Finland Beneath the Northern Lights

Helsinki gets straight to the point: sea-facing streets, clean design and one of Europe’s most unusual churches. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers, then follow an orientation of Finland’s capital that takes in Senate Square, the cathedral, the waterfront and market area. Visit Temppeliaukio Church, built into solid rock and topped with a copper-lined dome, a bold piece of Finnish architecture. Return to the hotel for small bites and get to know your fellow travellers and Travel Director over a drink.

Fly north from Helsinki to Ivalo, gateway to Finnish Lapland, and continue to Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, tucked deep in the Arctic wilderness. Settle into your surroundings before heading to the resort’s planetarium for a Northern Lights presentation, learning the science and stories behind the aurora borealis. Later, gather at the hotel for dinner, before you join your Travel Director for an Aurora hunt, heading into the Arctic darkness to watch the sky for shifting colour above the snow and open northern landscape.

Dive into Culture on a husky safari, learning how to guide your own sled team through the snow in the Finnish wilderness. With the dogs ready to run and the trail stretching ahead, you’ll take the reins for a classic Lapland experience. The rest of the day is free to relax at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort or choose from guided Optional Experiences, including cross-country skiing, a horseback riding trail or ice karting. Later, visit Santa’s Home and meet Santa himself before gathering at the hotel for dinner. Keep watch again for the Northern Lights over the Arctic sky.

Meet the reindeer of Finnish Lapland on a reindeer safari, learning about Sámi traditions and the role these animals have played in Arctic life before taking a sleigh ride through the snow. Near Ivalo, join local hosts Kati and Juha in their home for your Be My Guest experience. You’ll try tasty family recipes, learn about life in Lapland and even get stuck into some crafting. The afternoon is yours at Kakslauttanen. Walk the snowy resort paths, relax in the quiet of the forest or choose an Optional Experience, from snowmobiling across frozen trails to ice fishing. Check into your glass igloo for your Stays with Stories experience, with the curved glass roof framing the Arctic sky above your room.

Say goodbye to Lapland and fly south to Helsinki, swapping Arctic wilderness for Finland’s capital. With time at leisure, perhaps head back out into the city for a final look at the waterfront. Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for dinner, raising a glass to your Arctic adventure from Helsinki to the snowy landscapes of Finnish Lapland.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before saying goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow travellers. Leave Helsinki with memories of rock-cut architecture, Arctic skies, husky trails, reindeer sleighs and nights spent watching for the Northern Lights.