Finland Family Holiday

Trip Type: Family|Winter Active|

Finland | 6 D | 1 - 16 People

Starts From:

NZD 5,175.00 /Person

Take the family to a true winter wonderland on this six-day adventure through Finnish Lapland.

Finland Family Holiday

Take the family to a true winter wonderland on this six-day adventure through Finnish Lapland. Start in Helsinki with a visit to the interactive Heureka Finnish Science Center, then take the Santa Claus Express overnight train to Rovaniemi – the official hometown of Santa Claus, where the kids will get the chance to meet the jolly man himself. Spend three nights in the heart of the Finnish wilderness, exploring the snow-dusted woodlands with the help of incredible huskies and visiting a reindeer farm. Whether you’re experiencing arctic cocooning or drinking hot berry juice around the fire, there’s unforgettable fun to be had for travellers of all ages.

Itinerary

Tervetuloa! Welcome to Finland. Your family adventure kicks off in Helsinki with a welcome meeting at 5 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe check out the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, Senate Square or catch a performance at the National Theatre. You may want to consider purchasing the Helsinki Card – which is both an economical way to travel on Helsinki City Transport (HKL) services and free admission to the main Helsinki sights and nearly 50 museums. After your meeting, you might like to head out for an optional welcome dinner with your group.

Join your leader on an orientation walk around Helsinki in the morning. Then, hop on a train to the Heureka Finnish Science Center for a guided tour. The kids will love the chance to feel like a mad scientist with all of the interactive exhibits! Later, return to Helsinki and have some free time to prepare for tonight’s journey. In the evening, you’ll board the famous 'Santa Claus Express', a comfortable overnight train to Rovaniemi (approx 12 hours), known to many as the hometown of Santa Claus, located just 6 km south of the Arctic Circle.

The train arrives in Rovaniemi early this morning. Once you’ve settled into the capital of Lapland – and the official hometown of Santa Claus – it's time for the kids to write their list and check it twice as you head off to meet Mr Claus himself at Santa Village. Cross into the Arctic Circle along the way, showing just how far north you’ve come. Once the Christmas wishes have been made, return to Rovaniemi for a free afternoon to explore the city and its surroundings. Maybe head out for a family hike and witness spectacular rapids and aapa mires, or stay in town and visit the Arktikum, the Museum of Finland. It’s a place to learn about the nature and history of the north, where modern technology is being used to have the exhibits come alive.

Make sure you rug up for today’s adventures, as you head out to meet sled dogs! In the morning, meet your guides and dogs for an introduction to basic mushing techniques. Then, depending on the season, you’ll head off across beautiful white lakes and into the forest. These incredible huskies are doing what they love most – making a lot of noise before rushing along sprawling trails. The young ones might get to give the dogs a pet and a cuddle – just be sure to ask the sledmaster first. After the ride, warm yourself by an open fire and chow down on sausages and drink some hot berry juice. In the afternoon, you’ll visit a reindeer farm has been operating since 1861, and you may have the opportunity to feed and watch these cute animals go about their daily routine. You will be shown their skills in reindeer herding with the option to get close and personal with some of the animals on the farm.

This morning, transfer to Halipuu Forest. The family that owns the land wanted to save the trees from being felled, so began inviting visitors in to hug the trees, in an effort to spread awareness of nature conservation. You’ll get to hear about these efforts on a forest guided walk, as well as being able to hug a few trees. There’ll also be an arctic cocooning experience, followed by a hot chocolate around a fire and the option to plant a tree of your own. Return to Levi for the night, making sure to keep an eye out for any hint of the Northern Lights.

Your adventures through Lapland come to an end today after breakfast. If you would like to extend your stay in the region we are happy to book additional nights for you (subject to availability), or we can help to book optional transfer to either Levi or Rovaniemi airports.

Trip Inclusions

Meals
5 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(s),

Transport
Private vehicle , local train , public bus , overnight sleeper train

Accommodation
Hotel (4 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night)

Included Activities

Helsinki to Rovaniemi - Santa Claus Express Overnight Train
Helsinki - City walking tour
Helsinki - Heureka Finnish Science Center visit and guided tour
Rovaniemi - Santa Village
Rovaniemi - Reindeer farm
Rovaniemi - Husky safari experience
Levi - Halipuu Forest - Tree hugging & cocooning experience

Trip Highlights

Hop onboard the Santa Claus Express and enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of meeting Santa at his Finnish home in the artic circle.
Spend time with huskies and learn interesting facts about sled dogs before enjoying the thrill of being whisked through the woodlands by these beautiful animals.
Visit a local Reindeer Farm where you will get to meet these beautiful animals up close and learn the art of reindeer herding and life on the farm.
Find a moment of calm as you are guided through a tree-hugging forest and wrapped in a hammock for a truly unique Finnish experience of arctic cocooning.
The aurora borealis is the best lightshow on Earth, and this trip is your ticket. Stay up late to see the northern sky dance with green light (subject to weather conditions).

Trip Notes

Finland can be extremely cold at this time of year. Please bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions. Please see the Packing section in the Essential Trip Information document for more details. There may be the rare occasion where your leader has to alter the itinerary and activities due to the weather. In this case an alternative will be offered. Please also note that even though it will be cold, not always will there be snow cover, especially on the departures earlier in the winter season. In these cases snow dependent activities will be replaced with suitable alternatives. The Northern Lights (also known as the Aurora Borealis) are a natural display of coloured lights in the night sky of the northern hemisphere. While Northern Light displays can never be guaranteed, as they are a natural phenomenon, you have a higher chance of seeing them in locations at high latitudes, such as Northern Finland. Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies during your visit.

Dates & Availability

Departing

Finishing

Booking Enquiry

Destination Details

Finland | 6 D | 1 - 16 People

Trip Location

Trip Starts:
Finland

Trip Finishes:
Finland

Countries Visited:
Finland

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