Enquire

Our staff will respond to your query promptly and provide detailed information to your questions.

  • AWARD WINNING

6 days - Escorted magical winter tour for families with private Santa visit.

Would you like to spend your next holiday in Lapland in a snow-covered village where streetlights are turned off in the afternoon so that you can see the Northern Lights?

Äkäslompolo - Village of seven fells is 200 kms above the Arctic Circle and offers wide range of outdoor experiences in unique environment. This beautiful small village is your home for the week; shop with the locals, and then have hot chocolates in the cafe on your way back to your cabin.

You will stay in cosy log cabins, each with their own fireplace and sauna. Enjoy great local food and join in some exhilarating winter activities like husky & reindeer sledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling.

You will visit a Lapp Village where the day is spent enjoying winter activities. The highlight of the day is when each family receives an invite for a private visit to Santa's cabin, travelling through the snowy forest by sleigh.

Read here for reviews from families who have travelled at Christmas time with 50 Degrees North.

See our sister tour - Lapland Christmas Magic which runs over the Christmas dates.

Winner of the 2023 Luxury Travel Gold List Award in the Family Luxury Experience category, independently judged with public voting. We are proud of this award as we believe the authentic nature of this tour and family memories created are worth their weight in gold.

Highlights include

  • Private Santa visit by sleigh to his cabin in the woods
  • 50 Degrees North escort
  • Stay in cosy log cabins, each with their own fireplace and sauna
  • Dine in great local restaurants and join some exhilarating winter activities like husky & reindeer sledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling
Day 1
Welcome to Lapland, transfer to Äkäslompolo village and build your first snowman
Day 2
Dogsledding 10km long safari
Day 3
Day with Reindeers
Day 4
Visiting Santa in Elämänluukku
Day 5
Ice Fishing Safari & Snowmobiling
Day 6
Good Bye Lapland
Start/End Place
Kittilä, Finland, Finland
Country Visited
Finland
Duration
6 Days
Suitability
Easy Christmas tour - check minimum age requirements.
Code
50DN0515

Please note that all our itineraries, inclusions, dates and prices displayed on this website may change at any time. If you book an itinerary today and have this confirmed it will be the itinerary that is delivered to you. However, the online itinerary on our website may change in the meantime.

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.

Details

Transportation

Bus transfers, snowmobiles & sleighs

Included
  • Airport transfers on day 1 & 6 (for scheduled flights to and from Kittilä)
  • 5 nights' accommodation in your private log cabin, final cleaning of the cabin, electricity, water, heating, firewood and all taxes.
  • 1 set of linen & towels per person for the 5 nights
  • 3 x lunches during your activities (husky safari does not include lunch)
  • 5 x dinners
  • Winter clothing hire: Overall and boots
  • All activities as per itinerary including: visit to a reindeer farm incl. reindeer sleigh ride, husky safari (2 adults per sleigh, children in guide's sleigh), icefishing safari by snowmobiles (2 adults per snowmobile, children in guide's sled), private family visit to Santa's cabin by sleigh with snow activities (snowshoe walking, kick sledding, tobogganing and children's snowmobiling), making Christmas decorations and decorating gingerbread. These activities can vary depending on the weather conditions.
  • 50 Degrees North escort on hand - accompanies the group for the whole experience including dinners and activities, working alongside the local guides to make your holiday seamless
Not Included

Flight tickets, meals other than described, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, travel insurance, visas, gratuities and any other items of personal nature. The majority of the cabins don't have Wi-Fi but we will endeavour to organise some hot spotting in the cabins where possible.

Note that breakfast is not included. Each family will be able to purchase breakfast supplies at the local supermarket and that way you can enjoy breakfast in the comfort of your own cabin together with your family. The cabins have toasters, ovens, microwaves and dishwashers.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Lapland, transfer to Äkäslompolo village and build your first snowman

Transfer from Kittilä airport to Äkäslompolo village. In the late afternoon go for a walk to the supermarket where you will be able to purchase breakfast supplies for your cabin. Be sure to bring the sled with you to the supermarket. You will then be able to enjoy breakfast in your cabin each day before you have to put on your winter clothing.

Free time for relaxing in your log cabin: settle in, turn on your sauna and watch the children make their first snow angel. You have kick sledges, snowshoes and cross-country skis at your disposal which you will recieve when you get the rest of the warm winter clothing. You can cross country ski from just outside your door - many of the local tracks have lights. There is also a easy tobogganning run in the centre of town.

In the evening dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 2 - Dogsledding 10km long safari

Today we will meet our doggy friends, the huskies. Bus transfer to a nearby husky farm where we are greeted by a bunch of friendly barking and yapping dogs, eager to get going! After a very important safety briefing, children will be placed in the guides’ sleighs and the parents will share a dog team. And off we go mushing through the snowy forest!

Drive through snow-covered forests and over open plains. In this safari, snowmobiles are not used, the guides will also ride the Husky sledges. Driver can be changed in the half way of the safari.

Please note children under 6 are unable to ride the sledges.

Meals
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 3 - Day with Reindeers

Get to know this semi-domestic animal and learn about reindeer breeding – the
most traditional of the livelihoods in the northern regions of Finland and Sweden!
Reindeer herder Sami and his family present history and today’s everyday life as
a reindeer farmers and will tell us about reindeer hearding. On your visit you will
get close to the animals and also have the possibility to feed them. The reindeers
eat the lichens and birch leaves out of your hand. You may even pet the tamer
animals. You can warm up and enjoy coffee, cookies & bun and grilled reindeer
sausages in a teepee hut. We will also try to discover the secret of throwing a
lasso and have a chance to experience a 1 km reindeer sled ride.

Soup lunch with filled sandwiches will be served in a cosy restaurant in
Äkäslompolo Village after the excursion.

In the evening dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 4 - Visiting Santa in Elämänluukku

Today you will visit Santa in Elämänluukku in a secret forest. When we arrive to a small Lapp Village, you are greeted by an old shaman who will give you the 'crossing the Arctic circle' ceremony. Outside there is plenty of different snow fun activities - tandem skiing, snowshoe walking, kick sledging, tobogganing and children's snowmobiling. Make gingerbread cookies and Christmas decorations in Elämänluukku, where the lunch is also served.

Your family will receive an invite from Santa with your scheduled time for a visit. Visit to Santa starts with a short snowmobile sleigh ride, followed by a short reindeer ride.
Santa's cabin is in the forest and secluded and each family is guaranteed private
audience. Santa reads children's letters and each child receives soft toy as a gift
from Santa.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 5 - Ice Fishing Safari & Snowmobiling

Today we will have a go at ice fishing and snowmobiling. After a snowmobile drive to a frozen lake you get to experience the traditional way of winter fishing – through a hole in the ice. We will enjoy wilderness lunch, and hopefully you'll be lucky enough to catch your own fish.

Rest of the afternoon free: curl up by the fire with your favourite book and enjoy the view of the winter paradise outside, or take a toboggan or snowshoes and head outside.

It is our last night in Lapland. Enjoy a farewell dinner, share stories and say goodbye to our new friends.

Please note: Minimum age to participate snowmobile safari is 4 years. All the children
4-14 years old will travel in the sleigh. All drivers have to show valid
driving licence before the safari.

Restaurants we use during this tour include Restaurant Poro. On the outskirts of Äkäslompolo village, at the feet of Ylläs fell, this renewed Restaurant Poro welcomes you with gourmet local cuisine filled with genuine Lapland culture. Their kitchen's creations are based on reindeer meat and other local dishes. In addition, their à la carte menu covers a wide variety of other unique northern nature's treats.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 6 - Good Bye Lapland

After breakfast, transfer to Kittilä airport. Ask us about downhill skiing in near by resort, Levi.

Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins
Dates & Prices

Family triple (1 bedroom cabin) for 2 adults and 1 child (age 4-12 )
Family quad (2 bedroom cabin) for 2 adults and 2 children (age 4-12)

Please contact us for a quote for your family. Large cabins for up to 12 persons are available too for bigger families.

Dates
Start Date
End Date
From Price
Status
Accommodation
16 Dec 2024
21 Dec 2024
16 Dec 2024
21 Dec 2024
EUR 8,329
Fully booked
Family Triple Total
16 Dec 2024
21 Dec 2024
16 Dec 2024
21 Dec 2024
EUR 10,872
Fully booked
Family Quad Total

Important Information

  • To steer a husky team you need to be 18 years old.

  • To drive a snowmobile you need to have a valid driver's license. Please, remember to bring it with you.

  • Snowmobile safari organisers have insurance. In case of accident your personal liability is max EUR 850 per accident case.

  • Age limit for activities is 4.

  • This tour is based in a small village - the group dinners and daily activities are short walks from your accommodation (up to 20 mins walk). You will be provided local sleds & toboggans to commute between these places. In the case of extreme weather, the escorts can arrange ad hoc transfers when required.

  • The landscape of Pallas–Yllästunturi National Park is dominated by fells and the unscathed forests and wetlands surrounding them. The fell range in the national park is almost one hundred kilometres long in total. The picturesque, beautiful Pallas fells have been chosen as one of Finland’s national landscapes. As visitors to this national park, you will be amazed by the peace and quiet of this region.

Interactive Tour Map

Enquire

If you want to commit to a booking please use the Book Tour form below.

Enquire about this tour

Book Tour

Book your tour now. We will contact you to confirm this request.

Click here to book this tour