Christmas For Older Children in Lapland

They grow up quickly but it is never too late to show your kids Santa's homeland.

Our range of Christmas in Lapland holidays include many options that would suit a family with teenagers. All of the following holidays are above the Arctic Circle and if the weather and conditions are right, the Northern Lights could be visible on any given night. Some of the destinations are close to downhill ski resorts as well.

Here are our recommendations, with specific highlights & activities on offer for older children:

Christmas at Aurora Village, Finland

• Private stay in Aurora Glass roofed cabins
• As well as snowmobiling, reindeer sledding and husky safaris, free use of cross-country skis, ice-skates, toboggans, snowshoes and campfires keep the days full.
• Santa program is unique and individualised
• Teenagers can have free access to Kota and Laavu campfire sites if they want to do their own things outside
• Pretty cool sauna and spa set up for teenagers to use as an option

See our Aurora Village family holiday tour here.

Christmas at the ICEHOTEL

• Ice Sculpting at the ICEHOTEL and predinner drinks in the icebar
• Sámi Culture & Reindeer Excursion
• Dogsledding, Snowmobiling and Snowshoeing tours
• Kåppasjåkka cave visit, part of one of Sweden's longest cave system
• Sleep overnight at ICEHOTEL
• Local christmas church experience
• Very casual references to Santa
• Small Christmas market on the property
• Potential to include a hot air ballooning experience over Swedish Lapland
• Potential to include an extended dog sledding overnight experience in the real wilds of Sweden which involves the teenagers looking after their own dog team.

See our Private, tailor made Swedish family holiday tour here.

Polar Bears and Father Christmas in Lapland

• Sledding around the Arctic Ranua Zoo
• See polar bears, lynxes, wolves, elk & more up close on private guided tours
• Husky and Reindeer sledding
• Snowmobiling on mini-skidoos or bigger ones
• Stay in a big & modern log cabin with plenty of room for kids to move around, fend for themselves and free access to toboggans and sleds for snow play
• Close to Rovaniemi so your older kids can go in and check out Santa's hometown to whatever degree they want
• Great Sami and cultural museums to visit in Rovaniemi

Santa, Elves & Glass Igloos

• Visit a Reindeer farm by snow mobile, husky safari & evening Northern Lights chase on snowmobile
• A stay in a glass igloo
• Wilderness adventure staying in your own personal log cabin
• This tour attracts families and individuals of all ages.
• This is an escorted tour but the venue and activities allows for lots of space and individual experiences if required.

How it works with teenagers on these winter tours:

Many of these included winter activities on our Christmas tours can be as long as 3 - 4 hours and involve campfire lunches and special destinations. When husky sledding, your kids will be amazed (teenagers ?) as your guide tells you stories about postmen, explorers and hunters who used to choose dog teams as a means of transport through the wilderness. Many of the excursions can be customised for your group to take into account your children's interests. Some of our tours and guided activities have age restrictions so please check with us for details.

Santa visits and 'Christmassy' activities are included but generally involve a search for Santa's log cabin & Christmas tree and are as genuine as possible. Our programs are based around having an intimate 'White Christmas' family experience - snow, log cabins with fires, board games, free time for family adventures and space to roam. Where possible, our Christmas program will include a visit to the local village for Christmas carols and a church visit.

Scandinavian outdoor winter culture such as saunas, hunting & reindeer farming, winter survival and Sami folklore is also something that can capture your children's imagination. It is an amazing resilient way of life living in such a harsh winter landscape - something that will blow your children's minds.

You might also like to visit one of the major Nordic capitals before your Lapland holiday and soak up that classic European Christmas atmosphere. There are beautiful Christmas markets, public outdoor ice skating rinks, pulsing art districts & note worthy children’s museums to visit.

Image credit: Fredrik Broman, Lapland Ballooning.