Here at Activities Abroad, we treasure the magic of Christmas and believe it is something to be enjoyed by the whole family. Our Father Christmas holidays are thoughtfully chosen to offer every family member a truly genuine and authentic experience filled with festive fun. What better way to spend the holidays than with the big man himself? With so many exciting Christmas trips on offer, we can help you choose the perfect fit for you and your family. 

Our Father Christmas holidays are tried and tested by the families of our very own team, so you can be sure that these trips offer you the best of the season’s festivities, with both sophistication and fun so that there is always something for everyone. We’ve compiled this handy guide to help with the festive decision-making so you can choose an unforgettable Father Christmas break.

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:

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 Father Christmas may call it home, when it comes to experiences in Lapland, the man in red has some fierce competition!

We know what you are thinking! It’s not even summer, so why are we discussing the winter season? Well, we’re going to let you into a little secret - now is probably one of the best times of year to begin planning your festive family holiday before our handpicked hotels and flights are all snapped up!

There really is nothing better to get you into the festive spirit than an appearance from good old Saint Nicholas but with all the times he’s come to us, isn’t it only right we visited him?

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:

If you are anything like us then you have probably been longing for the chance to escape the heat of summer and cool down! Now it might still be the summer holidays but the good news is that winter is around the corner and here at Activities Abroad we think that there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the colder months!

Having worked at Activites Abroad for almost 9 years I have always dreamt about taking my family to Lapland.  I am very lucky to be able to visit many of the wonderful destinations that we offer as part of my role as Product and Operations Manager and I consider many of our local partners as friends rather than just business associates.

We recently caught up with Laura from our marketing team to find out about her experience meeting reindeer in Finnish Lapland, here's what she had to say:

So, I’m a little bit of an animal lover (ok - major animal lover) and when I heard I was going to Finnish Lapland and getting the chance to meet reindeer, I couldn’t have been more excited!

Experiencing a snow holiday with Activities Abroad is more than just your normal family ski escape. Combine fantastic snow with bucket list experiences, endless fun away from crowded resorts and magical family experiences.

Here are our top three places to experience a snow holiday:

With the festive season creeping up on us, it’s not too early to turn your attention to the February half-term holiday in order to make the most of this precious time with loved ones.

Take a look at this roundup of my favourite holidays departing during the next school half-term:

Lapland has so much to offer families who are eager to experience a winter wonderland escape, but sometimes with its vast range of activities it can become the case of having too much choice of fun things to do during your stay. 

We’ve picked 3 great winter experiences that you must do this year:

Our representative Katrina has been busy looking after our families staying in Harrinva, Jeris and Torassieppi this year. We caught up with Katrina to find out about her winter in Lapland.

What do families enjoy the most about Harriniva, Jeris and Torassieppi?

There are so many fun activities to enjoy especially for children. Children always love meeting the huskies. They enjoy the husky safaris and getting to cuddle the huskies. The reindeers are also very popular and a reindeer sleigh ride is a magical experience for the whole family.  The tobogganing is probably one of the most popular activities. It’s very fun and children don’t get cold as they are constantly running up the hill for another go.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride

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.

Jo and Amy our Product and Sales managers are currently in Finland checking on preparations for our family Christmas holidays.

As they touched down in Rovaniemi it was clear winter had arrived and there was even a couple of inches of snow on the ground making everything look extra special!