Lapland what to expect from this Dream Trip

Tips and insights to ensure a lifetime family holiday which creates magical moments and treasured memories for both children and parents.

When Margaret returned from her fabulous trip to Lapland her answer to our eager question 'was it worth it'?  was... 'absolutley, you could feel the magic' ... so if you would like to hear her experience and tips on what to expect please read on...

Trip to LAPLAND by Margaret, Senior Sales Consultant @ Grenham Travel

Even as an adult I was excited at the prospect of visiting Lapland. So I headed off to Dublin Airport and our day began with an early morning flight  to Kittila airport in Lapland. The magic started on check in where we were greeted by airport staff dressed as eleves. Oh! even at this stage the excitement was palpable...

Christmas music played as we sat at the boarding gate for the North Pole flight…very festive, very inclusive, kiddies and adults mingled spontaneously and new friendships were already forming.

During the flight  we were served a light breakfast and there was  plenty of fun and games on board with entertainment provided by the lively eleves.

Kittila airport is located north of the Arctic Circle and the flying time is just over 3 hours. On arrival at Kittila airport we were met by Santa’s helpful guides who helped us get fitted out in the special thermal clothing that is provided and which is essential for your holiday in Lapland. 

We received thermal suits, boots, socks, gloves and a warm hat to keep you nice and toasty at all times. Once we were  all fitted out in our clothing, we headed to our hotel. We stayed at the 4* Saaga hotel which was lovely and equipped with a pool and ski slope behind it... sking for the day would cost approx €100 for a family.

We saw Santa’s reindeers along the way and Santa’s secret hideaway. The transfer time is short, in approximately 45 minutes 

Day Two

After breakfast we were  met by Santa’s helpers. The excitement of all the kiddies was infectious and today was  the highlight of our trip; we headed  out deep into the arctic wilderness where we enjoyed a  variety of activities ...

REINDEER RIDE    HUSKY RIDE   SNOWMOBILE RIDE   SNOW FUN   VISIT SANTAS HIDEAWAY

ELF SCHOOL   ELF BAKERY   TOY FACTORY   POST OFFICE    PRIVATE MEETING WITH SANTA  (by the way all of these activites are included in the price)

A short Reindeer ride, an exciting Husky ride, 

A snowmobile safari 15 mins and great fun tobogganing.

 
During the day you will get to visit one of Santa’s enchanting workshops hidden deep in the forest. Here we learnt the importance of being an elf at Elf School, we took  part in decorating some gingerbread in the Elf bakery,  

A guided tour of an elf’s house and  even caught a glimpse of the elves in their bedrooms and listened  to their funny stories.

We  helped  in the toy factory as there is a lot of toys to prepare. We saw the elves working busily in the Post Office sorting out all the letters from all the boys and girls and had the opportunity to have a private family meeting with Santa Claus himself.
Don't forget boys and girls to write to Santa in time for your Christmas surprise with Santa's visit Christmas morning !!!

Outdoors we were  really lucky and saw  some of Santa’s reindeers taking a well-earned rest, could it be Dancer, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Blixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner or Rudolf ?

During the day we  took  a break from the activities and recharged  our batteries by enjoying a much needed simple but nice lunch and enjoyed the spectacular views of the snow white surroundings.

Late in the afternoon we  returned back to our hotel where we enjoyed  the facilities of our hotel or you could explore the surrounding areas. A three course Buffet dinner  was  served at our hotel. Drinks are extra and cost approx the same as here in Ireland.
You could go for a swim, or relax in the cosy lounge while the kiddies were entertained by the Eleves for about 2 hours in the hotel doing face painting...singing...playing and they had a ball making new friends and enjoying the magic of being a child.

At night it can be possible to see the Northern Lights - it is so quiet and dark. This is not guarenteed as its weather permitting but what a bonus it is when it happens Wow! the wonder of nature; absolutely breathtaking.

The next  morning was  free  to relax in hotel, explore our surrounding area - visit the  amazing Snow Village, and simply play in the snow. Sking is also an option with ski slope 3 mins from the hotel.

SNOW VILLAGE, a magical world of ice and snow. Each year, around 20 million kilos of snow and 350,000 kilos of crystal clear natural ice are used to build the spectacular Snow Village which changes in shape, size and design to amaze visitors year after year. The Snow Village consists of a Snow Hotel with snow rooms and suites, Ice Restaurant, Ice Bar,

Ice Chapel, a slide and a vast network of striking corridors full of spectacular ice artwork to explore. 2018 theme was  Game of thrones  and it was simply amazing.

FESTIVE DINNER  After our visit to the snow village we returned to our hotel and had a great festive dinner. Santa came to visit and the excitement was tremendous.

Our Last Day

We  checked  out of our hotel and took a short transfer back to Kittilia airport for our return flight to Dublin. The fun, laughter and contagious excitement continued and kiddies and parents alike radiated happiness.

A light lunch  was served on board the flight home.

Summary

The trip was truly magical and brought the child out in all of us.

This  is a once in a lifetime trip and memories of the magic and fairytale christmas will live on in the minds and hearts of children forever. The price is not cheap but it is important to remember that all meals (except snacks outside meal times) and activities are all included in the price from when you leave the departure gate at Dublin airport until you arrive back to Dublin airport again. 

ALL Thermal clothing is also included so no need to take anything extra for ski weather as it was very warm and comfortable. If you have gloves with the finger tip for operating your phone these are great under your ski gloves for when you need to remove the thermal gloves to take the inevitable pictures !

If you have fussy little eaters, essentially the buffet has a good variety of food but you could also take some snacks. Bring plenty of slow-release, child-friendly energy snacks for eating between meals. You are continuously on the go, and the outdoors is in minus degrees so this helps a lot. As snacks and drinks are expensive to buy a point to note is that you can drink the local water so it is a good idea to take a small backpack and re fill empty bottles as you go.

If you are thinking of a trip to Lapland as an adult or with children, please don't hesitate to contact us for full insights. tips and information. 

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