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Meet the real Father Christmas in Finnish Lapland

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BORED OF BLACK FRIDAY? WHAT ABOUT A WHITE CHRISTMAS?!

Book before Monday 26th November to save up to 20% on our authentic Father Christmas small group adventure departing 13th December and staying at Harriniva Wilderness Lodge in Finnish Lapland.

The offer:

Price per adult £1396 (was £1745); price per child £1275 (was £1445).

Includes:

Return flights from London Heathrow, Return airport/hotel transfers, 3 nights’ accommodation at Harriniva Wilderness Lodge on full board basis, Private Father Christmas visit, Snowmobile and husky safaris, Reindeer Encounter, Christmas Activities and more

To book:

Call 01206 708888 or email reservations@nordicexperience.co.uk 

Prices correct as of 16/11/18 and are valid for travel on 13/12/18 from LHR based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing a room. Prices are subject to availability. All flight inclusive holidays are protected through our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6558. 

Christmas can’t go on long enough for kids. Most of them would happily keep 24/7, 365 days a year Elf-Hours if they could. But even the keenest can get a little festive-fatigued by the time December rolls round, especially these days when you can safely bet on everywhere beginning to bedeck in earnest the minute Halloween is done.

So if you need a little boost of beautifully timed magic in the lead up to the big day this year, what about popping up to Lapland to see Father Christmas for a few days? That’s certainly what Nordic Experience have in mind this December, along with snow, snow and more snow; Sami reindeer herds; husky farms; frozen lakes; enchanted forests; elves-a-plenty and heaps of good old fashioned traditions like snowmobiling and sled safaris.

Nordic Experience are a family company and parents themselves. So you can be sure they know that the kid who can’t bring home the same backpack from school three days running is also the kid who’ll spot the first hint of inauthentic when it comes to important stuff like meeting Father Christmas. With that in mind, they keep holiday groups small on every Lapland adventure and infuse every moment with wonder. An effort ably assisted by gorgeous, snow-drenched surroundings; cosy cottages or cabins and delightful hosts whose sole mission seems to be making the magic happen from the moment kids wake up until they snuggle down under fluffy eiderdowns for the night.

Time to meet Father Christmas for real?

According to legend, Father Christmas lives on Korvantunturi Fjell in Lapland. Which makes sense since Korvantunturi Fjell translates into English as, Hill of Ears: a natural hang-out for someone tasked with listening to the wishes of children the world over. His exact location might be a well-kept secret but almost everyone agrees it’s somewhere in Finnish Lapland, and the most reliable sightings have been in the region of Nellim, Iso Syöte and Harriniva. Which, as luck would have it, are all the places where Nordic Experience base their Lapland adventures.

Have a Lapland Wilderness Adventure in Nellim

Up in northern Finland just a few miles from the border of Russia, Lake Inari is the largest lake in Lapland. Every year it freezes over from mid-November, thousands of frosty islands dot its surface and the astonishingly vivid Aurora Borealis dances above it day and night in the depths of winter.

If all that sounds spellbinding, wait till you see Nellim Wilderness Lodge on the lake shore. Once the local schoolhouse and now a family-run hotel, it’s the type of place kids probably imagined they’d be staying in Lapland: wood burning stoves, log cabins, views of the Aurora Borealis at dinner, quaint handcrafted furniture, toasty beds and tons of snow, right outside, permanently. Hearty home-cooking counteracts sub-zero temperatures or you can always have a fantastic Finnish sauna.

Nellim holiday highlights

  • Elf-guided sled rides into the forest to meet Father Christmas.
  • Snowmobile Safaris along the shores of Lake Inari.
  • Ice fishing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing expeditions, tobogganing.
  • Husky Safaris with mushing for grown ups, and cosy sledges for kids.
  • Tree decoration, cooking making, traditional Sami Christmas feast.
  • Secret evening visit from Santa bearing gifts for all.

Three nights at Nellim Wilderness Lodge, all-inclusive, including return UK flights, transfers, all activities and events. From £1630 per adult and £1430 per child, with departures between 11 December and 17 December 2018.

Have a closer look at the Lapland Wilderness Adventure in Nellim

Fjell fun with Father Christmas at Iso Syöte

Perched on a mountain-top at the edge of magnificently wild Syöte National Park, the little village of Iso Syöte is deliciously wintery right down to its last snow-laden conifer. Outdoor adventuring rules here. Father Christmas has a cabin in the forest. And when it all gets too chilly, you can warm up wonderfully in a family cottage at Iso Syöte Hotel. Famous for its fabulous views, this is another lovely family-run hotel handpicked by Nordic Experience, and it even has an indoor swimming pool.

Iso Syöte holiday highlights

  • Super hush-hush secret meeting with Father Christmas.
  • Thrilling up close experience of traditional Sami rituals and customs.
  • Dog sledding with huskies, snow-showing, snowmobiling.
  • Kick-sledding, tobogganing, skiing, ice-fishing.
  • Meet ‘n’ greets with herders and animals at local Reindeer farm.
  • Cookie baking and festive feast with Father Christmas.

Three nights at Iso Syöte Hotel, all-inclusive, including return UK flights, transfers, all activities and events. From £1785 per adult and £1475 per child, with departures between 14 December and 20 December 2018.

Have a closer look at Fjell Fun with Father Christmas in Iso Syöte

Some purely practical stuff for parents

Without diminishing the dream-like quality of your Lapland adventure, Nordic Experience have taken care of quite a few useful practicalities. They’ve also shared the Scandinavian secret of keeping kids warm when it’s unbelievably cold – and it is in Finnish Lapland in December. Top tip: wear wool or synthetic base layers rather than cotton, that goes for socks as well as leggings and long-sleeved vests.

As far as outer layers go, Nordic Experience supply a full set of protective thermal gear for every traveller, including mitts, boots, scarves and hats. Just remember to fill in everyone’s sizes when you book, and don’t forget to add an extra couple of sizes to shoesize to leave plenty of room for big, thick socks.

Of course, anything at all you’re unsure of, you only have to ask: just one of the many advantages of going off to the wilds of Lapland with Nordic Experience.

And everything’s included from UK flights to endless enchantment

The most wonderful time of year can also be the most expensive. Bewitched kids won’t care about costs, but practical parents will be pleased to know that Lapland adventures are generously all-inclusive, and that means including everything from return UK flights and private airport transfers to all meals, activities and accommodation.

You can look forward to some sweet surprises in the mix too, if you’re thinking early Christmas pressies, you’re on the right track. And of course, natural wonders like the Northern Lights, vast snowy wildernesses, fairy tale forests and twinkly star-filled skies, are absolutely free with every Lapland adventure.

Ready to weave some dreams this Christmas? As well as adventures in Nellim and Iso Syöte, kids will also love Dancing with Elves in Harriniva or the chance to spin things out with Santa’s Festive Fun from 27 to 30 December. Book your perfect Lapland dream at Nordic Experience or call 01206 708888 for more details.

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