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5 days - Christmas Winter Adventure in the Saariselkä Wilderness Hotel
Stay at the new Wilderness Boutique Hotel in the heart of Saariselkä, opening in December 2025.
Far from major civilisation, this is a fantastic place from which to search for the northern lights; by car, snowmobile and even at an Aurora Camp. You'll also learn how to drive your own husky-sled through the Lappish wilderness and snowmobile through glittering forest trails.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Return shuttle transfers from Ivalo Airport to Saariselkä
Welcome to Lapland! You will be greeted at the airport with a hotel sign and transferred to Wilderness Hotel Saariselkä (approx. 35 min). Upon arrival, you will receive your program schedule before dinner. Depending on your arrival time, cold weather gear will be given to you either upon arrival or the next day.
Today you will have a nice day meeting the reindeer at the reindeer farm and enjoying a nice reindeer sleigh ride in a snowy forest. You will learn interesting information about the reindeer and the life of a reindeer herding and Sami culture. You have also chance to feed the reindeer in the reindeer fence.
This evening, it is Christmas Eve which is the main Christmas event in Finland, but first
you will head by snowmobile sleigh ride through a snowy forest to a very special place: Santa secret’s cabin. Meet and Greet Santa himself and have a nice talk with him. He will also give a small present to everyone before heading back to the hotel for a traditional festive dinner.
After breakfast get ready for dog sledding. A husky safari is a must-do experience when visiting Lapland. Before setting off, you'll receive full instruction on handling the sled, then embark on an unforgettable journey as the eager huskies pull you through stunning winter landscapes.
Each sled is organized for two guests, with one mushing and the other seated in the sleigh. Halfway through the journey, you’ll switch positions to ensure both of you experience the thrill of mushing. The dogs excitement is contagious, and as they settle into silence on the trail, you'll discover why this is truly the best way to explore Lapland.
In the evening enjoy a Aurora Camp experience. You will be comfortably seated in a sledge that is pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. This way you can enjoy the northern sky all the way to the camp site. At the camp there is a hut with an open fire to warm us up on a cold night of Aurora hunting. Your guide will also serve warm drinks to keep you heated and cozy. The camp has a minimum amount of light pollution, so it is perfect for viewing the Northern Lights that will hopefully show up in the sky.
After breakfast, explore the stunning fells around Saariselkä on a snowmobiling tour. The white winter scenery is a breath-taking experience that will last for a lifetime.
First you will get familiar with the snowmobile with the guide, have full safety instructions and a driving lesson. Once everyone feels comfortable with the machine, you will head out for a small journey in the nearby surroundings.
After a delicious breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Wilderness Hotel Saariselkä and head back to Ivalo Airport. Your winter adventure in Lapland may be over, but the memories will last forever.
Standard - per person double share in the Arctic Sky Suite
Family triple - 2 adults sharing with 1 child age 4-14 in the Arctic Sky Villa
Family quad - 2 adults sharing with 2 children age 4-14 in the Arctic Sky Villa
The excursions on days 2, 3 & 4 may occur in a different order, depending on availability, timings and weather, but all are included in your stay.
All safaris start with full safety instructions. Your experienced guides will show you how to drive your snowmobile and provide you with a full safety briefing before you hit the trails. You will be provided with thermal overalls, mittens, balaclava, thermal socks, winter boots and helmet for the snowmobile safaris.
All snowmobile safaris have a self-liability of maximum 800€/snowmobile.
Please note that the above itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of the activity providers for reasons of safety or other unforeseen circumstances. Any alternative arrangements will be made so that they are as similar to the original program as possible.
Tile Image: Lauri Kivikataja/Visit Finland
IMPORTANT NOTE: Weather conditions may occasionally affect certain activities, and as a result, the schedule may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience for all guests. For multi-activity stays, often the order of the activities will be confirmed locally on arrival. Activities might vary slightly in their duration or location due to the weather and local conditions. Any activities that are unable to be re-scheduled due to weather conditions, will be refunded as a general practice, as determined by the activity provider.
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