Fun with Father Christmas

DAY 1

Depart Heathrow at 10.20 on Finnair scheduled flight(s) via Helsinki to Kittila. Arrive 17.45 local time and transfer to Akaslompolo, collecting thermal clothing en route. Check-in at the hotel before a welcome drink and programme briefing followed by a Sami buffet supper.
 

DAY 2

After breakfast it’s time to leave for the reindeer corral for a sleigh ride though the snow clad forest following a marked trail. Along the way you stop by an open fire encampment for hot berry juice, gingerbread cookies and tales from the herders about their lives and those of the reindeer. Lunch back at the hotel restaurant.

Early afternoon at leisure and time for the children to re-charge their batteries, before leaving for an early evening private tobogganing party on the nearby ski slopes after they close to the public. Fun, games and hot chocolate on tap. Return to the hotel for supper.

DAY 3

After breakfast it’s time for a short scenic journey to the husky kennels to meet the excitedly barking dogs, some just puppies, waiting eagerly to take you through the forest. Grown ups drive their own sleigh whilst children ride tucked up in a sleigh behind a team driven by your guide. Lunch back at the hotel restaurant. In the afternoon it’s party time on a frozen lake in the middle of the forest using an old lumberjack’s cottage as base. Inside Santa’s little helpers show you how to decorate gingerbread cookies whilst outside there will be snowmobiling with mini snowmobiles for the children, tobogganing and the recounting of traditional Lappish tales around an open fire.

Concurrently, each family takes time out to travel individually by reindeer sleigh to meet Father Christmas in his lakeside cabin home. Late afternoon return to the hotel. A valedictory traditional Sami Christmas buffet culminating in a visit from Father Christmas and Rudolph to make earlier made wishes come true and hand over a small present to everyone, grown ups and children alike.

DAY 4

After breakfast we pop round to ‘Mailan Putiikki’ where you can buy local handicraft, Christmas decorations, cuddly huskies and the like before transferring to Kittila airport for Finnair scheduled flight(s) to Heathrow where you arrive at 17.10 local time.