Lets talk Lapland
Did you know that February is peak season?
As I did my research, I learned that February offers more daylight than December, more sunshine, more pleasant temperatures (cold but more bearable), more powdery snow (great for winter sports) & a better chance to see the Northern Lights!
When Ryanair launched their direct flight from Dublin to Rovaniemi I jumped at the chance to visit & to tailor our holiday exactly as we wanted. The flight duration is just 3 hours 25 minutes.
Accommodation
Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, located right on the Arctic circle & is the official hometown of Santa Claus. We stayed at Santa Claus Holiday Village, a short 5-minute transfer from Rovaniemi airport through snowy forest-scapes.
We stayed in a classic cottage, which had 1 bedroom & a sofa bed in the living room, a kitchen, large clothes drying closet & a bathroom with sauna. It was very warm, comfortable & spacious. There is a good choice of dining options in Santa Claus Village & all of the winter wonderland activities are on your doorstep.
We found it great to be able to walk back to our cottage at any time. With small children, anything can happen. They may get tired or a little too cold, they may fall & hurt themselves or feel unwell.
Magical activities
We pulled the children along on sleds. They climbed up mounds of snow & slid down them to their hearts content. They played in the playground & made a snow family. There were plenty of snowball fights. It was really lovely to play together in the snow & was so much fun.
We prebooked a 5km husky ride (20 mins) & entrance tickets to Snowman World (with ice skating, slides, snow tubing & a snow bar). The mini snowmobiles can be done at any time, on a very safe small track. (Other snowmobile tours can also be booked – don’t forget to bring your driver’s licence if you wish to drive!)
That evening we did the Elfs Hat academy. An elf took us along a secret path to their cabin where we learned to speak elf words & dance moves, we decorated cookies & graduated with a special diploma & our very own elf hat.
Ski lessons
The next day we had a ski lesson booked at Ounasvaara, just 10 mins by taxi from Santa Claus Village. (I downloaded the Maneva taxi app before leaving home. Of course, reception could also organise taxis).
After being fitted for our equipment, our family ski lesson went very well. The children were absolute naturals, whilst the adults had great fun laughing at each other! Some were much better than others. We had plenty of time afterwards on the slopes to practice before warming up by the kota. We brought marshmallows (& metal retractable toasting forks from amazon), a flask of hot chocolate & snacks.
The Northern Lights
The Aurora app told me that the chances of seeing the Northern Lights that night were good. The children were exhausted after their day skiing, so we decided to stay home & relax for the evening. Keeping an eye on my phone, when the app told me that it was the best time, I put on my jacket, boots etc & ventured out into the snow & only a few yards from our cottage I seen them! Fabulous!
Our last day
On our last morning we met Santa at his office (free of charge), crossed the arctic circle & one of our absolute highlights - we visited Elf’s farmyard where we walked through the snowy forest with reindeer. Back at the farmyard we seen some other animals, slid down the hills on sleds, warmed up by the kota & slid some more. The children were happy to do this all day.
Believe me, Lapland is not all about Santa; In fact, we could have skipped that part completely!
Would I recommend Lapland? Wholeheartedly!! Would I return? YES!! Without a doubt!! Lapland is a very special place – a winter wonderland. We had an amazing holiday & in my opinion, the memories of this trip far outweigh those of a traditional week in the sun.
Holiday options
If you are travelling early in the season (November/early December), flying with Ryanair to Rovaniemi, bear in mind that you may be lucky/unlucky with snowfall. (Apukka Resort has its own snow machine in case of emergencies!). And you may wish to travel a little further North for a better chance of snow.
The Lapland holiday packages departing in December are based on charter flights to airports further north, with set departure dates & itineraries. On these trips everything is taken care of & it is a truly magical experience. These packages are hugely popular & for good reason. However, they tend to book out well in advance, so please contact me as early as possible if this is something that you are interested in booking.
If you are looking for something a little different, I can tailor-make your perfect Lapland trip, to offer the most suitable options for you - whether that is a family holiday or an adult’s getaway, a celebratory trip or a Honeymoon. There are many flight options available from Ireland - direct & indirect.
Other hotels
Nova Skyland Hotel offers suites & cottages that range in size & can accommodate 2-8 people. The Glass Resort offers luxury glass igloo accommodation. Both are located in Santa Claus Village, with panoramic windows to marvel at the fantastic scenery & the Northern Lights.
Apukka Resort is approx. 15 mins from Rovaniemi airport. It is a more secluded location & offers 2 restaurants plus all winter activities (husky tours, reindeer tours, snowmobile tours, ice fishing, Northern Lights tours). Accommodation includes cabins, glass igloos, lakeview suites & a large private villa.
The Arctic Treehouse Hotel is a fabulous option for couples. This award-winning property is situated within 10 minutes of Rovaniemi airport, in a tranquil location on a wooded hill, with breath-taking views.
Arctic Snow hotel & Glass Igloos is situated approx. 30 minutes from Rovaniemi airport on the shores of Lake Lehtojarvi. At the snow hotel, everything is made of snow & ice each year (beds are made of ice & you sleep in special sleeping bags), plus an ice restaurant, ice bar, ice chapel (where you can get married or renew your vows) & a snow sauna. With a 360-degree glass roof, the Glass Igloos provide the best possible views of the sky.
