TOURS INCLUDED - ENCHANTING AURORA BOREALIS & LAPLAND - 2027 (SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY VILLAGE ACCOMMODATION)
DAY 01 ISTANBUL – ROVANIEMI – SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE – AURORA BOREALIS
We depart from Istanbul to Rovaniemi on Turkish Airlines scheduled flight (TK1749) at 09:45 in the morning. We arrive in Rovaniemi at 13:25. At the airport, we board our bus and head first to Santa Claus Village.
Santa Claus Village Visit
Santa Claus Village is known as Santa's home and is particularly popular during the winter months. Famous for its traditional Lapland cottages and snow-covered landscapes, visitors can visit Santa's house and send their special wishes. Additionally, you can drop a letter into the red post boxes at Santa's post office to be delivered to yourself or your loved ones next Christmas. The village is filled with souvenir shops, local handicrafts, and Christmas-themed cafes. Santa Claus Village, where the Arctic Circle passes and marked by a blue light line indicating the polar line, is a great place for people of all ages to experience the magical atmosphere of Christmas. After our visit to Santa Claus Village, we proceed to our hotel, Santa Claus Holiday Village, located in the same area. Before checking into the hotel, we stop by the safari office to collect our thermal clothing for the safaris and tours we will be doing.
Ice Hotel Visit, Dinner, and Aurora Borealis
After checking into the hotel and taking a short rest, we head to the Ice Hotel. The Ice Hotel is a popular attraction open to visitors every day between December 15 and April 1. It is one of the largest snow hotels located on the Arctic Circle. The Snow Hotel is built differently each year and decorated with ice and snow art. Visitors can tour the ice rooms, ice sculptures, the Ice Bar, and the Ice Restaurant. After the visit, we have our dinner featuring grilled salmon cooked over a wood fire in a traditional Lapland cottage called Kota. If luck is on our side and the weather is clear, we will have the chance to see the Northern Lights. In the late evening, we return to our hotel.
DAY 02 ROVANIEMI – HUSKY AND REINDEER SAFARIS
After breakfast, we head to the husky and reindeer farm.
Husky Safari
We arrive at the husky farm and visit some of the world's cutest dogs, the huskies. Today we will learn how to guide our own husky team and enjoy an unforgettable sledding experience with these adorable friends. Afterwards, we relax in a traditional Lapland hut (kota) around a fire with warm drinks. After the husky tour, we move to the reindeer farm.
Reindeer Safari
After receiving information about reindeer from our local guide, we take a tour on sleds pulled by reindeer through the snow-covered forest. After this unforgettable experience, we spend pleasant moments around a bonfire and receive a "Reindeer Riding Certificate" at the end of the tour. Afterwards, we have lunch consisting of roasted reindeer, a traditional Lapland dish. Later, we return to our hotel by bus.
Free time in the evening.
DAY 03 ROVANIEMI – FREE DAY (OPTIONAL ICEBREAKER TOUR)
Free day in Rovaniemi. Guests who wish may participate in the optional icebreaker tour.
Icebreaker Ship Tour – 500 EUR per person
After our morning breakfast, we head to the Swedish town of Kalix, located 170 km from Rovaniemi, for the icebreaker activity. During our journey, we cross the Sweden-Finland border and arrive at Axelsvik port. On our 3-hour journey aboard the world's largest tourist icebreaker ship, you will witness how ice is broken on the frozen sea. Halfway through our journey, in the middle of the icy sea, we put on thermal suits specially designed to survive in cold seas and keep us afloat, and swim in the pool created by the ship breaking the ice. After our tour, which is listed among activities you must try before dying according to National Geographic, we go to Kukololaforsen, a fishing village in Sweden, for lunch. After lunch, we return to Rovaniemi and have free time for dinner.
DAY 04 ROVANIEMI – SNOWMOBILE – ISTANBUL
Snowmobile Safari
This morning we will take an unforgettable tour on a snowmobile through frozen river valleys and snow-covered forests. During the journey, we will enjoy the frozen landscape and take breaks with warm drinks. Two people are assigned to each snowmobile, and you can change drivers halfway through the route. After the snowmobile tour, we return our thermal clothing. Afterwards, we transfer to the airport. We depart for Istanbul on Turkish Airlines scheduled flight (TK1750) at 15:20. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, our tour concludes.