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Finland

Finland

With a proud heritage of independence and a strong sense of tradition and culture, Finland offers extraordinary experiences. Visit Helsinki, a vibrant city of design and the bridge between East and West, the ancient capital of Porvoo and charming Turku. Try a famous Finnish sauna, see wild brown bear and other Arctic wildlife in their natural habitat, explore the wonderful remote forests and lakes in summer, enjoy the long days of the Midnight Sun and much more.

Helsinki

Helsinki is located at the crossroads of Western and Eastern culture. Some of the city’s main attractions include the Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, the Parliament Building and Finlandia Hall, and Sibelius Monument. We recommend a visit to the Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress, a unique monument to European military architecture which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List or visit Temppeliaukio Church (Church in the Rock) which has been built into solid rock. Another way to explore the city on your own is to purchase a Helsinki Card which provides you with information/maps, free travel on some public transport and free entrances to many museums and attractions.

Finnish Lapland in Winter

Enjoy some great winter fun in a stunning landscape of snow, forest and ice. Learn about the ancient culture of the local Sami people and at night, search for the mystical Northern Lights! Finland is home to some very special hotels made of snow and ice where you can spend the ‘coolest’ night of your life! Our winter tours in Finland offer the experience of a lifetime.

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is located right on the Arctic Circle and is also known as Santa Claus’s hometown. It is a very popular destination for viewing the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi offers a wide variety of options for accommodation including standard hotel rooms, log cabins, suites with amazing views over the treetops, a snow room where the room temperature is between 0–5˚C or a glass igloo where you may be lucky enough to view the Northern Lights through the glass topped roof. Enjoy dinner in the Ice Restaurant or have a drink in the Ice Bar at the Snow Hotel.

Visit a husky farm, reindeer farm or Santa Park where you can attend the Elf school, make and decorate gingerbread in the Gingerbread Kitchen, drop into Santa’s office, ride the magic sleigh, enjoy a drink at the Ice Bar or just wander through the souvenir shop. Spend some time strolling through the shops at Santa Claus Village and make a stop at Santa Claus’ main post office. Enjoy the true magic of Christmas at Santa Claus Secret Forest (Joulukka) with the Elves and watch them perform their chores in preparation for Christmas. Other winter activities on offer in Rovaniemi include dog sledding, snowmobile safaris, husky safaris, ice fishing, snow sculpting, skiing, snowshoeing or join a search for the Northern Lights by car, bus or snowmobile.

Kakslauttanen

Kakslauttanen is located approximately 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle near the Urho Kekkonen National Park and is another great spot to search for and view the Northern Lights. Accommodation that is on offer includes log cabins, snow igloos (temperature of minus 3-6˚c), glass igloos and chalets.

During your stay in Kakslauttanen you can try activities including a husky, reindeer or snowmobile safari, or snow tank ride, ice fishing, the Sampo Ice Breaker, horseback riding or a visit to Santa’s home. Enjoy Lappish cuisine at a traditional restaurant, visit the smoke sauna and have an ice pool experience or visit the Snow Chapel and enjoy a drink in the Ice Bar. Saariselkä is just a 15 minute drive from Kakslauttanen where you can go downhill skiing or snowboarding.

There a number of ways to explore this mighty country and you can select your ideal tour type. You may prefer to be part of a group, travelling by coach on an Escorted tour or, to travel on an Independent tour with your transport and accommodation all pre-booked. Another option is a Partially guided tour, where your overnight accommodation is pre-booked and each excursion is guided – the remainder of the time you’re free to do as you choose. Otherwise, a Self-Drive tour offers you the chance to see the country on a set itinerary, with car hire and accommodation pre-booked.

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