Day
1: Arrival to the Arctic Circle, let's go hunt for Northern Lights!
Welcome
to Rovaniemi, the Official Hometown of Santa Claus! Your guide will pick
you up directly from the airport or train station and take you to our office in
the city center of Rovaniemi to dress you in proper winter clothes that you
will be using for the duration of your stay.
Take
a short break in your hotel after check-in and prepare yourself for your first
Nordic experience tonight.
At
night, we will head out to the forest to try the most lappish experience -
campfire barbecue under the Kota or at the Lávvu, with light snack being
provided. Let's see together if we are lucky enough to witness the magical
northern lights appear!
Day
2: Ranua Wildlife Park & Traditional Sauna Experience with Outdoor Jacuzzi
After
breakfast at your hotel, you will set off for the Ranua Wildlife Park,
where you will be able to observe Arctic animals in their natural environment.
The Wildlife park includes approximately 50 wild animal species and 200
individuals. Ranua Zoo is Lapland’s leading tourist attraction for families to
greet unique, lovely Arctic animals, including polar bears!
Spend
your night with an authentic Finnish sauna experience. Sauna is such an
important part of Finnish culture that it is irreplaceable by other things. It
has been a place for physical and spiritual cleansing for centuries. Dipping in
the icy lakes and rolling in the snow are said to be good for your blood
circulation. Relax in the traditional Finnish sauna, lean back in the jacuzzi,
and release all your stress while the Northern Lights dance above you in the
sky.
Day
3: Luosto Amethyst Mine & Saariselkä hilltop with Northern Lights
After
breakfast, start our journey from Rovaniemi to Luosto, where you will visit the
amethyst mine and dig for your own precious stone! The amethyst mine is located
on top of the Lampivaara hill, close to the Luosto recreation center, situated
in the middle of the beautiful landscape. A professional miner will share some
of the fascinating stories with you, and instructions will be given on how to
use the mining tools properly for this activity.
Afterward,
we will head to the peaceful village of Saariselkä in the wilderness.
Saariselkä Village is located in Finland's biggest municipality, Inari, 250
kilometres to the north of the Arctic Circle. The village of Saariselkä is
built to be a tourism center, and it is very compact. Nowadays, Saariselkä is a
popular tourist destination due to Urho Kekkonen National Park, the Sámi people
living in the area, the gold mining legends of the area, and the Lapland scenery
of Kaunispää and Iisakkipää fells.
In the evening, experience the wonderful
phenomenon of the Northern Lights on top of the hill named Kaunispää - where
our guide will take you to some secret spots according to the weather forecast
to hunt for the auroras.
Day
4: Sámi Museum in Inari & Northern Lights huting by snowmobiles
Travel
from Saariselkä to Inari, the largest municipality in Finland, which charms
visitors and locals with its unique nature and diverse culture. In Inari, you
will visit the Sámi Museum, which presents the culture of the Finnish Sámi
through its exhibitions and collections.
After
visiting the museum, enjoy the buffet lunch and head back to Rovaniemi.
In
the same evening, we will go huting the northern lights on the snowmobiles!
Don't forget to bring your driving license!
Day
5: Santa Claus Village & Arctic Circle & Meet the Husky and Reindeer
& Hunting Aurora with photographers
Today's
adventure starts with visiting Santa Claus Village, where you will have
a private meeting with Santa Claus. At the popular Santa’s Post Office, you can
greet the elves and send postcards to your family and friends.
The
Arctic Circle cuts right through Santa Claus
Village, where you can officially enter the polar circle when you cross the
line. You will also be provided with the Arctic Circle Crossing Certificate by
the end of the tour.
After
saying goodbye to Santa, let’s meet the enthusiasm of the running huskies
during the short, but enjoyable, sleigh ride experience.
Lunch
will be provided at the restaurant in traditional Finnish buffet style in the
Santa Claus Village. Shortly after, you will be taken to meet the Santa's
reindeer and ride with them.
Don't
forget to shop for some souvenirs before we leave the Santa Claus village.
After we will take you to check out the more in-depth culture of Lapland by
visiting the Arktikum Museum with our professional guide, who will
explain everything that you need to know about it.
At
night, let's go for another hunt for the northern lights together with our photographers.
Photos of the night will be sent to you by email the next day with no
additional cost.
*Please
note that the northern lights are subject to weather conditions and solar
activity. Therefore, they cannot be 100% guaranteed.
Day
6: Snowshoeing & Ice Fishing - relaxing night staying at arctic igloos
Start
the day with an unforgettable snowshoeing exeperience. The most authentic way
to go through powdery, fresh snow is by putting on snowshoes. Our expert guide
will show you how to put the snowshoes, while we are all enjoying this joyful
winter experience. Look around and try to find out if any wild animals are
hidden nearby too! Later on, try Ice fishing in the frozen lake with our
professional guide showing you the techniques. Your guide will help you find
the best location for drilling a hole.
Tonight, you will be checking in to the local
Igloo accommodation, where you get to relax, chill out, and sleep under the
starry sky above you. Get cozy and stay warm inside the igloo, as these
beautiful surroundings might be even more delightful with the northern lights
showing up later in the evening!
Day
7: SnowCastle Visit - Departure Day
Shortly
after breakfast, we will take you to visit the incredible Arctic Snowcastle,
which was built entirely of pure white snow and magnificent ice sculptures by
the Arctic designers. A guide will tell you how to keep the snow castle in an
appropriate state for the whole winter; how to sleep in the ice hotel, and a
lot more interesting than facts. Inside the Snowcastle, you will also find an
ice bar, an ice restaurant and the snow hotel.
After
the tour, we will drop you off at your departure point (train station, bus
station, or airport) for your return journey.