Santa's cottage, elves, kid-sized snowmobiles, glass domes for viewing the northern lights, reindeer-pulled sleighs, and snow-covered trees may all be found in northern Finland, tucked behind the snow-covered trees.
This journey embraces everything Christmas in a way that even Buddy the Elf would enjoy, starting with the playful (and occasionally mischievous) elves who welcome you in Ivalo, Finland, and continuing with them leading you in Christmas carols on buses as you travel to the Lapland region to meet Santa.
As my family and I fully committed to the magic and reserved a package to visit Santa in northern Finland the previous year, I would know.
Along with marking off a once-in-a-lifetime memory that my kids will treasure forever, the search for Santa also played a part in restoring some of the holiday magic that had been lost during the coronavirus outbreak.
Here are five things you should know if you plan to travel on this amazing excursion to Finland's Lapland region to meet Santa.
It's breathtakingly lovely.
Although this region of the world may be inaccessible, brutal, and harsh, it is also really stunning in a way that will leave you (frozen) in awe.
Even if it never actually becomes bright during the winter holidays, the midday twilight shimmering on a bed of white snow is something out of a fairy tale that you must experience.
You will enjoy seeing this area of the Arctic, whether you personally go in quest of Santa or simply want to see a location that appears so enchanted that will be difficult for you to believe it's real.
It was just as enthralling as we had hoped.
We experienced activities that were completely outside of our comfort zones—in a good manner—ranging from dog sledding to reindeer sleigh rides.
It was as though we were surrounded by fur and elves and living in a fantastic tale.
You can go there on your own or as part of a packaged excursion.
It is possible to travel independently to one of the towns or cities where Santa frequents in Finland's Lapland region, but if you want to make preparing as simple as possible, a tour may be the best option.
We chose Santa's Lapland since they provide three- and four-day vacations from the UK to Finland.
The trip does include charter flights from the U.K., lodging and ground transfers in Finland, all meals (except for a few lunches), the use of thermal snow gear, and a variety of winter activities, such as dog sled rides, reindeer sleigh rides, and snowmobiling. However, these packages are quite pricey (be prepared for sticker shock), so be aware of that before booking.
Most significantly, you'll get the opportunity to look for Santa's secret residence.
To enhance your experience, you can add a few more excursions like those to see the northern lights or go snowshoeing, but considering how packed your vacation will be with all the freebies, you might want to hold off on booking too many extra excursions.
Despite the fact that the other activities we added to our trip were enjoyable, if I were to do it over again, I would only include a little skiing session because the slopes are nearby.
Before we tacked on extra activities that ranged in price from 25 pounds ($28) to 114 pounds ($128) per person, the total cost of our three-night "Santa's Aurora" trip for two people and two children was a little under 6,000 pounds (or about $7,000).
Consider one of the more cost-effective two-day packages, which start at roughly 1,100 pounds ($1,234) for adults and have discounted prices for kids, if you want to save some money.
Planning your own journey is an alternative if forking over thousands of dollars for a package doesn't sound like the best choice for you.
The next time, I would save money by doing this.
I would probably connect through Helsinki and aim for Rovaniemi, Finland, as our final destination rather than booking a package.
The same as last time, I would pay 88,000 ANA miles for a round-trip business class ticket to and from Europe.
With cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can choose to transfer miles to ANA through the Membership Rewards program of American Express.
If you choose to take this route, you can continue your 12-hour journey from Helsinki to Rovaniemi by boarding the overnight Santa Claus Express train.
Although there are ordinary seats that are more reasonably priced, I would recommend spending a little more for a cabin because they come with mattresses and some even have private bathrooms.
You can partake in whichever winter activities appeal to you the most while you're in Rovaniemi.
There are numerous operators offering dog sledding excursions, northern lights tours, and other activities.
But because they book up quickly, make sure to plan your chosen activities as far in advance as you can.
The experience is unlike anything else.
If you choose to book a trip to see Santa in Finland, be prepared to fully commit for a few days.
You'll be aware of the season and who you're in town to see from the moment you arrive until the day you leave.
Transportation
We knew this was going to be anything but an ordinary flight when we stepped onto the included Jet2holidays aircraft for our charter flight from the U.K. to Finland.
At 36,000 feet, Christmas carols were sung while the plane's lightning had a rich crimson color.
When we landed in Finland and went to collect our bags, we saw sneaky elves spinning around and laughing on luggage carts as they secretly put our bags back on the conveyor belt and out of our sight.
They threw snowballs, messed with people's hats, and generally made mischief over the next few days, but it was all in good fun.
You'll completely enjoy the event if you lean into the holiday pandemonium.
Lodging
The hotel that was a part of our package was the Star Arctic Hotel, a more expensive choice that you can also make on your own.
The Star Arctic Hotel, which is a little outside of town but right on the slopes of Saariselkä, Europe's northernmost ski resort, is the perfect location for adventurers.
There are a few different hotel alternatives, and we only tried out two of them while we were there.
We spent the first night of our trip in a magnificent Aurora Glass Cabin with a number of windows to watch the northern lights.
We were not fortunate enough to see the northern lights, but we nevertheless appreciated waking up to a clear picture of the icy surroundings.
We spent a short time in a cabin and then spent the rest of our time in a suite with a sauna.
Although it was a little small for the four of us, it worked.
After a busy day in the chilly weather, the private sauna in our suite was a great spot to relax.
Snowmobiling and dog sledding
When I initially learned that our package included dog sledding, I thought we would be riders traveling in a bundled-up vehicle with a competent driver in charge.
Wow, was I mistaken.
We had the keys to the car, so to speak, as opposed to being escorted about like you would in upscale ski resorts like Aspen or Vail, Colorado.
I took the controls after a brief tutorial and guided my daughter and I along the snowy terrain.
Both fearful and exciting feelings were present.
The immersive nature of the other activities here also makes them a lot of fun (and wilder) to participate in.
We didn't just set off on full-sized snowmobiles for our snowmobiling excursion while towing the kids in a separate cart.
My 6-year-old got to experience the thrill of driving a toy snowmobile that was mounted on a pole since we had the possibility to let him participate.
My kid will undoubtedly remember it as a life-changing experience because it was something she had always wanted to do.
The food
All of our meals—with the exception of a few lunches—were included because we purchased a Santa's Lapland package.
Each was offered as a buffet.
Although generally good, the cuisine was not our trip's standout experience.
At most meals, chicken nuggets and french fries were offered for children, but you should anticipate that the majority of the menu will consist of more authentic Finnish foods.
Hopefully, you enjoy salmon because it frequently appears on the buffet.
If you have fussy eaters in your group, make sure they have everything they need to be satisfied at mealtime by double-checking the menus in advance, packing snacks, and maybe making a grocery store run.
The shared experience
It is a given that you will spend several days with other families if you choose a packaged tour.
So, be prepared to deal with one or two strong personalities in your company. Pack some patience and understanding.
For the most part, we didn't give this much thought because we were all just happy to be at such a special place.
No matter what language or country our travel partners were from, it was obvious that they all appreciated what a special chance a journey like this was.
They wanted to enjoy every moment of the experience just as much as we did.
You'll meet the season's leading man.
You won't just get to visit Santa Claus' house up close if you go to Lapland in Finland.
Santa will also be available for you to see.
On our last full day, after a reindeer-drawn sleigh ride through the snow, we discovered three elves in a sweet red cottage tucked away in the woods.
The elves were friendly and open to us despite the fact that I'm not sure they were particularly pleased that we found such a unique location in the enchanted woods.
It was quite the experience to be welcomed into Santa's comfortable house after losing out on meeting him in person in 2020 and traveling hundreds of miles to try and find him in 2021.
As expected, he was quite kind.
He managed to keep the children's letters that they had sent him weeks earlier; this unique touch provided even more charm to the already extraordinary event.
The Arctic is extremely cold.
The outside is not as comfortable as Santa's cottage, which is warm and comforting.
Even though there is a lot of snow as seen in the images, you don't really realize how cold it is until you arrive in northern Finland.
For the majority of our vacation in late November, the temperature stayed around zero degrees Fahrenheit.
In fact, we could barely move without donning full thermal attire due to the extreme cold; it took us two minutes to cross the parking lot to the restaurant near the reception area.
The essentials will be provided once you arrive if you book a guided tour, so don't worry about packing all the gear you'll need to be warm.
To layer under the bulky thermal suits, your tour leader will provide you, make sure to carry soft base layers and cozy clothing.
Bring hats, thick wool socks, neck warmers, glove liners, and hats as well.
It can become very cold even with the provided gear and the clothes you bring from home (especially when the wind picks up), but don't let that stop you from having fun.
Even for my 6-year-old, the temperatures were bearable for short periods of time once covered up.
Still, be aware that anything exposed for any amount of time will quickly become extremely chilly. As a result, your hair and eyelashes may feel frozen (and may appear that way in photographs).
In conclusion
Nothing quite compares to the thrill of meeting Santa in his cold cabin in the woods, despite the fact that we've gone skiing in Canada, been to Alaska, and even explored Norway.
Each family vacation is unique and precious in its own way, but after the past few years and the experiences we have all missed out on, this first significant trip following the epidemic was genuinely remarkable.
The experience of visiting Finland's Lapland was so unusual and special that it will always be inscribed in our collective memory banks.
Even while you don't have to travel all the way to the Arctic to experience holiday enchantment, if you do decide to go there, whether independently or as part of a package tour, you'll probably come back with plenty of lifelong memories.
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