Family Snow Adventures In Arctic Lapland

Family Snow Adventures In Arctic Lapland

The Arctic Lapland is a great place to take the family. There are plenty of activities the kids will enjoy that are still lots of fun for the adults, too. Here are some of my favorites.

1.  Go On A Reindeer Sleigh Ride At Wolverine Fell Wilderness And Nature

If you are looking for a taste of the mythical Lapland mystique, then go for a reindeer sleigh ride.  You can also do a longer program which includes ice fishing, snow shoeing, and a fish soup lunch.  Make sure you dress warm, as it gets cold.

2. Take A Stunning Hike At Urho Kekkonen National Park

For great wilderness and easy to walk hikes, check out Urho Kekkonen National Park.  There are cottages you can use overnight and places where you can build campfires. Take a map and compass with you so you don’t get lost.

 289Photo courtesy of Activities Abroad

3.  See The Light Show Of The Northern Lights

 There is nothing more breathtaking than seeing the northern lights. The best way to see them is to avoid light pollution. The lights can be seen throughout the winter from November to April, and are most commonly seen between 5pm and 2am, when the skies are dark and clear with no clouds.

medium_11535301765photo credit: Nick-K (Nikos Koutoulas) via photopin cc

4.  Meet Santa Claus In His Office

At Santa Claus’ office at the Artic Circle you can let the elves guide you to Santa. This is where all the mail is collected for Santa Claus, and the kids will love it. The Santa Claus office is open daily from 10am until 5pm.

5. Visit Kemi’s Snow Castle

The Snow Castle was built in 1996 as a UNICEF project. The castle is built every year during a four-week period after Christmas. The design changes every year and always includes a beautiful chapel, a snow hotel, and a restaurant . The Snow Castle of Kemi is celebrating 20th anniversary in 2015.

6. Take A Husky Safari

A husky safari is one of the most popular activities in Lapland and for a good reason. Imagine driving your own sled with your own team of racing dogs through a frozen forest. As you direct your dogs across frozen lakes and snow-filled scenery, you get to enjoy the remote isolation of a landscape that is untouched.

7.  Climb Up Saana Fell

The climb up Saana Fell is about 4km, and going up to the top of Saana is a challenge worth doing. The trail is well-marked with wooden poles and will take about 3 1/2 hours roundtrip. The views are just spectacular to every direction.  In ancient times, the spirit of Saana was worshiped to guarantee a good hunt.

8. Visit Levin Lapinkyla Farm

The Levin Lapinkyla is a great family friendly attraction with its domestic animal farm with reindeer, alpacas, goats, rabbits, and sheep.  You can also take a reindeer ride, enjoy a smoke sauna, or try Finnish specialties at their restaurants.

 photo credit: timo_w2s via photopin cc