If you’re travelling to Finnish Lapland over Christmas, you’re probably wondering how you might be spending the big day. Excitingly, as the official homeland of Father Christmas, you’ll be in one of the most festive places in the world. What’s more, there are some spectacular Finnish traditions that will help you celebrate just as the locals do. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest and best. 

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 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 can be a lot of pressure deciding how you want to celebrate the new year, especially when you have the whole family to think about. That’s why we’ve carefully designed family new year holidays to take the worry away.

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?

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.

No matter what your age, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the famous man in red. What’s more, we know that for the little ones a meeting with Father Christmas can be a truly magical experience. That’s why we’ve carefully designed a selection of holidays that include personal and memorable meetings with Father Christmas, right on his home soil.

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:

Here at Activities Abroad, we know that most families can’t wait to tick husky sledding off their bucket lists. However, when you and your children actually get the chance to experience it for the first time, it can be quite daunting. So, in order to help prepare your family for one of the Arctic’s most exhilarating experiences, we have put together our top tips for any husky sledding beginner!

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.

Active family holidays are a fantastic way to get some quality time with kids – including hard-to-please teens! - while enjoying a favourite pastime or discovering a new hobby, whether it’s cross-country skiing, a husky safari, cycling, surfing or all manner of other outdoor pursuits. 

If your family is anything like ours, then Blue Planet II has been the ultimate Sunday night TV making everyone want to get up off the sofa and explore the world! With that in mind, here are four holidays that will make you feel like you're in an episode of Blue Planet:

We know it’s hard to make a decision about where to go on your winter family holiday, so why not take some expert advice?

We asked our Activities Abroad and here’s what they had to say:

After my helmet was fitted, I beamed around at the others in the group before heading outside to cool down whilst I waited for the rest of the group to have their helmets fitted too.

Once we were all outside our guide Laura called to get our attention and introduced herself and the other guide before taking us over to a row of large red and black snowmobiles. We all listened attentively whilst she showed us the controls and the hand signals we would use on the safari. Once we were all confident and found our snowmobiles we set off in single file, moving through the snowy landscape.

We know! You’re probably thinking ‘isn’t it a bit too soon for Christmas talk? It’s only August’

Well yes; it probably is. But when it comes to winter holidays, we find the earlier the better. Here at Activities Abroad we get booked up early, so it’s time to start talking snow!

Arriving at the reindeer farm we were met by a fellow in a startling blue cloak decorated with a bright red trim. On his head sat a giant fur hat with flaps similar to that of a deerstalker; his feet were as interesting as the rest of his outfit as, casting my eyes down, I noticed he wore furry shoes that could have been furry slippers that curled around at the toe.

He welcomed us by opening his arms and standing very straight and tall and introducing himself as Joonas; telling us that he is a reindeer herder before he led us towards his reindeer, about 30 metres away. The reindeer stood fairly still as we approached, moving their heads only to check who we were. They were then harnessed up and attached to a sleigh and behind that reindeer’s sleigh was another reindeer and then another sleigh and so on; so standing in front of us was a ridiculously cute reindeer train!

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:

As parents ourselves, we can understand that safety when travelling is at the forefront of everyone’s minds and, in an increasingly turbulent world, it is understandable that travellers are eagerly seeking out destinations where issues such as political unrest are less prevalent.

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: