Travel with a twist – There’s more than just Santa in Lapland

One of the main aims of Grown-up Travel Guide is to inspire you to do something different for your next holiday. We try to find new places we know you’ll also enjoy discovering but also original angles on familiar destinations; unusual attractions, ‘hidden’ restaurants and wonderful hotels that you may otherwise miss.

But it doesn’t stop there – rather than only focusing on the ‘where’, we want to give the ‘how’ a little love too.

In the latest article in this series we look at even better reasons to visit Lapland than to meet a certain bearded bloke…

Get the most from a visit to this stunning part of the world on an adults-only trip to Lapland

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Photo courtesy of The White Circle

It’s true that for most people in Northern Europe the term “winter break” generally means one of two things:

(a) Escaping the terrible weather at home for the beach somewhere far away where snow is unheard of and deciding what to have for dinner is likely to be the most arduous activity during their stay; or

(b) Escaping the terrible weather at home for the ski slopes of the Alps to practice their parallel turns and after-ski techniques.

But there are other options; one of which is to embrace winter with open arms and make up for the lack of tan lines on your return with experiences to remember for the rest of your days.

At this point you’ve probably guessed that we are going to talk about the latter here. Lapland, to be precise. Package holidays to meet Santa have been popular with families for years, but adults will find way more to enjoy in this exotic winter wonderland in northern Finland.

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Photo credit: Visit Finland via photopin cc

First of all, there’s the Northern Lights. People travel from all over the world to see them and whilst they are hard to guarantee (this is nature after all) you have an excellent chance of catching them in Lapland.

The best idea is perhaps to consider managing to view the Aurora Borealis as icing the cake rather than the raison d’etre of your Lapland break. Instead look at all the other activities and experiences you can enjoy in Finland:

  • Go on a husky safari through the winter landscape
  • Try cross-country skiing – downhill’s more difficult, more exhausting but ultimately more rewarding older brother
  • Stay in an idyllic log cabin – great at any time but imagine how cozy Christmas would be
  • Go snowmobiling (is that a word? Apparently…)
  • Try snowshoeing – I did last winter and it’s a good way to explore
  • See if you get lucky ice-fishing (this is still on my to-do list)

Travel with small group operator White Circle and you can do all this and more in the company of expert, local guides who will ensure that this winter you’ll have more to talk about when you get home than you’d ever have thought possible from a short break.

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Photo credit: Visit Finland via photopin cc

Andy Higgs
Andy Higgs

I know what it's like to go from being a crazy backpacker without a care in the world, via being a vaguely sensible parent to being an adventurer once more. In other words, evolving into a Grown-up Traveller.

Like everyone else, I love to travel, have visited a lot of countries and all that but my big thing is Africa.

I also own and run The Grown-up Travel Company as a travel designer creating personalised African itineraries for experienced adventurers

Articles: 1323

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