When I reflect on Christmas, my mind immediately thinks of the North Pole – carpets of snow, twinkling lights, Santa’s workshop busy with working elves and that unmistakable feeling of pure magic. It’s the kind of wonder we are all meant to feel, no matter our age. If you love Christmas, whether as a wide-eyed child or a grown-up who still believes, a trip to Lapland isn’t just a holiday – it’s essential.
When you search for family Lapland packages on the internet or ask people who have been, Canterbury Travel is a recurrent name that pops up. From the moment you book, the magic begins. My twins received their Canterbury Travel backpacks packed with essentials including a snood, a refillable water bottle, a memory book to fill in and other bits and bobs. When the day arrived, our suitcases were packed with ample winter clothes and plenty of excitement. The thing is, my twins are now 12 and at that in-between stage of outgrowing Santa. But, even if you have no children, I feel it’s a trip for all Christmas fanatics.
We were checked in at Dublin airport by an elf and the passenger waiting area for the Jet2.com special flight was full of excited children (and parents) all dressed in their Christmas clothes, ready to search for Santa in Lapland. The flight is lots of fun and in less than three hours, we descended into a real-life Christmas snow globe scene. As snow-covered forests, whizzed by the plane window, we landed in Kuusamo airport, right into the heart of Santa territory.
Our Arctic Star guide, Ash, is waiting for us on our coach and we are all enthralled by her stories of what is in store for us all over the next day few days. The coach journey to our hotel is approx. 90 minutes from Kuusamo airport. I recommend bringing some snacks for the little ones but Jet2 does provide a bag on the flight with snacks that you can also use for the coach journey. Once you get to the hotel, all the activities are only five minutes away. Ash is so lively and great fun and has everyone singing along to the elf song which we all know, including the actions, by day two.
The Arctic Circle Hotel is everything you imagine staying in the North Pole to be like. All one level, with cosy rooms and a huge dining room area where we all congregate for our meals (which are included in your package) The food is buffet style and has a bit of everything including authentic Finnish cuisine and there is also a bar which include adult beverages and soft drinks at an additional cost. In my opinion, the breakfast, lunch and dinner options are more than enough to fill you up.
The best way to describe the next three days was like opening a daily Advent calendar with each day full of surprises. We are given secrets to our daily activities which are first thing after breakfast and also after lunch. Our first evening was spent getting suited and booted in proper snow wear, which you most definitely need (I was not prepared for how cold it can get) and then we all went tobogganing down a hill beside the hotel (they also have cabin options for larger groups).
The days start early, with two sittings for meals to keep all the different groups moving on schedule. Seeing the sun rise at 11am, with only a few short hours of daylight, feels strange at first but it quickly becomes part of the magic. When the light does arrive, the snow-covered landscape is breathtaking. Our first secret stop is a reindeer sleigh ride, where we also get to feed them. Each activity has its own Kota – a cosy wooden hut with a fire crackling in the centre and it’s always a relief to step inside and warm up. The reindeer are gentle and friendly (the females can live up to 20 years, the males up to 14 years) and the sleigh ride itself is quiet, peaceful and almost dreamlike.
Next, we visit Mrs Claus in her Bakehaus and meet more mischievous elves – Tricky Dicky, Ginger and Noisy Nod. Tricky Dicky decides to stow away on our coach and the children are in hysterics as he causes chaos on the coach. Then it’s on to Santa’s Magical Post Office, where letters from children all over the world are collected. More elves appear – Snowy Bowy and Speedy Sam and just when you think the day couldn’t possibly hold any more wonder, the Northern Lights put on a show right outside our hotel. We all eat together that evening before heading to bed early, knowing more secrets await in the morning.
We wake to a bitter cold morning, dropping to –27 degrees and I am never so happy for the snow gear provided on the tour. Our next clue leads us to husky mushing – we can hear the dogs long before we see them, howling with excitement to get going. It’s so cold my eyelashes freeze and I’ve never been happier to step back into a warm Kota after the husky ride. Snowmobiling comes next, a first for me, with smaller snowmobiles for the children to try too. After lunch, we throw ourselves into the Elf Olympics – pure fun and mayhem for kids and adults and a reminder of how easy it is to slip back into childhood here.
The final secret stop is the one everyone’s been waiting for – meeting Santa. Each family is taken through a series of magical moments, filled with elf mischief, before passing through a hidden door to meet him. He is the most authentic Santa I’ve ever seen and in that moment, I’m a believer all over again. After a trip like this, how could you not be?
After a delicious roast dinner, we are all taken to another secret location for a Christmas party with the elves. Again we witness the dancing Northern Lights. What an end to a fairy-tale day.
Our last morning had a final secret in store for the children, the elves say their farewells and turn all the children’s wishes into miniature Santa hats to put on the Christmas trees at home. The final stop on route to the airport is a gift shop where we buy some mementos which really are already in our memories – no souvenirs needed.
As we ascend into the Arctic Circle sky, I look around at the glowing faces of children filled with Christmas magic and realised ours looked exactly the same.
Canterbury Travel think of everything, so you don’t have to. Parents and grandparents can let go, switch off and sink into the joy just as much as the children. From the laughter on the bus (thank you, Ash), to the perfectly timed snacks, to days bursting with wonder, secrets and adventure and receiving our certificates and licences commemorating crossing the Arctic Circle; The Search for Santa Trip isn’t just for kids; it’s for anyone willing to believe and I promise you will come home with that magic glowing inside you.
Travel Facts
Magical Interlude Package booked through Canterbury Travel includes flights(with Jet2.com from Dublin), accommodation at the Arctic Circle Hotel or cabins, dining, daily activities and snow clothes and boots. The lead-in price for an adult is €1745 and for a family of 4 it’s approx. €6730. www.canterburytravel.com
Published in the Irish Daily Mail 20/12/2025