Father Christmas and Arctic Animal Encounters
- Details
Details
Share a magical Lapland Christmas holiday at Ranua with the whole family! You will search for and decorate a Christmas tree, enjoy fun and games in the snow, and meet polar bears and other Arctic animals at the Wildlife Park. Most importantly, you will have a private family meeting with Father Christmas, creating memories to last a lifetime. You'll also have free time to fill with your own choice of activities from our fantastic selection!
Celebrating on this Lapland Christmas holiday is always an enchanting experience. The picture-postcard landscapes and unique blue light create a very special backdrop for unforgettable family memories.
This four-night Lapland Christmas holiday features both set activities and the opportunity to choose your own. A highlight is a special private meeting with Father Christmas, which is a magical moment for families. Other festivities include a gala dinner and for guests on 23rd December departure, search by snowmobile for a Christmas tree to decorate and of course, plenty of fun in the snow.
You will also have the chance to get up close to Arctic animals at the Ranua Wildlife Park. Home to the likes of polar bears, moose, golden eagles, Arctic foxes, otters, lynx, elk and deer. Together, you can learn about the fascinating lives of these creatures and help feed them too!
During your free time you get to choose from our very own assortment of winter activities - see the 'Personalise' section for more details. Enjoy your very own reindeer sleigh ride, explore the wilderness by snowmobile or during a husky safari, and search for the Northern Lights on snowshoes - just a few of the many wonderful activities you can add to your holiday!
Ranua is one of our favourite family locations! Combining comfy, modern family villas with welcoming hospitality and knowledgeable guides. Your villa comes equipped with a kitchenette which makes it a perfect place to cook lunch and dinner. If you'd prefer, you can purchase it locally in the restaurant. In our experience, the restaurant can become busy during the festive lunchtimes, with outside visitors to the park, and we have found that most families prefer to make their own lunch arrangements in their wonderfully equipped villa kitchens.
This is a delightful holiday packed full of experiences for children and adults alike. This holiday offers a real celebration of the Christmas spirit, with plenty of other highlights along the way.
Important Information
Itinerary
Today you will journey to Lapland ready to begin your wonderful Christmas adventure!
Upon arrival in Rovaniemi, you will be transferred through the snow-covered landscape to your accommodation at Ranua, approximately an hour away.
You will be checked in to your cosy apartments and you will have dinner in the restaurant.
Included Meals: Dinner
Today the magic starts after breakfast when you prepare for your very important meeting with Father Christmas*. Your guide will lead each family along a forest trail by snowmobile-pulled sleigh and you will soon see the glimmer of lights from a cosy cabin ahead.
The door will be answered by the man in red! He will spend time talking with the children, telling stories and listening to their Christmas wishes. The children can ask any questions they have about his life and work in Lapland. Each family will spend around twenty minutes in his company before returning to Ranua for dinner in the restaurant. In total, the activity lasts around 45 minutes.
*Please note that some families will have their private meeting with Father Christmas in the next few days depending on your family’s individual schedule.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today you will visit the Wildlife Park and meet with over 50 different types of animals! Whilst you may have popped into the park before now, today you will be given an in-depth tour and you can ask your guide questions about your favourite animals.
On top of its famous polar bears, the park is home to a wide range of species, including otters, Arctic foxes, wild boars, and wolves. Special enclosures have been designed and constructed to reflect the natural environment of the animals. You will be shown around the park and have the chance to help the guides serve the animals their dinner!
After time at the park, you can return to the apartments to spend some time as a family, before enjoying dinner in the hotel restaurant this evening.
Dinner will be served at the restaurant this evening.
If you are travelling on our 22nd December departure date you will also take part in a wonderful search for the perfect Christmas tree to take to the hotel. You head out into the surrounding forested wilderness in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Adults will be given full instruction on how to drive a snowmobile and will travel in pairs, while children will sit in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. This is a great way to move through the winter scenery and allows you to see more of the stunning landscape.
Once the important decision has been made and the tree selected, you will enjoy warm drinks and cookies around a campfire before taking your tree back to Ranua to decorate.
Please note that in order to drive a snowmobile you must be over 18 and hold a full driving licence.
For guests on 22nd December, you will also enjoy a Festive Gala dinner this evening and you never know, a very special guest may also make an appearance!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today is totally free for you and your family to plan your own time. We offer a fabulous range of optional activities at Ranua and you can pick and choose those that most suit your family. Full details of all of the options can be found in the ‘Personalise’ section of this holiday page. Options include snowmobile safaris, reindeer experiences, snowshoe excursions, and much more!
Access to the Wildlife Park at Ranua is included throughout your stay and so you may like to start exploring and meeting some of the incredible animals who live just across the street from you here!
One thing we also find is that sometimes children simply just love playing out in the snow and making snowmen outside the apartments. It’s a fabulous way to spend time together as a family.
Breakfast and dinner will be served as usual each day in the main restaurant building at the park. If you have been making lunch in your apartment, you could choose to try one of the restaurants today.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, your festive stay draws to a close. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flights home.
Included Meals: Breakfast
What's included?
- Return flights from London to Rovaniemi (direct or indirect via Helsinki, depending on date and availability) are included
- Return airport transfers
- 4 nights apartment accommodation
- 4 breakfasts
- Meeting with Father Christmas
- Guided tour of the Wildlife Park with animal feeding
- If you are travelling on our 22nd December 2024 departure date then you will also have a snowmobile search for Christmas tree included
- Access to Ranua Wildlife Park throughout your stay
- Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
- Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors for any activities
Our Expert Opinion
Christmas is, of course, a magical time of year for children (and adults!) alike. This adventure in Ranua makes it all the more special and memorable. With its winter-wonderland setting and carefully designed Father Christmas experience, this trip has the perfect festive feel. Added to that is the chance to choose your own winter activities, giving this holiday a truly personal touch. And how could I forget to mention Ranua Wildlife Park, where you can see a wide range of Arctic creatures up close? This is an unforgettable Christmas holiday!
Accommodation
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| Located around 4km from the small town centre, Ranua Holiday Village boasts proximity to the Ranua Wildlife Park which guests have unlimited access to throughout their stay. The holiday village offers guests modern comfortable apartments which are very well equipped. HOTEL FACILITIES
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Personalise This Tour
The huskies epitomise enthusiasm when you meet them and are always eager for the trail. Full instruction and safety briefing is always provided prior to setting off on the snowy trails, travelling two people per sled. After the tour, you can meet the dogs and take pictures as well as ask any questions you may have.
Duration: 30 minutes
One of the most memorable and enchanting ways in which to explore the Arctic is on a husky safari, they provide an unforgettable experience.
The huskies epitomise enthusiasm when you meet them and are always eager for the trail. Full instruction and safety briefing is always provided prior to setting off on the snowy trails, travelling two people per sled. After the tour, you can meet the dogs and take pictures as well as ask any questions you may have.
Duration: 1 hours
One of the most memorable and enchanting ways in which to explore the Arctic is on a husky safari, they provide an unforgettable experience.
The huskies epitomise enthusiasm when you meet them and are always eager for the trail. Full instruction and safety briefing is always provided prior to setting off on the snowy trails, travelling two people per sled. After the tour, you can meet the dogs and take pictures as well as ask any questions you may have.
Duration: 2 hours
Following driving instructions from your guide, you will set out to snowmobile towards Laivala, a small and traditional reindeer farm, which is approximately 15km away. Here you will be welcomed by the herder and taken to see their reindeer, before enjoying a short reindeer sled ride (15 minutes).
Back at the farm you will enjoy a hot snack and learn more about the life of the reindeer herders and their long history in this region. The activity will end with a snowmobile trip back to the hotel.
Please note: the driver of a snowmobile must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid driving licence.
You will travel two people per snowmobile. Single driver supplement applies.
Duration: approximately 3 Hours in total
Enjoy a short journey via reindeer-pulled sled, travelling the way people have done here for centuries! The ride will take you from the hotel out into the surrounding wilderness.
Duration: approximately 40 minutes
Warm drinks will be served and, if you are lucky enough to land a catch, you can cook it there and then.
Please note: the driver of a snowmobile must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid driving licence. You will travel two people per snowmobile. Single driver supplement applies.
Duration: Approximately 3 hours
One of the best ways to enjoy the wonderful forest neighbouring the wildlife park is to strap on a pair of snowshoes and head into the deep snow to explore. Your guide will offer lots of interesting information on the way on the local flora and fauna.
Duration: approximately 2 hours
Cross-country skiing is a hugely popular activity in Finland and the trails criss-cross the countryside pretty much wherever there is snow.
Your guide will give you instruction on how to succeed in cross-country skiing before you head onto the trails to put your skills into practice. The ski tracks begin close to Ranua Wildlife Park and you will cover around 3km in total.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours in total
Go on the hunt for the Northern Lights during a horse-drawn sleigh ride (6-8 people per sleigh) with Finn horses. You'll be wrapped up warm in your sleigh as you listen to stories about Lapland. Take in the magic of the wintry surroundings at night and if conditions are favourable, the magic will extend into the skies as the Northern Lights make their appearances.
Duration: approximately 2 hours in total
| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Ranua,Finland |
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Tour Map
Key Facts
For your best chance to see the Northern Lights, contact the UK’s only Aurora specialists
