An Arctic escape to magical Lapland is normally at the top of every family's wish list. But with so many incredible winter wonderland experiences that the whole family can enjoy available, it can prove difficult to choose exactly what to do on your own winter break. Read on for our top three Lapland experiences to help you plan your dream Arctic itinerary:

Several weeks into lockdown and we don’t blame you if your lesson planning is starting to feel a little uninspired. So, we thought we would help…at least with a Science lesson (and maybe a dash of Geography, History and Art too!).

Introduce your young explorers to the wonder of the Northern Lights in our Mini Guide to Aurora Hunting.

Here at Activities Abroad we know that think that witnessing the Northern Lights is a real bucket list item for many families, which is why quite a few of our snow holidays include opportunities to witness Mother Nature’s greatest light show!

However, seeing the elusive Aurora isn’t quite as straight forward as simply jumping on a plane to the Arctic and hoping for the best. As with any natural phenomenon there are a few things to bear in mind if you want to give you and your family the best chance of ticking the magical display off your bucket list. That is why we have put together our five top tips to help you have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights with your family this winter! Read on to find out more!

It is safe to say that here at Activities Abroad we get very excited about the onset of a new winter season. Not only do the winter months in the Arctic bring with them a host of exciting family activities such as dog sledding and reindeer sleigh rides, they also give our families one of the first opportunities to go in search of the Northern Lights!

The first Auroras of this season were sighted at Brändön Lodge in Swedish Lapland on the 13th August 2024! On the same night the Northern Lights were visible across the UK and at several of our Arctic destinations. We experienced a significant geomagnetic storm in May, followed by another one in mid-August, which is quite a brief interval within the aurora seasons and a clear indication that we are in a solar maximum. If there was ever a perfect time to book a trip to the Arctic to witness the aurora, it's now!

What is Solar Maximum? 

For the full scientific explanation please head on over to our sister company - The Aurora Zone which has lots of fascinating scientific articles explaining such as 'What is the Solar Maximum' 

In a short (ish!) summary: Since human's earliest fascination with space, and scientists began observing the Sun's activity, it becsme clear that the number of sunspots fluctuates over time. This pattern typically spans about 11 years, though it can extend up to 14 or 15 years, and is known as the Solar Cycle. Within each Solar Cycle, the number of sunspots increases to a peak, called the Solar Maximum, and then decreases to a low point, known as the Solar Minimum. 

We are right in the middle of the current solar cycle which in short not only means more frequent but also more spectacular Auroras! 

Though we all enjoy the summer here at Activities Abroad, we think there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the upcoming winter. With the crisp autumn leaves falling to the ground, we’re thinking ahead to white snowy landscapes of Lapland and that wonderful festive time of year.

Sadly, the school holidays are over and it’s time to get back to reality. But why not give into some wanderlust thoughts and start thinking about your family winter break!

Here are Activities Abroad’s 10 unmissable winter experiences you need to have this year:

Lapland offers so much to families wanting to revel in all the joys that come with an escape to a winter wonderland. With so much choice, we understand that it can be hard to narrow down exactly what you want to do on your family break. So, in order to help you plan your next Arctic escape, we caught up with one of our Travel Experts, Laura to get her top three experiences to have this winter with your family:

Over the winter months our Activities Abroad representative Ben has been working in Nellim. As the season draws to a close we asked Ben to share his favourite experiences of the winter season.

As a travel expert at Activities Abroad, i’m often asked for holiday inspiration... Here are some great ideas for family winter holidays.

For younger families there may only be one chance to meet the ‘real’ Father Christmas in Lapland.

Credit: Marko Junttila & Hotel Gulo Gulo

Our Father Christmas and Arctic Animal Encounters ensures a memorable and magical experience for both children and adults alike. The focus of the holiday is of course the Santa visit......Travelling as a family by snowmobile pulled sleigh through the snowy Lappish Forest, the trail leads to a cosy cabin where you will be welcomed by Father Christmas himself. If you like the idea of a private Santa Claus experience, this is perfect, with the children getting around 20 minutes to talk with him about his most important of jobs!

Ali founded Activities Abroad a long, long time ago after returning to the UK after a year-long bike ride across Europe. Aged 30-something, he was sitting in his parents’ house with no job, no money and absolutely no prospects and thinking, “What am I going to do for the rest of my life?”