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Tours

Polar Bears & Glass Igloos in Ranua

  • Day 1 - Transfer from Rovaniemi to your apartment
  • Day 2 - Head out for an escorted Wildlife park tour before visiting Santa
  • Day 3 - Snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm & evening Northern Lights tour
  • Day 4 - Go dogsledding on the Husky Safari and then sleep in a Glass Igloo
  • Day 5 - Depart the Wildlife Park and head to next location

Price starting from $3731 AUD Read more...

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Departure Information

Journey beginning and ending at Rovaniemi, Finland

Fully booked: 2024-12-19 to 2024-12-23 starting from $3731 AUD

Available: 2025-12-19 to 2025-12-23 starting from $4678 AUD

Overview

Visiting Santa in Lapland is a wonderfully magical experience – with the snow topped landscapes outside, and cosy fires indoors. This pre-Christmas tour is based in a small town outside Rovaniemi and introduces you to the incredible animals of the Arctic as well as Santa Claus himself. Enjoy a white wonderland in your own family apartment with self-catering facilities as well as breakfast and dinners fully included. Based within the wildlife park complex, in between your winter activities such as snowmobiling and dogsledding, see the polar bears as well as endless visits into the zoo.

Due to high demand, many of our Christmas tours are fully booked over the 24th and 25th December dates, however, most of our tours now have pre-Christmas departures running just before the busy Christmas period. These tours include a Santa visit which is still very exciting to the children as Santa can talk to them about what they are hoping to receive from him and his preparations for his imminent departure. Flights and activities are also easier to prepare at this stage.

Day 1 – Transfer from Rovaniemi to your apartment

Arrive Rovaniemi and enjoy an hour’s transfer to your apartment. Relax by your log fire before heading out for your included dinner.

Day 2 – Head out for an escorted Wildlife park tour before visiting Santa

After breakfast, get ready for a tour at the Wildlife Park. Enjoy a guided tour of the wildlife park.

Later, in the backwoods of Ranua, close to the Ranua Wildlife Park, you have the chance to visit Santa in his very, very secret place, his Hideout Cabin in the wilderness. Within merely a 10 minute ride by snowmobile, you will see a tiny light flickering from far away. As you come closer and closer, you will see a tiny wooden cabin appearing in the shimmering darkness, with candle lights flickering in the windows, smoke rising up from the chimney.

Your family will have a private visit for approx. 15 minutes with Santa, inside his private cabin where you can take photos together and receive pre-organised gifts.

Day 3 – Snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm & evening Northern Lights tour

The snowmobile safari starts with driving instructions, after which we head towards Laivala, a small, authentic reindeer farm. The reindeer herder welcomes the visitors and takes you on a reindeer sled ride for a little less than one kilometre. After the reindeer ride, a hot meal is served in a Lapp hut. The owners of the farm will tell you more about reindeer husbandry and living in harmony with nature.

Two persons share one snowmobile, and there will be a chance to change drivers. Children travel in a sleigh pulled by a guide on snowmobile. All drivers must have a valid driving licence.

After dinner, get ready for an evening Northern Lights tour. Follow your guide from Gulo Gulo to the snowmobile track to receive instructions on how to drive the snowmobile in the evening. The snowmobiles have excellent headlights that guarantee good visibility, even on dark forest trails. We take a couple of short breaks on the way and enjoy a cup of hot juice by an open fire at the halfway point. If we are lucky, we will be treated to one of the most amazing natural phenomena in the world: the Northern Lights.

Two persons share a snowmobile, and children will travel in the sled pulled by the guide.

Day 4 – Go dogsledding on the Husky Safari and then sleep in a Glass Igloo

This morning, check out of your apartment and then enjoy a free morning, remembering you have free entry to the Wildlife Zoo, head out on a Husky Safari.

You will first receive detailed information on steering the sled. Then, the comfortable sleds head from Gulo Gulo into the winter wonderland. A sled can transport two adults and a child. You have the opportunity to steer your own sled, and change drivers with the other adult in the sled halfway. After the safari, you have a chance to ask our guides anything you have always wanted to know about sled dogs, who love to run fast and pull a sled, thus offering the visitors an unforgettable experience to enjoy this ancient, natural way of travelling in the wild.

On your return, check into your Glass Igloo accommodation. It is eight kilometres between the Gulo Gulo apartments and you will be privately transfered. Your luggage will be looked after.

The Arctic Fox Igloos are located by the beautiful Lake Ranuanjärvi, far from city lights. Each igloo has an unobstructed view with ice-covered open waters and far-reaching treeless northern horizons where the Northern Lights usually appear. And as you are on the Arctic Circle, they appear often – almost every other night, if the sky is dark and clear.

At Arctic Fox Igloos you will stay in the middle of arctic nature without compromising your comfort. In addition to the glass-walled bedroom, each well-equipped igloo has a kitchenette, toilet, shower and even a sauna. The entrance, sauna and toilet are on the side of the igloos facing the forest, with wooden walls for privacy. There is approximately 10 metres between each igloo, all with a horizontal view of the lake.

Day 5 – Depart the Wildlife Park and head to next location

Either transfer back to Rovaniemi or head off for further adventures to Kemi for some ice swimming or icebreaker voyage – all within an hour or two drive.

Depending on your flight time today, you might have time to visit Rovaniemi’s Santa Village and post office.

Inclusions:

  • 3 nights in a modern self-contained villa with a fireplace, two bathrooms, living room, sauna and kitchen with all amenities and a private terrace with a view of the forest
  • 1 night in a family glass igloo
  • Half board (breakfast and dinner)
  • Airport shuttle transfers from/to Rovaniemi Airport on days 1 and 5 (for scheduled flights).
  • Winter Activities: Entrance to Ranua Wildlife Park, Guided tour, Snowmobile Safari to Reindeer Farm (3 hours), Search of Aurora Borealis Snowmobile Safari (3 hours) and Husky Safari (20 kms, 2 hours) and Santa Visit
  • Thermal clothing for the whole stay –  thermal winter suit, winter boots, socks, inner and outer gloves, winter hat and balaclava.
  • Entrance fee and free sled use at the Ranua Arctic Wildlife Park
  • Car transfers from the apartments to the Glass Igloos
  • 24-hour emergency service
  • Taxes and service fees

Exclusions:

  • Domestic flights
  • International flight tickets, meals other than described, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, travel insurance, visas, gratuities and any items of personal nature.
  • Rovaniemi additional transfer on the last day which drops you off in Rovaniemi and Santa’s village tours are optional – depending on your flight departure time, you may like to book an additional night in Rovaniemi city on the 23rd December if available. We can offer suggestions at the time of booking.

Enquiries

To find out more or to book this incredible tour, contact Globetrotter Lifestyle today!

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