its nickname is Tigerstaden, or the Tiger City, despite the fact that there are no wild tigers within thousands of miles. Oslo is a modern city of stunning architecture and yet it is known for its outdoor lifestyle. There are 40 islands within Oslo’s city limits and the city was crowned the European Green Capital for 2019. That’s perhaps unsurprising as Oslo recycles 40% of its household waste, has highest percentage of drivers with electric cars, and most of the wider city consists of forest. That means that within a 30-minute journey on public transport you can be in protected forestland that is home to animals such as the wolf, lynx, moose, and beaver.

As well as having green credentials, Oslo is renowned as being a great city for kids. The city’s Opera House offers a ‘mini programme’ where kids from 4-7 years old can sing and dance along to operatic music and assume the role of their favorite characters. Norway’s largest open-air museum, the Norsk Folkemuseum, is an enjoyable 15-minute ferry ride away and boasts nearly 150 rebuilt buildings from around the country, as well as farm animals for the kids to pet. For kids who are curious about science, the Norwegian Science and Technology Museum is very kid-friendly and has many interactive exhibits, whilst the Natural History Museum has lots of dinosaur skeletons including a scary T-Rex. The Kon-Tiki Museum has exhibits dedicated to the Norwegian explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed a raft made from balsa wood all the way from South America to Polynesia. Unsurprisingly this green city also has plenty of outdoor activities for kids, including Sommerpark, where they can climb and zipline. And thanks to its snowy winters, Oslo has a huge ski jump plus a ride which simulates this experience and is open for kids over 6 years old.

Tromso, Norway

Tromso, a city at the top of Norway’s long coast, does not have any recognised links to Father Christmas but it is said to be one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, especially in January and February each year. Snow is guaranteed over the Christmas period, so the snow-clad buildings will definitely stir up festive feelings, but the average temperature is a relatively mild -4C so it won’t feel unbearably cold. In the early 1990s Tromso was the starting point for many of the expeditions to explore the Arctic, including trips to reach the North Pole, which is how it got its nickname of ‘Gateway to the Arctic’.

There are plenty of activities that kids should enjoy in Tromso, apart from the snow and general excitement of the Arctic. A trip to see the Northern Lights is a must-do if you’re visiting between September and April, the period when you’re almost guaranteed to see these dancing waves of coloured light caused by charged particles colliding with gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. However, there are many other family-friendly activities in Tromso, including kayaking on the local fjords, reindeer or husky sledding, whale watching, or fishing from traditional boats or luxury catamarans. For kids who are interested in history there is the Polar Museum, where they can learn all about explorers such as the famous Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, who was the first person to reach the South Pole. For those who love animals there are activities such as reindeer feeding and a trip to Polaria, Tromso’s unique aquarium that focuses on polar marine species.

Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden, a country famous for so many things – ABBA, Vikings, meatballs, smorgasbords, and Ikea. What many people don’t know is that 70% of the country is woodland and another 10% is made up of the roughly 100,000 lakes that dot its vast expanse. Amazingly, it has 270,000 islands, more than any other country on the planet. The capital city of Sweden, Stockholm, is regularly voted one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, and its archipelago is composed of 14 main islands plus roughly 30,000 smaller islands that are virtually deserted in the winter but become the summer homes of the city’s residents from early June.

The ABBA Museum is always popular with families; here kids can perform on stage with a virtual version of ABBA, make their own sound recordings, and even ride the ABBA helicopter. Close by this museum is Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo where kids can see wild Nordic animals such as the lynx, moose, otter and seal, as well as marine species at its small aquarium. Curious kids are also likely to enjoy the National Museum of Science and Technology, in particular its Megamind section where they can explore 50 interactive stations that look at the human brain – visitors can create music with their thoughts and paint with their eyes. Alternatively, Junibacken is a museum dedicated to Swedish children’s literature and is worth visiting for its idyllic island location alone. Being an archipelago, Stockholm has a multitude of options for watery activities, from kayaking to ice skating (winters only).

Rovaniemi, Finland

Rovaniemi is considered the capital of Lapland and the home of Santa Claus. Maybe that explains why Finland has been recognized as one of the countries with the happiest populations. Finland has a relatively small population of 5.5 million people (almost exactly the same size as Singapore’s) spread out over a huge country, of which most love the outdoor lifestyle and saunas in particular. Indeed, recent surveys suggest there may be 3 million saunas in Finland, more than one for every two people! Finnish people also do very well at school, as it has one of the best education systems in the world.

Rovaniemi is a must-see for any families who want to visit Finland in the lead up to Christmas, as it offers a multitude of activities that will get children super-excited about the festive period. As well as being home to Santa’s Village, where kids can meet Santa, send postcards from the North Pole, and ride on a sleigh pulled buy reindeer, it is a place where they can literally step across into the Arctic Circle, which is marked in the village’s central square. Indeed, the activities spread well beyond all things Santa. Visitors can do tours to see the aurora borealis (Northern Lights), although there are better places to see them in Scandinavia. There are few better places, however, to experience life in the Arctic. Families can travel through a snowy landscape on a sled pulled by huskies, or ride a snowmobile across a frozen river, or try fishing through a small hole cut in the thick ice. Other options include a trip to see frozen waterfalls in Korouoma National Park, or polar bears and other Finnish animal species in Ranua Zoo.

Helsinki, Finland

Finland’s capital might not have the instant appeal of Lapland but it’s a great city for families. It’s known for its cool modern architecture, many islands, plenty of saunas (of course), reindeer dishes, blueberry pie, and some of the cleanest air in Europe. It’s also one of the safest cities in Europe and a great place for coffee aficionados, as Helsinki’s residents drink more coffee per capita than any other city in the world.

If you can’t make it to Lapland, Helsinki is a great setting-off point for a guided ‘winter wonderland’ tour of the nearby forests, including organized snowball fights and a traditional Finnish lunch around a campfire. You can also visit a private reindeer park and feed the animals. The city also has many kid-friendly activities such as Children’s Town at the City Museum, an exploration of Helsinki’s past through play and hands-on activities. Other options include the Finnish Science Centre, Finnish Toy Museum, Linnanmaki Amusement Park, Moomin World, and a number of water parks. Adventurous kids might like to try some local specialities, such as salty liquorice, or even try making their own Finnish dishes at one of the many cooking classes for children and families.

Reykjavík, Iceland

Iceland is a fascinating country of natural beauty that is also a place of contradictions. It’s called ‘Iceland’ but only 10% of its landmass is covered in ice, with the rest of it a mix of green hills, sandy beaches, volcanic lava fields and stunning fjords. In contrast, 80% of Greenland is permanently covered in ice! Iceland does get snowfall over much of the country in winter, with Reykjavík no exception, yet the country also grows crops like coffee and bananas thanks to the free geothermal energy that provides 70% of the country’s energy needs. Iceland landmass is 143 times bigger than Singapore, but its population is 14 times smaller than the Little Red Dot. The citizens of Reykjavík famously enjoy eating meat, including hamburgers, but there is no McDonalds restaurant across the whole country.

Reykjavík is a great destination for families as it offers so many different activities and things to see. Iceland has over 200 volcanoes and about 35% of all the Earth’s lava flow, so it’s a great place to explore this subject. You can take a jeep tour to see an active volcano near Reykjavík, or you can visit the Lava Tunnel, a huge cave formed from lava that is only 30 minutes’ drive from the city. The geothermal activity also means there are many outdoor hot pools, the most famous of which, The Blue Lagoon, is only an hour from Reykjavík. Kids can have an unforgettable experience in these extensive outdoor pools which are open even when it’s snowing outside. The options for outdoor experiences are almost endless, and visitors can choose from activities such as glacier hiking (for kids aged 8 and above), or horse riding along the coast. Indeed, Reykjavík is one of the world’s best locations for whale watching as you can see orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, sperm whales and even the biggest of them all, the blue whale.

With so many choices of things to do with kids in Scandinavia, we’re sure you’ll experience a magical family holiday in this region and come to understand why it’s famous for its happy people.