Christmas as it should be
Picture your typical snow-globe scene and it’s likely that Father Christmas, reindeer and snowmen will spring to mind. Enjoy all of these, plus a white Christmas – a definite when it comes to Lapland – on these three new Yuletide tours, all still with availability this winter.
Enjoy a proper family Christmas amid Lapland’s picture-perfect Christmas card scenes, surrounded by pristine white landscapes and snow-laden forests. The fact that Lapland has just 1.5 people per square kilometre of land (compared to the UK’s 200) will become evident, when you’re in the Lappish wilderness – far away from the day-tripping crowds.
Says Amy Griffiths, Product Manager at Activities Abroad, “There’s a huge Santa industry in Finnish Lapland, with charter flights flying in from all over. In my opinion, many of them are over-commercialised, hurried and too stressful for families. Try our antidote – trips that enable you to enjoy Lapland at a more authentic and relaxed level.”
New: Father Christmas and Snowmen
Forget whistle-stop tours of Lapland which involve shuffling into a commercialised grotto and then flying straight home. This brand-new family tour to Kangos in Sweden reveals the real Lapland. Staying in a small family-owned guesthouse, you’ll snow-shoe to a forest and choose a Christmas tree, venture out on a husky-sled, look for the Northern Lights, try delicious Swedish dishes and follow a treasure hunt to Father Christmas’ cabin. Rather than seeing Santa in a conveyor-belt-fashion, you’ll have an unhurried, private meeting with just him and your family, with plenty of time for photos. There’s also gingerbread-making, snowmobiling, ice-fishing and snowman-building competitions.
Departing 21 December, Father Christmas and the Northern Lights costs from £1,695 pp and £1,295 per child (5-12) including flights (London), transfers, six nights’ full-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
New: Christmas Lights
While these Lights aren’t as guaranteed as those adorning UK high streets, there’s an excellent chance you’ll spot them in Aurora hotspot Menesjärvi, which boasts unobstructed views of the night sky. This new family holiday in Finnish Lapland is geared towards maximizing your chances of a sighting. Search for the Northern Lights on a snowshoe trek, and look out for them beside a frozen lake and from a snowmobile-pulled sleigh. In between the night-time hunting, there’s cross-country skiing, traditional Finnish kick-sledging, reindeer lassoing, husky-sledding and a wilderness skills workshop – plus plenty of time to relax with the family. And, with locals considering October and November to be the darkest months, December’s the ideal time to witness “Blue Time” – an unusual blue and grey light which needs to be experienced to understand.
Departing 21 December, Menesjärvi – Family Christmas Northern Lights Hunt costs from £1,595 pp and £1,125 per child (8-15) including flights (London), transfers, six nights’ full-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
New: Reindeer
With a population of just 150, it’s no surprise that reindeer outnumber humans in the Finnish Lapland hamlet of Nellim. A highlight for all Rudolph fans, this new family activity holiday includes a visit to a local Sami reindeer farm where you’ll feed the animals, meet their herder and hear about the traditional Sami way of life. Spend the remainder of the week learning survival skills with Lapland’s answer to Ray Mears and Northern Lights-hunting – on foot, by snowmobile and in a minibus. You’ll also mush huskies, setting off on a 10km adventure, and learn how to capture the Aurora Borealis on camera.
Departing 22 December, Nellim Family Christmas Aurora Adventure costs from £1,495 per adult and £1,245 per child (10-14) including flights (London), transfers, six nights’ full-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
For more information, visit activitiesabroad.com.