Myself & my friend Coral made a pact about 10 years ago that when she had kids, we’d take them to see Santa at Lapland!
So it was a given when little Hugo (my godson) turned 4 that we were off on the holiday of a lifetime – he’s the perfect age to enjoy and remember the experience. But I think we were more excited than him!
Getting ‘appy’
We were all organised and ready to go, and 48 hours before we flew, I made sure to check the TUI Lapland app as our itinerary for the holiday would be showing. WOW – talk about getting you excited to go! We also had the TUI app handy too, so we could see messages from the reps straight away, as well as the My Aurora Forecast app which tells you how close you are to the Northern Lights.
Two days later and it was time for our adventure to begin! We were up at 3am and on our way to Newcastle airport for our 3-night getaway to Lapland – it really didn’t feel real. We arrived to the happiest and warmest welcome from TUI staff on arrival, had a photo selfie, and looked up to see the flight screens showing TOM1410 to LAPLAND! There were even pictures of the main man himself…Santa!
Far from your average flight
The flight to Lapland wasn’t your average flight – it was decorated Christmassy of course, with cabin crew in Christmas jumpers and hats. Hugo and all the kids onboard received a wonderful welcome pack full of colouring pages & puzzles, and they even had a colouring competition for best picture with the winners receiving selection boxes! During the flight we sang a few Christmas songs, played a couple of games, and children were welcomed down to the front of the plane to tell their best jokes and what they were asking Santa for Christmas. It all really raised the excitement – oh, and we had a nice breakfast included too!
A warm welcome
We touched down at Rovaniemi airport to an even bigger, even smilier greeting from carol-singing TUI reps, alongside a team of elves waving at us. Christmas music was blasting out and we even got a photo with the main dog himself – Captain T. Hugo’s little face lit up, but this was only the start of the adventure!
We had an elf on our bus called Candy Cane who told us all about Lapland and did a great job of getting everyone excited, before Tinsel Teigan the TUI rep explained all the exciting things they had planned for us. Never mind Hugo being excited – Coral and I felt like big kids ourselves! We were then taken to the Christmas factory, where we picked up big sacks ready for our snowsuits, snow boots, mittens, socks, hat and scarf – all included with TUI – and then off to our hotel we went.
Accommodation like no other
Slowly walking up to the entrance of our hotel, in the middle of spectacular snowy woods, we literally felt like we had just stepped straight into a Christmas movie – or Narnia! We took a moment to just take it all in – what a sight – and obviously we took a pic or two for Instagram! Then the hotel porter whizzed past us on a snowmobile – carrying everyone’s luggage to the front entrance of the hotel!
We stayed at Winter Wonderland Hotel and Log Cabins, and the name really speaks for itself. It’s set next to a huge frozen lake, surrounded deep with snow and two snowy hills, complete with bum boards and sledges ready to be played on. We checked into the hotel – our room was so cosy and warm, with lots of wardrobe space, three beds, a TV, tea and coffee making facilities, and a nice spacious bathroom with a toilet and a shower. The hotel only has 58 rooms, and it made such a difference – it had a real small and friendly vibe, making the trip feel more personal, seeing the same familiar faces. Everyone here was just so excited for this adventure. The staff at this hotel truly couldn’t do enough for you too – it really was amazing.
Food-wise, we went Half Board, which was a buffet with lots of hot and cold breakfast options with teas, coffees and juices included, and an evening meal with even more options – soups, main meals, and desserts. Also in the hotel was a bar, a gift shop, chill-out areas with sofas, and a nice log fire for warming up. We chose to go for this hotel because it had children’s entertainment on offer, with the likes of Captain T discos – and it did not disappoint.
Lapland only has daylight for about 4-5 hours a day, so a lot of excursions are early pickups and you can be out most of the day. We found it was perfect having that evening meal and evening entertainment for when you got back – we got stuck into party games, dancing, and game shows, which were a real laugh.
We spent the rest of day one checking out the hotel, playing in the snow (one or two snowball fights were had!) and we even had a go at bum boarding, sledging, and of course we also built a snowman. What a first few hours! We enjoyed our evening meal and Captain T’s Christmas disco, and we also got to meet our reps – our favourites were Gingerbread George & Sleighbell Sam. Tired from all the excitement, we climbed into bed ready for our first full day in Lapland the following morning!
Day 2 – TUI Taster sessions
We left our hotel about 8am – fully suited and booted in our snowsuits, boots, hats, scarfs, thermals, mittens and cameras at the ready! Our transfer dropped us into the sparkling, snowy wilderness and it’s there that we could hear dogs barking in the distance. Yep, you guessed it – huskies!
As far as bucket-list moments go – a husky ride in Lapland has to be up there. Tucked up together in our sleigh, we were pulled by an amazing team of fluffy huskies who happily glided across the snowy planes, swerving in and out of the trees. It was a truly magical experience!
We then got to zoom even further on a super speedy snowmobile ride through the trees, taking us to our next spot where we met…reindeers! We absolutely loved meeting Santa’s number one reindeer herder, who told us fascinating stories about Lapland and Christmas around the cosiness of the campfire. What a moment!
Next up was gingerbread decorating, attending Elf School, a game of snow football, snow hockey, and more sledging, with hot berry juice to keep us hydrated amidst lots of unbelievable photo and video opportunities. Last but not least, it was time to meet the main man himself. SANTAAAAAAA!
Santa’s lodge was tucked away amidst the snowy woods, and we were welcomed in by one of his elves one family at a time. It was so personal, and Hugo absolutely loved it. The whole experience was perfectly pieced together from the moment we arrived, building up to Hugo having a heartwarming and special chat with Santa Claus, dressed in his authentic red velvet suit and the longest of white beards! Of course we took lots of photos, and he even received an early present off Santa to take back to the hotel with us. Core memory unlocked!
Day 3 – A festive finale
Our third day in Lapland was our day to do our own thing, and lots of guests used this day to book additional excursions. We decided to go to Santa Park, which was set in a cave among the snowy hillside. It was 48 euros per adult and 32 euros per child, and we spent hours here as there was simply so much inside! From the Santa train ride to the elf show, arts and crafts, Mrs Claus’s gingerbread making, an ice gallery, arctic circle crossing, and even the chance to post letters home in Santa’s post office. It was fab! We then set off back to the hotel for our festive finale evening.
On our final night in this magical land we enjoyed a lovely festive meal, made up a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Yum! Afterwards, and outside on the frozen lake, everyone gathered for the final surprise of the night… fireworks! We watched the most amazing display, feeling incredibly lucky to have created such marvellous memories. We then had one more final goodbye from Captain T and the reps with plenty of singing and dancing in the festive show ‘Jingle Bell Rocks’. It was a brilliant end to an incredible holiday!
Before flying home we had a quick stop at Santa Claus Village, the perfect place for any gifts you want to take home with you. You can get an arctic circle crossing certificate, take a picture of the temperature stand, and there’s even a Santa Claus Village Live Cam on the Santa Village website that you can wave to, which everyone back home can see. This was also perfect to check if it was snowing in days before our holiday!
A couple of things to note; the reps were always on hand in the hotel updating the notice board with what experiences are available, and advised to book them ASAP to save disappointment – especially arrivals that are closer to Christmas. Having spoken to other guests the most popular experiences were the Husky Sleigh tour rides, Reindeer Sleigh rides, Northern Lights at Night tour, Elf School and Snowmobiles.
This truly was the holiday of a lifetime and I already can’t wait to return. Kids will of course love it, but adults will be left just as in awe too!
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