Santa's Wonderland 3/4 Nights 2024/2025
These Lapland holidays take you to our northernmost resort – Saariselka. It’s set amongst a snow-covered wilderness and is home to Santa Resort – where you’ll get to meet the big man himself. You might even be lucky enough to spot the mysterious Northern Lights.
Trip highlights
-Meet the indigenous Sami people local to the area
-Let the elves guide you around fun-filled Santa Resort and meet Santa’s reindeer
-Tell all your Christmas wishes as you meet Mr Claus himself
-Book a snowmobile excursion and ride across the frozen landscape
-Enjoy an optional trip to an outdoor cinema in the snow
On top of the world
This compact village in northern Lapland sits inside the Urho Kekkonen national park. The scenery around here is unlike any other – a true wilderness home to fells and a lake district. It’s some 250 kilometres above the Arctic Circle – you can’t get much further north than this. But though it’s remote, you’ve still got restaurants, bars and an indoor pool complex.
See the Northern Lights
Being so far north, you’re in one of the best spots to see the famous aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, a natural light show that sees the sky glow fluorescent green, red and yellow. The time to see them is between December and March between 8pm and 11pm, though there are no guarantees – sometimes the clouds get in the way.
Visit Santa's cabin
Just five minutes’ drive from Saariselka is Santa’s secret cabin. It’s tucked away in the middle of the woods with snow-dusted trees for neighbours. A magical path sets the scene – think decorated Christmas trees and gifts. Before a meet and greet with Santa himself, you’ll sit down inside with a storyteller to learn all about life in Lapland by the crackling open fire. Nearby, there’s also an area set up with Lappish teepees, where you can play snow football, toboggan and warm up with melted marshmallows.
Lapland Holiday Itinerary
Fly To Ivalo - Stay in Saariselka
DAY 1
After landing at Ivalo Airport, you'll be taken to your Saariselka hotel by Santa's elves. You can spend the rest of the day settling in, getting to know the town and making the most of the snowy countryside all around you. If there's a clear sky this evening, keep a watch out for the Northern Lights.
DAY 2
The magical Santa's Resort is on the agenda today. Hidden away among fairtale wonderland, this is the place Santa himself calls home. Get your wish list at the ready, because you'll meet the man himself in his traditional log cabin. Afterwards, his elves will take you on a tour, which ends with a visit to see Rudolph and his friends. While you're here, you can have a go at snowmobiling too, and try a husky or reindeer sleigh ride.
DAY 3
You've got a free day to do what you like today. Round up some helpers and build a snowman, zoom down the hills on a toboggan or book yourself on to an excursion and experience your favourite taster from yesterday in full. Snowmobiling, husky rides and reindeer safaris are all on the agenda.
Guests on 3-Nights will enjoy Day 4's activities today instead.
DAY 4
This is your last chance to play in the snow. You can also join our excursion to a snow cinema in the middle of the forest and watch a movie under the frosty Lappish sky. Rounding things off is a special gala dinner.
Santas Wonderland can be teamed with any of the hotels below. The order of events may change slightly from trip to trip but all the activities will be included at some point during your holiday. If you want to celebrate Christmas Day in Rovaniemi, book the 4 night trip on the 23rd December.
Saariselka Accommodation
Hotel Snowflake and Apartments
From tobogganing and husky-sledging to snowmobiling and skiing, the Hotel Snowflake gives you every excuse to get out into the snow.
It won’t take you long to get in to the festive spirit when you stay at the Hotel Snowflake. The short walk to the entrance will take you past a popular snowman-building spot and the rows of sledges the hotel lends its guests.
Santa's Hotel Tunturi
With three different bars and restaurants, Santa’s Hotel Tunturi is a great place to retire to after a day in the snow.
In the heart of Saariselka, Santa's Hotel Tunturi is in a prime position for sports like sledging, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It also puts activities like husky safaris and skidoo rides at your fingertips. That said, the real lure of this place is the action it offers away from the snow.
Santa's Hotel Tunturi Gielas
The rooms at the Tunturi Gielas offer up all the comforts of home, and the hotel puts a long list of snow sports at your fingertips.
If you want to stay somewhere that’s plusher than your average hotel, take a look at the Tunturi Gielas – the new 4-star addition to the Santas's Hotel Tunturi complex. The rooms here are really contemporary, with wooden floors and warm red colour schemes. Plus, all have private saunas, which make it easy to unwind.
Holiday Club Saariselka
With a fantastic swimming pool and convenient setting, the Holiday Club Saariselka is great for families especially.
The Holiday Club Saariselka has the benefit of an indoor swimming pool. It’s been specially designed for families, and has everything from waterslides to waves and a river. There’s also a separate children’s pool and two whirlpool baths for grown-ups to relax in.
Need To Know
What should I pack?
If you're coming to Lapland for the day, we recommend you wear warm clothes and only take hand luggage on the plane, as we'll lend you a cosy all-in-one thermal suit, as well as boots, gloves, socks and a hat. If you're on a 3 or 4-night trip, we'll still kit you out with all the necessary gear - which is yours for the duration of your holiday - but it's a good idea to bring lots of layers, too.
What’s the weather like?
In December, daytime temperatures generally range from 0 to -20 degrees, but it can fall as low as -40 during a particularly cold spell. You’ll get four to five hours of ‘grey light’ between about 10am and 3pm. The rest of the time it’s dark, but still quite bright because of all the snow. What’s more, all the activity areas are well lit.
What’s the food like?
It depends on where you stay, but most hotels in Lapland put on international buffet spreads. Usually, there’ll be a selection of meat, fish and pasta dishes to choose from, as well as a variety of vegetables and salad. You’ll also find children’s favourites, like chips, meatballs, and burgers on offer. And some places serve Finnish specialities, like smoked reindeer pizza.
Is Lapland suitable for young children?
We don’t recommend our Lapland trips for children under 4-years-old. That’s because the chilly temperatures and types of activities aren’t suited to really little ones. If you do bring toddlers along, though, you’ll need to provide their own thermal clothing.
Do I need insurance?
It’s essential you and your family have the protection you need in case the unexpected happens. What’s more, if you want to take part in any snow sports when you’re away, you’ll need a policy that covers you for these.
Can I drive a snowmobile?
If you want to get behind the wheel of a snowmobile, make sure you bring your full UK driving licence with you. As long as local guides agree, children aged 12 and over can ride as a passenger on your snowmobile. Younger children have to travel in a sleigh pulled by one instead.