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  • AWARD WINNING

7 days - Magical Christmas tour for families | 50DN Exclusive

Would you like to spend your next Christmas in Lapland in a snow-covered village where streetlights are turned off in the afternoon so that you can see the Northern Lights? Christmas is a time for families to make new memories together, and this is where we step in.

The village of Äkäslompolo is located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, deep in Finnish Lapland surrounded by the peaceful old forests of the Pallas-Ylläs Nature Park. 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 e will visit a Lapp Village where the day is spent enjoying winter activities such as making gingerbread biscuits & Christmas decorations. 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 reindeer sleigh. Each family has their own private time talking to Santa and receiving gifts in his log cabin in the forest.

We have a similar tour, running a week earlier, called Lapland Winter Magic.

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.

Day 1
Welcome to Lapland, transfer to Äkäslompolo village and build your first snowman
Day 2
Christmas Day with snow activities and private family visit to Santa's cabin
Day 3
Free Day
Day 4
Dogsledding through the forest
Day 5
Day at a Reindeer Farm
Day 6
Ice Fishing Safari
Day 7
Good Bye Lapland
Start/End Place
Kittilä, Finland, Finland
Country Visited
Finland
Duration
7 Days
Start Date
Scheduled
Travel Style
Escorted Tour
Suitability
Group tour with easy walks, activity components and no porterage
Code
50DN0500

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
  • FULLY ESCORTED TOUR WITH FINNISH EXPERT HOST
  • Airport transfers on day 1 & 7 (for scheduled flights to and from Kittilä)
  • 6 nights' accommodation in your private log cabin. Each cabin has different furniture and styles. Final cleaning of the cabin, electricity, water, heating, firewood and all taxes included.
  • 1 set of linen & towels per person for the 6 nights
  • 3 x lunches during your activities (lunches on days 3 & 6 not included)
  • 5 x dinners including festive Christmas meal
  • 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, Christmas Eve snow activities (tandem skiing, 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 (note that lunches on days 3 & 6 are not included), 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.

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.

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 our tour escort will take you for a walk to the supermarket where you will be able to purchase breakfast supplies for your cabin (choose your own supplies and pay for these locally). You will then be able to enjoy a relaxing breakfast in the comfort of your own each morning with your family before the day's activities.

Free time for relaxing in your cabin (if not tonight at some other stage): light the fire, make a cup of tea and watch the kids make their first snowman. You have kick sledges, snowshoes and cross country skis at your disposal, too.

In the evening dinner at a local restaurant, you will meet your fellow travellers at a welcome dinner.

Enjoy your first evening in Lapland. With no light pollution and no noise you can truly feel the beauty of the Arctic night, admire the night sky and hopefully see the Northern Lights. Hear the silence of the wilderness and breathe in the cleanest air in Europe.

Meals
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 2 - Christmas Day with snow activities and private family visit to Santa's cabin

After breakfast, transfer to Elämänluukku in a secret forest and be greeted by an old shaman who will introduce you to the Arctic Circle Crossing Ceremony. Outside there is plenty of fun snow activities - tandem skiing, snowshoe walking, kick sledging, tobogganing and children's snowmobiling. Decorate gingerbread cookies and make Christmas decorations in Elämänluukku, where we will also enjoy lunch.

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

In the evening we will enjoy a traditional Christmas Day buffet dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 3 - Free Day

Enjoy a relaxing family breakfast in the comfort of your own cabin. The rest of the day is free and you may wish to take part in some optional activities.

Neither lunch or dinner are not included today, so you can either get supplies from the local supermarket or try one of the local restaurants.

Please note: Optional activities are not included in the tour price.

Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 4 - Dogsledding through the forest

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 18 are unable to drive the sledges.

In the evening, dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 5 - Day at a Reindeer Farm

After breakfast, bus transfer to a local reindeer farm. On our visit we will get close to these beautiful creatures. Your guide will tell you about reindeers, their indigenous Sami culture and life in the Arctic. To round up the outing we will visit the reindeer gallery,which is a museum as well as an art gallery. You can warm up in the hut or the lean-to shelter where we offer real campfire coffee, cookies and reindeer sausages.

We will then have a short reindeer sleigh ride along a track through the forest, before heading back to Äkäslompolo.

In the evening dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 6 - Ice Fishing Safari

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 evening in Lapland. Enjoy a farewell dinner with the group.

Meals
1 Lunch
1 Dinner
Accommodation
Äkäslompolo Cabins

Day 7 - Good Bye Lapland

After breakfast, transfer to Kittilä airport.

Dates & Prices

Family triple (2 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 as price will change depending on your allocated cabin.

Dates
Start Date
End Date
From Price
Status
Accommodation
22 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
22 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
GBP 8,820
Limited availability
Family Triple Total
22 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
22 Dec 2024
28 Dec 2024
GBP 10,589
Limited availability
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.
  • Minimum age for the safaris is 4 years old.
  • Snowmobile safari organisers have insurance. In case of accident you personal liability is max EUR 850 per accident case.

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

Please note activities are subject to change.

Note about the images in the gallery - each cabin is different with its own style and configuration. The images are a guide only.

Our Scandinavian experts can assist you with flight connections from North America to meet these tours as well as adding pre- and post- accommodation in Helsinki. Helsinki has many lovely Christmas markets to visit as well as activities such as ice-skating, city saunas and strolling through the Christmas shops during your stopover.

Interactive Tour Map

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